manholt

Pre to 2006. Brain Fart...I had a 2011, bought new, Allegro Bus..total Lemon & Bob Tiffen said he want'd it back..go see the dealer...$57,000 including Tax, I got this! We're looking for another coach...small problem, my Fiance has her own DP to sell, a 2006 Tiffin Phaeton 40. If it was up to me, I would keep hers and sell mine, but she wan'ts a 42 to 45' coach! I'll be 77 in Feb & she's 71...If you look at any of the newer coaches & get past the useless Bling, you'll find that the interior/floor-plans are all the same! The difference to justify cost, is size of engine/transmission! All furniture is modular & you can buy them for 75/80% less, than manufacturer will charge you...so, get a used coach for $70k to $120,k with most of what your wife want's and replace the rest. "Leather" is Faux and we use Windex to clean...try that with Cow Hide! Ugh.

Welcome Brent/Factor! I saw your DP post first. I'm Carl Christensen/Manholt, take your pick! Happy New Year.

International "Bench Life" is 7 for our/truck tires, 10 for car...but that's in a known parameter! Then you have to figure in all the variables of the actual driver, road condition, load, PSI, winter surface dressing, care when parked, etc. Sidewall will go out, way before tread. My last set of Michelin lasted 4 years 10 months & 68,000+ miles! The set before, went 5+ years and came with coach. For the avg. RV'er, I think 6 is a good bench mark.

Hi Factor. Few things come to mind. $$$? How handy are you in regards to mechanical, electrical (AC & DC), plumbing, fabrication and analytical? Any coach, with a diesel engine, made prior to 2006 would be my choice. Mandatory EPA mandate, started in 2007 with Particulate filter for lower emission, in 2010 they added DEF, who knows whats next. My coach is a 2009 engine on a 2010 American Coach, with 107,673 miles. I have had no problems with my engine or transmission & I consider myself lucky. Replacement cost of the P filter is not cheap, with labor about $5,000+! DP...Fleetwood, HR, Monaco, Country Coach, Beaver, Foretravel, Alpine, Safari, Tiffin Phaeton...All good coaches, pre 2006. Most of the very good manufacturers went BK in one form or another, due to Sub Prime lending 2007-2010. I've had class "A's" since 1967...12 of 17 coaches were gas, last 4 diesel. Carl C.

Kparr. Welcome to the Forum! Sorry, but I don't get any rubber older than 8 weeks, prefer fresh one/two weeks! Got too much (my love & a dog) riding in this coach! In June, I got new BFG's 315/80's, one week old (8)! The front tires will be replaced in 3/4 years, rest in 5/6 years!

Bill, I was typing...agree! It seems to happen a lot more on smaller RV's, overloaded & under inflated. Like Sprinter chassis!

Mine are 315/80/22.5 for $4,865..I just don't see why I should limit myself to look for 315's, if we got another coach! Expensive anchor's!!! To control a total loss of air in a front tire of a 45' at Hwy speed, is a lot easier than a 32'! Don't jump on brake & no sudden turn...been there, I used my engine brake.

Every slide has a grove & weep hole on floor, front & back...mud dobers love to build a nest in there! However I like Herman's thought also!

Since it has & continues to snow in Southern CA..is that anywhere near you? I saw a clip of snow in Joshua & the I-15 corridor!

Like you, I carry little local currency abroad. Enough for small things & bus, tram fare!

You'd have to ask LSU Mike in Houston, what the break down is! Restaurants in US = cash, outside US = Card, because the card reader comes to you! I have bought zero online. I call FMCA for my Rally reservations, they have a card on file with a very low credit limit. Unlike Linda, I carry no balance on anything...learned that lesson 37 years ago, when I retired, back then, you had to be home when the CC bill came in, or take the info with you & pay a estimate. Since Al Gore invented the Internet, things have changed !

Richard...All Apps, free or not are making $$$ somewhere. Since the cost per gallon is mostly TAX, there is not a big margin between dealer cost/tax unless the price at pump has been marked up & you get a % kick back, then the price is what it should have been to begin with! That's called "the feel good hook"! IMHO, uploading your CC or DC to a App, defeats your chip/PIN to begin with, no security..Pre loading a designated DC with several thousand dollars, is in my opinion silly, you make no $$$, but the bank does!

Just do it before school is out for Summer & before the International Visitors arrive! Start looking for reservations by March! Some RV Parks don't open until April/May!

Ray, I know, I don't use it on coach body, just Alcoa's! When I was in the Restaurant & Bar business, I used the pink hand soap.

Ok, WBill, time out. We don't use 2x4's on this Forum...iRV2 does & we're not them!

Ray, great guide!

Bill, point taken! Noticed you joined in 2016...where have you been the last 3+ years? Truck stops all have chip readers and I only use gas stations that I know, to fill up toad. I don't use the Jeep at home, we got a SUV & Truck there and know all the locals...small country town. This Summer we left Texas for the Canadian Eastern Providence's, over 11,000 miles and filled Jeep 4 times. My coach had 28,000 on it in 2013, my toad is a 2013 & has 51,000+ on it, Coach now has 107,000+ ! WBill goes to Maine every year & packs the miles on. I do at least 14,000 per year. We both live in Texas! What about you? Full time or S&B?

Even if you hack the internal data network, they have been doing that in Europe for the last 30+ years, you still will not get the chip info! Without that and the pin code, case closed. America, surprisingly, is still lagging behind, in that there is no chip in most Debit cards! I have both Visa Debit and Visa Credit with the chip, issued by a brokerage house. My Bank wanted to give me a debit card, I carry cash, when we are in coach. I asked if it had a chip? No! My international CC/DC both have the chip and if you look on the back, they have my photo, home address, DOB, Birth # (same as SS in US) and bank account #! ID theft, seems to be an American thing...wonder why? I'm an American Citizen!

Totally agree! Fuzzy math, don't help anyone!!!

Would help to know Make & Model, DP or Gas! I got to use a truck stop, 64 feet with toad, your trip would be 3 stops for me! I go in, never use card at pump & in 53 years, have not had a problem! Have a great Holiday Season.

Ray, it is no longer the OP's post, but rather general good info for future reader! This will crop up again and again!

As Ross said, but their all really just covering their own "A"! All it takes is one.

Now divide by $ 900 & multiply by 5...Think, will I have another coach in that time? How many more years can I even drive a coach? Will I live that long? Will the Rettroband make a good yoke for my mule?

Brett. Sorry, but I can think of a dozen + States in the Eastern half of the country, that has long & short grades, that's a problem in my Jeep!

If you do new steer tires every 4/5 years...you'll be very old corps by the time you spend $3,000+! LOL