Looking to purchase an 2006 or a newer 2551

Why would the Dashboard matter ?

The current-day 2009-2016 dash board design offers a glove box (none in older), two levels of door pockets (one in older) two center console storage compartments (one in older) and the two 12V outlets are located in a better place, out of the way of the driver gear shift lever.....adding Barry-Sue input below...also has a 3rd 12V outlet inside the glove box for hidden charging.

Here are the two at a glance.  It matters more to some people than to others.  Some people actually appreciate the older design for it feels more like a car.  The newer design has more of a "commercial" look & feel to it, and it sits a little taller than the older design as noted looking at the windshield wipers.

I personally prefer function over feel, but my wife thinks the other way around.  I have a hard time changing our incandescent light bulbs in the house to LEDs because they don't dim to a soft yellow glow.  They instead dim to a white glow.  Sheesh!  Gotta love her.

2008 and older design


2009 and newer design

 Why would the Dashboard matter ?

We have experience with both dashes.  On our 2008 we had the older dash style and on our 2012 we have the newer dash style.  What we really like about the newer style is the design of the vents.  When they are closed you do not feel anything from them, in our 2008 we could never completely close them off.  We always felt air getting passed the closed vent.

There is much more storage on the newer style and the glove box is a nice added bonus. There is also a 12 volt outlet in the glove box in addition to the 2 outlets in the dash.


Corrected post to say 12 volt

Quote

 Why would the Dashboard matter ?

There is also a 12 volt outlet in the glove box in addition to the 2 outlets in the dash.

NICE!

Corrected to coincide with Barry-Sue's 12V correction

Ron,
YES - it is a 12 volt.  It is great for charging things when you want to hide them.

I have to said how impressed I 'am with information everyone has provided here . after reveiw  all the posts a newer PC has a lot of advantages . It looks to me like has years go up the price goes  up about $5000 per year . Of course the options and mileage  make a differents but you have to look it each unit and what it is worth to us. So for now we are looking it what is on the market and looking it asking prices and then looking to NADA for an idea of its real value . The range now is from a 2009 to 2012 for 2551 with a low milage 2012 5252 thrown in . The other factor is the distance of 500 miles to 2800 miles and the cost of getting it home to northern Mich . This may take a while to work this out .
Thank you for your help
Bill Seaman

Bill,

We are in lower Michigan with a 2012 2551.  If you are near the Ann Arbor area and want to see a 2551 we are more than willing to show you ours.

We do travel to Northern Michigan a lot in the summer.

Barry and Sue

Thank you for the offer we may take you up on it . I will let you know when we will be down state next.
Bill a Seaman

What we really like about the newer style is the design of the vents.  When they are closed you do not feel anything from them, in our 2008 we could never completely close them off.  We always felt air getting passed the closed vent.

My wife Irene can relate to this.  She complains I like it a little cooler than she does and cannot completely close the vents on her side.

Well i'am not sure what  to think of the 2010  2551 listed of crag list . How could a 2010 have the old dash board in it ? I send some time yesterday searching and all the pictures of 2009 and 2010s I could find and they all have the new style dash board . Something is fishey here . I could ask Earl it the factory for the build sheet if I wanted to think about making an offer .

Waterdog,

I surely understand your feelings.  But it is not fishy when you understand what happened in the RV industry in those days.  Sales died during the 2008 recession.  RV companies went out of business with virgin 2008 chassis of all makes & models at a nation-wide surplus.  Determined survivors like Phoenix bought them at auction for cheap and passed down the discounts to consumers to encourage sales.  Still by 2010, a few 2008 chassis did not get consumed.  So, I would think you could negotiate a little better price with all that considered.

Keep in mind that even in better times, you will often see the chassis a year behind the year of the motor home.  This is because RV manufactures release their new model year many months before the new chassis year is available.  So you will see the earliest 2016 PCs being built on a 2015 Ford or Mercedes chassis.  And in some cases, a surplus of a particular chassis with a particular wheel base, you might find a 2014 chassis holding up a 2016 PC.  And this is not Phoenix alone.  Every manufacture of motor homes have the same practices.

As is often stated on various RV forums.....no worries over mismatched motor home/chassis years.  Also reiterating what I mentioned in an earlier post that every 2008 Ford chassis has the older dash board.  The new dash board was introduced in 2009.  It's not fishy at all, after-all.

Well it looks like to me a 2010 or newer is the best option . With a 2010 2551 and newer I would get the full slide with coach and refigerator . This would open up the area when the slide is out and could be a big deal when traveling with 2x50lb  Portugease Waterdogs . I do not know if their are any other advantages to going newer them a 2009 or so . The coach/ Bed is another issue but that is an easily replaceable item from what I can tell .

I have a soft copy of the 2009 brochure.  Every 2009 model (not just the 2551), the couch is all by itself in the slide out.

I think you are right Waterdog.  If my memory is good, the 2010 was the first year of the current-day slide out which has the fridge included.  Unfortunately I do not have a 2010 brochure.  Phoenix did not publish a brochure for every model year.

To make the "moving fridge" work, the furnace was relocated in some models over to the passenger side.  I know the 2350 has the furnace under the bed since, which reduces the size of the under-bed outside storage compartment, and the loss of one kitchen drawer to accommodate a heat register.  As is always the case, there are pros and cons to every deviation.

I have soft copy brochures for 2007, 2009, 2012, and 2015 model years, in PDF fashion.  If anyone wants one of them, just email me your request.  My email address is in my profile.

Ron

My 2 cents: E 450 is what you need for the length and weight of a 2551 or greater.  If you could do a side by side test I think you would appreciate the ride and handling of the heavier/stronger/more rigid frame.  I know I do.