Why we all love our Phoenix Cruisers

I went to the Oklahoma City Fall RV Show yesterday.  This is trailer country, big fifth wheels being the main event at the show.  Still, quite a few Class Cs were there from several manufacturers.  Some of the Cs were so poorly built I suspect a thousand mile trip would require a full set of skills and tools for repair.   I mean CHEAPLY BUILT, obviously thrown together.  I won't name manufacturers, but they included some of the leading brands.  "B+" Cs were in supply and I checked them out carefully.  The floor plans and layout on a few were pretty interesting and attractive.  Virtually all Class Cs are on a Ford or MB chassis, with a few Chevrolets every once in a while.   So I am not commenting on the platforms, just the coaches themselves.  

The problem:  the construction.  I looked behind cabinets, pulled out drawers and inspected reinforcement of floors on the coaches and in the cabinets.  I looked at trim, quality of components and I got down on the floor and looked those babies over carefully.  On one small C I opened an outside door and admired the storage area, carefully closed the door and it fell half off!  I just walked away shaking my head.

I have done all the coach repairs and additions on my motor homes for thirty years and only took one to a dealer one time.  I do not service or repair the chassis stuff myself unless it is pretty minor.  That being said, I have more than a passing knowledge of construction and possible sources of problems on Class C and Class B rigs.  

Compared to our PCs, no other brand I saw passed muster.  There were no Carriage House or Born Free products but they are like Phoenix....mostly available straight from the manufacturer.  

I researched Class Cs for two years on line and in person before we decided on our PC.  Boy, did we make the right decision.  

Thanks, Phoenix Cruiser!!   Thanks for the design and the general quality of your products.  

Paul

Thank you Paul for the great report on the RV show.  We agree with your assessment of the Phoenix Cruiser's quality.
--Bruce and Sharon

Paul,

We agree with you.   For the past 7 years we have attended the RV Super Show in Tampa.  We never seriously considered a C because of the comments you made regarding most of them.  Two years ago we happened to check out the PC models and were impressed with the quality.   Fortunately they even had a floor plan, the 2100, that suited our needs and travel style.

Back in 2006/2007 when we were researching a new motor home, quality was not my focus.  Most critical was that it fit in our garage with a double main floor bed and a decent dinette.  I saw my first PC in the Stevenson Convention Center in Rosemont, IL in Early 2007 (it was a 2007 2350 with a slide out) and was sold on it solely because it could meet my size and feature requirements if I special order one with a no-slide dinette.  It wasn't until after we had ours home that I realized how well the rig was made.  It came in part reading RV forums, other RV owners talking about their other brands.  So many new motor home owners were complaining about very poor workmanship and materials.  I kept reading those posts saying to myself (and to others looking to buy a rig) "That's not my story".  

One of the bad stories that stood out to me, one household bought a brand new 2008 Forest River B+.  They get the rig home and open one of the upper kitchen cabinets.  To their surprise, there was sunlight beaming into the cabinet from the outside where the wall met the ceiling.  The warranty resolution was adding more caulk outside where the wall met the roof.......really?  

There were quality complaints of all kinds, and then there were (and still are) long term effects of poor workmanship and poor construction methods.  Reading so much about water leaks and such, and why so, then studying our own rig.....it has been 8.5 years to-date of a constant reminder that PCs stand out as a top choice.

After the Great Recession of 2009, many of those poor rated companies were either closed up or bought up.  And then a few new companies sprung up since.  PCs are still at the higher end for the wall & roof sectional construction process used, Not just good methods & materials, but I think in part because our roofs are lower, our widths are smaller, and our compartmented rear wall is stronger than others, resulting in a more solid structure.  A small box made of the same material as a big box will naturally be a stronger box.  With that said, the 2100 is naturally the most solid of PC's.  Then add things like the well made entry door with jamb, the B+ cap & transition wall attachment methods, and the PC jumps ahead of the pack even further.  There is so much more than I just mentioned, but it starts with a solid house.  If that isn't right, the rest won't matter for very long.

Been a Win-Win story with us, Barbara and I, also.   We came from a "Wimpy VW Rialta" that was sufficient, until we started doing REAL mountain climbing.  The Rialta VW  was "WAS" ok, but the transmission did not do well, with a "home" behind it. Getting service on a VW Motorhome is almost impossible here in the states. Therefore we didn't want another "foreign" drive train. We chose the Ford, (where service is almost everywhere, as we travel in remote area's), and PC for their quality. Does this make sense to anyone? It does to us...  Thanks for reading.

Denny and Barb

Denny and Barb wrote:

We chose the Ford, (where service is almost everywhere, as we travel in remote area's), and PC for their quality. Does this make sense to anyone? It does to us...  Thanks for reading.


Ditto! 

We have, for example, an authorized service center for MB Sprinters that services motor homes about thirty minutes from our home.  Heading west from Oklahoma City, the next nearest warranty repair is in Albuquerque. That is 575 miles.  Heading north from Albuquerque, next stop for warranty is Denver....almost 500 miles.   We go to remote places and in the West it is a far distance between service centers. No service center (last time I looked) in the entire state of Kansas, for example.

I am sure this will change over time as MB is in the process of expanding dealer networks.   In the meantime, there is somebody in every county seat and most smaller towns in America that can work on a Ford or Chevy.   We would have loved to have had a MB chassis, but that service was a concern.   Incidentally, I called the local MB folks (fifteen minutes away) and they declined to service Sprinter motor homes.  I called a few more around here and they all declined.  Cars only.   Now, if we lived and mostly traveled on either coast, I would probably have one because service centers are acceptable distances from most locations.   

So, my wife and I concur with your concerns.   This is certainly no knock on Sprinters because I think they are cool as can be and I would love to own one.   Except.......

Paul

Our first Moho was a 1995 Rialta which I put 88k miles on, including a trip to Alaska with a return on the Stewart-Cassier highway.  Owned an '04 and an '05 rialta after that with another 100+K. Never had a problem with service - stayed away from dealers because they were expensive, often refused to work on it, and often misdiagnosed the problems. Used mom and pop type places. Yes, I was the last person to reach the top of the mountain, but I didn't care. Loved that vehicle until parts became obsolete.

Now - the PC. IT is such a joy to be right up there climbing mountains  - I even pass trucks!  I am in heaven and totally happy with it. No, I don't miss my old Rialta.  Yes, we got the Ford motor just for the zillions of places and abundance of knowledge about it. I doubt these parts will ever go obsolete. I am just too happy with it.   Well, I do miss the 17 mpg at the gas pump. However, the creature comforts more than make up for it.

Janey. (Smiling smugly)