Quality of RV

paullac wrote:

mlts22 wrote:
I'd also toss Jayco in as well because their rigs also have fiberglass end caps and a fiberglass roof.

Not exactly. According to their website for Greyhawk:

"Seamless one-piece rubber roof"

"Seamless fiberglass shield"

So the front cap is fiberglass but the roof is rubber.

I stand corrected. The Redhawk touted a fiberglass roof, so I guess they do different things for different lines of motorhomes.

I've had my 12 Sunseeker 3010 for a almost a year now and I'm very satisfied. It seems well constructed and we like the interior very well. I'm actually still very excited and proud owner of this Coach. We are on a trip right now and having fun.

I know Sunseeker had some problems in the early mid 2000's. I'd have to say that is over.

mlts22 wrote:
I'd also toss Jayco in as well because their rigs also have fiberglass end caps and a fiberglass roof.

Not exactly. According to their website for Greyhawk:

"Seamless one-piece rubber roof"

"Seamless fiberglass shield"

So the front cap is fiberglass but the roof is rubber.

I'd add two models. Born Free RV, I would add to either tier 1 or 2 because of the molded fiberglass. I would also add the Winnebago View to tier 2. Both have completely seamless construction in the front

I'd probably add two tiers to Jeffcarp's list. I would add the FR Sunseeker, Solera, and Forester to a tier between 3 and 4. They are not as good with fit/finish as a Coach House, but they do have a fiberglass roof, fiberglass front and rear endcaps (which make a large difference when it comes to leaks, as it protects the corners where the wind comes in. I'd also toss Jayco in as well because their rigs also have fiberglass end caps and a fiberglass roof.

Anything on tier 4 like Coachmen, I would not consider new. Class Cs are pricy, and for bang per buck, Forest River's offerings are the best value going, and it is hard to do better than their offerings at the price point they are at. You do get what you pay for.

When the salesman kept telling us that the Coachmen we were test- driving wouldn't shake, rattle, squeak or creak so much once we had it loaded with water, gas, personal effects, etc., we decided it was not the quality we wanted. We settled on a Winnebago and have not looked back.

Looked used for a long time. Realized wouldn't find what we wanted. Bought new last August after considerable research.

Got a Forest River Sunseeker. Only considered that brand, Winnebago, & Nexus.

IMHO...

Winnebago: Over-rated. Many happy owners no doubt. But older style construction materials. Fiberglass roof is great. But uses wood walls. That technology is older. Problem is wood walls can absorb moisture &, if / when that happens, it will lead to delam which is one of the biggest drains on RV values. Higher price than entry level based on name. Eventually ruled them out based on the combination of their higher price, the older wall technology, & our only occasional use of the unit.

Nexus: Fiberglass roof & Azdel walls (for those that don't know, Azdel doesn't absorb moisture so delam won't happen, has a higher R value, & is lighter). 2 check marks. Great reputation among a still small group of owners. Higher price which appears justified. For our only occasional use though it was more than we wanted to pay. If we were more regular users of the unit, I probably would have bought Nexus.

Forest River Sunnseeker: Also fiberglass roof & Azdel walls so 2 check marks again. Pretty good reputation among at least newer owners (which I would agree with as one of them). I think older Sunnseekers left a lot to be desired. But since Warren Buffet bought out Forest River, he really sank a lot of money into improving the Sunseeker line. Value priced. Was perfect for us given our occasional use.

jeffcarp: On your list, the only change I'd make is to move Winnebago to #4 with the rest (again based on older wall technology).

Sabluka: Coachman uses the TPO roof as mentioned above which wouldn't be my first choice but does use Azdel walls. Short answer to your question is I think there are better options than either. But comes down to budget, what's most important to you, etc.

I'd say, in general, most people agree to the following "groups of quality" when it comes to Class C or similar coaches.

1) Coach House, Dynamax, Renegade (not really a C IMO)
2) Lazy Daze, Born Free, Leisure Travel Vans (Triple E)
3) Winnebago, Nexus, Phoenix Cruiser
4) The rest

That doesn't suggest that "the rest" are equal. They aren't. I'd encourage you to take all the time and money you need to travel around and spend time in various quality levels of coaches. You will start to determine for yourself exactly what you are looking at in terms of quality.

Coachman = entry level
Winnebago = at least 2 steps above entry level

We were lucky. Before buying, we looked a long time. We almost decided on cheaper coaches 2 or 3 times, but managed to talk ourselves into upgrading to Winnebago. I am glad we did. It saved us the expense of upgrading 2 or 3 times till we got one we actually liked. It is 6 years old now and we have never regretted spending the extra money.

The Coachmen, as per their spec sheet, has a TPO membrane roof, which has a lot of seams, and the more seams, the more chance of an imperceptable crack causing water damage somewhere. Winnebago and even Forest River use fiberglass roofs, and front/rear endcaps which further protect from water intrusion when on the road.

I'd go for the Winnebago.

We just went thru the same thing you are trying to decide. We too looked at the Leprachaun and bought the Aspect....for many reasons..mostly quality of build. We've had a Forest River product in the past and they just don't compare to the Winnebagos in my opinion. We have way more features on our Aspect..biggest being levelers! We spoke with many Winnebago owners and they were the ones that swayed our decision. They sure back their product! Also, if you don't need the cab over bed the Aspect is the way to go. We bought the 30C Aspect in January have have put almost 4000 miles on it! We didn't buy it to let it sit! Now at home planning a 6-7000 mi trip this summer/fall. We have had minimal warranty problems, biggest was crack in our bathroom sink that was ordered and replaced.
Good luck in making your decision. My vote would be Winnebago!