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?

[vjstangelo]

Winnebago hands down. Reason is the amount of support after the sale.

[Dog_Trainer]

The Manufactures have Factory tours that let you get a look at their build process. I would recommend that you tour the plants of the units you have in mind. We ended up with our Newmar after watching the build process and touring the factory.All cabinets, walls and such are built in house by Newmar. Because the walls are not laminated and built 16" on center framing we will not have to worry about delam. I have a friend with a 39' Journey and it has been 1 problem after the next so I guess it can happen with any manf. to get a lemmon.

[mikey52]

We have owned a Discovery for 5 1/2 years and are very pleased with the unit. So much so that we were looking to upgrade to the American Revolution but the line has been discontinued. Now we are considering the Discovery 44H. We like the floor plan and really like the large closet in the rear for storage.

[4x4van]

Yup, this /\

I love the sheer volume of drawings, schematics, parts lists, etc available online for free for Winnebago motorhomes. And if there is something that isn't listed, just email Winnebago, and they provide it. The other thing that is really nice is that every single piece of wire in the RV is labeled every few inches, and referenced. Want to know what a specific wire goes to/from? Easy peasy; every single one is listed.

[Mile_High]

In addition to what was stated above about the "in-house" Winnie fabrication - I was impressed with how the drawings, schematics, parts lists are all available to the owner from winnebagoind.com/references. The manufacturer or our prior RV felt those were proprietary and would not release them to anyone except a Dealer. Every Winnie cabinet part, pillow, wire has a part number printed on it. I can enter my serial number and print a 70 page parts list specific to my coach build as ordered.

Here is an example of their 3D drawing platform available online:

[#7]

Of course I'm partial to my Bago sightseer. (Gas f53) But I do lots of research before I get anything. What impresses me about Winnebago is that they make all structural items in house. Seating, leathers, cabinets, molds in structure etc. on back of every cabinet door is a sticker that would allow them to make one identical in case of a replacement need, as an example. I'd stick with them, Tiffin or just do the homework. I got a buddy with a Newmar mountain aire (300+k). and he's had mucho trouble. Could be a lemon. Not sure. Depends on your budget and especially the dealer. Your choice is only as good as them.

[drterriedwards]

We just got our Aria 3901, 2019, two weeks ago tomorrow. We are full timers, so this is our new home. We absolutely love this model and took our time choosing it. I needed an office space and found a great place in the bedroom vanity. We love the exterior and interior designs and there is plenty of space. We are also very pleased with the smooth ride compared to our previous coach.
Our biggest issue is with the AC units. They do not cool the coach to a comfortable temperature during the day. We are in Oklahoma right now and in the afternoon, we cannot get below 88 degrees when the temperature is in the nineties. The bedroom AC would only work on low and does eventually cool the bedroom at night. It tripped the breaker on High or on Auto. The living room one would only cool down to 88 degrees during the day and was only pulling 4 amps.
We let the dealer know of this issue within three days of the purchase. We took it in and they did some things and sent us back where we were camped. It only got worse. We went back in and they replaced the living room unit and did a few things to get the bedroom unit to run on high. Now, four days later, we are basically where we started. The AC, from 2 to 8:00 pm will only cool the coach about 10 degrees lower than the temperature outside. A person from Thor called about my complaint on this and said that I would need to get used to this and that I could not expect the AC to work like one in a home would. This is disappointing to say the least.
The only solution we have come up with is running the engine for a couple of hours and using the cab AC as a third AC unit. We will also get sun screens put on the exterior as we want to go to New Mexico and it is warmer there. We will also look into adding a third AC unit to the roof of the Aria. We are disappointed in the AC units and Thor’s lack of concern or customer support, but we are enjoying the rest of the coach.
If you are looking to buy an Aria, you should think about your summer temperatures and the temperature you plan to use your coach in. If you are in poor health or do not handle the heat well, this is a real problem. We are looking at putting thousands of dollars into this cooling issue since Thor is not interested in helping us. I hope this information will help you make a good decision for your family, as this is quite a large purchase.

Dr. Terri Edwards

[NCC-1701]

rr2254545 wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:

janstey58 wrote:
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.

yearly maintenance (caulking) a fiberglass roof is much more preferable than getting a rubber or TPO roof on the fleetwood.
bumpy

Mine is over 6 years old - check it every year per Winnebago - has not had to be caulked yet

Yeah...I keep reading about Winnebago Fiberglass roofs like it's akin to having the plague. Nary an issue over years on both Journey's I've had. EVERYONE should check their roof at least annually regardless of material. Never had to do anything on the roof of either of mine. But the fiberglass sure is a breeze to keep clean and I don't worry nearly as much about a branch scraping it vs the rubber/TPO roofs I've had on other brands. I'll keep my Fiberglass....thank you.

[bullydogs1]

Newmar, Tiffin and now Jayco has come out with a nice small DP which has a 2 yr warranty....I love my Entegra and I could not be any happier...Do not worry that Jayco has a Thor parent..Thor leaves them alone to do their own thing and just make the money (just like they do Airstream) and the support Jayco offers is second to none.

[janstey58]

My multi layer roof has had no maintenance required, less cleaning in 3 years. My previous Fleetwood bounder was the same in 8 years on ownership. I never caulked anything, such as is required for the Winnies. I'll take cleaning over caulking.

[rr2254545]

Bumpyroad wrote:

janstey58 wrote:
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.

yearly maintenance (caulking) a fiberglass roof is much more preferable than getting a rubber or TPO roof on the fleetwood.
bumpy

Mine is over 6 years old - check it every year per Winnebago - has not had to be caulked yet

[rascalflat]

Read http://newmarkountrystar.com/our-coach/

Hope it helps.

[MetalGator]

I'd go with whatever floor plan you like. I know some people don't like Thor but I wouldn't rule out Thor products if you find one you like.

Burch

[Bumpyroad]

janstey58 wrote:
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.

yearly maintenance (caulking) a fiberglass roof is much more preferable than getting a rubber or TPO roof on the fleetwood.
bumpy