Day 28 - Six Months in the Motorhome - TT

It looks like rain for the rest of the day (at least) but it has toned down from the morning thunderstorm.

It’s been about six months since I picked up this coach from the dealer in GA and it may be a good idea to talk about our decision. It is definitely easier to travel with the coach than it was with the 5th wheel and truck. There was some initial concern when I first picked it up due to the 41½’ length but the width is comparable to the 5th wheel and it isn’t quite as tall. Backing into campsites is almost trivial after the car is unloaded. The length does make it more difficult to level front to back but the automatic leveling system is nice to have. The tow dolly is a hassle and does add to the stress on travel days. But it is nice to have the Prius to drive around with after arriving at our location.

We really should’ve had an inspector check out the coach before purchasing. We could’ve avoided the refrigerator hassle and some other minor problems. An inspection probably wouldn’t have caught any engine or driveline problems as they only check out the RV part.

Many have dismissed the combo washer/dryer as a waste of space since the loads are small and it takes forever to dry. Both true but it is very convenient and we use it all the time. On our initial “list” I wanted only two slides. We have four and though the additional floor space is nice, fewer would be better. Also, I would have preferred a Cummins engine instead of a Caterpillar. Mostly due to familiarity and easier to find service. The double pane windows are nice as is the 7.5kw diesel generator. It turns out that I don’t actually know the hours on the generator as the Hobbs meter isn’t  working. Two of the slides don’t seal well during travel. One due to some weather stripping missing and the other from damage to the corner of the slide. It looks like it caught on an open compartment door while closing the slide.

The Dicor on the roof sealing roof openings looked old and the salesman told me that they would reseal. They sort of did but didn’t do a very good job. The windshield problems are apparently common in large motorhomes due to flex in the body this especially true with multiple slides (too many slides). Everything else seems to work fine. Both air conditioners cool, the front one has a heat pump which has been getting a lot of use. Both furnaces work though the rear one puts all of its output on the inside. The front furnace splits it’s output between the water tanks and the interior. It ends up running for extended periods. The repaired refrigerator works great and even though I thought it was silly to have an ice maker, I like having it. The water heater works on both propane and shore power. No plumbing leaks. The modified sine wave (square wave) inverter works and charges the battery with 80 amps when on shore power or the generator. The four golf cart house batteries seem to be in reasonable condition though the two AGM chassis batteries seem to be a little weak. Something is still flaky with the right turn signal. I need to apply pressure on the lever to get it to blink. The four way flasher works fine so the problem is with the lever on the steering column.

The fuel mileage is a bit worse than I expected. While towing the Prius, it’s been averaging 7.2mpg. On the initial cross country trip, it averaged about 8.5mpg. Would we do it again? Probably though I really should have contacted a inspector before putting down a deposit. I hate dealers but I don’t trust private party sales either.