Very pleased with reliability of our 2007 2350!!

Very interesting and beneficial written account of your experience and observations.  I appreciate the contributions from those who are willing to share practical responses to real world occurrences.

My wife and I are starting on our second Phoenix Cruiser.   We learned from the experiences of the first vehicle. Everything that occurred from maintenance to suggested options and upgrades were already documented by other members of the Forum with a wealth of shared knowledge.  Once our concerns were explained as commonly existing under particular sets of conditions, our perspective changed.  Confidence in the Quality Control associated with Phoenix Cruiser construction and design features of the vehicle architecture has us content believing that we can realistically expect to pass the 100,000-mile point with this replacement vehicle.

While we store the vehicle in the Lower-48 and expect to only travel well-maintained roads there, I am concerned about the seemingly not rare incidents of the Cabin cracking above the front seats.  The area where the cutaway cab introduces uncompensated stress is the culprit.  Possibly attributable to rough driving conditions, I am concerned about fatigue being cumulative and a threat to continued use in a high mileage scenario.

When driving our earlier PC 2100, I was cognizant of the sounds emanating from the area above the Cab.  Unmistakable creaks and groans (technical terms) betrayed the strain imposed by the overhead mounting of the fiberglass shell.  I opened the enclosure behind the TV.  A vacant space.  Probably acting as an echo chamber to amplify the sound.  I reinforced the span, mounted a reinforced framework to house a small security safe, and recovered the span with matching paneling.  Looks nice!  Adds a practical security feature.  Did absolutely nothing to quiet the audible protests emanating from the area.

Check THIS out!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=90UcAwstwik

Check THIS out!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=90UcAwstwik

Very cool! Very very very expensive!!

IMO,this off-raod capable larger RV is an awesome concept, but based on our experience a conversion like this is not necessary unless you are REALLY REALLY going to often take the rig into serious off-road terrain (where personally I'd rather just drive a Jeep (or some other 4x4 toad) or a dedicated overlander rig). I find it a bit hard to imagine where one might find many such areas in the Americas that also could accomdate the length.width and height of the PC.  Despite our stock rig (with bad shocks), I found few places I could not take it with proper care and driving skill. I would always scout ahead such sections (via conversations with travelers, the internet, google eart, etc.). In softer stuff we'd air-down a bit and with the dual rear wheels and low gearing it can go thru and over just about anything if you keep momentum. In my prior posts on this thread I forgot to mention the road into Chaco Canyon which was definitely the worst 20 mile stretch of road we traveled, with much washboard surface and several difficult gully crossings from the recent monsoons that went thru there; prior off-road driving experience is useful in such conditions . The main issue with the PC is clearance due to the very long rear overhang, the generator exhaust (which I was certain I would bust off on numerous occassions but actually never even hit) and the macerator (which the Denali Hwy. kindly removed to solve that problem).

There is an extablished axiom about 4-Wheel Drive that is regarded as being established, accepted, and self-evidently true:  "all it does is allow to get stuck in more inaccessible places"..

FLEI wrote:

"I forgot to mention the road into Chaco Canyon which was definitely the worst 20 mile stretch of road we traveled, with much washboard surface and several difficult gully crossings from the recent monsoons that went thru there; prior off-road driving experience is useful in such conditions . "

I also think that twenty miles is the worst road I have ever driven with a rv.  Actually, I don't recommend it to anyone.  I am also sure the NPS wants it to stay that way to protect Chaco.  Otherwise, you would have too many people tramping down this fragile relic masterpiece.  If we go back there we will leave the PC at a campground in the area, take our Jeep to go to Chaco and sleep in the Jeep.   That road is just too much to expect a motorhome to endure again.   Doable, yes but at best a really miserable, trip and plan on taking more than an hour for the drive. 

Paul

There is an extablished axiom about 4-Wheel Drive that is regarded as being established, accepted, and self-evidently true:  "all it does is allow to get stuck in more inaccessible places"..

AMEN.   

@Flei - I have a 2006 2350, and drive it regularly as a 'video shoot support vehicle' towing a box trailer.

Indeed adding a bunch of suspension improvements will improve the ride and handling. I found addressing the root cause of the handling was the key:

The front springs are too dang strong for the vehicle. The factory would have to re-certify the entire setup to change them from factory, and that would be WAY too much $$$$. 

So to make it so the alignment can even be put to spec, special  camber bushings are required. These ARE permitted to be added.


To address the root cause, I had the front springs changed out to a set that were made 2" lower, and 10% softer.  WOW.  What a difference. RonD did similar with some 'off the shelf' springs. 

The first good sign was that the special camber bushings had to be swapped out for the stock. This means that we are closer to what the engineers intended. 

What a difference. Without upgrading the front sway bar, adding a rear sway bar, and/or adding expensive shocks, it rides totally different. SO nice.

I can be loaded, with trailer, fighting a seabreeze as I head down the coastal highways and steer simply with one hand. Trucks passing in either direction cause no distress.

With the front end in proper geometry, it works like it should without a bunch of band aids.   

So maybe consider springs first, then additional parts added after as needed.  You might be pleasantly surprised.


I modified my macerator to have the 'bayonet' mounting and QD's on the wiring so it isnt on there all the time... as we use the 'stinky slinky' 99% of the time.   BUT.. having said that, the macerator has been  the 'Ace in the Hole' a few times when leaving festivals at odd hours, with tanks full.  Macerator + Port-O-Lets =  empty tanks going home.    So it gets carried along for 'those' times.

RE: cab creaks and separation...  I went through and rebuilt mine, and it is TIGHT. Went from sounding like an old ship at sea to 'squeak free'.  Little out of the scope of most owners, but very rewarding.

Good to read about your 2350.  I could not be happier with ours. Full body paint is in the works... cant wait!!