Introduce Yourself!

Thanks Carol for your reply.  I talked with Earl today and I believe that I am going with the 2351 Gas, and it comes in 6 speed transmission now.

John,
I assume by the "diesel model" you mean the MG Sprinter chassis. We had two of those under Winnebago class C's and I have nothing but good things to say about the Sprinter. It is a new design while the Ford is an old design so the Sprinter just works better than the Ford. Take the transmission, for example. In our current E450 I cannot easily control the gears. I can select all gears (Drive) only 3rd gear, only 2nd gear or only 1st. In the Sprinter I could select all gears, all gears excluding 5th, all gears excluding 4th and 5th, al gears excluding 3rd 4th and 5th, etc. Driving downhill I could select the gear I wanted (usually 4th). I can do that in the Ford, but it is not easy or reliable. If I was buying a short Phoenix I'd get the Sprinter chassis.

Carol,
I noticed you have the 2350 with no slide.  Do you have any second thoughts about not having the slide?
I have just ordered a new 2351 with a slide, though I questioned the slide.
John

Hi John,

Welcome!

About the topic of a slide out.

We have an older 2350 (a 2007 model year) without the slide out which we intentionally ordered that way.  It is not the popular choice, but has been the right choice for us.  It has been 9 years since we bought our PC-2350 and my wife and I are still glad we don't have the slide out.  We never did find value with the extra floor space that the slide out offers, but rather found greater value in having a good size dinette, much more storage, and the clean interior while traveling as we do travel a lot.  Other notable benefits were the lower purchase price, 400 pounds less weight, eliminated the reliability concerns when considering our 30+ year planned ownership, better insulated, no bugs or water brought inside when bringing in the slide out, and never any water entry during wind-driven rain.

Most people love their slide out(s) which are especially appreciated when snow-birding and such, lived-in and parked for long periods of time.  I do wonder if they would still love them 25 years later after everything slide out related has become tired.  At the same time, most people replace their motor home long before such issues surface, so they have only good things to say about them with regards to reliability.  They also emphasis resale & trade-in value because the open interior does offer a great impression, even in the used RV market.

I feel that if you generally change rigs every 10 years or so, then a PC slide out will surely serve you well.  It is during the 2nd or 3rd decade when having a slide out could become more of a pain than a benefit.

Ron,
I must say that I have truly enjoyed your comments on the forum site this being my first RV, and I have struggled for about a month with whether the slide was truly a benefit. 
I went with the sofa versus the dinette (I am 6'3" and around 250 pounds and Earl indicated he did not squeeze well into the dinette), and the sofa cannot be fully extended unless you have a slide.
I wonder how many times I might change my build out before Earl tells me time is up.
I saw you travel in UP MI, I might plan to travel there after pickup in late September 2016 to iron out any flaws before traveling back to Texas.
Look forward to more of your tips.
John

I went with the sofa versus the dinette (I am 6'3" and around 250 pounds and Earl indicated he did not squeeze well into the dinette),

John,

I wonder if model 2351 with no slide out and no pantry along the driver side, could offer an extra long dinette table (more distance between benches) which would provide a lot more dinette leg room for a tall person.  That would also have the potential to offer extra room for a large belt-line person, increasing the dimension between back rest and table edge.  The extra long table could easily sacrifice a few inches on each end to increase seating room.  You would give up the bed conversion which is an easy sacrifice for some people.  It is something to ask Earl about if a dinette is a high priority for you.  

If considering a dinette, be sure to get the leather with memory foam as it is much more comfortable to sit on.  Memory foam is thinner & more dense than standard foam which increases comfort and space.  The cloth softer foam swallowed us up and I bottomed out on the bench board.  The leather makes for easy entry & exit from the dinette bench seats.  I know all this because we ordered our PC with standard foam with cloth, later changed to memory foam & leather, a great improvement in comfort.

PS: Thank you for your kind words.

Hi John,
Nope, no second thoughts about going slideless here.  And the reasons are all cited by Ron. 
Sounds like if you go with the couch, your decision is made for you, though I must say that Ron's design idea on growing the dinette is pretty cool.  Along those lines, I'll say as a solo traveler I love my dinette.  I can enjoy the TV from the frontward facing bench.  I can leave my table set up with paperwork, computer, some home decor things (table lamp, pictures, and a couple of knickknacks) and still have room to eat a meal.
Like Ron said, it all depends on how you travel, how long you stay in one place, and what you do when you get there (stay inside a lot or always out and about, mostly be alone or constantly entertaining?).
Good luck, have fun, and keep us posted!
Carol

Deere John.    We picked up our 2351 in  December. We did away with the kitchen pantry and had PC extend the kitchen counter 6 inches and made the bed 6 inches longer. I am 6'3" and sleep in the bed alone. We did away with the dinette and elected the power recliner sofa in the slide. My wife sleeps on the recliner and is happy with her bed. I also had a higher dome installed in the shower for my height and also works out well. I believe the standard dome would be too short. The bath is very small but gets the job done. I upgraded to a gel mattress for the long bed but am disappointed. Hard to climb out of the hole in the morning. We have a foam company a short distance away and will have them make me up a better one. We also had the double pane windows and a swivel passenger seat installed. Also had fantastic fans (3) put in. We are presently in Florida for a family reunion and it is HOT.  The only complaint we have is the A/C is loud. The factory table sits in our basement. Hard to get out from behind the Eurochair and hard to set up. Bought a plastic folding table for eating on and folds and rides on the rear bed. We came down from a 35 ft Newmar DP and like our 2351 better. This is our first trip without a toad (Trailhawk) and  we like it so far.  Ours is on a 450 chassis. Also had an awning on the slide window and the power awning option. We really liked the 2552 but PC could not make the bed longer. So 2351 it is. Hope this helps. By the way. We harassed Earl and Kyle for three days at the Tampa show before we plopped our money down. 

Ron,
Rethinking my build out without the slide and with a dinette.  Really looking for ideas about a recliner.  The Euro chair looks too small, your wife looks comfortable in your third seat, though she may be shorter.  Did you order and install?
I will visit with Earl next week on how we might arrange the dinette for my size and possible another passenger swiveling seat.
John

Thanks Carol - I am now leaning back to no slide and warming up to the dinette.
Really looking for ideas on a recliner and may just go with a third passenger seat similar to Ron's set up.
Hope to lock myself down next week with Earl.
Thanks again - John

John,

Back in 2007, PC-USA installed a low back chair called a barrel chair.  It was pedestal-mounted to the floor.  Years later I replaced that chair with a 3rd matching captain seat.  It was very easy to swap back then, all of 20 minutes.  Seat belts and pedestal, all were never tampered with.

PC-USA will do today what we have, maybe at no extra charge.  Ask Earl if there is an up-charge.  Something tells me it's the same cost.

I like the no extra charge and that will give me a reclining chair.  Thanks

A quick introduction. We are Bill and Cathe Seaman and we thinking about owning a Phoenix Cruiser most likely a 2551 .Having never owned an RV of any kind and we are only considering one now to travel with our 2 Portugease Water Dogs to dog events like agility and water trails . Northern Michigan is home for us . The time fram for purchase is up in the air depending on the sale of a 37 ft sailboat we just listed . So for now I'am keeping up on the Used market of what Phoenix Cruiser are for sale and for how much money . We would consider a 2007 or newer depending on price as it seem like their are several used 2551 out there to chose from .
Thank you for your help
Bill Seaman

Welcome Bill and Cathe.  We have a 2012 2551 and absolutely love it.  We are in lower Michigan but travel northern Michigan often.  We will be in the thumb area for a week starting the 29th of June.  If you happen to be near Caseville stop in at Sleeper State Park.
Barry and Sue

Thank you for the offer but we are a long way away . We live near Charlevoix mi . If you get up this way we would love to come by.