Hi ernie1 and OFDPOS,
You offer some interesting experiences inspecting a particular 2006 Phoenix Cruiser 2551 with 33,000 miles.
We own a 2007 model 2350
(MANY PICTURES HERE) with 40,000 miles. Here are my personal thoughts and experiences.
- Cheep Accordion Door
We have that same privacy curtain which closes off the bedroom from the front half of the motor home. It isn't the quality you would find in a regular house, but we really like it when we need it. I do admit there is a "finesse" required to open and retract it, but once you get the hang of it, it goes smoothly. It is surely useful for privacy when needed, but I most appreciate it when running the furnace overnight because it retains the heat in the bedroom. Since the thermostat is in the bedroom, the furnace runs so much less and we are kept more comfortable. I also appreciate how the curtain stores tightly tucked out of the way. If Phoenix replaced it with something more robust, I think it would be very intrusive in the stowed position.
- Cheap White Plastic Kitchen Sink
We LOVE that sink. It isn't cheap by my standards. It is made of a hard resin with a mat finish that holds up extremely well. 10 years and our sink still looks new. It does stain under certain conditions but bleach takes the stain right out. It is extra deep by RV standards which we love about it. Phoenix recently changed the sink to a semi-oval deep stainless steel sink, but the resin sink is available upon request, as is our counter-sunk stove.
Now...our bathroom sink is cheap plastic, but we are okay with it. It is just a bathroom sink. I did change the cheap plastic generic faucet to something much nicer, a 5 minute job with no tools required. I don't think Phoenix improved upon the bathroom sink, but they upgraded the faucet over the years.
- Wood Not Matching, Poor Quality Wood
That does NOT describe our PC, but I can understand your comment. Corners fit tight, cabinet doors all match, trim matches, no gaps in joints, all the same general finish. My pictures show the cabinet doors a lot darker than the cabinets behind but the slight difference is amplified from the camera flash. The cabinets are made well, but like the trim, is not finished like high end brick-n-mortar kitchen cabinets.
Our 10 year old cabinet framing has a printed finish on the rails and styles over solid wood and plywood. I think the factory may still use the same printed finish on those components because they build much of the cabinets in a corner of the factory and I don't recall seeing a finishing booth. Eliminating the finishing process is how they are able to make on-the-fly changes per customer request as well as a better fit. There is no press or chip board used in the cabinetry or anywhere else with only one exception that I found and that is the bed platform. All interior cabinet doors are pre-finished raised panel solid wood, the same quality you would find at a Home Depot. I don't know what the flat bathroom door with full length mirror is made of but it is heavy. It just might be some kind of press board.
One thing I know is that Phoenix has a very close relationship with their cabinet materials supplier. About 5 years ago I decided to reconfigure my galley base cabinet to 3 large capacity drawers. Phoenix was able to place an order for 3 new drawer fronts and 2 rails, and I received them in good time. They matched the rest of my original drawer and door fronts just fine.
It is unfortunate your one and only PC walk-thru was so disappointing. If you don't feel right about it, move on to other motor home brands. You need to feel right about your purchase.
