If it was a quandary at the end our first article in this new series, it's become even more complex as we've zeroed in on our two contenders for a relatively shorter high end diesel pusher. While we'd begun this experience with the expectation we were interested the "shortest" high end diesel pusher, we still had quite a bit to learn in our research. We've seen consumer preferences for "bigger", and we understand the response many manufacturers have made towards ever bigger, higher, and longer designs. But we've also done enough travels by RV (can we claim 300 thousand miles? If not, then very nearly so) to know that our best compromise is for the most comfortable (for us) motorhome that can also go the most places possible. And since we have no aspirations for full time RV travel, that means shorter and lighter is a tradeoff that within reason we can accept.

In our first installment we had focused on a unit that would be 34 feet in length, built by a reputable manufacturer, and one with a factory service center reasonably close to where we live -- in central Oregon. For this and other reasons we've described earlier, this narrowed our choice to Country Coach and Western RV. As former owners of a Country Coach product (a Y2K 36' Intrigue) our first inclination was to look at what we'd seen in the 2006 Country Coach lineup as a 34' Allure. However we were soon to learn that Country Coach had opted to drop the 34' model from its '07 lineup, leaving the smallest Allure the 37' tag axle model -- a beautiful coach, but a bit longer and heavier than where our quest had begun.

Our other choice had become Western RV, manufacturer of the Alpine coach. This is one we'd looked at carefully in our first purchase in 1999. We'd previously owned two fifth wheel WRV units, as well as an Alpenlite camper, and our experience with that manufacturer had been entirely postive. But as of 1999, we'd concluded the Alpine coach was still a bit too new, and might have a few years incubation before it reached the same level of "maturity" as other high end units. However this time around the Alpine has an established reputation, and we knew it is something we'd want to consider as a potential candidate for our next unit.

In all candor, we'd have to say that because of prior ownership of Country Coach and WRV products, we hold both manufacturers in high regard. Country Coach was our first diesel pusher, and our experience with that unit demonstrated without question that the company truly stands behind its products, and supports its owners. Yet our earlier experience with Western RV (which had been with fifth wheel and camper products) had been quite the same. Have a problem? Dial 1-800 and you're going to find someone at either place who's very helpful. So as we approach this "second time around" buying decision we have experience-based positive feelings towards each of the potential manufacturers of the product we'll purchase next. The question at this point is not simply who makes the coach -- but what sizes, floor plans and features are being offered in the '07 models? And of course as well -- at what price?

Our most recent round of careful looks at Country Coach and Alpine products has taken advantage of one important lesson we learned during our first search process in 1999: We've been calling on the special knowledge and expertise of sales representatives not just of the dealer, but those of the manufaturers as well. These folks may carry different labels, such as "maunfacturers representative", or "inside sales" -- but their purpose is to provide support to dealer sales representatives who may have a less in-depth knowlege of the product. Granted, their primary mission is to make sales of the products that are produced by their employer, the RV manufacturer. But they also have a wealth of factual information that a buyer might find of interest. They are usually the first to know what feature changes are projected for the next year's model -- or even perhaps for subtle (but often important) mid-year changes. A large dealer such as Guaranty often enjoys a higher level of on-site support from key manufacturer inside sales reps, and they represent a resource that can be extremely useful in researching a purchase decision. As we reported in our 1999 article series on "Buying a Diesel Pusher", we found the direct participation of Country Coach's then inside sales rep, Kevin Atkinson, to be a factor in our eventual decision to purchase a Country Coach product. Through discussions with Kevin, we eventually felt more confident based in part on the greater factual knowledge we had about the (then) next year's model that we gleaned from Kevin. This time around we've also tapped into the manufacturers' sales reps from Country Coach and Western RV. Both individuals understand we're essentially researching and comparing two "brands". Each has responded professionally by stating the positive characteristics of the products they represent, and has refrained from making negative comments about other brands. Both have been available via email, and the WRV rep even gave up the better part of his last "at home" weekend afternoon to accommodate our travel schedule.

This is not to say the manufacturer's representative is the only source of helpful information. A knowledgeable dealer sales person can be invaluable as well. Such has been our experience with Susan Graham, whom we used in our first purchase in 1999. She "sees" things that quite frankly might easily escape our notice, despite our best efforts to be thorough. She asks such questions as "is that sink bowl a little small for you?"; or "Is the shelf depth here in the kitchen deep enough for the plates you use?". She also knows what works and doesn't work for others of her clients, and calls our attention to details we may have never thought of. And we appreciate her approach of finding the unit that best fits our intended RVing lifestyle, rather than advocating just one specific brand or model. Having said that, the dealer rep is still the repository of a great deal of technical knowledge, and we think a helpful ingredient in researching a potential purchase.

It's interesting to contemplate that the overwhelming majority of sales of high end coaches involve the bigger coaches -- 40' or longer. And as RVs approach that category of size the added weight can require the addition of a tag axle. That in turn reduces the available bay storage, which of course can only be regained by making such coaches even longer -- which of course requires even more horsepower. It's a bit like a cat chasing it's own tail. While these longer coaches also sport a longer wheelbase, further improving the ride quality, for our purposes they offer a bit more than what we require as less-than-full-timers, and as RVers that place a premium on being able to get into as many campgrounds and RV sites as possible.

Clearly as the coach length decreases, the engineering and other challenges of getting all the same "stuff" into 34' as there is in a 40 or 42' unit increases. Shorter coaches mean shorter wheelbase, and thus the challenge to create a chassis that can mitigate that fact in terms of ride quality as well as possible. Obviously storage is diminished, which would be a significant disadvantage to someone contemplating full timing (which we are not). And the options for different floor plans go from few to virtually none. Some features of the larger units become "unavailable" in shorter models -- simply because there's no space for them. And its interesting to note that even with these seeming disadvantages, there's not a significant diminution in price. Of course there are advantages to the shorter cousins as well -- such as power to weight ratio, and the ability to go places that the longer units dare not tread. As with choosing any product, the choice here depends completely on the intended use of the unit. And for us, having now traveled happily for months at a time in a 10 1/2 foot double slide Host camper, we know we can get along quite nicely in less than the largest of units. Admittedly, it's possible that one of the reasons we found the experience so entirely acceptable was the subliminal anticipation that in due course we'd be back in a more spacious unit.

At the same time our "second look" at the 34s (Inspire and Alpine) began to disclose some "compromises" in the shortest of the units that can be difficult to accept. When we had a fresh look at the 34' Inspire, for all its attributes it really cuts storage space to a minimum -- even for us. Perhaps that's because in addition to a more compact floorplan, the unit comes with four slides -- each of which requires its own bit of space. As a consequence that model offers two curbside storage bays of modest width -- but both are effectively only "half" depth, which is really squeezing the amount of bay storage in that unit. Moreover the kitchen configuration we found a bit awkward in terms of both cupboard depth and access. As a consequence we reluctantly had to take that one off our "short list". We looked instead at the 36 Inspire which with its added length seems to have addressed most of those issues.

Since Allure no longer makes a 34' model, and since we've had to eliminate the Inspire 34 for the reasons noted, that left the 36' Inspire and 37' Allure on the Country Coach side. To make sure we're looking at rough equivalents, we've therefore changed our focus on Alpine as well, to include the 34' model we initially contemplated, and now the 36 model as well That way we should have a roughly equal comparison between the offerings of the two manufacturers. Moreover in our last discussions with the WRV sales rep, who works a portion of his assignment at Guaranty in Junction City, we concluded that we should not rule out a mid-door floorplan. To date we've not had the opportunity to see such a unit, and as a consequence we will likely make a visit to the WRV factory on our next trip through Yakima -- which we expect to be within a week. We'd previously thought RVs of any length are inherently just to small to "break up" one of the two major walls in the main living area by placing the entry door there. But without actually seeing precisely how this impacts the floorplan and furniture layout, perhaps that was premature. We shall see.

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