rv grandma

I bought the Adventurer. Lost my easy chair and my big kitchen, but I'm content. I had to chuckle at my son last night. He's been with me all the way on this purchase, playing "devil's advocate", and encouraging me to use reason and not emotion on this purchase. He said, "Dad would have been proud of you, Mom. You bought the engine." He's right! Hope I love that engine as much as I think I will!

Thank you, Dean. Really valuable information. Yesterday I found a 34' Holiday Rambler, 2006, with a 5.9L Cummins and only 21,000 miles. I negotiated the price to where it is actually a little below what I'd have paid for the Winnebago 35A, and as of this afternoon, it is mine. I've lost the "wow" floor plan in the Winnie, but what I have is going to be comfortable and more than adequate for me. And. . . I am SO content and relieved to be back in the diesel I really wanted. I drove it today -- it's a snappy, smooth, responsive ride. I can add a chip down the road if I need more horsepower, but at 34' I think the 300hp I have will be more than enough. I want to thank all of you who responded to my query. Lots of thought-provking opinions that got me looking again -- and look what that resulted it! My best to all, and may you be always happy on the road. Julie

Thank you!! That's what I wanted to know. Both coaches are spotless (or so they appear). Just a preference for the 38' floor plan.

Ouch! Food for thought. Thanks.

Thanks Rich. I'm in Northern California. I've looked at B's and C's. Not going to do it for me, I need an easy chair and room in the kitchen to put a coffee pot on the counter and make a sandwich without having to close up the sink. Some of the new crossovers appeal, but too many $$.

I really hear what you are saying about repairing what I have. It's been my attitude since we bought this coach. But the reality is . . . I have put over $30,000 dollars into repairs on my Safari in the past two years and am looking at another $8 - $10,000 in repairs on the brakes and air and power steering to get it ready for this summer. That's well over half the cost of a newer coach, and there is no guarantee I won't have something else major crop up tomorrow. All of the repairs so far have been age-related: engine seals that disintegrated, plastic overflow tank that disintegrated, windshield washer tank that fell apart, hoses that collapse, leaking lines that are failing from corrosion, wiring connections that need new solder and caps, roof shrouds that are sun rotted, an on and on. Finding parts is difficult -- we had to have the overflow tank custom made to fit as an example. On a coach that is worth $14,000 dollars, this is not making sense to me any more. It kills me to let go, but I am at a point where general maintenance has a whole new meaning! And, I travel alone a lot of the time. That's scary enough without worrying about a break-down in the middle of the Nevada desert. Besides which, financing a small loan gets me the write-off on the interest and on the depreciation on the coach, which is better than the nothing I am getting now on what I have to invest to stay on the road. And yes, I may be buying someone else's can of worms, but they are worms that are 12 years younger than the ones I already have, and I can get a warranty on the newer coach to help with some of those worms. So, back to my original question. Does anyone have an opinion on the performance I would get between a 36'foot and a 38+' coach with the workhorse engine and an Allison transmission?

Yes. Good thought. I have enough worms in my own can!

Rich, Thanks for the welcome. My current rig is a 38' '94 Safari Serengeti with a 350(?) Cummins and a Banks system that takes it up to 400 hp. Lots of torque, no slides, so relatively light. Old, but truly a delight to handle and VERY comfortable. They don't put kitchens in the new rigs like I have in mine! We've put a lot of $ into new seals in the engine, a new inverter, and lots of little things that add up. Last straw was a leak in the brakes and in the dash air (likely the compressor). Bottom line, I am now alone, and I don't trust it to not give me trouble when I'm out and about. Like people, no matter how well you are built and taken care of, age has a way of breaking you down! I would prefer to go back into a diesel, but that puts me into the 2002 or lower range for a quality coach in good shape, and I'm afraid I'm going to put myself back in the soup. Hence, the Winne and the Itasca are options.

Been looking awhile. Affordable = aged. I've been there. Can't afford to do it again. When my husband was alive, he handled repairs well -- I can't. So . . .

I have been driving a 38' foot DP for several years and have loved every minute of driving and living in it. Unfortunately it is old and dying. I can't afford another DP, so am looking at a 2006 Winnebago 35A and a 2005 Itasca 38J. I like both, but the 38J has the slight edge. Researching, they don't seem to be terribly different in weight - I can't find an actual on either. They are equipped identically, both with the Workhorse and Allison tranny, and the price difference is minimal. Question is -- will I notice a significant difference in performance (especially long climbs) and mileage between the two? How about turning ratio? The 38J has a longer wheelbase. Most of the time my trips will be fairly short; lots of boon docking. Two major trips each year -- one over the Sierras and the other over the Siskiyou's, so climbing will be an issue. Going from walking over mountains at 60 or 65 to having to downshift to get over at 50 or 55 will be an adjustment and coming down from 10-12 m/g (yes, it did get that!) to 7 is enough without compounding things by buying a coach that is too long and heavy for the engine. Looking forward to your thoughts.