Phoenix Cruiser

We had a 2003 Itasca 24' on a 2002 E-350.
We now have a 2015 Itasca 27' on a 2015 E-450.
We tow a tandem axel 7000 lb trail that we sometimes haul a farm tractor, and other time our car.
The biggest difference I see between the '02 and '15 is the transmission. Because of the different transmissions it's hard to see any difference between the engines.
The '15 has air bags.

Dusty

Photomike wrote:
My current motor home is on a E450 and when I hit a bump I know it. I came from a tcer with a 2500 carrying it and it drove like a car.

That being said I would rather have the 450 for the engine and other heavier parts for the long haul. The stiffer drive is only noticed once in a while but when I can go up a hill with all the other traffic or be able to pull more then I figure the roughness is worth it.

X2 ... well stated!

What you also get is less money for brake work, due to the larger brake swept areas of the E450 requiring less pad replacements over time for any given RV size that could have been built on either the E350 or E450.

I've removed a lot of the stiff pounding coming from the rear leaf springs in our under-loaded E450 24 foot Class C by replacing the stock shocks in the rear with Koni FSD shocks. These shocks adjust themselves to provide light damping on highway cracks and potholes (fast vertical motions) ... and heavy damping for good control everywhere else (slower vertical motions).

Since our Class C under-loads the E450 chassis all the time, we can carry anything and everything we can fit in on our trips with no concerns for weight distribution or amount of weight.

We intentionally wanted a small Class C on the E450 chassis due to my thinking that "for best long term reliability and safety use a heavy duty piece of equipment in a light duty way".

My current motor home is on a E450 and when I hit a bump I know it. I came from a tcer with a 2500 carrying it and it drove like a car.

That being said I would rather have the 450 for the engine and other heavier parts for the long haul. The stiffer drive is only noticed once in a while but when I can go up a hill with all the other traffic or be able to pull more then I figure the roughness is worth it.

Watch the good You Tube video comparing the PC to a similar model/floorplan.
Looks like PC's aerodynamics, leak resistance, and convenience features are better than many rigs.

We have enjoyed our Phoenix Cruiser 2350 for three years now. Ours is on the standard from Phoenix which is the 350 chassis. We tow a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk and the PC handles the pull well.

Several years ago, we purchased a Gulfstream BT Cruiser on a 450 chassis, so we have had experience with both the 450 and 350. We bought our PC used. The original owner had it less than ten months and decided he wanted a big DP.

On most roads, the 350 is fine and certainly seems to ride better to me than the 450, but I must say in serious mountains I wish the 450 were under me. So, if you are going to do a lot of mostly driving in the flatlands or in less serious mountains (say, 4000 or 5000 feet or less) I think you will find the 350 to work for you. Take on the passes at 10,000 feet in the Rockies and you will wish for a 450.

All that being said, I always remind myself that 90-95% of the time the 350 is a better choice for us and is completely adequate to pull the Trailhawk that weighs out at about 4400 pounds when we flip down the rear seats and pack it full of all the junk we take for multiweek boondocking.

We have been extremely pleased with our Phoenix Cruiser. We studied rigs in the 23-25 foot range for almost two years prior to our purchase. The Phoenix quality is absolutely superb to everything else we saw includinig a couple of comparable brands that just didn't "feel right" for our personal pocket book or tastes. As another post suggested, check out the forum section on the Phoenix Cruiser home page. If you get really serious about buying a PC, join the forum and you will find a lot of really fine folks that can answer any Phoenix related questions in detail.

We found our almost new rig less than four miles from our home! Boy, talk about luck! Phoenix apparently makes only about a hundred total units of all models every year so that are not that easy to find and we were just getting ready to go to the factory and order one when we found ours nearby.

Paul

pnichols wrote:
SweetWaterSurprise,

That 4X4 Class C of yours is one "Sweet" rig! Is that the nice little 2350 model PC coach?

Did the installers give you a choice of how much lift you wanted?

I'm curious as to how small of a lift one can get by with so as to still provide the room needed up front between the added differential and it's driveline so as to provide the minimum acceptable clearance under the engine oil pan and stock front suspension components?

(The reason I ask is I wonder if larger diameter tires isn't a better way to lift everything that could get hung up instead of staying with the stock tires and merely putting the coach up higher.)

My lift is more due to a massive air bag system. I have a custom Kelderman system in the rear and Air lift bags upfront. The front suspension and axle setup are Factory F-350 parts. Springs are still stock E-450. I will be going with larger tires next season

The Phoenix Cruiser is a good mh. We're hoping to buy one. I've found that our 450 chassis mh has given us more options of places to travel with its added power. Example: It's easier to travel the beauty of the mountains such as the Rockies with their steep roads in our 450.

I think you'll enjoy your PC. :c

SweetWaterSurprise,

That 4X4 Class C of yours is one "Sweet" rig! Is that the nice little 2350 model PC coach?

Did the installers give you a choice of how much lift you wanted?

I'm curious as to how small of a lift one can get by with so as to still provide the room needed up front between the added differential and it's driveline so as to provide the minimum acceptable clearance under the engine oil pan and stock front suspension components?

(The reason I ask is I wonder if larger diameter tires isn't a better way to lift everything that could get hung up instead of staying with the stock tires and merely putting the coach up higher.)

Hopefully Ron Dittmer will see this and reply. His 2350 is on the E350 and he has talked about the pros and cons before. He tows a Jeep Liberty or some similar model.

Thanks for the info-Don