What older motor homes are the best?

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OverTheHill

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Joined
Feb 21, 2017
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23
I'm looking at Prevost 1999 thru 2006 motor homes. What other brands should I be looking at. I understand that Prevost is a chassis and multiple manufacturers buy the Prevost.
 
Look at the brand that meets your budget, has the floorplan you like, the options you want, and is in the best used condition.  ;)  Seriously those aspects are often more important than year/make/model.

Don't get me wrong, Prevost is among the best in terms of diesel pushers... if that's what you are specifically looking at.  Tell us more about your wants/needs and we can get you pointed in the right direction.
 
I really like the modern look of the Newells--many of the Prevost for the same reason . Very few of the Newells on the market. Trying to keep under 200k. From a practical aspect, I'd like to keep the fuel economy at least 6-8 mpg range. Is there anyway of telling ahead of time?
 
In that class & years of coach you should also be looking at Newells, MCI bus conversions (MCI is another bus chassis maker), Foretravels, and older Bluebird Wanderlodges, say pre-2004. Wanderlodge had financial difficulties toward its end and produced some mediocre models that I would avoid.
 
While not exactly an answer, in that age range I would watch out for any high tech bells and whistles items as they are likely no longer supported.    Thankfully though a lot of the craze in things like color changing remote controlled lighting did not take off until after those years.
 
One of the biggest issues I see with older motor homes is many of them do not have slides. I see this as being a big issue. If you do not have a slide, why not?
 
Before posting this thread, I looked at this one and liked the modern look. What corners were they cutting? What problems would result? https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2007-Blue-Bird-WANDERLODGE-450LXI-121929922
 
The 450s, if the recalls have been done are a nice coach. I have had 4 Wanderlodges and currently have a 97 Prevost Liberty XL
 
Slides really open up the interior space, avoiding the tunnel-like mid aisle of the non-slide models.  You can move around without tripping over the feet of other passengers (or the dog). The drawback, of course, is that it's just one more piece of mechanical gear that can break.

I would think that any coach in the era you are looking at will likely have at least one slide, but Prevost conversions were among the last to embrace slide technology. Now Prevost builds a bus shell with the slide(s) already in place.

As Ernie says, a late model Wanderlodge that has had all the problems corrected is probably as good as any.  Caveat Emptor.  A war story:  We worked in a Maine campground in 2005 and a fellow arrived in a new Wanderlodge 450 Lxi, about 4 months old. A truly gorgeous coach, but a real lemon, he said, having spent most of the previous months in one shop or another.  He took his site but couldn't get one of the slides open. Then his power failed, followed by the hot water system. He was on the phone to Bluebird constantly and they told him to bring it to a dealer. Then the coach wouldn't start, and he through up his hands in despair and abandoned it there. Just got in his Lexus (with his wife) and drove away. A week later Bluebird sent a tech to get it going but he could not, so it ended up being towed away. Never heard the final results, though. Typical or just one bad apple? I can't say.
 
You might also look at the higher end Monacos (Signature, Executive, & Dynasty) and Beavers (Marquis and Patriots) that were built earlier than 2007. There are a number of them around that are selling in the range of 80-240K. We have a 2004 Signature that we live in full time and really like the coach.
 
I believe a friend is going to sell her Monaco Signature Limited edition soon. This has the kitchen right behind the captains chairs
 
We have slides on both sides and it really opens it up...........however, its not the same on the road for the kids like our old 84 Holiday Rambler was, or like they appear in the movies.  When our slides are in, it's not real walk around friendly.    There was something cool about the old coach moving down the road in the same configuration as it was parked.

But....Kids have their own RVs now :)

 
Gary RVer Emeritus said:
Slides really open up the interior space, avoiding the tunnel-like mid aisle of the non-slide models.  You can move around without tripping over the feet of other passengers (or the dog). The drawback, of course, is that it's just one more piece of mechanical gear that can break.

I would think that any coach in the era you are looking at will likely have at least one slide, but Prevost conversions were among the last to embrace slide technology. Now Prevost builds a bus shell with the slide(s) already in place.

As Ernie says, a late model Wanderlodge that has had all the problems corrected is probably as good as any.  Caveat Emptor.  A war story:  We worked in a Maine campground in 2005 and a fellow arrived in a new Wanderlodge 450 Lxi, about 4 months old. A truly gorgeous coach, but a real lemon, he said, having spent most of the previous months in one shop or another.  He took his site but couldn't get one of the slides open. Then his power failed, followed by the hot water system. He was on the phone to Bluebird constantly and they told him to bring it to a dealer. Then the coach wouldn't start, and he through up his hands in despair and abandoned it there. Just got in his Lexus (with his wife) and drove away. A week later Bluebird sent a tech to get it going but he could not, so it ended up being towed away. Never heard the final results, though. Typical or just one bad apple? I can't say.

That would be horrible!
 
As Chet says, there are several models of high end coaches that are quite splendid but do not use a bus chassis (Prevost, MCI, etc). They are still built on robust, purpose built motorhome chassis and have oodles of amenities, fine cabinetry, etc.  American Coach Heritage/Eagle/Tradition/Dream, Monaco Signature & Dynasty, Holiday Imperial, Beaver Marquis & Patriot, and Newmar Essex and Mountain Aire would all qualify as luxury-class coaches.
 
Definitely add Country Coach, and also Travel Supreme in that era.

Over The Hill didn't cite the reasons he is focused on Prevost-type coaches, so I'm not sure if any of those are worth his consideration.
 
I like the more modern look of the Prevost and Newell. Looking to get the most bang for the buck. First and foremost the coach should have been well maintained and serviced. I won't know what my budget is until the house is sold. I also like the Foretravel Phenix and U320 which are more traditional. The Monaco's are also very nice. Lots of very nice coaches--just not very many with interiors that are more modern themes.
 
Let me offer a counter part against slides, my wife and I bought a small class A (2002 Safari Trek 28 ft) motorhome last year to travel in, not to just go to one place and park it for weeks or more at a time.  Without slides to worry about, we can stop in a camp ground for the night, plug the electric cord, lower the leveling jacks if needed and be set up for the night in 5 minutes, the next morning reverse the process and be on the road, dumping and refilling tanks every 2-3 days as needed.  Also on almost every layout I have seen slides either must be out for the the floorplan to function, I have seen layouts where it is even impossible to get into the bathroom with the slides in, as well as many where the mattress on the bed must fold in half for the slide come in.  So much for pulling off at a picturesque roadside pullout overlooking a river for a bite of lunch and maybe a short afternoon nap in one of these, before hitting the road for the last 150 miles of the day.  Alternatively there are the slide models that are functional with the slides in, and what you get with the slides out is just more floor space.  Then there are the very few allow function with the slides in, and gain more than just floor space with the slides out, these tend to have seating or counters that can extend when the slides are open, and fold in on themselves when the slides are in, but again even this increases the time it takes to break camp.  Being only 28 feet long we can easily fit into places where we can find a pair of 2 parking spaces end to end, and with a 178 inch wheel base we can even back into some standard parking spaces and let the tail overhang the curb.  Now sure we can't fit in everywhere, we are certainly not going to try to go through the drive thru at a McDonalds, but when traveling along and we see a sign with claims of having the best food in the state 4 miles ahead, there is a fair chance we could stop in and give it a try, try doing that in a 45 ft diesel pusher pulling a toad.
 
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