Cruisers Forum
Main Forum => General Discussion => Topic started by: TomHanlon on March 07, 2018, 06:57:10 am
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After nearly eight years being part of the Phoenix family we are moving on to other adventures. Due to my health and getting up there in age, we have down sized into a class D camper van. We hope to do more touring rather than camping. No more hooking up and unhooking the Jeep and towing it. We want to just be able to get in a go, stopping anywhere we feel like it, parking in a car size parking space. My legs are starting to give out, making it hard to walk any distance. Soon the handicap spots will be calling me. It can be hard to have a mind that thinks you are still a young man and a body that says other wise. Unfortunately nothing that Phoenix makes fixes into a handicap space.
We traded our 2552 in at Beckley’s camping center in Thurmont, Maryland. It is listed under class C. Complete with pictures.
https://www.beckleysrvs.com/product/used-2012-phoenix-usa-cruiser-m-2552-845955-16
If you call, ask for Tyler, he is straightforward and doesn’t BS you.
I will say it is with sweet sorrow that we are leaving the family and I hope to keep checking in when I can. I wish all of you as many happy miles in your PC as we had. :'( >:(
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Best wishes to your new travel direction, Tom. Thanks for your words of wisdom on this forum. Happy trails. :)(:
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Good to hear you will still have wheels and be traveling some, Tom. Wishing you the best of luck and much enjoyment with your more nimble rig. Thanks for all your help on the forum. You will be very much missed.
Carol
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Tom and Jo Anne (and Charlie),
We understand that changes in our lives require us to move on to new RV's that meet our needs better. It is bittersweet.
We sure hope you hang out here so we can continue to benefit from your experience as a PC owner. We are SO GRATEFUL to you both for being the ones that introduced us to the PC. If we hadn't met you that day in Rapid City, we wouldn't be in the position we are in now.....awaiting the completion of our PC. tymote
We wish you the VERY best in your travels!
Susie and Gary
(and Cody and Sadie)
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Hi Tom,
Reading your story cut a little. I will miss your insight and contributions on this forum. I do understand your decision as I know other people with similar physical digressions with their joints and such. I hope your new rig will meet your current needs. Do you have the manufacture website of your new rig? I am curious what you decided to buy.
You indicated the change from campgrounds to motels which eliminates the need to sleep & shower in the rig. Such a change from one to the other is quite dramatic. I hope it works for you. I have to ask if you had considered a Phoenix 2100, and if so, why you decided against one. A 2100 would have kept the option to "camp" on the table when a motel is not around or just too shabby to consider. Maybe your new "B" does just that.
Ron Dittmer
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Tom, sorry to hear you are moving on. I'm sure you can still add some helpful comments to this site in the future.
Since our RV's are similar I was curious what the dealer is asking for yours.
I hate sites that make you call, they should post their price on the sale page.
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Tom, best wishes to you in your future travels and good luck with your new camper. I am getting up there in age too so I totally understand your move. I have been downsizing and went from a 3100 to a 2350 last October, came close to getting a Roadtrek but decided to try a smaller Phoenix. Same reasons, easier to drive and park, better access to to interesting places, and most importantly no towing, I really dislike towing anything. My brother has a 20’ Camper van, really likes it. I have a feeling you will like yours. I try to be thankful for what I have and can still do and try to forget about what I had or used to be able to do. If your lucky you get to grow old right? Summer is coming , enjoy your new rig and being out there.
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Barb and myself will be maybe shortly after you. We are looking at the new Intent Winnie as an option for our extended stay in a motorhome. Good health to you guys. Praying for you guys....
Denny and Barb
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Happy trails and best of luck to you.
https://youtu.be/8QAEmCuBnck
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Hey Tom, did you read that listing? Where did you hide that booth dinette they mention? I know Beckley's never saw a Phoenix before you rolled in but, seriously? They have the rig on their lot! Electric hot water (and gas). I know you don't care, but they'd get a lot more interest if they listed all the features - which they could get off the Phoenix website. Sheesh, sales people.
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I forgot to mention that changing rigs doesn't get you out of our lunch visits. You go ahead and get that handicapped space up front and get a table and we'll hoof it across the back 40 to join you.
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Tom, I suspect we are all curious what B you selected for your upcoming travels. I came to Phoenix Cruisers from the B World and have owned four of them over the years.
When we were researching PC, I followed your posts with interest and you were instrumental in our purchase of our 2350. As I recall we both pull a Trailhawk Cherokee behind our PCs.
Paul
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OK to explain what we got and why. Our criteria was 1) it must fit in a normal car size parking space. 2) it had to have twin beds as we both get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and did not want to wake the other one. 3) the bed had to be long enough for me to stretch out, all 72” of me. 4) I had to fit in the bathroom. 5) we wanted better fuel mileage. 6) my wife could drive it, she did not like driving the PC.
So we started. Looking at class B’s. My first choice was the Short Sprinter, of which I could only find Pleasure Ways, the twin bed is way to short and the Roadtrek SS Agile. This was my first choice because of all the driving safety stuff, no propane, no generator and could run the roof a/c on the batteries. The problem was the bed was very tight in length and when I sat on the toilet one should rubbed the wall and the other shoulder was in the hallway. This is not good for odor control. The full size PW and RT are 22’ 9” long, thus they were out. Service on the Mercedes Sprinter can be hard to find, takes a long time to get the work done and cost a lot, so I was told and read. My wife did not cost of these Motorhomes.
We looked at the PC 2100, which was to wide to fit in a parking space, and the Leasure Travel B+ but the same problem. Advanced RV makes a great class be but they cost three times what the others cost.
Next we looked at the Winnebago Travato 59K. It is 21’ long, has twin beds, a somewhat spacious rear bathroom and was half the cost of the Roadtrek I wanted. It is on the Ram 2500 which is a gas engine. The truck part is a working mans truck, no frills but the Winne part is pretty nice. My wife liked driving it. So now coming up on 50 years of marriage, can you guess what I picked?
Last Thursday I dewinterized it and got everything working so we could leave on a trip down to Florida to visit our snowbird friends in their winter roust. Then Friday the Nor-eastern blew thru Maryland knocking out our power. I first night staying in the new RV was in out driveway. Saturday evening the power came back on, so Sunday morning we headed down the road. Have been enjoying a nice trip. The only problem we have encountered was in Charleston, SC we could not find a parking space and I could not get it into the parking garage.
Holly, the dinette in the listing was one of my mods. You push a button on the dash and the sofa flips over and becomes a dinette. HaHa. I was also surprised to see that in the listing. Yes Lunches are still doable.
I hope this explains what we did and why.
Happy trails to all.
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Tom, that sure looks like nice unit! Very classy! The layout is so functional. Congrats to you and Jo Anne.
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I would have opted for that 59K floorplan too. It should have been offered from the start instead of the original 59G model. Maybe Kermit will get back to his Falcon roots and design something similar on a Ford Transit?
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I would have opted for that 59K floorplan too. It should have been offered from the start instead of the original 59G model. Maybe Kermit will get back to his Falcon roots and design something similar on a Ford Transit?
If he had I would have been in line for one, but to late now.
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After 50 years of marriage I would have done the same. It takes quite the lady to put up with us as is, but 50 years. She deserves her input. All the best in your new adventures but stay in touch, it’s not the brand of vehicle that made me enjoy your posts, it’s You!
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Tom,
That Winnebago Travato 59K is very interesting for a class B, the floor plan being quite practical. I love that front wheel drive Dodge chassis for the application. MSRP on it isn't up in the stratosphere for a class B either. Save travels in it!
For the curious, Tom bought one of THESE (https://winnebagoind.com/products/class-b/2019/travato/overview).
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Hi Tom!
I read your posts with a bit of sorrow, but happy that you found a suitable coach.
Mrs V and I just 'got on the entrance ramp' of this highway, and I hope we are in for a long happy trip. It is a comfort to see other's tire tracks on the road.
Should your travels bring you near Melbourne Fl, please feel free to PM me. we have a spacious driveway, and can supply water and power for you.
:)(:
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Hi Tom!
I read your posts with a bit of sorrow, but happy that you found a suitable coach.
Mrs V and I just 'got on the entrance ramp' of this highway, and I hope we are in for a long happy trip. It is a comfort to see other's tire tracks on the road.
Should your travels bring you near Melbourne Fl, please feel free to PM me. we have a spacious driveway, and can supply water and power for you.
:)(:
Thank you for the offer but we just went by you on Tuesday on our way to Sebring. It would of been nice meeting you. We are headed up the west coast to Tarpon Springs then over to Claremont to see some other friends.
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Tom... am sad to hear that your taking a different Y in the road. Barb and I are also. We just purchased the new Winnie Intent 26M (just 2 feet longer than our 2350, but has a walk-around-bed and more room. As we get up in age here we find it more and more difficult to work with the corner bed. Other PC options were too long a coach for our style. )
So we will also be leaving our great PC family, which is very sad. I/we have gotten so many hints from this forum.
Thanks all, for your real help and friendship.
Denny and Barb
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Tom... am sad to hear that your taking a different Y in the road. Barb and I are also. We just purchased the new Winnie Intent 26M (just 2 feet longer than our 2350, but has a walk-around-bed and more room. As we get up in age here we find it more and more difficult to work with the corner bed. Other PC options were too long a coach for our style. )
So we will also be leaving our great PC family, which is very sad. I/we have gotten so many hints from this forum.
Thanks all, for your real help and friendship.
Denny & Barb
Denny and Barb,
Well wishes to you as well in your new endeavor with your new Winnebago Intent 26M (https://winnebagoind.com/products/class-a-gas/2018/intent/floorplans).
BTW, I "love" your signature so very much.
Ron Dittmer
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Thanks Ron; Thanks all. Sure appreciated all of the inputs and hints we have received here.
Denny and Barb
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Denny and Barb... I really like the intent, a very nice rig......Very nice, Congrats!
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Interesting that the floor plan of the Intent is not all that different in the floor plan and also the length of the PC-2700 of yester-year. The 2700 was 3 inches longer at 27'-1" over-all length, but it did have a much smaller queen bed at 54" x 74" in the slide-out.
Denny & Barb, make sure the Intent's dinette will work for you. The 64" dimension is concerning. If the leg room is really bad, maybe you could sacrifice either the slide out or the mini-pantry/TV space to spread the two benches much further apart, and also gain a much bigger table.
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Tom, no kidding on advanced rv class B being pricey. Used units go from 150,000 to 275,000 depending on model. I’m waiting to hear from them on buying an ac unit for my 2552. The ac units they import from Australia run at a minimum 10 decibels quieter than anything else sold here in the states
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yeah know of the pricing problem with Class C's. Problem being, was told, basic cutaway chassis is so expensive. Like $50k was quoted to me from a good source. 50k without any house built on them yet!
Class A's on the other hand, can do much better... My Winnie Intent is, with factory incentives because it is a new model for Winnie this year, is $74.9k. (meaning, probably next year around 89K). Heck of a good deal this year for sure.
Class A's seem to be usually lower dollar for comparable Class C.
Now the Air-Conditioner noise level. The Intent, is so quiet. It has central air. I was impressed.
Generator running noise, was noticeable. But one would have to wonder if it was a car next to you running or what. Again .... soundproofing?
New 6 spd tranny (7 with torque converter) and 30 valve V10 was a selling point. Extra HP make this unit quick off the line.
So that was my observations....
Denny and Barb
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.....was told, basic cutaway chassis is so expensive. Like $50k was quoted to me from a good source. 50k without any house built on them yet!
$50,000 for an E450 cut-away doesn't sound right to me. CLICK HERE (https://www.ford.com/commercial-trucks/e-series-cutaway/models/e450-cutaway-drw/) and you will see the E450 DRW starting at an MSRP of $33,415. Also consider the "Motor Home Prep Package" lacks seats, outside mirrors, rear wall, spare tire, finished dash board panels, and flooring. It does include a chrome grille & front bumper along with a few other low-cost pretties.
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Have to agree Ron.. 50k appears a bit high. I was given this figure by someone in the motorhome business. I won't say where. But saying this, it could have been just a sales pitch to get us Class C buyers to feel sorry for them and their high prices. Then of course, is this MSRP pricing, or what that he was talking about?
Last week, while at the RV dealer here, I was surprised at the number of Class C's (ford 450's) that had 110k and up, in big letters on their windshields. I thought, gosh that's high. Are these sale prices? (Actually, my frugal wife pointed that out to me 1st.) :)
One thing nice, and we're blessed, is that here in our good ol USA, we do have many options to choose from. Anyone needing a house which wheels on it, can probably find something that will fit his/her needs.
Denny and Barb
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Ron- after 11 years you might get a bad case of sticker shock! My rv storage place is located next to a Winnebago/Thor/Forest River dealership, so sometimes my wife and I go look at the new rv's just for fun. The veteran sales manager Mark’s own rig is a Lance camper with 300W solar on a 3/4 ton 4x4 pickup because he likes to go camping to get away from it all :)
We upsized to a 2350 from a smaller rig (Rialta) too. While researching Phoenix Cruiser I came across your old posts on other rv forums that were very informative and helpful towards making the decision to get a 2350 and do the Hellwig rear swaybar and front end alignment right way. I searched for months to find a used 2350 for sale in California. Bob, the previous owner, had Parkinson’s disease and was really sad to have to let it go.
The only rig that would make me give up my PC2350 would be this one: http://www.blueovaltrucks.com/2000-2004-ford-chinook-baja-4x4-rv/
My toad is an Uber !!
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Cal Cruiser if you are serious about a baja there have been several for sale this last year. I think there is one still out there. My buddy missed one, I considered it also, the only thing I didn't like was the rear entrance.
Doug