Hello Everyone,
My name is Dave, my wife is Peg and we just came back from Albuquerque to look at a 2551. We're interested in a 2350 but decided to look at the 2551 to evaluate the quality of build. I'm happy to say we were pleased with what we saw. We've gone back and forth, looking at many As, Bs, and Cs. We've gone from thinking 24 feet to 35 feet back to 24. The floor plan of the 2350 ticks all of our boxes, but we have questions which I hope other PC owners can answer.
The main question is gas or diesel? I know there are many variables, and that it depends partly on how many miles we plan on driving. What I'd like to get a handle on is the TCO (total cost of ownership). The MB is $12k more upfront, but what is the depreciation like compared to the Ford? I've heard that the MB is very expensive to have worked on, does anyone have any figures on routine maintenance? I've also heard it can be difficult to get the MB worked on, whereas there is a Ford dealer on almost every corner.
Fuel mileage is better with the diesel, but whether it is better enough given all the above is what I'm trying to work out. I'm told the Ford get ~10 mpg while the diesel can get ~18 mpg and up. I love the MB cab and the one I have driven (Leisure Travel Serenity) handled well. The Ford has a beefier chassis, however, and a greater GVWR. We do plan to get a version with a slide, which decreases our carrying capacity on the MB, less so on the Ford. What are owners' experiences with the MB? Do you find yourself limited by the GVWR, especially if you have a slide? How does the higher profile MB handle high winds and truck wakes?
How many 2350 owners tow a vehicle? Do you find you need one, or is the unit small enough that you don't need a second vehicle.
We go back and forth on that, too. We're planning on using this for extended vacations of 3 - 4 weeks. Part of the time is just sitting by the beach or a lake, the rest of the time will be for exploring; museums, art galleries, farmers' markets, etc. I think a towed car, something like a Honda Fit, gives us that much more flexibility. Thoughts?
Finally, any thoughts on quality, durability and reliability. Our Gold Standard, from what we've seen, is something like Coach House or Leisure Travel. Coach House is too expensive for us and Leisure Travel, our first choice, does not have the floor plan we want. As I said, PC ticks all our boxes.
Finally, if you've read this far, thanks. On an unrelated subject, is there any way to turn off the annoying dancing emoticons at the top of the page?
