I just went through a similar purchasing decision (see my thread under totally newbie on this forum). We have the 2010 Suburban 1500 and end up getting a StarCraft AR-ONE MAXX 20BHLE. We paid $12K for it, new.
I think the only difference between my Suburban and yours is the transmission. I have the 6 speed while you have the 4 speed. So there is a better chance I can find a good RPM on the highway than you do.
StarCraft does make a 19 ft version (19BHLE) that's 500 lbs lighter. You may want to check it out. Both are bunkhouse plan so there is no need to setup beds each night. We have twins, 3 years old.
You're in Indiana so you're really close to StarCraft's factory. You should be able to find great deals there since the dealers don't have to pay much transportation charge.
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/29080127.cfm