Elvis Graton
ottawa
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We will be upgrading from a Class B to a Class A soon!
We are seeing and hearing multiple issues with craftsmanship! Debating between tier 1-2 and tier 3, ex.Flair to Bounder. Will you see the difference in the long run. I understand one has to put in +++ elbow grease in making them stable.
For the difference in price is it worth $30-40k more?
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way2roll
Wilmington NC
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Are you buying new or used? What's your price range? Are you going to full time, part time, or just vacation? I would hold off buying anything new at the moment as there are major supply chain issues and worsening quality than what already existed due to COVID employee constraints against demands to produce more units. Seen a few posts recently about issues with a new Tiffin which used to be a top tier brand. But they were bought by Thor and Winnie purchased the other top tier brand - Newmar. If buying used, expect to pay more because demand is higher there too. But back to your original question, just like anything else, you get what you pay for. Quality is bad in RV's but some are considerably better than others. We owned an entry level RV previously - an ACE - and while fun for weekend trips, the quality was poor and I never planned on keeping it more than a few years. I certainly wouldn't full time in it.
* This post was
edited 10/22/21 11:49am by way2roll *
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FloridaRosebud
Melbourne
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We bought a 2006 National SeaBreezeLX. 34 foot. Paid about $33k for it. Very, very clean. While we have had some issues, and I've upgraded suspension components for better handling, we now have a MH we both love, handles good, rides OK, and we are still under $50k. It seems like the craftsmanship on MH began to decline in the 2008-2009 time frame, and has continued its downward trend. So I'm partial to the older class A coaches.....my 2 cents, FWIW...
BTW - way2roll's questions/comments are spot on.
Al
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Bumpyroad
Virginia
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is any of this $30 K difference because one has a fiberglass roof and the other rubber or TPO?
bumpy
* This post was
edited 10/24/21 06:35am by Bumpyroad *
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Blackdiamond
So. Cal
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Bumpyroad wrote:is any of this $30 K difference because one has a fiberglass roof and the other rubber/TPO?
bumpy Bumpy, what is your obsession with this. I have a TPO roof that is 19 years old and still in very good condition. I could care less if an RV has a fiberglass or TPO or whatever kind of roof as long as it hasn't been abused and has been maintained.
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Gjac
Milford, CT
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In your example from a Flair to a Bounder I think they come off the same line made by the same people and same production processes. I don't really believe the Bounder at $40k more uses better FG or stronger adhesives to prevent delamination, better chassis parts to improve the ride or better appliances. I think the difference in price would be things that the Flair doesn't have like a fireplace, outdoor TV or kitchen, full body paint etc. If these things are not that important to you I would rather get the Flair and put the money into fixing the Mfg's defects and customizing the MH the way I want it. Just because you pay $40k more for a MH doesn't mean you will have less problems to fix.
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MountainAir05
New Mexico
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You need to go look. Going from a class B to Class A is a world of difference.
I will speack Newmar. From their low end Class A say gas to thier high end gas is night and day. Now if you go Diesel low end to high their is another hugh jump. Our Mountain Aire compare to my neighbors and very good friends Winnebago and our other neighbor has a Bounder. The finish our Newmar was so much better than the Winnebago and the Bounder. The Winnebago quality of the inside was the poorest. The Bounder was better and the Newmar was the hand down the best. The difference in price was quite a bit from one to the other. Now these were 98, 99, and 2000 units. Have not look at any new units. Our replacement for the 99 was a diesel Wonderlodge LXI. There was not comparing it to the other three.
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Bumpyroad
Virginia
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Blackdiamond wrote:Bumpyroad wrote:is any of this $30 K difference because one has a fiberglass roof and the other rubber/TPO?
bumpy Bumpy, what is your obsession with this. I have a TPO roof that is 19 years old and still in very good condition. I could care less if an RV has a fiberglass or TPO or whatever kind of roof as long as it hasn't been abused and has been maintained.
my "obsession" is that a fiberglass roof is superior to rubber, etc., and I would (and did) pay several thousand dollars extra for mine. that is why I gave the OP something to think about in making his cost comparisons.
I consider this to be more important than the eye candy that frequently gets mentioned here, such as a fake fireplace and a "J" sofa. and I would consider buying a TPO roof which is what you have had good luck with, but would not buy a rubber roofed one.
bumpy
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Bruce Brown
Northern NY
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Tell this guy how superior they are.
You can also do the search on how many Winnie roofs have come off, but I doubt you will. ![[emoticon]](https://forums.goodsamclub.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/biggrin.gif "biggrin")
Yes, some fiberglass roofs are very well made, some aren't.
You also lump TPO in with rubber - that is a very uneducated move, two completely different animals, and yes, I've had both - 2 with rubber and 3 with Brite-Tek.
Blackdiamond isn't the only one, our Brite-Tek (modified TPO) is 14+ years old now and still likes like the day it was installed.
As to the OPs question, look at the method of construction as well as the brands reputation. For our $$$ Newmar has been excellent and we've owned 3 of them. All 3 were bought new, you could count on one hand the number of issues we've had with all 3 combined.
* This post was
edited 10/22/21 04:43pm by Bruce Brown *
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LandYacht35diesel
Florida STAYcation
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I have had a couple of 70s units .... and I’ve been in a Beaver .....
huge Huge HUGE H U G E differences !
Cherry wood cabinets.... marble floors .... granite counter tops !
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