RE: LOVE this new estates floorplan by DRV...
I liked the outside, not much about the inside. Could not figure out why they tried mixing cabinet colors. Where did or does the main tv go could not see. Sure would need more than a 1ton to pull.
Not to try and sell you the unit, but there is a 46" TV on an auto-lift on the little desk area above the fireplace...directly across from the theater-style seating. I like those because when you're not watching the TV, you get the window space. Like someone else said, there's not many windows on the PS. I do like a galley window, but these aren't deal-breakers for me.
As to the white cabinetry, I agree..I also don't quite understand why they did some in white and some natural stained wood (same goes with the fake brick in the bathroom). I guess the contrast is trendy as someone else said. I do like dinettes however, as I have yet to see a 5th wheel or trailer with a good comfortable place to sit and work with books and a laptop- the dinette for me makes for a comfortable 'office' in addition to a place to eat. I can't do that with a free-standing dinette- chairs aren't comfy for long-term seating, and the tables aren't big enough to spread out work.
What I REALLY like is the bedroom- the bed faces "north/south" rather than "east/west", which 90% of trailers seem to do. I hate it. I can't rationally explain why.
The Lane furniture is the most comfortable I've sat in in an RV... even better quality than flexsteel.
Overall, I'm glad it sounds like there won't be many fighting me off when I "win the big one" lol...as someone else said, many floorplans for diverse populations.
LOVE this new estates floorplan by DRV...
Really unique floorplan in the new Estates line by DRV- just wondering what all of you think. All I need is the lotto win and it's mine :p
http://www.americachoicerv.com/productdetails.aspx?sid=MOBI06574
RE: life style fifth wheel
The problem with all forums is there is a lot of "special interest" input. You have to be careful of what you read. I believe most of the "special interest" is not positive.
X2- to the point lately where this forum seems to have more "ambassador" activity from brand/product defenders than many of the owner-specific forums.
RE: Ridiculous price of Fifth Wheels
Craft full Way to make political commentary. Your thinly guised, musings may have a large base here, but lest you forget comments abounding terms like "Obama Care" alone pull your covers! You leave the reader believing its because of Obama Care with has hardly been enacted, Heathcare will effect future buying of RVs! Using RVs as a gateway to your real love "conservative political views" is really not appreciated by all readers. There are forums that allow those opinions to be voiced, because
and that's the beauty of being an American, we can go to this site without hearing that C*+^%!
X2- Nothing I've seen Obama do counters basic free-market principles; corporations just got so used to deregulation, that they think minimal regulation now = oppressive state interference. And 'wealthy' may be a moving target, but any individual with a yearly income of over 700K is clearly in the wealthy bracket and will be for many years to come.
RE: New England Trip
I live in Nova Scotia, and if you can make it this far, I recommend it (not just because I live here, but I am biased :p). The south shore/Annapolis Valley loop of Nova Scotia is worth doing (active shipbuilding/schooner town of Lunenburg is a UNESCO world heritage site) as is the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton which is usually ranked 2nd in North America as far as scenic coastal/mountain drives behind State Route 1 in Cali. If you get some nice weather Cape Cod and the beaches of southern Maine and New Hampshire make for scenic camping spots (Cape Cod will be insanely busy the first weekend of the spring when the temps get above 70 degrees- but that isn't likely to happen before May). Camden Maine is a nice town; Acadia National Park is awesome- good camping in Ellsworth and Bar Harbour. The White Mountains of New Hampshire are pretty, lots of hiking and recreation. Portsmouth NH is a great city to walk and tour. The downtown of Lowell MA is a national historic site HIGHLY recommended (better than Olde Sturbridge and Deerfield villages, IMO, and cheaper) if you're into industrial history- the cotton mills of the 19th century are all preserved, and you can take a neat riverboat tour through the series of locks in the Merrimac river. Haven't done much of Vermont, but Manchester and Bennington (south near MASS border) are both typical New England towns with antique and art shops lining the main streets.
I can't advise as to roads with your rig, but outside I-95 from Portland Maine to Boston and the Boston ring highways 128 and I-495, the greater Hartford area, and Manchester NH to Lowell MA on the Everett turnpike there isn't a whole lot of worry with traffic. Same with the Canadian Maritimes- once you get north of Portland ME, there'll be stretches for 2 or 3 miles without seeing any more than an 18-wheeler or two. There are two main border crossings from ME to New Brunswick- Calais/St. Stephen, and Houlton/Woodstock. The highway from Bangor Maine to Calais is only a two-lane, hilly road with occasional passing lanes, but I've seen a lot of larger motorhomes and big rigs on it. It's been upgraded since the 1980's- used to be called the Airliner route with all the ups-and-downs. It's faster and more scenic (IMO) than the northern route, and also more direct. The bonus of Houlton is that you have I-95 right to the border, and only a half-hour stretch of un-divided highway from Woodstock to the Trans Canada through Fredericton. Saint John, New Brunswick (southern route, via Calais) can get a bit congested at rush hours; the main highway goes right through the center of the city (toll bridge over the harbour) and there really isn't a viable road around it, but it shouldn't cause you too much trouble.
CG's I can vouch for: Elm River Park, near Truro Nova Scotia.
Woodhaven CG, outside Halifax NS-(Bedford area)
Baddeck Cabot Trail CG, Baddeck NS
Dunromin CG, Annapolis Royal, NS
Camper's City, Moncton New Brunswick
Harding's Point, Saint John NB
Pleasant Hill, CG, Bangor ME
Timberland Acres, Trenton ME (5 min from Acadia Nat'l Park)
Sunsetview Farm, near Springfield MA
Black Bear, Salisbury MA
In Maine, the Maine Diner in Wells (chow-dah!); Clam Shack-if open- in Kennebunkport, and Cleonice in Ellsworth are all great and unique eating spots.
Have fun! It's a beautiful region.
(Word of warning: book ahead- in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and even New England states, there aren't many parks that can accommodate your rig.)
RE: Any B+ Mfgr. Better Than Tripple E?
As I just wrote in a different thread, we owned a 2000 Triple E Regency until 2011. The quality of our new Jayco Embark is pretty disappointing in comparison.
I wonder if Jayco is putting all their quality people/assurance into their new Entegra division, because I hear the same complaints a lot lately from owners of Embarks, Senecas, Pinnacles, and Melbournes.
As far as quality B+/C's go, the shortlist of quality has been covered well by previous posters. Hear many good things from Winnebago/Itasca as well as Triple E owners. Lazy Daze and Born Free might be the best of the bunch construction-wise, but you're limited as to styles and floorplans, and there's a good reason why the LD website looks like it was designed in 1970. The campers look like they haven't changed since the 70's either, inside and out. :C (That's not a knock either..personally I love the retro look). Coach House are quality too, but I'd never shell out money on a new one..if I can ever afford a Coach House, it wouldn't a far cry from being able to afford a new 45 foot Allegro Bus.
If the OP wants a true 4-season unit, go with Triple E. I remember a Cambria owner who used their unit for a few months every winter in the northwest at a ski resort, and it worked for them, but not before doing a lot of DIY upgrades to the cab area, basement and plumbing. They'll get you from Canada to Florida for the winter, but I wouldn't camp with one for 6 months in -10 to -20 weather, personally.
RE: Lance 1172 is at the Chicago RV Show
2Blazers,
Thanks for your help. I don't own any "toys" to tow, and with such a small rv I wouldn't need a tow vehicle since the truck or van can fit pretty much anywhere. Not intending to do much off-roading. National and state parks would be the only main destinations off-highway. So this is all worth considering before settling on a unit.
I live in Canada, and although I wouldn't be camping in the winter in Canada or the northern tier of the USA for substantial periods of time, I will be driving it from/to warmer destinations and when I stop to camp want to be warm enough on cold nights just till I reach the warmer weather. I know the B vans don't have much insulation, and the furnaces are pretty small.
How are you liking your AF? I like the cabinetry and the fit and finish a lot in the Northwood products. The 3 year warranty offered on the Eagle Cap is a big bonus too, however, and they are also well-built units. Decisions, decisions... I'm thinking that if I err on the "stuff will go wrong, which company will take care of it for the longest?" side, I'll be happiest :)
RE: Lance 1172 is at the Chicago RV Show
Sorry, I copied and pasted that in the wrong place. I meant to put it immediately after mentioning a motorized unit like a B/"B+", which can't be detached from the house. The main bonus of the TC set-up *is* having the truck when needed. That, and the insulation of the better-built TC's, so they're a much better all-season option.
The fuel economy of the diesel sprinters is a huge advantage going the other way, though. I'm torn.
RE: Tiffin (Bob) Does It Again (Updated 2-19-13)
I am certain they must have come up with a solution for the new RV's. I cannot imagine they would continue production with such a cracking problem.
But I suppose as they say "the horse is out of the barn". It probably took a few months of production before they even realized they had a problem. Now, those RV's already in service and reporting the cracking problem.
I hope they will stand up to the problem. They have in the past.
I read the posts on the Tiffin owners forum, and it seems like the cracking issue has been resolved in the newer coaches. Either 1)it isn't a widespread problem anymore or 2) they can't find the root cause of the problem because it makes no sense that it would continue to happen. It must be costing the company to make so many roof and sidewall crack repairs on coaches that are 4-5 years old and out of warranty protection. Nonetheless, kudos to them for repairing at their expense. If you look at other owners forums, you get the sense that with most, the day after the warranty ends, it's out of your wallet.
RE: Lance 1172 is at the Chicago RV Show
1172 with slides in, you can not enter camper. If you get inside with side slide in there is no room to get around.
Whoa, wish you could see my 'shocked' face.
:B Pretty impressive shocked face, but I can tell it's fake, Mike.
If lounge access with the slides in is really key, perhaps a truck camper isn't ideal for those folks?; you may want to look at a Navion or B van instead. Just a suggestion. Most of the larger models I've seen like the Lance 1172 and the Chalet with two+ slides are designed that way. Downside is you don't get to detach your truck for other purposes when needed.
This is off-topic, but I have never purchased a truck to pair with a camper before. I am looking at an F-450 DRW but it has a moonroof- is this a no-no if you want to slide a camper in the bed?
RE: Need advice on DP purchase
He who has the money makes the rules.
So long as they do it within the bounds of legality; the Supreme Court should trump fiscal power in a free society. Otherwise, you have a country run by organized crime lords.
RE: Tiffin (Bob) Does It Again (Updated 2-19-13)
If people are spending WEEKS in red bay maybe they should build a mall and amusement park on site....LOL.
Or at least a restaurant or two with chef-driven, quality local ingredients. Swamp John's has tasty catfish and fries, but if you eat it daily for each average stay at Allegro CG, you probably won't be around to enjoy your coach for as long as you would hope :E
Some might say go to the grocery store and cook food in your own kitchen, and when I'm on vaca I often do- but service trips aren't really vacations- they're stressful and when some people are stresses they smoke, or enjoy a few southern comfort's on the rocks. I like to eat out.
RE: Can money buy happiness?
Sorry about the bluntness. I'm a problem-solving type. Not much into the philosophy of issues,but I do know that people who aren't happy, will never be until they make the choice to be. Some people seem to thrive at being a victim of the world or their circumstance. I have to get away from them.
You are right-the world is peopled with these types, and I don't find them pleasant company either. But the world is also full of people who really never did have chances, or many choices in their lives, and are happy, hopeful people to be around. Run away from the first type you mention, seek out the second. If ever one feels bothered or grumpy around the latter type, then it's likely unconscious guilt coming to the fore :E
RE: Can money buy happiness?
Money, like all else in life, is relative, as others have said. I went back to school later in life to do my Masters, but for most of it, I had to work while studying and could only take a course or two at a time. As a result, it took me longer than the average time it takes most people to do a doctorate. When I'd take my car in for service I'd freak out if there were any additional problems that needed taking care of. If we went out for dinner, we'd skip appetizers, wine, and usually dessert to save money. Most people who have household incomes of 250K+ can do these simple daily tasks without having to constantly think about what they need to sacrifice if they spend that money. It's the stress of constantly having to budget for everyday headaches that wears a person down.
I'm not really happier now than I was then (nor that much wealthier), but I am much more stress-free, which does-- in a way-- make me happier.
It is for these reasons that I get upset with people like Phil Mickelson, the pro golfer, who went on a rant about needing to leave California because of being taxed-to-death. 30 million (at least! not including endorsement money, appearance money, book signings) a year, 50% tax rate, and poor baby needs to cut his expenses to survive, huh? Now he says "I made a mistake, and I wish people would stop talking about it". He could probably shut them up if he paid them off, and then move to Florida with its low tax rates to compensate for his loss- along with his good buddy Tiger who left Cali 12 years ago for the same reasons.
RE: Continued Analysis
In case you missed it some people tend to not be objective and recommend their own brand and in some cases bash the other guy. Yep this is the internet and there is no fact checking.
In my opinion, it's impossible to be objective about brands, especially since many people haven't had the opportunity to experience several different brands of DP other than a short test drive or a walk through a unit on a lot or in a CG. People will nearly always recommend the product they are most loyal to unless they've had nothing but trouble with it, and are thinking of switching camps next time around.
Having said that, I agree with the consensus that the Tiffin is heads and shoulders above the other products the OP listed, if for no other reason than customer service. As everyone keeps saying, every brand and model can/will have its problems: it's getting the problems fixed expeditiously and to your satisfaction that is the key. If you go on the Forest River and Tiffin owners' forums you'll see problems mentioned for each, but Tiffin people say how great the response from the factory is, and FR owners complain they get the runaround.
Too bad the Newmar Ventana/Dutch Star, Winnie and American Coach didn't fit the OP's needs, because I'd rank them at least on par- and prob above, especially with Newmar and American, than Tiffin.
The Fleetwood Providence has many of the same features as the American Revolution, but other than that I'm not familiar with Fleetwoods, so I can't offer an opinion on the Discovery- have yet to look at one.
RE: which airbags and why?
Airbags; I use talk show radio!
I would guess you are happy with the election!
Wouldn't that specifically be NPR talk-show radio?:B
And just for the record, I have NPR on a lot...love Amy Goodman...and was happy with the election. It might be the most important one I'll see in my lifetime.
RE: TC travels, Az, Hawaii, Nova Scotia, * 2012 TR, Pg 531
Good guess Sleepy, but the red sign with white bar across it means 'no entry'; probably a one-way exit, a lot of the park campgrounds in Nova Scotia have loop roads because they're so narrow, to filter traffic in one way, out the other.
