cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Ranking Manufacturers

MagillaGorilla
Explorer
Explorer
This is just an opinion poll. Simply looking for your opinion. Not looking for you to tell me what is best for me. This is a time for your opinion to shine.

If you were to rate the top 5 or 10 manufacturers of Gas motorhomes under $200k, what would your list look like?

When looking at your list, why do you rate them this way?
Magilla

2005 Holiday Rambler Admiral 37' Gasser
29 REPLIES 29

RayChez
Explorer
Explorer
When it comes to gasoline motor homes they are all pretty much built on one or two chassis. Either and F-53 Ford or a Workhorse which has the GM engine. Now where you will find a difference in what you pay is in the house part. You have entry level and then you have others that have better quality cabinets, table and counter tops, ceramic floors washers and dryers. The more glitz, the more they cost.

Some folks like a plain box with no glitz what so ever. No luxury at all, and they are happy with that. Others like luxury and with that comes the things that cost more money bringing the prices up.

So it is up to the individual what he likes.

Now if you are buying new there are companies that have good and bad reputations with customer service. Does not necessarily mean that they are better coaches if their customer service is great, but it does help if you have problems.

The way I look at it IF a coach is built right, it should not need to be shopped for repairs. But some companies have bad reputations for not even answering the phone when you do call them for information about a problem.

You have to do some research and check which brands have had major structural defects and stay away from them. Coaches that are not making the headlines are usually the better coaches. Coaches that might get more publicity on forums does not mean they are better. Most owners are biased towards what they have, so I take their word as not worthy.

Research in different forums. If you are interested on a certain brand, go to their forum and see what owners have to say. There are forums for just about every brand manufactured.

Then there are the one's that say buy a Prevost or Newell even though they are driving an entry level gasoline motor home twenty years old. Don't know why they do that when the OP was asking which was a good gasoline coach.
2002 Gulf Stream Scenic Cruiser
330 HP Caterpillar 3126-E
3000 Allison Transmission
Neway Freightliner chassis
2017 Buick Envision

JimM68
Explorer
Explorer
If you are looking at it by "reputation":

Monaco, newmar.

Winnebago, Itasca, Fleetwood

Thor, coachman, forest river.
Jim M.
2008 Monaco Knight 40skq, moho #2
The "68"
My very own new forumfirstgens.com

My new blog

rockhillmanor
Explorer
Explorer
RayChez wrote:
MagillaGorilla wrote:
rockhillmanor wrote:
Monaco
Tiffin

deleted

:B
Renegade
Haulmark
Not necessarily in that order.

^^^^ Good list but not what I would consider a "working mans RV list"

I do not believe Prevost manufactures a gasoline powered coach.

To the OP: Unless you are set on buying new. You can own anyone of those if you buy used.

We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned,
so as to have the life that is waiting for us.

Mr_Mark1
Explorer
Explorer
MagillaGorilla wrote:
rockhillmanor wrote:
Monaco
Tiffin
Prevost
Renegade
Haulmark

Not necessarily in that order.


^^^^ Good list but not what I would consider a "working mans RV list"


The OP asked about gas units. Someone mentioned Alpha.... don't think they made gas units although I think they made 5th wheels.

Prevost, as far as I know, never made a gas unit in the last 40 yrs.

MM.
Mr.Mark
2021.5 Pleasure Way Plateau FL Class-B on the Sprinter Chassis
2018 Mini Cooper Hardtop Coupe, 2 dr., 6-speed manual
(SOLD) 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach, 45 ft, 500 hp Volvo
(SOLD) 2008 Monaco Dynasty, 42 ft, 425 hp Cummins

RayChez
Explorer
Explorer
MagillaGorilla wrote:
rockhillmanor wrote:
Monaco
Tiffin
Prevost
Renegade
Haulmark

Not necessarily in that order.


^^^^ Good list but not what I would consider a "working mans RV list"


I do not believe Prevost manufactures a gasoline powered coach.
2002 Gulf Stream Scenic Cruiser
330 HP Caterpillar 3126-E
3000 Allison Transmission
Neway Freightliner chassis
2017 Buick Envision

MagillaGorilla
Explorer
Explorer
rockhillmanor wrote:
Monaco
Tiffin
Prevost
Renegade
Haulmark

Not necessarily in that order.


^^^^ Good list but not what I would consider a "working mans RV list"
Magilla

2005 Holiday Rambler Admiral 37' Gasser

rockhillmanor
Explorer
Explorer
Monaco
Tiffin
Prevost
Renegade
Haulmark

Not necessarily in that order.

We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned,
so as to have the life that is waiting for us.

tropical36
Explorer
Explorer
I've got a different twist for evaluating and like seeing a good OEM awning on the rig. You know, the sunbrella type material with the aluminum metal cover and not the standard cheapo vinyl wo/any covering. This sort of tells me what course they took with choosing the rest of the house materials.
"We are often so caught up in our destination that we forget to appreciate the journey."

07 Revolution LE 40E_Spartan MM_06 400HP C9 CAT_Allison 3000.

Dinghy_2010 Jeep Wrangler JKU ISLANDER.

1998 36ft. National Tropi-Cal Chevy Model 6350 (Sold)

RayChez
Explorer
Explorer
Gasoline motorhomes? NONE!
2002 Gulf Stream Scenic Cruiser
330 HP Caterpillar 3126-E
3000 Allison Transmission
Neway Freightliner chassis
2017 Buick Envision

MagillaGorilla
Explorer
Explorer
I don't Rexhall at all. I will have to look them up.
Magilla

2005 Holiday Rambler Admiral 37' Gasser

gfs1943
Explorer
Explorer
sailor_lou wrote:
Most folks will recommend what they purchased unless they have had an extremely bad experience. The best thing to do is to continue reading and soon enough you will start to see some trends. Then after you start to narrow it down to a few manufacturers check out the various owners groups over on iRV2 (about half way down you'll see the owners forums) and walk through/drive as many as possible.

iRV2 Forums

Obviously the owners are biased, but I have found many post over there looking for a resolution to a specific issue without trashing all the manufacturers. Good luck and take your time.

Lou
05 Travel Supreme Envoy


This is pretty much the process I used when I was preparing to buy a Class A. I researched like this for about four years. I finally established a list of manufacturers. This is strictly a subjective list. In no particular order, here it is:

Tiffin
Newmar
Rexhall
Winnebago/Itasca
Holiday Rambler/Monaco
National

Again, this is not a ranking; it's just a list of the manufacturers I was willing to consider. Also, this is a "working man's list". I would love a Foretravel, Newell, Prevost -- but that ain't gonna happen for me!
gfs1943
USAF, Retired (1962 - 1983)
2006 Monaco Diplomat 40PRQ
2006 Honda CR-V

Bruce_Brown
Moderator
Moderator
rgatijnet1 wrote:
The only problem is the people that bought a Tiffin thinks that is the best. People that bought a Monaco think that is the best. Obviously anyone that bought an RV thinks what they bought is the best for the money they spent and very few will admit to being idiots and making a bad choice. Unless you find someone on this forum that has owned many different coaches, and can be totally objective in their ranking, then you are just getting opinions from people that have never owned certain makes or are just giving a biased opinion of what they did buy.
Your best way is to try to search through old reviews online about certain coaches you may be interested in. That way you usually can get an unbiased report about the different models.

True.

We've owned an Itasca (good unit) a Fleetwood (just terrible - but that was the old Fleetwood. By most accounts they're a bunch better than before) and (3) Newmars now - those have been wonderful.

My parents owned a Tiffin - I worked on that more than our (3) Newmars combined. One of the repairs was to fix a factory repair that didn't last all the home from the factory. :S Quality is NOT a word I would use to describe that one - not by any stretch.

Other friends of ours owned Winnies, Monacos, and an Allegro Bus. The Bus was so bad they finally gave up on it and are back driving a Winnie. They've always had excellent service out of their Winnies, and their Monacos were always decent too.

My personal ownership bias says we'd buy another Newmar without any hesitation.

My "I'm sick of working on them" bias says I wouldn't take a Tiffin on a bet. Yet look at all the happy Tiffin owners here. No doubt they have a reputation for excellent factory service - and it seems most owners know it. :W The factory service my parents had was far from excellent.

The strange thing is if you asked Mom today she'd say it was an excellent trouble free unit. If you're not the one turning the wrenches you don't always remember the whole story.
There are 24 hours in every day - it all depends on how you choose to use them.
Bruce & Jill Brown
2008 Kountry Star Pusher 3910

MagillaGorilla
Explorer
Explorer
WE looked at a nice Winnebago as I had heard good things about the. While looking at it another couple came in to test drive it and bought it. The Winni was very nice and seem like it was built very well. When I asked about it I was told that Winni's were among the best out there in the "working mans" price range. It was based on that statement that I decided to post this post. I realized I had no idea what the reputations were for MH Mfgs. My only experience with a MH was the 95 Damon that I own.
Magilla

2005 Holiday Rambler Admiral 37' Gasser

the_silverback
Explorer
Explorer
Yes this is matter of opinion. I have had 8 rv's. my opinion is Winnebago.
the silverback
2015 crossroads Rushmore 5th wheel