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2006 Itasca SunCruiser 35A

noonenosthis1
Explorer
Explorer
Hi all,

We are looking around at buying a new to us rv. We have a F350 to tow a 5th wheel with and have been looking at those. While at a dealership I did see a 2006 Itasca SunCruiser 35A that looked nice. Does anyone have experience with this model? It is on a Workhorse and that makes me nervous. Putting all that weight on a Chevy. It would be better with a V10. Is the SunCruiser entry level Itasca, midlevel?

Thanks!
10 REPLIES 10

Sandia_Man
Explorer II
Explorer II
We had a totally different aspect in our class A search as we highly preferred the workhorse chassis. Luckily we found our 39' class A with the W24 workhorse chassis and the GM 8.1 liter, rides like a dream and with little effort engine/chassis parts are easily sourced online. We seen several Itasca Suncruisers during our search and they are very nice indeed, we would have made a purchase but the rigs we seen all had too many miles.

erniee
Explorer
Explorer
I just put wood flooring in one. Very large interior
Ernie Ekberg, Prevost Liberty XL Classic

1Thunderjet2
Explorer
Explorer
I have the workhorse W-22 it is very well built. I think the W-22 used 22.5 tires where fords I have seen used smaller tires. Make sure brake recall was done and dash gauges all work. I feel a class A is so much better for traveling, 5th wheel is better for longer stays in one spot.
I have the 35A floor plan, that works well for us. I removed the Bedroom door we like it better without it. Motor cooling fan noisy on hill climbing but fine at cruise.
TJ

noonenosthis1
Explorer
Explorer
Thank you for all the input. We were looking at a 5th wheel that would have cost the same as the Suncruiser (49,000). We have a Ford pickup that recently had the tailgate stolen. We have a new tailgate but Ford isn't making the wiring harness for the camera so I know all about not getting parts right away. It sure is a pretty rig but some of those 5th wheels are too. Dang if I could only win the lottery!

rk911
Explorer
Explorer
the only thing i'd worry about with the Workhorse chassis is the same reason I went for the Ford when we bought our Suncruiser in 2000...where to get *chassis* service. not oil changes and such but work on the chassis itself. you may be relegated to independent truck chassis shops.
Rich
Ham Radio, Sport Pilot, Retired 9-1-1 Call Center Administrator
_________________________________
2016 Itasca Suncruiser 38Q
'46 Willys CJ2A
'23 Jeep Wrangler JL
'10 Jeep Liberty KK

& MaggieThe Wonder Beagle

Rick_Jay
Explorer II
Explorer II
Back in its day, the Workhorse chassis seemed to be leading with the innovations, and Ford was playing catch-up. The Workhorse chassis also came with a $3,000-$6,000 premium in price, depending upon your dealer, so there were fewer of them ordered. Most people didn't know or care that there was a difference.

Both the Ford V10 and GM 8.1L are good engines, and I wouldn't worry about either one. In my mind, and the minds of many who ordered their motorhomes with the Workhorse chassis, is the fact that that WH chassis has an Allison transmission attached to it.

I can't speak to parts availability issues as I haven't experienced that yet. On the other hand, our rig hasn't had any chassis-specific issues, either. 8.1L engine items and Allison transmission parts should be available for a good long time.

I think most people have more issues with the coach part of the motorhome than the chassis, anyway. Winnebago/Itasca is a good brand with LOTS of technical documentation (plumbing diagrams, electrical diagrams, etc.) on their website, which in my mind, is a HUGE PLUS!!!!

To be honest, if the floorplan works for you, THAT is more important than the chassis it is on. Obviously, general condition and any maintenance records are important as well.

Good Luck,

~Rick
2005 Georgie Boy Cruise Master 3625 DS on a Workhorse W-22
Rick, Gail, 1 girl (27-Angel since 2008), 1 girl (22), 2 boys (23 & 20).
2001 Honda Odyssey, Demco Aluminator tow bar & tow plate, SMI Silent Partner brake controller.

garyemunson
Explorer
Explorer
The Workhorse chassis is a good one but with the medium truck part of Workhorse corporation long gone, the availability of chassis specific parts is getting worse. You can still get pretty much everything but the NAPA/AutoZone/OReilley's is much more likely to have Ford F53 parts on the shelf than Workhorse items. Our previous motorhome was on a WH chassis and there were a few experiences where we had to wait to have a part shipped in, something that would likely been available over the counter if we were on a Ford chassis. Was another consideration that led us to upgrade to a new Winne on an F53. The Workhorse chassis was an extra cost item that was ordered less than F53s so there are less of them out there for that reason, too, along with normal attrition that affects both chassis (and the F53s are being replenished while Workhorses are not).

Doin_it
Explorer
Explorer
We had a 2004 32 foot Sunrise that we loved. A few minor issues over the years, but overall, a very good motorhome. Replaced it with a 2014 Suncruiser which we also love.
2014 35' Itasca Suncruiser
2013 Jeep Wrangler

Janss
Explorer
Explorer
Another happy Suncruiser owner here. Mine is 3 feet shorter, but has the Chevy Workhorse. Never had a problem with it related to the engine/chassis, other than stuff that happens due to age.
2002 Itasca Suncruiser 32V
2012 Suzuki Grand Vitara

rk911
Explorer
Explorer
the suncruiser is the top-of-the-line gas model, a twin to the wimnebago adventurer. we had a 2000 Suncruiser 35U and loved it.
Rich
Ham Radio, Sport Pilot, Retired 9-1-1 Call Center Administrator
_________________________________
2016 Itasca Suncruiser 38Q
'46 Willys CJ2A
'23 Jeep Wrangler JL
'10 Jeep Liberty KK

& MaggieThe Wonder Beagle