Ok, my previous post posed the question, "toyhauler 5er vs Class A diesel with MC lift". Based on our research, discussions and in no small part your great advice, we are planning to go Class A diesel with a MC lift, and small toad behind. We have been looking at the various vehicles that can be towed 4 wheels down (toads) so I think we are good on that front. The Motorhome choice will be more complex.
Based on talking with many of our neighbors and friends, we are definitely comfortable with the Tiffin and Newmar products. Their reputation for good quality rigs, and especially after-the-sale customer service is impressive. We would love to hear your experiences with these two. We would also love to hear about other brands and how they compare in these areas.
We are also considering Integra, but recently heard the company was sold to Thor...wondering what that will mean.
Since this will be our full time home for the next 10-15 years (we hope..!!), we are leaning towards 42-45 feet with tag axle. The tag becomes almost standard on these lengths, and also assures we can accommodate the lift with no issue.
Can anyone share their experiences with rigs this long? Realizing there will be limitations on routes and places to stay, are there any other advantages or disadvantages with these larger rigs?
LarryW21 said
08:54 PM Mar 15, 2017
"Can anyone share their experiences with rigs this long?"
Do you have an RV now? If so, are you comfortable with its length? If no RV now, why not rent a big boy and try it out?
Talensnana said
09:05 PM Mar 15, 2017
I have no input on whether those are good models or not. I can give you some great information about lengths. We have a Powerhouse Coach which is a Class A built on a HDT Volvo truck. Our RV is 52 feet long and we pull a 24 foot trailer or a total of 86 feet. We are traveling fulltimers. You need to decide what time of camping/Rving you want to do. If you want to state in National Parks, State Parks or older Parks you may have some problems. We prefer private rv parks and KOA's. I can always find some place to stay it just takes a little of research. I use the Big Rig Best Bets book and Good Sams Trip Planner. There is also a great facebook group which is called Where'd you stay RV which is a lot of help.
RonC said
11:05 AM Mar 16, 2017
86 feet is pretty long. Do you have over length permits, or have you ever been stopped? I know they usually leave Recreational Vehicles alone, but your rig is noticeably long. Just curious. I will say that I have seen your set up and it's very impressive.
Talensnana said
01:09 PM Mar 16, 2017
No we do not have a overlength permit. DH did add a pindle hitch so in some states that increases our length allowed to 75'. We have never been stopped and we get waved at by police. Only had one highway patrol say anything and we were at a truck stop and he came over and admired our home on wheels. He had just seen DH back it in between two semis so he knew he was a competent driver. There are a few state like California and New York we will avoid. We will just get close and use the car.
Talensnana said
01:11 PM Mar 16, 2017
RonC wrote:
86 feet is pretty long. Do you have over length permits, or have you ever been stopped? I know they usually leave Recreational Vehicles alone, but your rig is noticeably long. Just curious. I will say that I have seen your set up and it's very impressive.
We also had the color job done so going down the road it looks shorter. That is why you see longer RV/trailers with coordinating paint or vinyl colors.
LarryW21 said
05:47 PM Mar 16, 2017
"There are a few state like California...we will avoid." 😟
RonC said
05:49 PM Mar 16, 2017
If I was to rank ALL the RV's I have ever seen by their "wow factor", yours would be #1 by a wide margin! Very impressed😎
Gpndavid said
06:44 PM Mar 17, 2017
We have a 40 foot Tiffin Allegro Bus. We like the quality and robust systems for full time use. You are wise to go with the tag axle considering the additional weight of the MC lift. Some of the newer 43-45 feet units actually have as tight a turn radius as our 40. Yes, you will be restricted from some parks as are most large rigs. If you flat tow the dingy, it saves a lot of hassle of figuring out what to do with the dolly or trailer.
kb0zke said
08:14 PM Mar 17, 2017
In the four years we've had our 40' Foretravel I've not had a problem with any parks we wanted to be in. We flat tow a Jeep Liberty, so we're about 57' overall. Since you have a 5'er already you have some idea about dealing with larger rigs.
The tag axle is usually there because a single rear axle can't handle the weight. I've been told that the Detroit 6V92TA in our coach weighs about 10,000 pounds. Don't know how accurate that is, but I can certainly believe it. Some coaches with a tag axle have the ability to temporarily raise it when making slow speed (<5 or 10 mph) turns. That helps on the turning circle. Turning a MH is going to require a fair amount of real estate no matter what. Raising the tag really helps to limit the scrubbing of the tire in (relatively) sharp turns. A variation, (also intended to limit tire scrubbing) is a steerable tag.
Are you planning on buying new or used? I'd suggest that you add Foretravel and Newell to your list of prospective coaches. Yes, you may need to buy used instead of new, or a few years older if you were already going used, but you will also be looking at the next level up in quality.
You might want to consider a trip east a few hundred miles (well, maybe just a BIT more). Stop at PPL in Houston (plan on a day there), then move on to Nacogdoches. Take a tour of the Foretravel factory, then go down the road a mile or two to Motorhomes of Texas to see several Foretravels and Newells. Then on to Red Bay, AL to tour the Tiffin plant. After that, start heading home by way of Miami, OK and the Newell factory. Newmar has a factory tour online, but it might be that you can call them and arrange an in-person tour.
Ok, my previous post posed the question, "toyhauler 5er vs Class A diesel with MC lift". Based on our research, discussions and in no small part your great advice, we are planning to go Class A diesel with a MC lift, and small toad behind. We have been looking at the various vehicles that can be towed 4 wheels down (toads) so I think we are good on that front. The Motorhome choice will be more complex.
Based on talking with many of our neighbors and friends, we are definitely comfortable with the Tiffin and Newmar products. Their reputation for good quality rigs, and especially after-the-sale customer service is impressive. We would love to hear your experiences with these two. We would also love to hear about other brands and how they compare in these areas.
We are also considering Integra, but recently heard the company was sold to Thor...wondering what that will mean.
Since this will be our full time home for the next 10-15 years (we hope..!!), we are leaning towards 42-45 feet with tag axle. The tag becomes almost standard on these lengths, and also assures we can accommodate the lift with no issue.
Can anyone share their experiences with rigs this long? Realizing there will be limitations on routes and places to stay, are there any other advantages or disadvantages with these larger rigs?
Do you have an RV now? If so, are you comfortable with its length? If no RV now, why not rent a big boy and try it out?
I have no input on whether those are good models or not. I can give you some great information about lengths. We have a Powerhouse Coach which is a Class A built on a HDT Volvo truck. Our RV is 52 feet long and we pull a 24 foot trailer or a total of 86 feet. We are traveling fulltimers. You need to decide what time of camping/Rving you want to do. If you want to state in National Parks, State Parks or older Parks you may have some problems. We prefer private rv parks and KOA's. I can always find some place to stay it just takes a little of research. I use the Big Rig Best Bets book and Good Sams Trip Planner. There is also a great facebook group which is called Where'd you stay RV which is a lot of help.
No we do not have a overlength permit. DH did add a pindle hitch so in some states that increases our length allowed to 75'. We have never been stopped and we get waved at by police. Only had one highway patrol say anything and we were at a truck stop and he came over and admired our home on wheels. He had just seen DH back it in between two semis so he knew he was a competent driver. There are a few state like California and New York we will avoid. We will just get close and use the car.
We also had the color job done so going down the road it looks shorter. That is why you see longer RV/trailers with coordinating paint or vinyl colors.
The tag axle is usually there because a single rear axle can't handle the weight. I've been told that the Detroit 6V92TA in our coach weighs about 10,000 pounds. Don't know how accurate that is, but I can certainly believe it. Some coaches with a tag axle have the ability to temporarily raise it when making slow speed (<5 or 10 mph) turns. That helps on the turning circle. Turning a MH is going to require a fair amount of real estate no matter what. Raising the tag really helps to limit the scrubbing of the tire in (relatively) sharp turns. A variation, (also intended to limit tire scrubbing) is a steerable tag.
Are you planning on buying new or used? I'd suggest that you add Foretravel and Newell to your list of prospective coaches. Yes, you may need to buy used instead of new, or a few years older if you were already going used, but you will also be looking at the next level up in quality.
You might want to consider a trip east a few hundred miles (well, maybe just a BIT more). Stop at PPL in Houston (plan on a day there), then move on to Nacogdoches. Take a tour of the Foretravel factory, then go down the road a mile or two to Motorhomes of Texas to see several Foretravels and Newells. Then on to Red Bay, AL to tour the Tiffin plant. After that, start heading home by way of Miami, OK and the Newell factory. Newmar has a factory tour online, but it might be that you can call them and arrange an in-person tour.