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Old 11-24-2020, 08:41 AM   #21
Fish
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Originally Posted by DutchmenSport View Post
Fish,

I'm not surprised at the responses from folks on THIS forum in favor of a fifth wheel. After all, this is a forum for Fifth Wheel owners. The bias, of course, is one sided.

There's nothing wrong with that either. We all like and enjoy the RV we choose because it fit's each one of our personal needs. Remember the old expression, "Birds of a feather flock together." And we have here.

It sounds like most everyone here is a 5er fan.

May I make a suggestion, if you have not done so already? Jump over to IRV2 Click here, create a user name and ask the same question. I think you will get a much different set of responses. Then you can weigh the balances.

It's just my suggestion. Birds of a feather flock together over on that forum too!

They are a friendly bunch though. I have a profile on that forum site too. It's not just exclusively for Motor Home owners any more, but the prime audience is Motor Home owners.

Good luck! Enjoy the journey!
Thanks, yes I registered over there a few days ago to be able to get to the Files section to help me figure out some wiring.

I put the 2-12v chassis batteries in yesterday. Put in the key and turned it on to see how much fuel was in it. Full, 130 gallons. Been sitting, I need to siphon some fuel out and look at it. I bumped the starter just to make sure it would turn over and it fired immediately. I shut it off pretty quickly.

Putting the 4-6v house batteries in today.
 
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Old 11-24-2020, 08:52 AM   #22
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Get the "A" running - lease it for a year ... then re-evaluate. Grass is always greener and over time, we forget the pain and remember the good. If you don't like the A, i'd be more inclined to buy it if it was being used than been sitting. But that's me.
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Old 11-24-2020, 04:50 PM   #23
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Why not work something out so that you can take it out for a week or 2. Do it so that you need to stop at a couple of parks.

After that you should have a better idea which you like better.
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Old 11-26-2020, 02:05 PM   #24
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I've got everything working on the Monaco now. Wife went down with me today because I went down to figure out why the lights weren't working. Found the main battery disconnect off and now everything is working best as I can tell. Well almost. Have to make sure the inverter is charging the batteries and have to figure out how to pull the nose out and expose the generator and check it out and start it.

At this very moment my wife is trying to figure out how we can afford this, lol. She's in love with it.
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Old 11-26-2020, 04:34 PM   #25
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In our travels, we have actually seen MHs with a Dually Pick-up as a Toad. I would guess at the weight of a Dually, it must have an effect on the already poor fuel mileage, but I assume they already had the truck so they're using what they have.
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Old 11-26-2020, 06:25 PM   #26
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In our travels, we have actually seen MHs with a Dually Pick-up as a Toad. I would guess at the weight of a Dually, it must have an effect on the already poor fuel mileage, but I assume they already had the truck so they're using what they have.
I looked today and the Monaco has a 10,000 pound hitch.

My ram dually full of fuel and with 60 gallons in the aux tank I added has to be crowding 9000 pounds. I don't like to push things.

It's kind of funny that my wife also brought up towing the dually as a toad. She said It might not be handy but you'd have 60 gallons of diesel you could pump out if we couldn't find fuel. Makes sense.

Wife works at Cracker Barrel, today is her last day since we're leaving for Florida for 6 months. A few years ago a motorhome pulling a truck with a golf cart in the bed overturned at the entrance to that Cracker Barrel. Made a huge mess. I can only guess they took the ramp too fast.
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Old 11-27-2020, 08:47 AM   #27
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We once came upon a DP towing a Dually with a Golf Cart in the bed of the truck. They also had a rack on the back with a Harley on it. Of all places to see this, we came right up behind them climbing Wolf Creek Pass near Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

I followed for a few miles and was amazed how they were climbing with all that weight.
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Old 11-28-2020, 10:19 AM   #28
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I've got everything working on the Monaco now. Wife went down with me today because I went down to figure out why the lights weren't working. Found the main battery disconnect off and now everything is working best as I can tell. Well almost. Have to make sure the inverter is charging the batteries and have to figure out how to pull the nose out and expose the generator and check it out and start it.

At this very moment my wife is trying to figure out how we can afford this, lol. She's in love with it.
We had a Bluebird Wanderlodge for years, but sold it when we moved to Costa Rica for a few years. We decided to do the fifth wheel route when we returned to Michigan. We had a 3711FL and a f450 that we enjoyed, but we both found out that we love the motor home experience a lot more. Hard to find fault in that huge front windshield and the views as we travel.

Purchased a 42’ 2007 Beaver Contessa that had 35,000 miles and 4 slide outs. Cabinets are solid cherry, Onan quiet diesel generator, three 15000 btu air conditioners with heat pumps, aqua hot diesel boiler, California king bed ,residential fridge, automatic air leveling. We put 3000 miles on last year and averaged 8.5 mpg with the generator running all the air conditioners.

We have no regrets, but I do miss that truck!! Oil changes, filters both fuel and oil are very easy to do, way easier than the pick up was.

On my coach which is very similar to the Camolot the generator slide out switch is located outside the coach in the side bay door under the driver. Enjoyed the Montana but my personal choice is the pusher.
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Old 11-28-2020, 03:31 PM   #29
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Doug - nice rig!
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Old 11-29-2020, 07:32 AM   #30
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Doug - nice rig!
Thanks Zack!
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Old 11-29-2020, 07:43 AM   #31
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We had a Bluebird Wanderlodge for years, but sold it when we moved to Costa Rica for a few years. We decided to do the fifth wheel route when we returned to Michigan. We had a 3711FL and a f450 that we enjoyed, but we both found out that we love the motor home experience a lot more. Hard to find fault in that huge front windshield and the views as we travel.

Purchased a 42’ 2007 Beaver Contessa that had 35,000 miles and 4 slide outs. Cabinets are solid cherry, Onan quiet diesel generator, three 15000 btu air conditioners with heat pumps, aqua hot diesel boiler, California king bed ,residential fridge, automatic air leveling. We put 3000 miles on last year and averaged 8.5 mpg with the generator running all the air conditioners.

We have no regrets, but I do miss that truck!! Oil changes, filters both fuel and oil are very easy to do, way easier than the pick up was.

On my coach which is very similar to the Camolot the generator slide out switch is located outside the coach in the side bay door under the driver. Enjoyed the Montana but my personal choice is the pusher.
Your picture looks identical to the 2007 Camelot I'm working on, just a different color. Got the 10,000 Onan generator pulled out yesterday to check the oil, had to shoot a little wd 40 on the latches. Our latch is a pull handle under the front of the nose. Went to fire it up and all the lights went out. So I'll deal with that today. I guess I should have unplugged the shore cord although the manual said nothing about that, just said not to have any appliances running.

Called Mom and had her come down to look it over since she hadn't been in it in a few years. Told her I wouldn't be able to finish it since we're leaving for Florida Friday and I have to get some stuff of my own taken care of. We're going to put a few heaters in it a lock it up for the winter before I go.

I told her that if it hadn't sold when we get back from Florida in the spring I'd talk to her about buying it, or try to figure out a way to afford it (as she brought it up again, saying are you sure you don't want to buy it). Mom said she won't try to sell it this winter. She also said I have a decent inheritance coming from the money we made at our former business (I was the vp of the company in charge of field operations) and should just take part of that in advance and buy it.

She's making it awfully hard for me to turn down.
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Old 11-29-2020, 07:54 AM   #32
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We had a Bluebird Wanderlodge for years, but sold it when we moved to Costa Rica for a few years. We decided to do the fifth wheel route when we returned to Michigan. We had a 3711FL and a f450 that we enjoyed, but we both found out that we love the motor home experience a lot more. Hard to find fault in that huge front windshield and the views as we travel.

Purchased a 42’ 2007 Beaver Contessa that had 35,000 miles and 4 slide outs. Cabinets are solid cherry, Onan quiet diesel generator, three 15000 btu air conditioners with heat pumps, aqua hot diesel boiler, California king bed ,residential fridge, automatic air leveling. We put 3000 miles on last year and averaged 8.5 mpg with the generator running all the air conditioners.

We have no regrets, but I do miss that truck!! Oil changes, filters both fuel and oil are very easy to do, way easier than the pick up was.

On my coach which is very similar to the Camolot the generator slide out switch is located outside the coach in the side bay door under the driver. Enjoyed the Montana but my personal choice is the pusher.
8.5 mpg is encouraging. I don't do a whole lot better than that with my ram cummins pulling my fifth wheel. Maybe 10 mpg.

Looking your model up it appears you have a 400 hp Cat and the Monaco has a 400 hp Cummins. I hope the Cummins does that well.
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Old 11-29-2020, 08:43 AM   #33
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Your picture looks identical to the 2007 Camelot I'm working on, just a different color. Got the 10,000 Onan generator pulled out yesterday to check the oil, had to shoot a little wd 40 on the latches. Our latch is a pull handle under the front of the nose. Went to fire it up and all the lights went out. So I'll deal with that today. I guess I should have unplugged the shore cord although the manual said nothing about that, just said not to have any appliances running.

Called Mom and had her come down to look it over since she hadn't been in it in a few years. Told her I wouldn't be able to finish it since we're leaving for Florida Friday and I have to get some stuff of my own taken care of. We're going to put a few heaters in it a lock it up for the winter before I go.

I told her that if it hadn't sold when we get back from Florida in the spring I'd talk to her about buying it, or try to figure out a way to afford it (as she brought it up again, saying are you sure you don't want to buy it). Mom said she won't try to sell it this winter. She also said I have a decent inheritance coming from the money we made at our former business (I was the vp of the company in charge of field operations) and should just take part of that in advance and buy it.

She's making it awfully hard for me to turn down.
Monaco bought out Safari in 2002 and Safari owned the rights to Beaver motor homes. Monaco moved the production to their plant in Coburg Oregon. This is when they started to produce a coach that carried the Monaco name and a similar coach with the Beaver nameplate. The Contessa and Camelot are basically the same coaches.
Our coach does not have a latch on the generator slide. There is a switch that moves it in and out and uses the same hydraulic pump that moves the large front slides. You do not have to un plug the landline before you start the generator, there is a automatic transfer switch that will switch the source of power. There is a breaker on the front of the generator that may be off. Also the switches to start the generator can be pushed to the down position to prime the generator, and when toggled to the up position it will activate the glow plugs before starting. Colder weather will give you a longer delay before starting the generator.
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Old 11-29-2020, 08:53 AM   #34
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8.5 mpg is encouraging. I don't do a whole lot better than that with my ram cummins pulling my fifth wheel. Maybe 10 mpg.

Looking your model up it appears you have a 400 hp Cat and the Monaco has a 400 hp Cummins. I hope the Cummins does that well.
Yes, we have the Cat. I am happy with the mpg we are getting with it. Pretty much drive 65 to 68 with it. Did not get any better mpg with my 450 due to the 430 gears in the differential. The only thing I would tell you to check on the Cummins is to make sure it is not the engine that had wrist pin issues. They had an issue where the pin was not properly made and would grenade the engine. Not sure what engine or what years, but probably an easy google search.
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Old 11-29-2020, 01:39 PM   #35
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DP vs 5er

Since you are working on it and you plan to sell it for your mother I'd take it on a shake down cruise (got to make sure everything works) of a week or two. By then I suspect you'll have your answer.
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Old 11-29-2020, 02:05 PM   #36
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DP's sound great for convenience, but the high end maintainec seems to out weigh the convenience.
As said earlier, if your DP breaks down, where do stay?
We have had a couple of breakdowns, blown radiaor in Canada. We were able to have the truck towed to the radiator shop, and the Monte towed to the rv park we were meeting our group. Two other times, fouled fuel injevtors. Again able to get truck to shop and rv to rv parks. In all three instances, the work on the truck compared to getting a DP back on the road was and would be much shorter, enabling us to rent a car a few days if needed to enjoy the sights while being repaired.
When something happened to the Monte in Nova Scotia like the broken leaf spring, the local spring shop was able to get us back on the road quickly.
My answer, quicker fixes and more time on the adventure.
Other things to go wrong: alternator, batteries, tires and more. Hope this helped someone, Happy Trails and Stay Safe.
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Old 11-29-2020, 10:41 PM   #37
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We took the progressive route thru our camping life. Started with tent, then pop-up, then trailer, then 5th wheel. My decision to stick with the 5th wheel was 2 vehicles - Tow & RV v.s. the Class A with engine, tranny and home all in one. I still drule over those beautiful Class A's with the 2 big slides, with the generator and heated floors and an incredible towing weight. But the cost is prohibitive.

For those Class A's that still use propane, you are either driving somewhere to get it filled or waiting for the propane truck to come to you. I can take my 2-30 lb 5th wheel bottles out and get them filled.

And as beautiful as those Class A rear bathrooms are, heaven forbid that diesel motor ever needs serious repair. I don't think the color of grease mixes very well with those bathroom and bedroom colors.

The problem is that the expensive Class A's are all going to go on the market again someday when the current owner dies or decides to sell. And a $350,000 motor home going for $85-$100,000 with all of the bells and whistles is hard to pass up.
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Old 11-30-2020, 05:51 AM   #38
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I had 4 fifthfwheels, then two diesel motorhomes, and now back to a fifth wheel. 5 months were the longest we stayed in either a fifth or the motorhomes at a time. IF money were of no consequence to is, I much enjoyed the motor homes over the fifth wheels. BUT I was just spending too much on maintenance and as the vehicles got older the insurance against engine, drive train costs or break downs was very expensive. I would be driving along listening and wondering what was going to cost me next! Went back to a Montana fifth that my F250 could handle and it is pretty nice. STILL - if money was not object I would have loved to continued in a diesel pusher. JMO-mark
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Old 11-30-2020, 07:29 AM   #39
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How much would it be to replace all those tires? That is the main reason I didn't get the DRW and a class A is way more than some simple DRW LOL.

I do think a class A is nice and both 5th wheels and class A have there drawbacks. Just which one will fit the kind of traveling you are going to do.
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Old 12-02-2020, 10:04 AM   #40
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I started full timing in a 5th wheel. I then went to a 42 foot dutchstar deisel. After medical problems I went back to a montana 5th wheel and use it as a 2nd home during summer. I loved traveling in the motorhome but after being parked I preferred the 5er
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