My wife and I are first time buyers and are soon to be full-timer's. We are looking at 3 class A diesel pushers: a 2005 Itasca Horizon 36RDH vs a 2005 Tiffin 40QDH vs a 2006 Itasca Meridan 36G. Any advice from the experts would be appreciated.
Gypsy Turtle 2 said
04:38 PM Jan 9, 2011
We have a 2005 Tiffin Bus 40QDP and love it! I'm thinking the QDH is a Phaeton but not sure. Tiffin makes very nice products.
I don't want to tell you one brand is better than others though. I would like to recommend that if all things are equal, you should consider 40' regardless of which brand you choose. There is a big difference in living space between a 36' and 40' motorhome.
We also looked at some Itasca's. They are very, very nice. When it came down to it, it ended up being the coach we got the best deal on. We have not regretted our decision.
Good luck in making that decision and it will be great having you out here joining us
RVRon said
05:32 PM Jan 9, 2011
heyduke wrote:
My wife and I are first time buyers and are soon to be full-timer's. We are looking at 3 class A diesel pushers: a 2005 Itasca Horizon 36RDH vs a 2005 Tiffin 40QDH vs a 2006 Itasca Meridan 36G. Any advice from the experts would be appreciated.
Both Winnebago and Tiffen are excellent companies to deal with if you have any issues and they build quality coaches. You probably couldn't go wrong with any of the 3 as far as equipment, durability and availability of service and replacement parts are concerned. Most folks will tell you that you need to look at the floorplans of all 3, then buy the one you like the best.
We have favored having a coach in the mid-30 ft. range simply because the longer coaches often can't be accomodated at state parks. Of course that's our preference and if you plan to stay at commercial RV parks it wouldn't be a consideration.
Looking at the floorplans a couple of things come to mind:
The Horizon 36RD is a very workable and livable floorplan with a nice u-shaped kitchen. One drawback I can see is that when the kitchen slide is in you'll have limited use of the kitchen sink. Not a big problem or a deal breaker perhaps but an inconvenience when you stop in a rest area for a bite to eat.
The Tiffin 40QDH is a big RV with a fairly small kitchen with little open counter space, especially on either side of the sink. Unless you have a dishwasher you need somewhere to drain the dishes! Of course if you eat out a lot a kitchen isn't much of an issue.
The Meridian 36G doesn't have a curbside slide so you have quite a bit less interior space available. We've found that the opposing slides give tremendous livability when you're cooped up inside the coach on a rainy or cold day. However, the curbside slide isn't without it's drawbacks in that it takes away patio space and requires an awning that is fairly flat (without droop) so as to clear the slide. That will mean it has a harder time draining rain and often isn't low enough to block the sun when you're sitting on the patio.
I certainly wouldn't qualify myself as an expert on much of anything but that's my take on the 3 units. Good luck!
janni said
05:36 PM Jan 9, 2011
We have 41' Newmar but did a lot of checking before purchase and from your list I vote the Tiffin. Agree on the size also. Our neighbor here has a smaller gas Itasca. He absolutely loved it but third year snowbird and they want more room so traded this week.
heyduke said
07:14 PM Jan 9, 2011
keep the comments coming... they are appreciated... yes the tiffin is a phaeton and Ron your type pf comments are exactly what I am looking for... really want to spend time in state parks but do understand the need for size on the rainy days...
jb said
03:35 PM Jan 11, 2011
It is all about personal preference. I will comment on the 36G since it is very similar to our Suncruiser floor plan. We like not having the curbside slide because we like more under awning space for sitting outside. I did not like the booth dinette. We just removed the benches ( I did it myself) and put in two Walmart dining chairs and we have two more folding chairs under the bed. I think it really opened up the space. We really like the storage cabinets for canned goods. It was fairly easy to upgrade the TV's to flat screens- did not have to do any cabinet work to put in a 32 in front and a 23 in bedroom. Like the Sleep number bed (would prefer a king). Agree about state parks- a 40ft will keep you out of some.
I am also completely in love with the rest easy adjustable sofa. I sleep on it when I snore and it is very comfortable.
We are going to try with our 34 gasser for a while but might find we need the extra space and move up.
I agree with others that these are all three nice coaches.
-- Edited by jb on Tuesday 11th of January 2011 03:38:32 PM
heyduke said
07:16 AM Jan 12, 2011
Thanks for the comments - we walked thru the 2006 Itasca Meridan 36GS and scrutinized it and find it to be a really nice rig but the bedroom is a bit too cramped and let's be real are some of the color schemes in motorhome just about as ugly as you can find?
Gypsy Turtle 2 said
09:04 AM Jan 12, 2011
Yup, there is some ugly out there There is also tasteful decors. Keep looking
We have favored having a coach in the mid-30 ft. range simply because the longer coaches often can't be accomodated at state parks. Of course that's our preference and if you plan to stay at commercial RV parks it wouldn't be a consideration.
Looking at the floorplans a couple of things come to mind:
The Horizon 36RD is a very workable and livable floorplan with a nice u-shaped kitchen. One drawback I can see is that when the kitchen slide is in you'll have limited use of the kitchen sink. Not a big problem or a deal breaker perhaps but an inconvenience when you stop in a rest area for a bite to eat.
The Tiffin 40QDH is a big RV with a fairly small kitchen with little open counter space, especially on either side of the sink. Unless you have a dishwasher you need somewhere to drain the dishes! Of course if you eat out a lot a kitchen isn't much of an issue.
The Meridian 36G doesn't have a curbside slide so you have quite a bit less interior space available. We've found that the opposing slides give tremendous livability when you're cooped up inside the coach on a rainy or cold day. However, the curbside slide isn't without it's drawbacks in that it takes away patio space and requires an awning that is fairly flat (without droop) so as to clear the slide. That will mean it has a harder time draining rain and often isn't low enough to block the sun when you're sitting on the patio.
I certainly wouldn't qualify myself as an expert on much of anything but that's my take on the 3 units. Good luck!
It is all about personal preference. I will comment on the 36G since it is very similar to our Suncruiser floor plan. We like not having the curbside slide because we like more under awning space for sitting outside. I did not like the booth dinette. We just removed the benches ( I did it myself) and put in two Walmart dining chairs and we have two more folding chairs under the bed. I think it really opened up the space. We really like the storage cabinets for canned goods. It was fairly easy to upgrade the TV's to flat screens- did not have to do any cabinet work to put in a 32 in front and a 23 in bedroom. Like the Sleep number bed (would prefer a king). Agree about state parks- a 40ft will keep you out of some.
I am also completely in love with the rest easy adjustable sofa. I sleep on it when I snore and it is very comfortable.
We are going to try with our 34 gasser for a while but might find we need the extra space and move up.
I agree with others that these are all three nice coaches.
-- Edited by jb on Tuesday 11th of January 2011 03:38:32 PM