mweiner

Michele C. - l noticed that you have a 2017 Leisure Travel Unity- VERY NICE.. How do you like it and what's your average MPG. We looked at the Winnebago Navion... similar size , but, I don't think it is finished as nicely as your coach?

WILDEBILL308- YES, Mercedes Benz does recommend Mobile 1-. Because they rebrand it and sell it at their dealership....

jleamont- YES, it always amazes me that people pull into fueling stations and leave their engines running... when there's a sign that clearly states, turn engines OFF. What a world!

Bill, Yeah, I just thru that out there.. maybe I should have not done that, sorry.. but, the campsite area was pretty small and congested...and moving a huge rig around to the sparsely available dump stations was clearly not easy.... and I'm guessing that some of the people were there for a longer period of time looking at their setup...so, coming out to them would have been easier for them. Just a thought.... There were some "full hookups", but , not many. ---Mark

At our last camping trip, they had a mobile "honey wagon" service... they charged $30 and offered to come directly to your location.....We didn't need it, but, I'm sure that some people were willing to pay for this, especially since some of the rigs in the park were over 40 feet.

Bill, Regarding allowing "travel trailers, etc. I understand that 84 percent of the Directors decided that this issue be voted on by the General Membership... that doesn't mean that the General Membership will vote as a "done deal" as you put it... they wanted it put before the membership for a YES or NO answer... seems simple enough to me. That way the general membership chooses.. isn't this the American way. If it were truly the case that it's all fixed as you put it, why even have an vote? I find this kind of talk a little offensive. Let's let the process work itself out, please. ---MARK

Elkhartjim- Interesting...I don't think that the "towables" are the same as a towed car or "toad".... Not all members have one... I certainly don't need to have one although my rig is so powerful, I suppose I could.... But, I don't like towing...... I have a teardrop trailer for sale on the Internet right now..got the Roadtrek RS Adventurous in favor of that..... I definitely know that the whole debate is about travel trailers, 5th wheels, etc. I hope that the people who are in charge of the vote will be precise in their language so it doesn't confuse the membership out there... that would be VERY unfortunate indeed. ---MARK

You see, this is WHY the FMCA group is so much help.... thanks guys for the input.

Well, I just had another conversation with the dealership that sold me the coach, and based upon the good feedback I learned here today on the forum, I'm going to start switching to battery power when I'm on the road.... for safety reasons... thanks. I'm getting solar panels installed very soon, so, this should NOT be any problem for me anyway. I'll just have to remember to switch the system back to propane or electric when I stop for a long period of time as my refrigerator doesn't have an automatic setting.... guess that will be my first upgrade 😁😁😁LOL

TBUTLER- the first person I met who owned a larger motor home was someone with a Monaco... they're the king of the road.. very luxurious. AND, I think you made a great decision stepping up 10 years in time for the 2004, but, the jump from 2004 to 2008 doesn't seem as significant and you have had great success going 163,000 miles.... good for you.. Yes, the initial depreciation is really tough... You made the right financial decision.

You know what, that is perfect information.. that's why I joined the forum. Something to think about.... thank you.... When inquired about that with my dealership, they told me NOT to worry about it.

We have an inverter on our rig... but, I'd prefer to use the propane while traveling.. UNLESS we stop somewhere plug in and use shore power...We can easily do that with our 3-way unit.... Since we are Diesel powered it appears that it's perfectly safe to refuel and not worry about that causing any problems.

jleamont- YES, I understand and appreciate what you are saying... about time. I'm retired now, so, the essence of time is NOT as precious as it was when I was working and commuting.. which added two hours or more to my day... when it comes to waiting, let me tell you that living in Los Angeles gives new meaning to patience. Traffic is 24/7 here, people are everywhere, so, the best place for the "fortress of solitude" is in my own living room at home! 😂😂😂 As far as "horror stories" at campsite bathrooms... yeah, some are better than others, and I appreciate that it's not for everyone. If I didn't want to have a camping experience, then I would have never left my home. I guess that we all have tolerance for certain inconveniences and I'm not adverse to using a public shower facility.. not dissimilar to what you might find at your local health club. As far as new RV resorts..I've been to a few, like Flying Flags RV Park in Buelltton, CA, and can report that it's one of the cleanest facilities I've ever seen... I used to be a Facilities Director, I understand clean facilities....and appreciate them. For us, with the smaller RV, using the park facilities is perfect for us... AND, we're very mobile, easier to move on to a new location. And , you're correct, our tanks are much easier to purge. I can see your point about 137 gallons.. that's a lot. We don't have any problem getting close to dump stations with our highly manueveable rig.

rhinderber- Price is all relative these days.... I figured that you paid between $17 and $24,000 for this coach? Maybe you got a better deal? Just what exactly did you "overlook" to cause the engine damage? Did you overheat?? I've been told that it's ALWAYS a great idea to open the windows and let your car or even your motor home breathe fresh air before turning on the AC. It just makes sense and the system doesn't have to work as hard. I'm 65, right behind you.. yes, I understand exactly what you are saying... Best luck with your rig....

..2013 Itasca Meridian 42E- VERY NICE.. obviously, Winnebago has a broad product line..the higher end stuff really shows better.... When we were looking, I test drove three vehicles, a year old Winnebago Navion, a brand new Winnebago Fuse and the Mercedes Benz Sprinter. No contest, for quality and driving. The Fuse had a really great price point...we could have purchased that new for the same price as the 2012 Mercedes Benz Sprinter. BUT, it had cheap materials inside and it had bad vehicle dynamics, leaning too much around corners, even my wife noticed it...and noisy compared to the Mercedes. Lots of rattling around on the Fuse, I don't like that. Navion was a little better... those window shades up front that are retractable are very cool, but, the track they're on rattles like a snake, dealership said they could put in some insulation... how long would that last?? Finally, the roof seals on the Fuse and the Navion...the roof is supposed to be "guaranteed" for ten years..... but, not the seals or seams... forget it! My unit is on the smaller side, has high MPG, and it's quality built inside.

wayne77590- WOW, I'm glad I decided to skip Winnebago... almost got a Navion.. After reading your last post on quality control, glad I dodged a bullet, that's terrible.

spuds- I've heard great things about Leisure Travel... good luck with that. You should be fine.. never heard of Foretravel.. I stay away from off brands that are orphaned off.

jleamont-. I understand that a high end DP used probably is better than a lower end MH.... I get that... Are you saying that there's a lot of "overseas" as in China....MH's that are cheaply made..? I wasn't aware of Chinese MH's? Yeah, I don't like "fake wood", tacky looking....wears off and looks awful. They put this in MH's to cut corners.. I see that you are a Diesel technician....I have a newer technology Diesel with the Mercedes Benz Sprinter... only have 27,000 miles on it.... hopefully it will be good for another 75,000 with little problems. Mercedes Benz is known for building great Diesel engines...they have been doing it probably longer than anyone else on the market? Yes, it uses the Bluetec technology, DEF, runs great. I'll just keep it maintained by a Mercedes technician. Fingers crossed on this one.

wayne77590-. First of all, thank you... YES, I have learned a number of things since I joined the FMCA since I joined this month.... And, you get back more of the effort of what you put into something... I actually AGREE 100 percent with you when you said that the forum should be for "members only"... Everything you said about Family Assist is TRUE. None of us can predict the future.. although we all try..LOL. and the fact that the club (FMCA) has this benefit is fantastic! As you pointed out, insurance is about shifting risk...we all hope we never need it, but, it's comforting to know that it's there. I have motor home insurance, extended warranty, Medicare, etc. , BUT, you're so correct, what if you're 2,500 miles from home and you're too ill to drive back..these are all real life scenarios we have to think about... Good for you... thank you for bringing this subject into the spotlight. I hope others will think about it and take it to heart. And, for the snarky people who are just "lurkers" and making snide and "Killjoy" remarks..... wouldn't your time and efforts be better directed elsewhere... YES, close the forum to members only.....

smithy- THANK YOU for your replies.... I appreciate it... SO, we will be able to vote online.. good for the FMCA.... kudos. AND, for those of you who "assumed" that this wouldn't happen... please remember that "you own your own assumptions" , It doesn't serve anyone to make wild assertions about something you don't know.... If you don't know, just say so or inquire. NOW, can we all please just move forward and vote..... its a democratic process. I'm VERY PLEASED that the vote will be online...it's verifiable, fast and easy. We should all do it...I don't know, but, it would be fantastic if the FMCA could send an email to to all of it's members and just ask us to take a few minutes to respond. That would be very simple... And, an outside firm counts the votes, perfect!

jleamont- you wrote; "I have been is so many situations where time was of the essence and waiting wasn't an option, and if it clogged with hair (three females showering it will clog). That one gadget would ruin a day. I am a firm believer of K.I.S.S! Keep It Simple Stupid. Example; when we go to leave for a day trip from the coach, I walk over and dump gray from the morning showers, shut the water off to the coach, at that time DW and kids are sitting in the Jeep waiting for me, and they are using water just before we walk out and lock the coach, gray tank is completely full by now after 4 showers. Or I am at the one dump station with a line 8+ behind me, pacing as we all have somewhere to be." I believe in keeping it simple.... BUT, people may have to wait..now and then. When you are on vacation, who cares.... And, there's a waiting line everywhere in LA, we're used to it. As for clogging up the showers, anyone can do that... My advice is use a drain screen or better yet, just use the facilities where you are staying....they can all shower at the same time provided there's three open shower stalls available... We try and keep the bathroom facilities on our coach like an "emergency facility"...we use it in the middle of the night or if we stop somewhere and there's no convenient bathroom around... And, we're more mobile than most of you in the Class A units. Our tanks are much smaller and we can dump them a lot faster because they're small. Hmm, "one inch discharge hose?? I'm going to measure ours....I think it's larger than that... but, I'll check.. Like some of you above, we clean off plates with a paper towel and rinse them off..we NEVER throw food down the drain... I doubt that many of you have garbage disposals on your rigs?? Do you?

rhinderber, must be late...LOL.. i just noticed that you purchased this from a "dealership".... they should really help you out on the engine repair....my two cents... UNLESS you're telling us that you purchased it "as is"....you didn't do that? i would think that most dealers would give you at least a 90 day warranty.. ? Never hurts to ask...they can always say no...

rhinderber- One more question-- I just re-read your last post. You purchased this 6 weeks ago from a private seller, I presume? I imagine that you don't have any service records from the previous seller? That really sucks within 6 weeks for engine and HVAC problems... I hope you didn't have to pay a lot to acquire your rig? How many miles on this 1998? The pictures you posted above look very nice.. Good luck, hope that all works out.

rhinderber- Thanks...for the information on the two Safari units.. Just to be clear, I was curious about WHY this other person, not ME, was complaining about the Zanzabar...it looked like a pretty nice RV.. SO, you like your Safari .. great! My rig is below, it's a 2012 Roadtrek RS Adventurous...see picture in signature. ---Mark

abyrd- I understand... In our case, we purchased the 2012 Roadtrek RS Adventurous this past May 2017.. As you know Roadtrek conversions take last year's Mercedes Benz Sprinter (2011) model and sell their products as the 2012 Roadtrek... We actually went down to the local dealership that sells the 2017 Roadtrek..a 2016 Sprinter... Even the new ones have 2,000 miles on them, driven from Canada to LA... The same model as ours with solar panels.. I plan on outfitting mine with solar panels soon... They're asking $152,000 ... We purchased our 2012 RS Adventurous with 26,000 miles for $79,000.. I get it... Tell me, does anyone think that the 5 years newer version is worth an additional $73,000 ... That first 5 years of depreciation is really tough to justify.... I think, no .. I know that the continued depreciation will be slower.... I really don't think it will give me a lot of trouble for at least five years or so..? I hope. I did have to put new tires, batteries, a few other convenience things.. vehicle drives like new. Just like you... routine maintenance..all vehicles need routine maintenance.. professionals know how to keep it running perfect... Unlike you though, I contract out work on my vehicles... Not my forte.. Yes, I agree... I think you and I made the "smart money" decision. BUT, just to hedge my bet, I took an extended warranty. Hey, I figured if I kept this 5 years.. and sold it, the difference between what I paid and recoup.the cost factor would be as if I rented the vehicle.. I looked into renting one and discovered that they rent for $3,000 per week.. I decided to purchase it. Loved the way it drove. ---MARK