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New to forum, long-time RV'ers, would love opinion on how to get into a Class A DP please :-)

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RachelK

RVF Newbee
Joined
Sep 26, 2021
Messages
1
Questions first, more about us later as an FYI...

1. Diesel pusher - how much better is the 'ride' than a gas Class A? Seems like a lot when we test drove?
2. "The Ride" - have heard it's a class among itself as far as which 'class' of Class A you have? IE: Tiffin has Zephyr, then allegro bus, then phaeton, then red? Or thereabouts? How different are they for ride?
3. Is the 'tag axle' really a game changer?
4. Residential Fridge - never had one. How long can you run it without generator or being plugged in? Or can you?
5. Are you limited to where you can camp when you have a rig > 36 feet? Is it worth it?
6. BAD time to buy - Is there anyway we can research what a diesel pusher was worth prior to covid prices?
7. Have read having someone do a NRVIA (??) on rig before purchase to check it out - anyone know of a place in Albuquerque NM that can do that?
8. Million dollar question - and I'm hoping for great opinions here - what year/coach would you recommend for first time Class A DP? Would love to spend under $160k if possible... looking at American Eagle 2006 at $120k and seems overpriced for how old it is... But understand it's also about 'class'.. #9 has what we are searching for... next...
9. Would love suggestions on what might meet what we would 'love' which would be:
* great ride, don't get pulled/pushed all over the road
* open floorplan - lots of light/windows
* large enough shower that you don't hate it
* fridge that is NOT across from the bathroom door.
* Windows that you can actually open and let cross breeze go through
* towing capacity of 10k or more
* King bed
* Length would be as short as possible IF possible

About us! We have owned the gambit... pop ups for a little while (didn't last long) then 5th wheels for a long time (we love our toys and dragging them around) most recently Class A gas - MAN they are SO EASY. Would LOVE to have something we can take off the beaten path (dirt roads, nothing too crazy) and we think DP would be a better fit for us, better towing, better ride... Considering an older American Eagle (2006 for $120k) or a Tiffin/Winnebago.. we know it depends on the make/model/year, but any general thoughts as to how to get into a DP would be awesome!!! Ideally we sell our gas and wait 6-18 months to buy a DP, any suggestions on how to do that would be awesome too!!

Thanks for your time/opinions!!!!
R&R (Rick & Rachel)

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Not sure myself but welcome aboard!
 
Welcome from Wisconsin.
 
The DPs are much quieter than the gassers. I don't know that they ride any better. I bought ours used at the end of June, after searching Facebook private ads. I flew down to Orlando, inspected it, and drove it home. We are fortunate that I could just write a check for it. We had to catch up on maintenance and fix a few things, but I knew that going in.

Just do what ever meets your budget and have fun.
 
Welcome

For one, DP’s offer a much quieter ride than a gasser. Ride is also enhanced as is the handling, especially with a tag axle. Be aware, maintenance and overall upkeep will cost significantly more than a gas Coach. Prices are crazy high right now but the price point you are thinking should still get you a very nice Coach. An inspection in a must and be sure to get service records and also be clear on tire and battery age. As far a residential fridge goes, yes you can run overnight without issue on a good battery bank. I can go two days if needed. If I were shopping in your price range I would look at the upper end models of pre emissions Foretravel, Country Coach and Monaco’s
 
Questions first, more about us later as an FYI...

1. Diesel pusher - how much better is the 'ride' than a gas Class A? Seems like a lot when we test drove?
We have owned both a 37' gas coach and a 43' tag axle DP. The ride and stability was 100% better in the DP tag coach.
2. "The Ride" - have heard it's a class among itself as far as which 'class' of Class A you have? IE: Tiffin has Zephyr, then allegro bus, then phaeton, then red? Or thereabouts? How different are they for ride?
If you stay in the 40' range (no tag) with a DP you will have a good stable ride. Newmar (most models) have a tag at 40' and above.
3. Is the 'tag axle' really a game changer?
IMHO if you are going to the expense of having a DP then it might as well have a tag.
4. Residential Fridge - never had one. How long can you run it without generator or being plugged in? Or can you?
In our previous Newmar 43' DP the battery bank had eight 6-v batteries. Residential frig would run for 48 hours or more without generator or shore power. Current fiver with large residential refer only has two 12-v batteries and will last 12 hours.
5. Are you limited to where you can camp when you have a rig > 36 feet? Is it worth it?
We camped in the same places with our 37' gas coach as we did in our 43' Newmar.
6. BAD time to buy - Is there anyway we can research what a diesel pusher was worth prior to covid prices?
Currently used RV prices are at a all time high.
7. Have read having someone do a NRVIA (??) on rig before purchase to check it out - anyone know of a place in Albuquerque NM that can do that?
An inspection is generally a good idea unless you have a lot of experience buying/selling RVs.
8. Million dollar question - and I'm hoping for great opinions here - what year/coach would you recommend for first time Class A DP? Would love to spend under $160k if possible... looking at American Eagle 2006 at $120k and seems overpriced for how old it is... But understand it's also about 'class'.. #9 has what we are searching for... next...
Everyone has different opinions. We enjoyed our 3+ years in our Newmar. It served us well as full time travelers. It was expensive to maintain and not the best fuel economy. Our new 44' fiver cost 1/4 of what the Newmar did and has as much livability, is cheaper to maintain, and we are experiencing 40% better fuel economy.
9. Would love suggestions on what might meet what we would 'love' which would be:
* great ride, don't get pulled/pushed all over the road
* open floorplan - lots of light/windows
* large enough shower that you don't hate it
* fridge that is NOT across from the bathroom door.
* Windows that you can actually open and let cross breeze go through
* towing capacity of 10k or more
* King bed
* Length would be as short as possible IF possible
I would never buy a DP that could not tow 15,000 pounds, which means you probably want a tag axle DP. As far as having a lot of windows, our current fiver has more windows than our Newmar did. All of our RVs over the past 11 years have had King beds.
About us! We have owned the gambit... pop ups for a little while (didn't last long) then 5th wheels for a long time (we love our toys and dragging them around) most recently Class A gas - MAN they are SO EASY. Would LOVE to have something we can take off the beaten path (dirt roads, nothing too crazy) and we think DP would be a better fit for us, better towing, better ride... Considering an older American Eagle (2006 for $120k) or a Tiffin/Winnebago.. we know it depends on the make/model/year, but any general thoughts as to how to get into a DP would be awesome!!! Ideally we sell our gas and wait 6-18 months to buy a DP, any suggestions on how to do that would be awesome too!!

Thanks for your time/opinions!!!!
R&R (Rick & Rachel)

Quote Reply
Report Edit Delete
It sounds like your situation is similar to ours in a couple ways. You take extra toys with you, we take a Harley with us. When we had the gas coach we pulled a small motorcycle trailer so towing capacity wasn't an issue. However if there was a crosswind of 15mph or better it wasn't fun to drive. When we got the 43' tag axle Newmar we pulled an enclosed trailer with the Harley and a car in it. You could steer that thing with one finger in 30mph crosswinds!

None of our RVs have been less than 37' but we love to explore remote areas. I don't need to actually be camped in a tiny remote backwoods site. I can camp 20 miles away on a larger site and drive all around from there to explore. I want my RV to have the livability I need for 365 days a year,
 
It depends on what you want. Duh ?. We bought a 36-1/2' 7-yo DP for our first RV, and it was an education-and-a-half, but we loved it. We got spoiled by the feel of it. It seems to be that diesel pushers are better made with more luxuries overall. I looked at gassers for our second motorhome couldn't get past the feeling of cheap.... plus, from what I observed from the used market, diesels might be a slightly better investment if you take good care of it. I don't know.
I search for three years for a second motorhome and I had a checklist that I eventually threw out the window and it worked out fine.
I did stick to wanting a 35 footer, and dining credenza, and roomier bedroom, and I don't regret it. The 35 footer is easier to park and store, easier to find sites - it's cheaper overall and it doesn't need as many tires, which reduces costs for many things. Thr roomier bedroom makes up for the smaller bath. We did not know it would be that way, but we discovered that having a bit more space for dressing in the bedroom made us both happier than having more space in the bathroom. I don't know why,- it's just worked out that way
When we had our slightly longer coach, I had noticed it had much more space than we need for just a happily married couple and a toy poodle. So I went smaller in my research.
I wanted a king bed but was unable to get that , but we're fine with the queen, and a spare in the sofa if someone is having a bad night. i'm
Tiffin does have king beds in some short coaches.
I have never driven a tag axle so I don't know but I found are 35 foot Newmar to be very stable ride over its first trip pf 3000 miles. (I'm not going to take off for a trip with the winds are at 35 miles an hour).
When I was researching, I noticed the Tiffin good layouts and always had a window in the bathroom, which I thought was important to me, but I gave it up for now.
I also noticed the Tiffin puts in some cheap 'ultra leather' in the coaches, which started failing it three or four years ....owners who, for many reasons, did not get their furniture replaced quickly enough, ended up putting 5-8 yo coaches on the market that needed all the furniture replaced ...because the ultra leather was peeling. I saw this in so many of their used coaches that it kind of soured me on Tiffin. I wondered where they were cutting cost elsewhere. So I turned back to Newmar and we bought a 7 to 8 year old coach with all the furniture in perfect condition. As we took her first trip and the coach we discovered many little quality details that made us feel very good about this coach and it's very livable. ( Unfortunately yes it has a bathroom right across from the refrigerator ?, but it's just not a problem for us because of the door design, and our overall habits.).
I can give you a lot more detail about what I discovered and researching. But it took a long time set up a lot of pouring over brochures and specifications for us to end up with the one we have. My husband always wanted a Newmar, and I compromised, and we're both happy.
 
The ride in our DP is so much better than our previous gasser it is beyond comparison. I used to feel like I was wrestling a hippo all day on the road, now I can drive with one hand and the coach tracks perfectly no matter the size or volume of the traffic passing by.
Mountains are no longer a high stress event.
The tag really provides extra stability.
We are 45', have not had issue finding camping locations. Not as easy as a smaller coach, but not extreme effort either.
I'm a big boy, 6'4" and 250+, shower fits fine. We had a single bath gasser, and now have the bath and half much more livable.

Time is your friend, we are in a sellers market now. Give it some time and there will be plenty in the range you are looking at.

cheers
 

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