Quality of RV

Never owned a Winni Used Coachman 1st Motorhome We love it we are weekenders and Im sure that the Winni Owners Know much more than I do as far as quality goes But I guess It depends on what you like

Winnebago, to the best of my knowledge, has not used any wood framing in recent times. My 2005 Itasca does not have wood framing and from then on they do not - according to their SuperStructure construction approach. I would not consider buying a Class C using wood in it's framing ... and this includes Lazy Daze. Also I would not consider a Class C that did not have either a one-piece fiberglass roof, or, MAYBE a seamed aluminum roof if the aluminum seams were done just right and if I did not ever anticipate getting caught in a nasty hail storm.

The only wood in my Itasca Class C is in it's interior non-wall construction ... and a lot of that interior wood usage is solid hardwoods.

Most all road noise in our Itasca is caused by our packing methods ... with two exceptions:

1) A whistling sound around 40-45 MPH from the wind hitting some exterior bracket.

and

2) Some piece of sheet metal rattling on the V10 engine that I've yet to remove the doghouse cover to get at and fix.

I just took my Leprechaun out on it's maiden trip and since that is what I own now, I am likely biased. I based my purchase decision on the floor plan and amenities that fit the needs of our family. There were very few creaks and rattles as we went down the road. I feel the Leprechaun is a solid unit and my RV dealer has a strong reputation for service after the sale as needed. I did a lot of research before buying and there were many owners of forest river / coachmen products that are happy with their purchase. Certainly there are some higher end models out there with the Winnebago being one of the. My Coachmen is not low end by any means and I am very happy with it so far. Will let you know after a dozen trips or so if I still feel that way :)

You can spend $10K or more extra to get the best quality motorhome and get better materials, fastening methods and better quality control. Chances are you'll be happy with any of the popular less expensive brands, including Fleetwood, once you are over with getting the dealer's service departement to fix minor factory defects. A Dealer's reputation for quick and satisfactory warranty fixes is very important based on personal experience. Get all promised fixes, etc on the purchase order in writing before signing and paying.

After the first year, any brand of motorhome requires proactive maintenance for reliable performance of all the bells and whistles.

vkatzman wrote:
When the salesman kept telling us that the Coachmen we were test- driving wouldn't shake, rattle, squeak or creak so much once we had it loaded with water, gas, personal effects, etc., we decided it was not the quality we wanted.

Actually there is a lot of truth to what that salesman was saying. Motor home noises quiet down when loaded to near chassis capacity. That assuming you have your dishes stored properly, and the rig is fairly well built in the first place.

Still I vote for the Winnie as well.

Never 2 late wrote:
This is a great thread and I appreciate those who spoke well of Coachman RV. I recently got a new 22QCB and am looking forward to driving it to Alaska in a few weeks. Glad to see good things from someone who isn't a sales person.

Never 2 late - Been her since '81..Hopin to do the snowbird deal starting this year.

Join good Sam...there big up here...Call the local Pres and he and his wife will give some tips.

Not many roads...summer can be clogged with us doing driving to out fishing and tourists. Especially the Kenai Peninsula. It's Alpine on the way daown adn beautiful but slow and dangereous. Same for the Parks hwy headed north to Faiabanks and Denali Park. Lots of accidents on each road each summer.

Be aware , if you are going slow and more the 5-vehicles are behind ya, you HAVE TO pull over and let them pass. Can get a ticket.

Can't tell ya ll the 3-letter words have been thrown and tourist RVs here Ha!..

Be safe and I know it'll be a trip you'll cherish later on. Good places to fish in Canada if your into that. Large Lake Trout..

Drive Safe..

==

Bout ready to do it....thanks for all the comments and wisdom. TYhe fiberglass roof and non-wood walls is the way to go if I can afford it.

Thanks all you RV gurus.

Rick

This is a great thread and I appreciate those who spoke well of Coachman RV. I recently got a new 22QCB and am looking forward to driving it to Alaska in a few weeks. Glad to see good things from someone who isn't a sales person.

The minute that a mfg starts using Azdel as a construction material is a big thumbs up for the RV. Azdel isn't cheap and of course it has significant benefits concurrent with the higher price point.

WoodGlue

I suspect there is a lot to be said about individual tastes and the dollar amount one is willing to spend. Other than one or two ergonomic engineering details I was not pleased with I love my Sunseeker. When I am travelling I really feel like I am at home on the road.

I agree with this guy. I have a 2013 sunseeker 3170. Love it and I think I got a good price at 56,000 bucks.

Looked used for a long time. Realized wouldn't find what we wanted. Bought new last August after considerable research.

Got a Forest River Sunseeker. Only considered that brand, Winnebago, & Nexus.

IMHO...

Winnebago: Over-rated. Many happy owners no doubt. But older style construction materials. Fiberglass roof is great. But uses wood walls. That technology is older. Problem is wood walls can absorb moisture &, if / when that happens, it will lead to delam which is one of the biggest drains on RV values. Higher price than entry level based on name. Eventually ruled them out based on the combination of their higher price, the older wall technology, & our only occasional use of the unit.

Nexus: Fiberglass roof & Azdel walls (for those that don't know, Azdel doesn't absorb moisture so delam won't happen, has a higher R value, & is lighter). 2 check marks. Great reputation among a still small group of owners. Higher price which appears justified. For our only occasional use though it was more than we wanted to pay. If we were more regular users of the unit, I probably would have bought Nexus.

Forest River Sunnseeker: Also fiberglass roof & Azdel walls so 2 check marks again. Pretty good reputation among at least newer owners (which I would agree with as one of them). I think older Sunnseekers left a lot to be desired. But since Warren Buffet bought out Forest River, he really sank a lot of money into improving the Sunseeker line. Value priced. Was perfect for us given our occasional use.

jeffcarp: On your list, the only change I'd make is to move Winnebago to #4 with the rest (again based on older wall technology).

Sabluka: Coachman uses the TPO roof as mentioned above which wouldn't be my first choice but does use Azdel walls. Short answer to your question is I think there are better options than either. But comes down to budget, what's most important to you, etc.