Which Brand Class A

[FSquared]

This will be our first RV. It will be used for vacation travels as well as a summer home. We are looking at Thor Aria 3901, Winnebago Forza WKL38W, Forest River Berkshire XLT 43C or 45A, and Fleetwood Discovery 44H LXE. Each has pros and cons in terms of layout, sleeping, configuration, size,etc. We are curious as to overall quality and reliability of these models. All they all equal? Any brand better than another or to steer clear of?

[janstey58]

I would go with the Discovery. Winnebago's are known for roofs that require yearly maintenance. I've had two Fleetwoods, excellent manufacturer support, and no roof issues for years.

[NCC-1701]

Are these all new units? If so, go on each of the websites and get the construction information of the vehicle and/or go to RV shows that have these brands and talk to factory reps. Ask about the construction including R-Values of floors, walls, roof, spacing of floor joists, roof joists, etc. What kind of materials are used? OSB or Plywood? How thick? What kind of foam is used in seating (density). Take factory tours, if possible.

Go to dealer lots and look at used ones even if you're buying new. Looking at lots of used ones will start to give you some idea of how they hold up over time. They all look nice when new on the showroom floor...how they hold up over time is the key and while the care and maintenance habits of the owner can make a big difference, poorly built units with cheap materials are pretty easy to spot when looking through used units.

In my own research on this (not including the really high-value brands that were out of my reach) I always came to the conclusion that the top three were Tiffin, Winnebago, and Newmar. While I would give Tiffin the edge because of the incredible service stories I've read, any of those three would be tops in my book. I've personally owned two Winnie's and one Newmar. All good though I had far far better initial quality with the Winnie than the Newmar (the two new ones I had).

[rr2254545]

Looks to me you have a spread of about 75K low to high on these units - do you have a budget in mind - this would help to steer you in the right direction

[azdryheat]

I wouldn't buy anything with the Thor name - very cheaply made.

[Tweeter]

Winnebago has excellent service from the main customer service line (their 800 number). We have been pleased with them.

[Bumpyroad]

of those, the winnie for me
bumpy

[Wanderlost]

We just looked at a Tiffin and a Winnie Forza. I was equally impressed with the quality of construction, but in the end, the Forza had 95% of what we wanted to the Tiffin's 85%.

We have a Forza now.

[wnytaxman]

We had very good luck with our Forest River Berkshire. I would have no hesitation to recommend the Berkshire.

[midnightsadie]

I,d google each one for reviews see what owners say.

[wildtoad]

Winnebago is the better of the lot. A few others to consider would be Newmar or Tiffen.