Coachmen Prism anyone?

[deborahsheik]

Looking for any user reviews/info on this line...or comparison to the Fleetwood Pulse. The floor plan suits us and we want a diesel, but I'm having trouble finding comments from anyone who has/had one. Also any feedback from any Coachmen owners regarding service/repair/warranty support.
Thanks

[Snowman9000]

RonPark, WD40 washes away very quickly. Use something which leaves a grease behind when it evaporates. I use PJ1 motorcycle chain lube, only because I have an old can of it. Spray lithium grease would be good too. Something along those lines is what you want. What Kwikee Steps sells is called spray grease.

[RonPark]

Sorry to come to this thread late!

We have a 2011 Coachmen Prism, bought new, have driven over 18K and are very pleased with it. Currently we get about 14 mpg. The tank is 25 gallons but will read empty when around 20 gallons are gone. The manual does say that there is about a 5 gallon reserve. Headwinds give us lower mpg results, but rear ones improve our gains.

There have been a couple of issues. The main one required us to replace the retractable stair unit. It turns out that I was supposed to oil (with WD40 or similar product) the underside periodically (every 2-3 months). It's in the manual, in tiny print!

I've added some improvements (IMHO);

• 1. a 1000 watt inverter
• 2. A portable solar panel, 130 watts
• 3. An additional battery
• 4. an awning shade
• 5. a color rear view camera

I will be replacing the analog heat only thermostat with a digital display and am thinking of adding a swivel seat adapter to the passenger side seat.

[Coach-man]

Dakzuki , thanks for the info on "Scan Gauge" I will look into it, I am just afraid that when the gauge says "empty" it means EMPTY!

[Dakzuki]

Coach-man wrote:

Dakzuki wrote:

Coach-man wrote:
I own a 2011 Prisim, and love it! We downsized from a class A, there is only myself and DW, plus the two dogs and a cat! The prisim has a lot of storage space, both inside on the floor plan and in the basement as well! Good ride and 14 MPG is great! The downsides, are, #1 the bed, it is ok for two, but not really comfortable to get into or out of the bed! #2 only a 20 gallon tank, and mercedes seems to think that any changes to the set up aS DESIGNED WILL RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC failure to the world as we now it!! Other than that it is a great rig, (I would not recommend it for full time), we have traveled up 3,200 miles in it with no problems! Check out adding swivel seats! Good luck!!

Not sure which tank you speak of but the Sprinter fuel tank is 26 gallons.

Not sure either, I have driven it to empty, and the most I have been able to put in was 19.2 gallons, so I figure 20 gallons! Now at 14 MPG that is about 260 miles range, ok but I think it should be more!

Indicated empty on the Sprinter leaves a lot of fuel in the tank. Lots of folks use a Scanguage which when calibrated will give good indication of how far you can go.

[Coach-man]

Dakzuki wrote:

Coach-man wrote:
I own a 2011 Prisim, and love it! We downsized from a class A, there is only myself and DW, plus the two dogs and a cat! The prisim has a lot of storage space, both inside on the floor plan and in the basement as well! Good ride and 14 MPG is great! The downsides, are, #1 the bed, it is ok for two, but not really comfortable to get into or out of the bed! #2 only a 20 gallon tank, and mercedes seems to think that any changes to the set up aS DESIGNED WILL RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC failure to the world as we now it!! Other than that it is a great rig, (I would not recommend it for full time), we have traveled up 3,200 miles in it with no problems! Check out adding swivel seats! Good luck!!

Not sure which tank you speak of but the Sprinter fuel tank is 26 gallons.

Not sure either, I have driven it to empty, and the most I have been able to put in was 19.2 gallons, so I figure 20 gallons! Now at 14 MPG that is about 260 miles range, ok but I think it should be more!

[Dakzuki]

Coach-man wrote:
I own a 2011 Prisim, and love it! We downsized from a class A, there is only myself and DW, plus the two dogs and a cat! The prisim has a lot of storage space, both inside on the floor plan and in the basement as well! Good ride and 14 MPG is great! The downsides, are, #1 the bed, it is ok for two, but not really comfortable to get into or out of the bed! #2 only a 20 gallon tank, and mercedes seems to think that any changes to the set up aS DESIGNED WILL RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC failure to the world as we now it!! Other than that it is a great rig, (I would not recommend it for full time), we have traveled up 3,200 miles in it with no problems! Check out adding swivel seats! Good luck!!

Not sure which tank you speak of but the Sprinter fuel tank is 26 gallons.

[Coach-man]

I own a 2011 Prisim, and love it! We downsized from a class A, there is only myself and DW, plus the two dogs and a cat! The prisim has a lot of storage space, both inside on the floor plan and in the basement as well! Good ride and 14 MPG is great! The downsides, are, #1 the bed, it is ok for two, but not really comfortable to get into or out of the bed! #2 only a 20 gallon tank, and mercedes seems to think that any changes to the set up aS DESIGNED WILL RESULT IN CATASTROPHIC failure to the world as we now it!! Other than that it is a great rig, (I would not recommend it for full time), we have traveled up 3,200 miles in it with no problems! Check out adding swivel seats! Good luck!!

[deborahsheik]

Any current updates on this topic? We're looking at the Leisure Unity also ...but the price difference is huge and limited basement storage.

[Coach-man]

I just traded a DP for a new Prisim! Very nice they have addressed the the sway, plenty of room for DW and me with the two dogs. Quite a bit of storage under the bed area and additional storage in the basement. I averaged 14 MPG on a recent trip towing a Ford Fusion! It fits our needs nicely. I purchased mine from Giant Recreation World in Winter Garden.

[dleslie125]

When Coachmen was releasing the Prism we happened to have our Kodiak based Jayco in for service in Middlebury. We had time to kill and visited museums etc. Coachmen is just north of Jayco. They happened to have a display of their products on the grounds and we stopped for a look. It was some time of PR day because a lot of people were there. We looked at one particular unit and found it very impressive ----- UNTIL we looked at the weight label. Virtually NO CCC to speak of. I don't think they appreciated my harsh remarks. We dropped any thought of a Prism at that point and left.

Hopefully, they have improved that situation - but whatever you do make sure you look at the label that sets out the weights.

[PhilR_]

We have a Sprinter MH, but as it is a Winnebago, I cannot say anything about the Coachman coach. However, I did want to mention one thing about the Coachman, and that it has a TPO roof (often referred to as a "rubber" roof). The Winnebago/Itasca versions have fiberglass roofs. It might not matter to you what type of roof you get, but I know that if I were to be spending that much money on an RV, it better have a fiberglass roof.

Also, I would 2nd tatest's suggestion about buying used. In 2010 we purchased a 2008 View with less than 8k miles on it, and saved a bunch....

[Bruce_Gunn]

I just bought a 2012 Prism from Motor Home Specialist in Alvarado, TX. My wife and I have only driven it about 150 miles but are very pleased with the Prism and how it handles. My wife can drive it very easily. One reason that we chose the Prism over the Solera was that the Prism had a longer bed and the bed is wider than most of the corner bed RVs. The Mercedes-Benze chassis and motor are both excellent and it has plenty of power. The front cabin area is your basic Sprinter in terms of seat type, lack of a carpeted area, etc but we like it that way. We bought the Prism for $70,000, about $27,000 below the list price. It had only 1,300 miles on it. When we drove it from the dealer to our home near Austin, we averaged 13.5 mpg. The wind was hitting us from the side at 40 to 60 mph and we were driving about 65 mph. I'm told that the diesel mpg will improve in time but we are still pleased with this mpg. We slept in the RV for two nights at the dealership (full hookups) and the 40-60 mph winds made a little noise in the cabin but rocking of the RV was minimal. So far, we love the prism (and yes, it does have a flatter front profile than does the View and other RVs but it didn't seem to affect its handling on the road.

[Bruce_Gunn]

deborahsheik wrote:
Thanks, tatest, for your detailed comments.

Prism looks a little taller, wider, less aerodynamic than other C's on the Sprinter chassis. Have you looked at any of those from Winnebago, Forest River, or Fleetwood? We have looked at many of these others. It is the floor plan of the CM Prism and the Fleetwood Pulse that are attractive to us. They both do appear taller & wider…hence they actually have some basement storage space…the other models have minimal storage.
Another small motorhome on Sprinter chassis to look at would be Winnebago's Via,
similar in size and performance to View, Prism or a Sprinter Jamboree/Tioga, but with the front seats incorporated into the living area, rather than being lost space except while driving. That can make a big difference in a small motorhome.The Prism front seats also swivel.
RV Trader shows Prisms in stock at RV World, Lakeland and Nokomis stores. RV World also has Views in stock, new and used, for a same-day comparison. We have been to the Nokomis store many times…live just a few miles from there.
I've liked working with Dreamland, in Bradenton, who carries Thor lines, but they don't show any Sprinter C's in their current stock. Thor does make Freedom Elite…available only at Camping World…and they also make Four Winds Siesta…same as the Elite.
We have several variables that are key for us…a fixed bed…an over cab entertainment system rather than a bunk, a sofa & table rather than a booth dinette…and usable storage underneath. It may take some time before we find a resale with all these 🙂

[deborahsheik]

Dakzuki wrote:
Front seats in Sprinter Cs do not have to be lost. Mine has swiveling front seats so they become part of the living area. There are kits to convert those that do not come that way.

Which unit do you have? Can you share your thoughts on it...comfort...maintenance...etc?