First in a Series, by Tom Gonser (05/06)
Way back in the last century, 1999 to be precise, we began authoring a series entitled "Buying a Diesel Pusher". It chronicled our progress in researching, testing, and eventually settling on a specific RV Dealer and brand of Class A diesel motorhome. We had not previously owned a large motorhome, and we knew little about the differences among brands. Nor were we particularly sophisticated in the processes best calculated to find what we hoped would be the best RV to match our anticipated RVing lifestyle. We had much to learn about floorplans, chassis types, engine and transmission options, and most of all about quality control and after-sale customer support.
We started out that process by favoring high end RV manufacturers with a presence relatively near to where we live -- which was then and is now the Pacific Northwest. At that time we lived in Friday Harbor, Washington. We now have our "home base" in Bend, Oregon. We then sensed -- and now know -- that having access to factory service can be extremely important in the RV ownership experience. Thus we've again started with a bias towards manufacturers that are reasonably near our primary residence.
We had a very positive experience with both our selling dealer (Guaranty RV in Junction City, OR), and with the brand we chose -- a Country Coach Intrigue. We experienced our share of service visits during our five years and more than 80,000 miles of ownership of that unit. We also experienced a very supportive manufacturer in Country Coach. Service visits to the factory were handled professionally and in almost all cases with very good results. In fact, factory visits are so popular with Country Coach owners that the factory service facility is not able easily to keep up with demand. The popularity of its high end coaches has resulted in sales (and an increasisng number of units on the road) that provide a continuing challenge to timely access to factory service. This has also raised issues about the priority of warranty service versus access to service for "more mature" coaches. We sense most manufacturers are struggling with this same issue. Our eventual decision to sell our Intrigue was not motivated by an active interest in selling it -- but rather by an unsolicited offer to purchase it from us.
We've now been "coach-less" for well more than a year. But having completed our move to a new town home near Bend, Oregon, we're looking forward to purchasing our second diesel pusher.
We're finding the "second time around" purchase to be quite different. We no longer have questions about whether a Class A is consistent with our intended RVing lifestyle. We understand floor plans, and what we value in terms of space, storage, convenience, and "driveability". We've become quite conversant in terms of vehicle weights, and the limitations that need to be observed. Partly through this website we have a reasonable sense of owner satisfaction with various RV dealers and RV brands. We have a heightened awareness of the need to have both a dealer and a manufacturer that provide a high level of after-sale support.
With our first purchase we found taking factory tours and a number of manufacturing facilities to be very instructive. We don't feel a keen need to do that again. Rather we're now more focused on the current reputation among the various manufacturers for effective quality control -- and in particular that final "PDI" that is done both at the factory, and then either at the delivering dealer or at the factory again during a factory delivery process. The first time we wondered whether paying a premium for factory delivery was worth while. We're now of the opinion we wouldn't do it any other way. We'd also tie that to an arrangement by which we'd take delivery, drive and live in the coach for a few days, and then have a pre-scheduled visit to correct any trouble spots. We're now convinced there is no "perfect RV" -- regardless of brand.
With respect to choosing a dealer, our positive experience with Guaranty in Junction City made that a logical starting point for our next purchase. Guaranty has its own "owners group". And we've met many wonderful people with all different sizes, types and brands at their rallies -- which have been uniformly outstanding. As with our first go 'round, we'll likely opt to get a "second price" on the model we choose, but so long as Guaranty is competitive they will continue to enjoy our business. We've enjoyed a good continuing personal and professional relationship with Susan Graham, who is our sales representative. In addition, we've come to know several of the Guaranty sales professionals over the past several years. Dave Bonney and Tom Schneider have long careers with Guaranty, and both have a very loyal following of repeat purchasers. Similarly, Damon Rapozo, who joined Guaranty a couple of years ago from another Country Coach dealership, has demonstrated an excellent commitment to his customers, and his knowledge of Country Coach products has frequently earned him "top salesperson" of that product line. Shannon Nil manages the dealership, and has a refreshing "big picture" perspective of the RV industry that is reflected in Guaranty's strong continuing support for the Life on Wheels educational programs. His wife, Barbara, manages the highly successful Guaranty Traveler's Club. The bottom line for us is that with a competitive price we are most comfortable doing business here.
Our choice of manufacturer has been difficult, but we're now quite close to a decision. There were several manufacturers that we feel provide quality coaches, but for reasons that would require a much longer writing, we're now down to choosing between Country Coach and the Western RV Alpine product. We're very close to being into the '07 models with either of them, so we're now just waiting for some of the final details about what the price and product changes will be. Country Coach certainly deserves our close consideration, as our experience there was extremely good. At the time we made our first diesel pusher purchase, one of the other close choices was the (then) new Alpine Coach. Alpine offers an exceptional chassis, and now has a number of years developing from a new entrant in the market to what we think is among the top tier of product choices. Just as we know from experience the support Country Coach offers its owners, we've owned several Western RV units, including two fifth wheels and two camper units. Our experience with factory support for those products was very good as well.
For the past year and a half we've been traveling in a 10 1/2 foot Host double slide camper unit. In terms of accommodations and space, that would appear to be a fairly significant job of "downsizing". However the exceptional amenities and quality of that unit, coupled with the extra space provided by the two slides, has convinced us that we don't really need all the weight, length, and storage space of a 40' or longer coach. Our Intrigue was 36', and as non-full timers that was more than ample for us. That unit had but a single slide. Newer units typically have multiple slides, thus further reducing our need for something longer. In fact we've developed a keen appreciation for our ability to take a shorter coach more places -- which is more consistent with our RVing preferences. Our first thought was to focus on a 34' model -- either Allure or Alpine. But as it turns out Country Coach has discontinued the 34, and for '07 it appears the shortest Allure coach is a 37' tag model. It's a beautiful coach to be sure. The other choice with Country Coach is a 34 Inspire. Alpine apparently plans to continue to manufacture it's 34' model in '07, and it offers a 36 (non-tag) as well. Those four models seem to be where we are at the moment, and we're likely within only a very few weeks of getting all of the information we'll need to make a final decision. If this initial assessment makes us sound indecisive at the moment, it's accurately conveying out collective state of mind. But we're comfortable that we have only to make the best of four choices -- any of which would be suitable for us.
More to come...