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General Discussion / Re: Possible Re Joining

« on: Today at 07:02:31 pm »

No one size fits all is an old true saying. We recently sold a very nice Roadtrek 210 that I really liked for several reasons but found it a bit too small for staying put in a campground for a few days. We bought a Phoenix Cruiser 2552 in October but have yet to take a trip, however we are not concerned because we owned a 3100 Phoenix about 10 years ago and it was great. The 2552 is the same basic layout except about 3’ shorter. We started downsizing and in retrospect probably should have stayed with the 3100 and saved a lot of $$. During the downsizing we also owned a Phoenix 2350 on the Sprinter chassis for one year, nice rig well built and drove good, but the corner bed didn’t work for us. I would advise you to do some reasearch on the Sprinter’s from the 2011 thru 2016 era so you are aware of the potential for DEF , ABS sensors, service availability and $$$,and other less common issues. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t buy one, they are a great highway vehicle, but there are things that you should be aware of before you take the plunge. I have a lot of respect for Phoenix Cruisers and Coachhouse, they are two of the best built rvs. Good luck in your search.

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General Discussion / Re: PC news from Tampa

« on: January 17, 2019, 10:57:47 pm »

Adding a middleman probably will not reduce costs or improve communication between the buyer and the factory. I think it will increase sales volume for Phoenix but it may lead to less of a customization capability. I don’t know anything about the Campers Inn organization but I do know that most of the high volume rv dealerships I have been in are loaded with sales people and repair technitions who”don’t have a clue” about the products they are selling and repairing. Phoenix Cruiser has been successful with their past business model, they were not like all the other manufacturers that concentrated on volume at the expense of quality. Phoenix quality has enabled premium pricing, hopefully that won’t change. In general, the rv manufacturers should be ashamed of the low quality, problem ridden products they produce. Many a dream has been destroyed, vacations ruined, because of a lack of quality control or caring about their customers, it is very sad. All that being said, I have enjoyed the 2 Phoenix Cruisers that I have owned, they are well built, let’s hope it continues.

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General Discussion / Re: RV Garage Home

« on: January 17, 2019, 09:25:09 pm »

Where you want to live is probably the most important factor that you need to decide, after that the rv storage issue can be addressed and there are many options including offsite storage, although having your rv on your property is great. Maybe you could use your new Phoenix to visit different areas to decide where you want to live, you could take your time to insure you get to know the area you are planning to move to.

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General Discussion / Re: Build weight

« on: December 31, 2018, 05:03:35 pm »

Hi catsaplenty,

I am not sure if you read my recent post on higher rated tires for the heaviest of PCs.  CLICK HERE to read through it.

If I owned an extra heavy PC 2910 or 3100 with 2 or 3 slide-outs, I would immediately replace the tires with those that are rated 500 pounds more.  That increases your tire load carrying capability by 2000 pounds in back, and 1000 pounds in front.  People have experienced tire blow-outs with their extra heavy 2910 and 3100 PCs.  Not just the loss of the tire, but the explosion shreds the tire having rubber & steel belts slashing around doing serious damage to the PC including the plywood floor.  The damage is extensive.

Your real world application over-weight condition also exceeds the weight of the E450 frame, but your tires are most vulnerable.  The chassis seems to be more forgiving in that regard since I never heard an E450 frame bending or folding or excessive flexing doing damage to the house itself.  I also heard the E450's rear axle itself can handle a lot more than Ford rates it for.  Apparently Ford built in extra margin into the E450 frame and suspension.

Ron, you make a very valid point, clearly understood. The higher rated tire will be safer and may make the difference in avoiding a blowout which is the most common problem.

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General Discussion / Re: Build weight

« on: December 28, 2018, 05:43:41 pm »

I sold my 3100 a year ago so don’t have any records to refer to but I did get it weighed on both axels but not each corner. The front was slightly below the 5000 pound limit and the rear was at the maximum of 9500 pounds, in fact it may have been 50 pounds over the maximum. I just recall that I was at the limit but not over to the extent that I would worry. I was fully loaded for travel, full tank of gas, 1/3 tank of water, 3/4 tank of propane, empty black and gray tanks, cargo trailer attached with 350 pounds of tongue weight, it had leveling jacks, 2 ac units with 50 amp service. I used the rear outside storage compartments for anything lightweight and bulky that would fit, the mid compartments held the power cords, bottled water, tools and heavy items. Inside the coach all front compartments were used for heavy items, books, canned goods, water bottles, soda,etc. Take your time, plan and repack if necessary. We miss our 3100, great floor plan, comfortable, reliable and drove great.

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General Discussion / Re: Connect ting City Water to Holding Tank

« on: December 26, 2018, 05:40:13 pm »

I think lifting the mattress to access a valve would be more of a hassle than simply attaching a hose to the outside filler. Your system is the same as I had on my 2010 pc , simple and problem free, I would prefer it to the 4 way valve on my 2014 pc. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

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General Discussion / Re: Replace just one tire?

« on: December 19, 2018, 06:51:43 pm »

Rubber deteriates with age, it may look ok when in fact it is not. I have a tandem axle car hauler that I bought new in 2007 used it infrequently and stored it indoors most of the time. Last summer  2 of the 4 tires blew out while it was parked and hadn’t been moved for a year. The blow outs ocurred about 6 weeks apart. I put 4 new tires on it even though I intend to sell it. I didn’t want to put some unsuspecting buyer in danger. A local tire shop here won’t repair, mount, or sell a used tire over 5 years old, the owner told me the liability is too great.

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General Discussion / Re: 2020 Ford E450 cutaway

« on: December 19, 2018, 06:23:46 pm »

The world and technology is changing at such a fast rate that I don’t think most of us can comprehend it. How many of us saw the capability of modern computers coming, or the change in communication systems, the internet, medical marvels. Driverless vehicles are coming and they will be electric or at least hybrid, the only question is when. It may happen faster than we think it will. Maybe virtual rving is next, sure hope not, it’s not what I want but the next generation may think it’s great! Who knows......????

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General Discussion / Re: Replace just one tire?

« on: December 17, 2018, 08:15:13 pm »

I would replace them all. There is a lot riding on that decision😉.  Peace of mind has some value also.

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General Discussion / Re: New 2019 Sprinter Is More Capable, But At A Price

« on: December 16, 2018, 01:00:50 pm »

I bought my Sprinter 2350 used, got a good deal and saved a lot of $$$. It drives and handles great(Helwig sway bar and Sumi Springs in the rear). I like it better than the E450 units that I have owned, that being said, would I pay $14000 more to get the Sprinter? No.

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General Discussion / Re: Towing Capacity?

« on: December 14, 2018, 10:47:26 pm »

My 3100 was 5000 pounds, I would expect the 2910 to be the same.

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General Discussion / Re: Jacks up or down?

« on: December 14, 2018, 10:43:34 pm »

Over the years I have owned 6 motorhomes with hwh jacks, always stored with jacks up, only lubricated the pivot points, never touched the hydraulic rams, never had any problems.

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General Discussion / Re: K&N performance air intake

« on: December 03, 2018, 08:08:53 pm »

When I bought my 2014 Sprinter 2350 used last year it came with a K&N air filter which was rather dirty. After doing some research I found that some owners advised against the K&N stating that applying too much of the special oil to the filter after washing it can cause the Mercedes Blutek engine to throw a “check engine” code. I replaced the filter with a OEM Mann filter and actually noticed a slight improvement in mpg. However, I must add that at the same time I  had the exhaust extension on the tailpipe that was added at the time the motorhome conversion removed and replaced by one that fit over the original pipe instead of inside of it. Although a minor change it did remove some restriction that had been added to the exhaust.

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General Discussion / Re: PC 3100 Slide Out Problems

« on: November 24, 2018, 06:21:21 pm »

The Lippert system is problematic and has been reported widely across most manufacturers using their drive mechanisms. Checkout complaints on IRV2 forums. I doubt your slide is out of square, most likely it is the Lippert drive.

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Tips and Tricks / Re: A couple of easy enhancements

« on: October 23, 2018, 09:11:19 pm »

The shelf over the door is a great idea.