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Which Brand Class A

FSquared
Explorer
Explorer
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?
24 REPLIES 24

vjstangelo
Explorer
Explorer
Winnebago hands down. Reason is the amount of support after the sale.
2012 Winnebago Vista 32K
2011 Honda CRV Toad

Dog_Trainer
Explorer
Explorer
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.
2016 Newmar Baystar 3401
2011 HHR Toad
Daktari & Lydia Cavalier King Charles , Annie get your guns, our English setter (fur Bearing Children)

mikey52
Explorer
Explorer
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.
2013 Discovery 40x
2016 GMC Canyon
2011 BMW R1200RT

4x4van
Explorer
Explorer
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.
We don't stop playing because we grow old...We grow old because we stop playing!

2004 Itasca Sunrise M-30W
Carson enclosed ATV Trailer
-'85 ATC250R, '12 Husky TE310, '20 CanAm X3 X rs Turbo RR
Zieman Jetski Trailer
-'96 GTi, '96 Waveblaster II

Mile_High
Explorer
Explorer
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:

2013 Winnebago Itasca Meridian 42E
2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara Towed

Not applicable
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
Explorer
Explorer
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
Explorer
Explorer
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.
"Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning." Captain Kirk in Star Trek VI 'The Undiscovered Country'

2007 39K Winnebago Journey "The Enterprise"
Jeep Cherokee Sport 4x4

bullydogs1
Explorer
Explorer
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.
Stuart and Stella Denning
2016 Entegra Aspire 42RBQ
The 3 Bulldogs (Daisy, Sylvie and Stashie)
2018 Equinox Diesel (TOAD)

janstey58
Explorer
Explorer
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.
Jeff and Kim
2015 Fleetwood Discovery 40E
Freightliner Chassis 380HP DP
2012 Ford Escape Limited Toad

rr2254545
Explorer
Explorer
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
2012 Winnebago Journey 36M Cummins 360
2014 Jeep Cherokee
492 Campgrounds,107K miles driven in our Winnebago motor homes and 2360 nights camping since we retired in July 2009, 41 National Parks

rascalflat
Explorer
Explorer

MetalGator
Explorer III
Explorer III
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
2018 Miramar 35.3 Motorhome
3 fur kids (Monty, ZuZu and Pinto)
Rainbow bridge (Murphy, Petie, Lola)

Bumpyroad
Explorer
Explorer
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