Phoenix cruiser

PSW wrote:
We love the sleekness of the PC: lower and more narrow and less a "box" than most Cs.

Outside and inside storage is of course what you give up for low and narrow.

We get 1-1.5 less MPG in our E450 Class C, but gain gobs of relative storage volume and weight for a 24 footer. We carry no camping gear on the roof, none tied to the outside rear ladder, none in front or rear hitch mounted boxes, none in the shower, none on the cabover queen bed, and none wedged in behind the driver's or passenger's cab seats. Our 2 full size lounge chairs, 4 other standard size chairs, and full size foldable outside table are carried neatly tucked away due to our rig's widebody and basement-style design.

Our slightly larger width/height 24 footer allows us to both not tow while at the same time carrying everything on every trip for serendipitously dealing with all recreation opportunities and situations with no load-planning before the trip. i.e. We even carry winter stuff along on summer trips and summer stuff on winter trips to simplify preparations for every trip.

PSW wrote:
He (Ron) prefers no slide.

Yep, I always seem to take a "minority" position on many subject matters and motorhome slide outs is one.

Regardless, I have heard it over & over again that the mechanism and the construction of the box & frame of Phoenix Cruiser slide outs are ranked at the top in the industry. So it's not a "Quality" issue, it's simply my personal preference, and my wife agrees with me. We might feel differently if we consistently stayed stationary for weeks or a season at a time.

Outside storage on our Phoenix Cruiser 2350 is the only complaint we have and we were aware of it pre purchase. Lawn chairs? We put them in a construction bag (same as a lawn bag except a heavier mil plastic) and stick 'em in the shower until we get where we are going. Also, they easily fit behind the driver's seat on our model when the slide is in. There is, by the way, a lot of room behind that seat and we carry a lot of stuff in fabric covered large boxes right there.

Ron has commented about his 2350 in this thread and he has owned one for years and is real expert. He prefers no slide. We are just the opposite. We came from Class B World and the slide was a priority for us and we feel like we are in a mansion after years in Bs.

We normally tow if we are going to be gone for more than a week and we just put the stuff in the Jeep. Incidentally, ours is on a 350 Ford and in August we pulled four passes over the Rockies with no trouble. Our Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk shows 4050 pounds as its weight. We probably put in a hundred fifty pounds of camping stuff, so fairly heavy. The 350 was just fine for the mountains but it was slowed going up those long 6+ % grades for miles. We didn't go to drive 70 at 12,000 feet.

We love the sleekness of the PC: lower and more narrow and less a "box" than most Cs. The end caps and slanted sides are just one thing: cool.

Very few give this any consideration, but .... the E450's gearing can easily be made taller after you buy a used one or by insisting on it from the dealer on a new one so as to approach the E350's slightly better all-around mileage.

Put taller tires on the E450. This makes all gears taller - including overdrive - for better mileage.

We use 215/85R16 on our E450 instead of what came on it - 225/75R16. Believe it or not, the 215 tire has a larger diameter than the 225 tire. One poster here in the forums even has 235/75R16 tires on their E450 Class C - for great ground clearance and overall taller gearing. Larger diameter tires have other advantages, as well.

We're partial to the 2551 as it has terrific indoor storage. Herself loves the taller closet in the bathroom that accommodates her dresses and long coats. I daresay that closet would accommodate golf clubs too. Lawn chairs can be hitched to the outside ladder.

badbob1 wrote:
Wanted a place to carry my golf clubs and lawn chairs.

Yes, the current day Phoenix model 2350 has reduced outdoor storage. My older 2007 has a very big outdoor compartment. It was later compromised when the company improved the center of gravity by moving the fresh water tank forward & rotated 90 degrees. Compounding the losses was when the company increased the size of the slide out to include the fridge. It forced the furnace into the outdoor storage compartment as well.

I do wonder if the stretched 2350 called a 2450 made with the longer bed, if the outdoor storage could be reclaimed. Also if ordering the rig without the slide out, I'd request the furnace be placed back where it is on my older 2007 model. That would make for a massive outdoor storage compartment, bigger than my big one. I believe the company would fulfill such a request at no additional charge.

If I ordered a 2450 today, I'd try my best to get maximum outdoor storage and a larger bathroom from the extra length.

When we sold our fiver the Phoenix Cruiser was very near the top of our list for a new rv. Only thing that stopped us was lack of outside cargo space. Wanted a place to carry my golf clubs and lawn chairs. Ended up with the Solera from Forest River.
Good Luck
BadBob

Desert Captain wrote:
Ron's Quote: "In 2008, the E350 chassis GVWR was increased to 12,500 pounds which stands to this day for the 2014 model year. "

Sorry but that simply is not true. My 2012 Nexus sits on a 2011 E-350 chassis with a GVWR of 11,500#. The 2012 and newer E-350's have been bumped up to 12,500. Even at 11,500 mine comes with 3,368# of payload. Fully loaded for the road we weigh 10,050 leaving me an additional 1,450# available that I will probably never use.

The 450's have more GVWR, I think they come in at 14,500 and a 4:56 rear end vs the 4:10's on the 350. You will get a rougher ride and worse mileage with the 450 but if there is a Toad in your equation the 450 is probably the better choice.

IMHO: Don't sell the 350's short. On C's 24' or less the 350 is the way to go, better of ride quality/handling and mileage yet still come with more than enough payload.

As always.... Opinions and YMMV.

:C

According to the 2008 Ford spec sheets, the Super Duty E350 Dual Rear Wheel cut-away chassis was available in three different weight ratings, 10,000, 11,500, and 12,500. Apparently Nexus used the 11,500 pound 2011 E350 chassis. Phoenix USA has always used only the 12,500 chassis on model 2350 and 2450 since the current day E350 chassis came out in 2008..... with rare exception. Many months ago, Phoenix got a super deal on a yard full of lesser duty E350 chassis from a local RV company that had gone out of business. Phoenix passed the savings over to their customers if selecting one of those chassis for lighter model applications. In 2010 Phoenix had the same opportunity with a yard full of Sprinters, offering a Sprinter version at the cost of an E350. Phoenix is a creative company, trying to reach people with lower budgets when the opportunity presents itself.

With our earlier 2007 DRW 11,500 6.8L E350 chassis, we too have more than enough payload capability. After being loaded up on trips including a full tank of fresh water, I still have an extra 1300-1400 pounds of margin, though not necessarily distributed properly. I think our 2" rear sag is strongly influenced by the weight placed on the rear frame extension. My 40 gallon fresh water tank sits against the back wall & rear bumper. The company has since relocated the fresh water tank forward so maybe the newer models lost the sag. I would research it more before making a decision on an E350 or E450. I do lean toward the E350, but would want to research deeper to make sure.

The E350 advantages over an E450 are primarily a 10% increase in fuel economy and a softer ride, both extremely important to me personally. Is the E450 better for the wider rear axle stance, higher ground clearance, excessive payload ability, and hydraulic power brake system? If going with a Quigley 4x4 conversion, or pulling something serious like a large boat or multi-horse trailer, I'd go with the E450 for sure. But for typical RVing with our Jeep Liberty tow vehicle, I do lean toward the E350.

kiwidancer wrote:
Thanks for the feedback. We're also considering a PC, probably the 2450. I sent them a request to join the forum yesterday morning, but haven't been 'approved' yet. Until then, I can ask questions here!

If you don't get a quick response from the moderator on joining the PC forum, call the main sales guy Earl at Phoenix. His daughter Aimee is the moderator. She is multi-tasking a number of internet operations for multiple companies so she might not see your request to join for a while.

We are now on our 3rd PC. Our 1st was a 2350 Sprinter in 2011. Got that dreaded disease known as twofootitis and ordered a 2551 in 2012. Decided to go larger, due to the way we wanted to use the motorhome(possible seasonal camping). Now we have a 2910 with twin beds and one slide (a custom) and still could not be happier with our choice.

We look at other units when we hit the Tampa RV Show and still choose the PC. For all of you who are looking at Phoenix Cruiser, you can be assured that the factory response is top notch!! Great customer service. They are willing to help, no matter what.

Judi