What coach would you buy for $$$$ ?

[HOM]

After looking around at forums and spending time at dealer sights and sales people. Here is what I know that I know that I want. The coach will be for my wife and me and we will travel off and on about half the year. We are not sure of the full timing aspect but would want to buy a coach with that at least in mind.

A couple things I will add. I do not want to buy a coach where the company is out of business.

I would like to have your recommendation on what to buy?

1. Spend $200,000.00
2. Will finance most of it (my banks will not loan on a coach over 10 years old)
3. Pre - Owner Diesel Pusher

Here are the “must haves” in the coach.
• 45’ Motorhome
• Bath and a half
• Two or more slides
• Access to all main areas of coach with slides in
• Mid station TV at Eye-Level. (a power lift a plus)
• Fireplace
• King or Queen bed
• Full size shower
• Large closets and drawers
• Stacking washer-dryer - No Combo
• Unlimited hot water
• Auto start generator
• Tile floors.

Thanks for your help,

HJ

[HOM]

Yes that's a great site, thanks Tropical36

[tropical36]

Here's a good site for hunting, seeking and pricing whether you travel there to make a deal or not... PPL

[HOM]

To recap my question I have re-posted my request for your help shown below.

1. Spend $200,000.00
2. Will finance most of it (my banks will not loan on a coach over 10 years old)
3. Pre - Owner Diesel Pusher

Here are the “must haves” in the coach.
• 45’ Motorhome
• Bath and a half
• Two or more slides
• Access to all main areas of coach with slides in
• Mid station TV at Eye-Level. (a power lift a plus)
• Fireplace
• King or Queen bed
• Full size shower
• Large closets and drawers
• Stacking washer-dryer - No Combo
• Unlimited hot water
• Auto start generator
• Tile floors.

The majority consensus for the right coach’s if I have it right is a 2005 to 2009 of the following brands.

1. Bluebird Wanderlodge
2. Country Coach
3. American Coach Eagle - Heritage • Newmar Essex - King Aire

As a side note, I have not found a single Wanderlodge with a Bath and a half and that for me is a deal-breaker. Someone made a post saying they made very few Bath and a half’s and that is what I found.

You also were in agreement that Newell and Prevost would stay off the list because of the $200,000.00 limitation.

Do I have it about right?

I couldn’t thank you enough for your help, I now know that I have good direction and can find what I want in the group listed above.

Thank you all very much,

HJ

[afrescopXx]

Toward the end of the Bluebird production the Wanderlodge came with slides. They were and still are beautiful, well made RVs. Had the opportunity to drive for a considerable amount of time in a 2006 model. Unbelievable cockpit. Nicest RV I had ever rode in. Been in new Prevost and they too were gorgeous. Mind you, these are all above my pay grade but still nice to look at.

[RayChez]

HOM. The RV Spa in Upland, Ca has a bunch of BlueBird Wanderlodge price pretty reasonable for such a luxury coach. And yes they have slides. I believe they started with slides around 2002.

And yes Mr Marks is right. When they were manufacturing them in 2009 they were selling for over a million dollars. The 2009 pictured on the internet at that RV Spa is low mileage with three slides and it is for $285K which is not bad for a coach of that caliber. I believe it is 44.5 ft long with tags.

[Mr_Mark1]

HOM, Country Coach, to me, is equal to the upper end Monaco's which included Beaver, and Newmar's would be included, etc.

Wanderlodge would be more like a Newell or Foretravel which is above a Country Coach (not counting the Prevost version from CC and Monaco).

Talking about Wanderlodge's really is out of my realm as I really haven't followed them. They are very 'bus-like'. A couple of guys in my RV club have one (no slides). And, I'm not sure if they made them with slides or not. Maybe someone here knows more about them.

Good luck,
Mark

[HOM]

Well Put Mr.Mark,

We've had a lot of conversation about Country Coach and Wanderlodge and one thing I could not help but notice is no one spoke against them! Something they both have in common is both stopped coach production about the same time 2009.

How do you rank them, are they equal in value or would you place one over the other?

HJ

[Mr_Mark1]

HOM, as it's been told to me by prominent Prevost owner..... sometimes the info available on any particular product is like drinking water from a fire hose.

MM.

[HOM]

I've been reading about the Wanderlodge and didn't realize they were built in Georgia and were actually built by the Blue Bird company.

I thought they were like Prevost where Prevost built the bus and other companies bought the shells and converted them to there own particular motorhome specifications.

Sound like a very interesting coach and it surprises me that I new nothing about them until this thread!

HJ

[RayChez]

Prevost, Newell and MCI are in the same level.
BlueBird Wanderlodge and Foretravel next level and then everything falls under. The chassis just do not match up to the above coaches
The only Country Coach that would be up there with the number one would be the Conversion Country Coach built on a Prevost chassis. But really that is not a Country Coach frame. That is a Prevost just putting the Country coach name on it. Monaco done the same thing.

[Mr_Mark1]

Peralko wrote:

Mr.Mark wrote:

Peralko wrote:

Mr.Mark wrote:
HOM, Foretravel and Newell of equal years will be higher than the other brands as they are more upscale.

Good luck on your search.

MM.

I can agree with you on you on the Newell. On the Foretravel not so much. At best, I consider them on par with Country Coach.
BTW, Country Coach posted pictures today of the Cummins ISX12 and Allison transmission destined for the prototype Allure under construction.

New Newell's are $1.7M, new Foretravels are $1.3M or so. New CC would be under a million unless they converted a Prevost shell.

Where did you see pics of the ISX12?

On edit: I've looked on the CC website and did not see the prototype. Maybe I looked in the wrong place.

Researching... I see the ISX12 G is a natural gas engine. Sweet.

Thanks,
MM.

I guess if your primary criteria is what they cost you could be right, although the last Affinitys produced were pushing $800k, and the Rhapsody was over $900k--probably both would be over $1M if produced today. I'm more concerned about features that are useful to us than fluff. Country Coach was way ahead of Foretravel in things like heated floors, front roof AC operating on the inverter, and 600hp engines. Besides, a lot of Foretravel floorplans I've seen are a bit eccentric, and you can buy a 1-2 year old top-of-the-line Foretravel way under $1M.
The pictures of the ISX12 for new Allure is on CC's Facebook page.
I never said they had pictures of the new Allure--what I said was they have a picture of the floorplan for the new Allure.

Peralko, you might be right, if a CC were in production they might just pass the $1M mark. I also like features and not so much fluff. I'm not a Foretravel aficionado myself either. I like Newell better when comparing the two.

I'm not on Facebook and I didn't realize that's where you saw the floor plan.

Safe travels,
MM.

[RayChez]

There used to be a RV sales called Beaksley just a couple of miles from Unadilla, Ga that used to sell Wanderlodge and Beaver coaches. I stopped there and was really impressed with the Wanderlodge. They had several brand new coaches there. I believe it was in 2003, but I am not really sure because I have been through there several times. I think that place went belly up during the recession. Not sure if somebody else took it over.

But like DSDP mentioned on his post. The price was way up over my budget at the time.

[DSDP_Don]

I know the Wanderlodge was a well built coach, but never cared for the look of them until the last couple of years they were in production. Those last couple of years they became VERY stylish, but way out of my price range.

[Peralko]

Mr.Mark wrote:

Peralko wrote:

Mr.Mark wrote:
HOM, Foretravel and Newell of equal years will be higher than the other brands as they are more upscale.

Good luck on your search.

MM.

I can agree on you on the Newell. On the Foretravel not so much. At best, I consider them on par with Country Coach.
BTW, Country Coach posted pictures today of the Cummins ISX12 and Allison transmission destined for the prototype Allure under construction.

New Newell's are $1.7M, new Foretravels are $1.3M or so. New CC would be under a million unless they converted a Prevost shell.

Where did you see pics of the ISX12?

On edit: I've looked on the CC website and did not see the prototype. Maybe I looked in the wrong place.

Researching... I see the ISX12 G is a natural gas engine. Sweet.

Thanks,
MM.

I guess if your primary criteria is what they cost you could be right, although the last Affinitys produced were pushing $800k, and the Rhapsody was over $900k--probably both would be over $1M if produced today. I'm more concerned about features that are useful to us than fluff. Country Coach was way ahead of Foretravel in things like heated floors, front roof AC operating on the inverter, and 600hp engines. Besides, a lot of Foretravel floorplans I've seen are a bit eccentric, and you can buy a 1-2 year old top-of-the-line Foretravel way under $1M.
The pictures of the ISX12 for new Allure is on CC's Facebook page.
I never said they had pictures of the new Allure--what I said was they have a picture of the floorplan for the new Allure.

[smlranger]

IIRC, there was a Bluebird Wanderlodge review in an issue of Motorhome Mag the year before they stopped building those coaches. I seem to remember that they were using stainless steel to build the coach shell. Whenever I see a Wanderlodge, my mind thinks of a tank. Same thing that comes to mind whenever I see a Foretravel.