richardclark
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Re: Class A Chassis Question - Spartan vs Freightliner (Newbie)
Mr.Mark wrote: RichardClark, this is somewhat off topic but if you pull a trailer, I would want the tow vehicle inside the trailer to have the capability to pull it. Your new coach will have to go in for service at some point. The trailer will have to be stored somewhere while service and repairs are made. Although we are not full-timers, you just can't beat traveling by RV! MM. Yes Mr. Mark. My plan is to put a roller-skate car in the trailer along with my motorcycle, toolboxes and misc. I think I'll be somewhere around 5000 lbs. including the trailer weight. When the coach needs service, I'll probably drop my stuff off at your house before taking it in. :) Seriously, I don't think finding some temporary place for the trailer should be a problem during such events but you bring up a good point.3.9KViews0likes0CommentsRe: Class A Chassis Question - Spartan vs Freightliner (Newbie)
holstein13 wrote: The Entegra Anthem is not in the same league as the Newmar King Aire. If you want an apples to apples comparison, you have to look at the Entegra "Cornerstone" and compare it to the King Aire. The Anthem has a Spartan Mountain Master chassis while the Cornerstone and King Aire have the Spartan K3 Chassis. There is a huge difference between the two. 600 HP ISX vs. 450 HP, 200 gallon fuel tank vs. 150, Passive steer tag (newmar only) vs fixed, Allison 4000 transmission vs 3000, Air leveling vs not. and on and on. Take a look at this: ***Link Removed*** If you have any questions about the King Aire or the K3 chassis, that's my area of expertise. You know what? You're right. I realized that after going back through and looking at the specs. I also started looking at used (a year or two old) and I can get an upgraded version for what a mid-grade new version would cost in some models. This stuff makes my head spin sometimes so I don't know how you guys mastered the RV buying experience but I admire it. I think I'm going to stick with getting my specs down and finalizing what I need and what the wife wants, the budget, floor plan, etc and then look for the best deal. That's the name of the game, right?!3.9KViews0likes0CommentsRe: Class A Chassis Question - Spartan vs Freightliner (Newbie)
Thanks everyone for your responses. Excellent information and some things to consider. The underlying theme amongst all the responses is to look more closely at Newmar. I've went to their site and it appears the King Aire is the line that I should consider in equivalence to the Entegra. I did consider the specs for the chassis and the Spartan won me over in part because of the box design. The Entegra was my first choice because of the build quality as well and the voluminous space in the basement. Most if not all of you seemed to throw Thor under the proverbial bus (pun intended) but I didn't see any reasons why. I suspect that part of this has little to do with the chassis discussion but perhaps overall build quality, warranty, maintenance or some other issues. I was on the fence with Thor anyway so it's not a big deal to me. I was just hoping I could have gotten similar quality and saved some paper too. Anyway, thanks to all of you for your comments. I just built a Newmar King Aire online and then I'll compare it to the Entegra Anthem.306Views0likes0CommentsClass A Chassis Question - Spartan vs Freightliner (Newbie)
So me and my wife went to an RV Show in Hershey, PA near where we live and it was as much fun as they always are in our experience of going for about 2-years now. We started out thinking we wanted to go with a 5th wheel but then decided on a Class A for long-term livability reasons. We plan on selling the house and going RV full time. We plan on pulling a trailer behind our Class-A for 'my garage and toys' I want to carry. I have compiled a great deal of information around units that met our specific creature/comfort requirements, completed much of the engineering specs and I've narrowed my choices to 3 manufacturers and 2 models. My choices in order are: - Entegra Anthem 44B - Thor Tuscany 45AT - Newmar (under consideration) One question I have is with regards to the chassis. There are two players that I've found out there; Spartan and Freightliner. From what I've observed, the Spartan chassis has some superior features and will make the long-term maintenance of the coach more cost effective. Entegra uses the Spartan chassis. The Freightliner chassis is in most coaches and so has the benefit of being popular but that doesn't mean it's necessarily the best. Thor uses a Freightliner chassis. Some chassis are customized to a particular coaches manufacturers preferences which in my thinking, could compromise the chassis in some ways that are not good. I'm not trained in structural integrity analysis but I am a scientist of a different nature so I understand the math and the physics. My questions are how important is the chassis in relation to the overall quality of the coach and long-term maintenance? What is your opinion of the two players I mentioned? If anyone has experience with the above manufacturers or coaches, can you share your experience? Thanks!14KViews0likes22Comments
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