PC 2552 Pros And Cons

My wife and I are ready to trade our 2016 PC 2400 E350 on a new 2552 E450. We like the 2400 but would like the fixed beds and more storage of the 2552. Any comments thoughts or suggestions you may have would be greatly appreciated .

A couple questions we have are:

1. Is the Liquid spring option worth the extra money? How is the ride with and without it? My 2400 handles well but rides very roughly in the rear area.

2. I see that the Liffco slide that my 2400 uses has been replaced by a Lippert system and I now see that the Lippert system has been up graded with "stronger motor and better seals". What problems has the Lippert System had and are they fixed now?

3. Is there any negotiating room in the factory discount price or the trade in value?

4. Is a second AC  need?

5. Is the passenger and cargo carrying capacity adequate?

Thanks for any or all information!

We looked a long time and the 2552 fit the "smallest size we could pack everything we wanted into" specification.

I suspect the biggest change for you would be parking the somewhat larger rig.  Not an issue but perhaps a little different planning on where to park.

1) No idea on the springs.  I have no issue with the ride.  Others have often posted that it is the smaller rigs that have ride issues.  I do have a saf-t-plus on mine and got it aligned at a good shop AFTER everything was on board.  Huge improvement, but whether that was the alignment or the saf-t-plus I'm not sure.  Maybe both.
2) They had some initial issues with their implementation of the Lippert slide.  The seals they used were not adequate and the forward downspout actually channeled water into the inside.  These issues were fixed in subsequent rigs.  I had mine back to factory this summer for seal replacement and some other work.  I'm now completely satisfied with the slide mechanism.
3) When I bought mine I was told "the price is the price" but that was under the old sales team and I had no trade.  So doesn't hurt to ask.  But I doubt they will budge on the price, maybe on the trade.
4) Not for us but we don't do really hot areas anyway.
5) That is going to be subjective.  Totally adequate for us but everyone is different.  We always hope for just a little more space but then the rig gets bigger.  2552 is a good compromise.

We don't have a 2552, but when we first saw a PC in Rapid City it was a 2552 and the owners said they wished they had a second A/C because it was 100 degrees and one could not keep up.  At a minimum, I would upgrade the A/C to 15,000 BTU.
As for Liquid Springs​, you should call the factory because they may have them on one of their RV's that they take to the shows.
Gary

Ashby,
Since I am currently in the purchase process for a 2552, and have no prior experience with the PC units, I don't have much to offer based on personal experience.

I can say that after extensive review of the forum, assessment of the ride and handling from many owners seem to be overwhelmingly positive--especially on the 2552.  Liquid springs are certainly catching on to some extent, since during my early August visit to the factory I saw several liquid spring chassis in the dozen or so units they had in production.  Given the expense of the option, and the consistently good review of the performance of the standard suspension however, I did not elect to include the liquid springs on my order.  Obviously the best evaluation would come from a test drive and your personal opinion.

I personally did not hesitate to option the 50-amp service with the second A/C (along with the insulated windows).  Not only that, I spec'd both A/C units at 15000 BTUs.  In southeast Oklahoma, we've just come out of a summer with quite a few days hitting 105 degrees with 112+ heat index.  Found similar conditions in quick trips down into Texas, along the Gulf, and over in Arkansas.  Those kind of conditions will absorb just about all the A/C you can throw at it to stay comfortable.  Obviously I will travel in many areas where I won't need that capability, and I can certainly drop to one unit (or none) when not needed.  I've been in circumstances with inadequate A/C, and things can get pretty miserable.  I think you should consider your climate, and that of areas in which you expect to travel predominately in making your decision.

During my visit, I had a very frank discussion with Phoenix regarding pricing.  The recent 15% price increase coupled with the discount reduction from MSRP from about 26% previously to the current 20%, really bumped the out-the-door price.  Even so, my experience matched jatrax's, in that they are adamant that "the price is the price".  I think they are sensitive to the fact that their pricing changes are a hurdle to some new customers, but they can't really back off of them now, and as they explained to me, if they ever start negotiating price with one customer it would be unfair to all the others and there would be no stopping point from then on.  That being said, I believe they look for ways to mitigate the sting a little if they can--there may be an opportunity to provide some other consideration besides adjusting the price of the unit.  Since you have a trade, that may provide a ready opportunity for that consideration to take place, but your purchase price of the new unit will likely be the advertised price after discount.

Hope that you're able to put together an ideal unit, and that the 2552 becomes your next Phoenix Cruiser!

 

Another thought or two on the second A/C unit.

If you have two units and one breaks you still have one unit.  Also, you can run the rear unit when you are up front and the front unit when you are in the rear.  Greatly reduces the noise in the area you are in.  Especially nice for sleeping.

Regarding the 50amp service.  I strongly recommend it regardless of having the second A/C unit. 
1) Many parks will have 50amp / 30 amp service but the 30amp receptacles get most of the work and are often a but worn.  Most 50amp I've seen were in good shape
2) The 50 amp service increases the power available on the first leg from 3,600 watts to 6,000 watts.  That means running the microwave and A/C at the same time are no problem.  And you still have the second leg of 6,000 watts available.  Going from 30 amp to 50 amp increases total available power from 3,600 to 12,000 watts
3) On my rig the electric hot water is on the second leg so I have no issues running it when hooked up.  With 30 amp you often have to choose what is going to run.

Get the second ac unit or at least a 15000 if only getting one.

We were in Calgary a few weeks ago and it hit 103 and in Minot North Dakota prior and it hit 105 so the I won’t go to hot areas isn’t a given.