Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #25 – July 29, 2021, 10:05:22 pm No offense, but Lazy Daze is not a “mass produced” Class C. Nor is it quite “custom”. They are a “special order, one off Coach”.You contact the manufacturer, choose the coach specifics (floor plan and the offered plans length, coach color [limited choices] interior wood color [ maple or cherry], fabrics [also limited]. The brochure offers the limited choices. A fun filled project in its own right. You pay your deposit and sit back and wait. There is no assembly line. They do not mass produce their top quality coaches.Each unit is “hand crafted” and besides you ability to make the most basic of choices, they will not tweak their rigs to suit your whims. This is as “special order” as it gets, and that’s ok.Your RV choices (as you’ve indicated) are solid ones but LD is not custom. They are slow, methodical craftspeople. Making one dream machine at a time paying very close attention to create “the finest” Class C Motorhome available. I don’t know this for a fact, but I don’t think they manufacture more than 150 units in a year. Certainly not a mass produced RV. As far as your list goes, I place Lazy Daze at the Top of your short list.Just my opinion.KentProud owner of a 2015 27’ RB. 5 Likes
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #26 – July 29, 2021, 10:52:24 pm Quote from: Kent Heckethorn - July 29, 2021, 10:05:22 pmNo offense, but Lazy Daze is not a “mass produced” Class C. Nor is it quite “custom”. They are a “special order, one off Coach”.You contact the manufacturer, choose the coach specifics (floor plan and the offered plans length, coach color [limited choices] interior wood color [ maple or cherry], fabrics [also limited]. The brochure offers the limited choices. A fun filled project in its own right. You pay your deposit and sit back and wait. There is no assembly line. They do not mass produce their top quality coaches.Each unit is “hand crafted” and besides you ability to make the most basic of choices, they will not tweak their rigs to suit your whims. This is as “special order” as it gets, and that’s ok.Your RV choices (as you’ve indicated) are solid ones but LD is not custom. They are slow, methodical craftspeople. Making one dream machine at a time paying very close attention to create “the finest” Class C Motorhome available. I don’t know this for a fact, but I don’t think they manufacture more than 150 units in a year. Certainly not a mass produced RV. As far as your list goes, I place Lazy Daze at the Top of your short list.Just my opinion.KentProud owner of a 2015 27’ RB.Kent,I believe everyone on the Lazy Daze Owners group would place the LD on the top. My question is who is second (or the first looser)?
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #27 – July 30, 2021, 01:22:19 am No offense, but Lazy Daze is not a “mass produced” Class C. Nor is it quite “custom”. My bad The term mass produced should be reserved for models that ship 500-1000 a year. Not 30-100 a year. Can vouch for Born Free-Coach House-Phoenix Cruiser-Leisure Travel as being special order as well as LD at some point over the last 20 years. The list was just meant to show case other well made RV's.
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #28 – July 30, 2021, 04:06:56 am Well... Nexus looked promising for a time. A person here sold his LD, (was it D. Baker?) and actually bought an early Nexus. He left us a very long narrative, that I read completely. He ended up selling it after a year or so. I think his experience was overall disappointing. That was many years ago, and they seem to be a going concern now. On this thread, I wandered into an ad on Youtube for one. The sales person was very impressed with the font of the name, the colors, and other 'fluff'. He did state that it was a prototype, and that some things were going to move around. This is a different Utube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKnSX5gx3eY On an international chassis, and diesel Duramax with 4x4 the Rebel might appeal to Jota. There also was another youtube making a comparison with a 4x4 made by Thor. The funny part was where the salesman noted that the wheelbase was shorter for the Thor, but the coach was longer. He tried to make that look like a good thing. He would have been better off not mentioning that. RonB 1 Likes
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #29 – July 30, 2021, 11:08:28 am Quote from: hutch42 - July 29, 2021, 02:18:37 pmAlthough we are RVless and boatless the last few years we did keep a list of what we considered to be (in our opinion) the top Class C mass produced (not custom) RV's over the last 20 years. In no particular order........BORN FREECHINOOKCOACH HOUSELAZY DAZELEISURE TRAVEL VANSPHOENIX CRUISERTRIPLE EThank you for sharing the list. Born Free went out of business, so I would probably remove them from the list. Does anyone have recommendations or reasoning for second place (LD would be #1)?
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #30 – July 30, 2021, 12:48:35 pm If it was me and in need of an SOB I’d be doing research and going to see each one in person to determine which on best suits my needs and wants. Only LD comes close to perfect and yet they are not. 🚐 Happy hunting
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #31 – July 30, 2021, 01:37:04 pm Ron,Cyndy and I looked at the Dynamax FRED super C a few weeks before we bought our LD in 2016.They claim it has a 10,000 tow capacity, but the yellow OCCC tag in the door was barely 1000lb. I explained to the salesman that If I towed my 10,000 boat, the tongue weight alone (10% x 10,000lb = 1000lb tongue load) would put the coach over it's GVWR. No room in that number for tools, food, Cyndy, me, or the dog. Amazingly, the salesman told us that the yellow OCCC tag in the door was a typo. He even kept a straight face.We left and did not look back. Now that the company is owned by Forest River, I suspect things have not improved.Our Lazy Daze isn't perfect, but it is good.Harold 1 Likes
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #32 – July 30, 2021, 01:45:30 pm The brand list offered by the OP is a starting point, but, for current model availability, Born Free is defunct, the Chinook now being made in Peru, IN, is not the same as the Chinook that was produced in Yakima, WA, and Triple E now produces only Leisure Travel vans. Compact Luxury - Innovative Class C Motorhomes - Leisure Travel VansThere is no "perfect" RV of any type, class C or other. All have "warts" of one type or another; many are poorly designed, engineered, and constructed, overweight, with shoddy materials, sloppy workmanship, and little or no quality control, some are overpriced (even in the current market), some rely on "shiny stuff" and various bells and whistles instead of build quality to appeal to buyers who have not done the homework, and some have extended "order and wait" times and/or other long-term availability issues. Some manufacturers offer no post-purchase support, and/or have dealer networks that are equally lax in customer service. Picking one's way through the minefield (class C or B+, as the "list" also contains that category in this case) requires time, research, and study, i.e., a lot of frog kissing to find the prince or princess! The process can be a real slog, but not doing all the homework, including assessing one's own needs, wants, and personal situation realistically before even starting the search, may well lead to a very disappointing and expensive experience.As said, no RV is perfect; one just has to decide the levels of "imperfection" one is willing to deal with.YMMV, as always. 4 Likes
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #33 – July 30, 2021, 02:00:14 pm Quote from: Wingersky - July 30, 2021, 11:08:28 amThank you for sharing the list. Born Free went out of business, so I would probably remove them from the list. Does anyone have recommendations or reasoning for second place (LD would be #1)?I left Born Free, Chinook, and Triple E on the list as they still come up used and highly sought after.Good luck.
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #34 – July 30, 2021, 02:25:49 pm Quote from: Joan - July 30, 2021, 01:45:30 pmThe brand list offered by the OP is a starting point, but, for current model availability, Born Free is defunct, the Chinook now being made in Peru, IN, is not the same as the Chinook that was produced in Yakima, WA, and Triple E now produces only Leisure Travel vans. Compact Luxury - Innovative Class C Motorhomes - Leisure Travel VansThere is no "perfect" RV of any type, class C or other. All have "warts" of one type or another; many are poorly designed, engineered, and constructed, overweight, with shoddy materials, sloppy workmanship, and little or no quality control, some are overpriced (even in the current market), some rely on "shiny stuff" and various bells and whistles instead of build quality to appeal to buyers who have not done the homework, and some have extended "order and wait" times and/or other long-term availability issues. Some manufacturers offer no post-purchase support, and/or have dealer networks that are equally lax in customer service. Picking one's way through the minefield (class C or B+, as the "list" also contains that category in this case) requires time, research, and study, i.e., a lot of frog kissing to find the prince or princess! The process can be a real slog, but not doing all the homework, including assessing one's own needs, wants, and personal situation realistically before even starting the search, may well lead to a very disappointing and expensive experience.As said, no RV is perfect; one just has to decide the levels of "imperfection" one is willing to deal with.YMMV, as always. You are so right! We started rving in 1968 and things have evolved tremendously. The early model class A's "coach" portion was always well outfitted. Everything was true residential with usually fine craftsmanship. On the other hand the chassis were a hodge podge of different parts and manf. and could be rolling accidents waiting to happen.Today it seems just the opposite the chassis and drive trains have been improved and specialty built for the industry...practically bullet proof. The house portion tend to be very poor quality, just thrown together quickly with Luan and staples........Except LD and a very few others.
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #35 – July 30, 2021, 08:45:01 pm Thank you everyone for the input. Unfortunately, things change over time. People retire and companies are sold. For example, Newmar was purchased by Winnebago, and Tiffin was purchased by Thor. LD is my number one choice but some day it will be sold. Hopefully I will have a new one before that happens, but I always want a back up plan (if things don't work out). 3 Likes
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #36 – July 30, 2021, 09:13:01 pm Quote from: Joan - July 30, 2021, 01:45:30 pmAs said, no RV is perfect; one just has to decide the levels of "imperfection" one is willing to deal with.Oh Joan ... not totally correct. Our 2009 Katie Belle is perfect. In fact, just today we were finishing up a couple of small projects and we felt a great sense of pride and satisfaction in our Rig. We've never had any DEF problems, our no-slides RV have never failed , she rolls down the highway without any cabinets falling off the wall, and she's often the prettiest Blue & White Lady in the campground. Yeah ... she's perfect. 15 Likes
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #37 – August 01, 2021, 06:53:05 pm Quote from: Wingersky - July 30, 2021, 11:08:28 amThank you for sharing the list. Born Free went out of business, so I would probably remove them from the list. Does anyone have recommendations or reasoning for second place (LD would be #1)?After doing a little more research, I have decided to place the Coach House Platinum (Ford F450, no slides) as my #2 choice. Any thoughts?
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #38 – August 02, 2021, 12:01:18 am I was investigating alternatives to Lazy Daze a while back as well and did some research on the Coach House brand I liked that they are a family-owned business that appears to make quality units. What turned me off on them was their price and, strictly looking at their photos, seemingly claustrophobic interiors and lack of large windows. Not a big fan of fiberglass bodies, either. I haven’t seen one in person though so you want to tour a few models before deciding.
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #39 – August 02, 2021, 12:36:29 am Quote from: Wingersky - August 01, 2021, 06:53:05 pmI have decided to place the Coach House Platinum (Ford F450, no slides) as my #2 choice. Any thoughts?That’s my fall back as well, would be very very sad to not get a LD after waiting almost 20 years.
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #40 – August 02, 2021, 11:40:52 am Quote from: HiLola - August 02, 2021, 12:01:18 amI was investigating alternatives to Lazy Daze a while back as well and did some research on the Coach House brand I liked that they are a family-owned business that appears to make quality units. What turned me off on them was their price and, strictly looking at their photos, seemingly claustrophobic interiors and lack of large windows. Not a big fan of fiberglass bodies, either. I haven’t seen one in person though so you want to tour a few models before deciding.Thank you for your input. Fiberglass has come a long way. For example, electricians can only use fiberglass ladders, and most are in better shape than aluminum ladders of the same age. I would definitely need to tour one in person, because just looking at photos can be deceiving. I agree in the lack of windows,
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #41 – August 02, 2021, 11:55:30 am Quote from: Wingersky - August 02, 2021, 11:40:52 amFiberglass has come a long way. For example, electricians can only use fiberglass ladders, and most are in better shape than aluminum ladders of the same age. Fiberglass ladders are insulated but in return, they are very heavy and always have been, so are many RVs made from fiberglass.A carbon graphite shell or one of the other 'miracle fibers would be lighter and stronger, they will be available someday. I have a high-quality, 28' fiberglass extension ladder that I can hardly pick up any more, it is very stable and heavy, and nearly unusable.Larry
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #42 – August 02, 2021, 12:20:41 pm Why would you want to be up on a 28 foot extension ladder? My 24 foot extension ladder gets less use every year.We don't bounce as well as we once did. Hire some young stallion and put him up on the ladder and give directions from the ground. Harold 1 Likes
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #43 – August 02, 2021, 01:50:25 pm Quote from: Blueox25 - August 02, 2021, 12:20:41 pmWhy would you want to be up on a 28 foot extension ladder? We own a two-story house. Nothing shorter will reach the peaks of the roof.Larry
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #44 – August 02, 2021, 04:05:21 pm Well, I hope the LD Deliver comes first......
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #45 – September 01, 2021, 03:48:18 pm Do (and would) any members have opinions on the Coach House Platinum 220 TB model (as a Plan B manufacture)? If so, thank you for sharing!
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #46 – September 01, 2021, 04:30:36 pm Quote from: Wingersky - September 01, 2021, 03:48:18 pmDo (and would) any members have opinions on the Coach House Platinum 220 TB model (as a Plan B manufacture)? If so, thank you for sharing!I wasn’t able to find the 220 TB, have a link?And a list of the weights, how much CCC does it have? Fiberglass is strong but heavy.Wonder if a carbon fiber shell is planned for any manufacturers future product, a lighter, stronger material would be a bonus .Larry
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #47 – September 01, 2021, 05:14:50 pm Larry, I think this is the link:Platinum 220 - Coach House | Luxury Class B-Plus Motorhomes
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #48 – September 01, 2021, 05:35:46 pm Quote from: Joan - September 01, 2021, 05:14:50 pmLarry, I think this is the link:Platinum 220 - Coach House | Luxury Class B-Plus MotorhomesNot one weight specification but lots of beautiful photos.I have never had a chance to look at any Coach House RVs, they are not common. I like the concept of a one piece shell, it’s the weight of fiberglass that concerns me knowing how heavy fiberglass boats can be.Larry
Re: Hypothetical Question Reply #49 – September 01, 2021, 06:10:57 pm Since it is close to where we live near Tampa, I toured the Coach House factory years ago and was impressed with the owners desire to build a quality coach. They do use high end components and put a lot of care into many details as does Lazy Daze. The only drawback is the price of their coaches.
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