My Motorhome Selections

[Mondooker]

I've listed information below about the motorhomes I'm interested in and have listed them in no special order. They are all bath and a half and all have an MSRP within $10,000.00 of each other. With the exception of the Thor Miramar with a shorter WB but same quality level as the Challenger.

I know with automobiles the best ride comes from weight and wheelbase and would guess the same is true of motorhomes. The Forest River Georgetown XL and the two Newmar's have 26,000 chassis and the Newmar 3953 has a Wheel Base of 260.

Since they all have the same engine. Will the motorhomes with the bigger chassis suffer in power because of the added weight?

I'd also like to know if you have a preference on what side of the coach the bedroom slide is on and why?

I'd love to hear from you and especially those who currently have or has had one of theses coaches?

Thank you all

Forest River Georgetown XL 360DS - 37.6L - 242WB - 26,000 CH - 10 Gal HW - 5.5 Gen - $181M
Newmar Canyon Star 3710 - 38L - 242 WB - 26,000CH - 10 Gal HW - 10 Gen - $185M
Newmar Canyon Star 3953 - 40L - 260 WB - 26,000CH - 10 Gal HW - 5.5 Gen - $189M
Thor Challenger 37LX - 38.1L - 252WB - 22,000CH - 6 Gal HW - 7 Gen - $178M
Thor Miramar 34.1 - 35.10L - 242 WB - 22,000CH - 6 gal HW - 7 Gen - $156M
Tiffin Allegro 36LA - 37.6L - 252 WB - 24,000CH - 10 gal HW - 7 Gen - $171M

[Bruce_Brown]

To me the brand choice is easy, Newmar. I wouldn't put any of the others even on the need to look at list - but that's just me.

BTW, that comes from owning (3) Newmars and my parents and friends owning Tiffins.

Good luck with which ever one you choose!

[RayChez]

For that kind of money you could get a good used diesel pusher. Gasoline motor homes is a waste of money. Drive a diesel pusher and then drive a gasoline motor home and you will see the difference is like day and night. I have gone through that and buying a brand new gasoline motor home first, then the diesel cost me a lot of money that I should have put into the diesel pusher right away.

[_big58ben]

Moondocker - gotta say after reading lots of post on lots of sites -the first year of ownership for many coaches is a shake out and fix. This goes for most all motorhomes. With that said, we've had our share of issues - most ankle biters. The real difference that seems to matter is repairs on stuff as they need to be fixed under warranty.

From experience, Forest River (aka Georgetown) is tough to contact. By a twist of fate we wound up with the opportunity to buy a second new coach after only 6 months with our Georgetown.

Enter our Challenger 37TB. Do you spend time fixing the issues in the first year? Yep - fortunately we have a great service department at our dealer and Thor warranty has been great.

Now - features. That is where our Challenger shines brighter than any others on your list. Basement storage of 172 sq ft, great wheelbase ratio, 1.5 baths, well thought out inverter circuits, 80 gals grey water, 80 gals black water, 100 gals of fresh water, residential frig, king size bed, 5 TVs with HDMI, etc. We spent 2 months boon-docking in Key West this last winter. Running 2 loads of wash with the on board washer/dryer, normal shower everyday typical household chores and we emptied/filled up once every 5 days.

Would I buy the Thor again - you bet.

Gotta say- the Newmar coach is nice but when you look to boon-dock as long as we did, the DW simply wouldn't have it any other way than once in 5 days.

Hope this helps.

[Smitty77]

Mondooker - Sure understand the rules of keeping the DW engaged, and happy... A wise man knows when to take what he can get in these negotiations.. And IMO, getting out and having fun and starting the RV'ing experience in a new gasser, is better then not getting out at all:)! (I'm a DP fan, and believe in buying the highest quality coach that you find, dropping years to remain within budget range. But, I'd for sure not fight that battle and 'not' RV at all, I too would go with what is acceptable to the both of you:)!

I'm also a believer and having the as much extra sturdiness as possible in a chassis. So I would lean towards the two Newmar's with the 26K chassis. One thing I don't think I've seem mentioned, is to also check the CCC. Between the two Newmar's, one is longer then the other (both in coach and wheel base). So taking a good look at the differences in CCC and towing capacity (if that is important to you) would be worth checking into.

Best of luck to you, have fun!!!!
Smitty

[Smitty77]

rr2254545 wrote:
Wow first time ever on this site that I have seen comments about slides on the patio side I guess I will have to get rid of my 30 ft slide on the passenger side - not over my dead body - hint the more slides on both sides the more room and better it will be

Welcome to forum:)! And for sure, your thoughts are shared by many.

That being said, a few comments that I feel are valid on slides:

1) Slides do impact access to basement storage. So having say the front patio non slide, allows for easier access to some of the basement storage.

2) Slides add weight and reduce structural integrity/strength. So each slide added, does come with a price.

3) Some of us like to RV in places where space is a constraint. Having slides only on one side of the coach, can aid in fitting into higher corners. (And yes, with coaches that have say four slides, for sure you always have the option to not open all of them:)!)

4) As mentioned before. Slides reduced upper cabinet space by 5-6". So depending upon layout of coach, a non slide side could have more usable upper cabinet space.

For sure we all come at our RV decisions based upon what we feel is important. Heck, I know many owners of higher end non slide coaches, that would never jump form their rigs. (Newell, Prevost Based, Country Coaches, Foretravel, etc.) And I know many RV'ers that like to go to a location and stay for quite a long time, that have four slides. Two couples I know, specifically choose coaches with super slides, so while only 2 slides, they're the mega slides:)!

That is what 'choice' is all about...

Best to you, and all,
Smitty

[Mondooker]

Good point Smitty, there are soooooooo many things to think about in a Motorhome and thank all of you for your thoughts!

[Smitty77]

Bumpyroad wrote:

Mondooker wrote:
I'll also make sure I don't buy a coach with the kitchen on the slide. That just seems like trouble!

I had a kitchen slide for about 14 years. absolutely no problem, wouldn't scare me a bit.
bumpy

Better quality coaches with kitchen slides, should be a non issue. That being said, they will have more opportunities for future problems then a non slide.

The main reason we avoided kitchen slides in our choice of coach, is we did not want to lose the 5 - 6" of upper cabinet spaces. In our coach, we added a three upper shelves, about 6" down from the top. Great area to store items that are not used too often.

Just another perspective on kitchen slide vs non kitchen slide that is often not factored:)!

Best to all,
Smitty

[Bumpyroad]

RayChez wrote:
For that kind of money you can get a diesel pusher which would be superior to any gasoline motor home. I would eliminate all your choices. Newmar is way over priced for sure.

where Can I buy a new, well built DP for $120,000 or less?
bumpy

[RayChez]

For that kind of money you can get a diesel pusher which would be superior to any gasoline motor home. I would eliminate all your choices. Newmar is way over priced for sure.

[JCGibson]

We have (had) a 2016 Tiffin Allegro 36LA. Ordered it April 2015 and took delivery June 2015. This was our first motorhome and it was a great gas coach. Fit and finish was excellent and very few things wrong with it that I couldn't take care of myself (Auto Gen Start wired wrong, powered front shades shorted due to exposed wires) during our ownership (4k+ miles). Tiffin is an excellent company that will help you in anyway possible to make things right. For my auto gen start problem, Tiffin authorized me to take it to a Magnum service center to have it fixed. No out of pocket expense and didn't have to go to Red Bay as another poster has said. They will authorize you to take it to any dealer/service center you are comfortable with for any warranty issues you might have. They also pay for a front end alignment (do it for all Tiffin coaches within first year of ownership). Communication is awesome and can talk directly with Bob Tiffin (owner/founder) if necessary. The 36LA is an awesome floor plan and had everything we wanted. With that said, however, driving a gas coach just wasn't for me, so we traded it for a DP we are also ordering.

[Mondooker]

I have heard some really terrible things about Thor both on forums and private messages I've received from Thor owners. The Challenger is a beautiful coach but I keep hearing troubleing things about the brand! Much more so than other brands. Their customer service is said to be excellent but the build is inconsistent.

[reboo349]

We have a 2015 Thor Challenger 37ND, have been back to the factory 2 times and going back for a 3rd. time, really bad fit and trim, this coach is billed as a luxury coach(a joke)only 2 major issues oil leak from oil cooler and shock towers only hand tight, most issues were minor, drawers not tight molding coming lose bay doors leak just minor stuff but to many to list,(17 plus first trip 25 2nd trip) each time at the factory stayed their a week plus, now headed back for leak from washer hookups that has damaged outside kitchen plus other items, people @ the factory have been really nice to work with have addressed all issues, this coach has a super ride and handles great, don't have to worry about semis when they pass, 7plus fuel mil. after taking the Newmar factory tour and looking at them think I would buy Newmar

[Mr_Mark1]

Moondooker,

The only thing that stands out is the Schwintech slides have been an issue on other threads. We had HWH slides (3 hydraulic and 1 electic) on our previous coach. Now, we have all electric.

MM.

[Mondooker]

One coach I never gave much consider to is Winnabago. They have a very nice 37' coach with front living area and bath and a half.

It brings up two questions. What do you think of the Winny and are there any floor plans to stay away from from mechanical standpoint etc?