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[KodiakChassisClassC] newb+Gulfstream conquest 6319dk VS the Fou

Yahoo Message Number: 1573

Quote
From:
To:KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 6:24 PM
Subject: Re: [KodiakChassisClassC] newb+Gulfstream conquest 6319dk VS the Fourwinds Kodiak 34H.



Kllasvegas (you didn't sign your post)
I've been dry camping for 5 years with a TT that has less tankage than either of the potential new rigs. Bear in mind we're talking about 3 day weekends mostly. virtually every weekend from Apr. to late sept. Leave friday night, come back sunday eve. Elk camp is 8 days, but the whole family doesn't come.
Also bear in mind, I spent 20 years on Submarines, so water discipline is second nature to me.
Thanks to everyone that has posted so far.
Morrigan
Quote

From:
To:KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 8:07 AM
Subject: Re: [KodiakChassisClassC] newb+Gulfstream conquest 6319dk VS the Fourwinds Kodiak 34H.

Morrigan,

I would say neither sounds like it would work for you and where your trying to take it Neither work well off road and sounds like you need a Host or Earthroamer with 4x4 but not at $100K. I would also be concerned with the water with 4 people and dry camping.

Sent from my BlackBerry smartphone with SprintSpeed

From: "morrigan508"
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:58:58 -0000
To:
Subject: [KodiakChassisClassC] newb+Gulfstream conquest 6319dk VS the Fourwinds Kodiak 34H.

Hi all,
We're getting ready to replace our travel trailer with a motor home.
Budget 100K max. Family of 3 with an additional just turned 18 who
will still be coming with us on occation. We live in western
Washington state, and mainly dry camp (We're members of a historical
Reenactment group, and are camping about 15 weekends a year + hunting
seasons in the mountains.)
Hi all, new guy here, I joined this forum because my family and I are
tradeing in our travel trailer on a motorhome.
We've pretty much decided on a Super C based on 1) number of perm.
beds (makeing and breaking beds from couches for the kids is a pain,
and if my son has a personal space that he's soley responsable for,
everyone is happier. So the overhead bed of a C is a selling point.
2) ground clearance and road issues. (Elk hunting involves camping up
in the mountains pulled into un improved campsites off dirt logging
roads, the SCA camping we do involves often camping in some farmer's
fields or simular). 3) price, we can find high end super c's for
about the same price as bottom end A's and the wife doesn't think
she's up to driveing an A anyway.
We're mainly looking at the Gulfstream conquest 6319dk VS the
Fourwinds Kodiak 34H. (booth new '08 models.)
Like the floorplan of the Gulfstream better, but the Fourwinds is
from a dealer 200 miles and a mountain range closer. Fourwinds is
being sold by campingworld, which has offices all over our area, gulf
stream is a Dealer on the other end of the state... Prices are at
close parity.
Opinions?, Comments?
Morrigan.

[KodiakChassisClassC] newb+Gulfstream conquest 6319dk VS the Fou

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1574
Quote

From:
To:KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 6:31 PM
Subject: Re: [KodiakChassisClassC] newb+Gulfstream conquest 6319dk VS the Fourwinds Ko...

Well Denny,
I get my 27 foot TT in there pulled behind a lincoln Navigator...Not sure where you hail from, the Cascade Range, esp on the Dry side, is sort of unique as forests go. Big trees, limbs start about 40 foot off the ground. It gets cold, (one trip went from 40f to -9f in one night) and we do get some snow, but I really figured anywhere I could get a 10,000 LB TT in and out behind a 2 wheel drive truck, I could get a Motor home. Am I that wrong?
Morrigan
Quote

From:
To:KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 8:22 AM
Subject: Re: [KodiakChassisClassC] newb+Gulfstream conquest 6319dk VS the Fourwinds Ko...

Morrigon,

Kllasvegas is right... while the Super C's "look" aggressive and rugged, they are still a motorhome, and not really built for rugged use. Once you start having issues, they never go away, and are often aggravated by conditions of use. I have spent time in the same environment you describe (without the RV), and if I took my Dutchmen Super C into conditions like that, it would fall apart. One obvious problem would be overhead clearance in the woods... once the roof membrane is cut by a branch, it will be an expensive fix. I "thought" the short wheelbase (213.5") on my coach would get me over humps on the dirt roads, but I quickly realized that just the opposite would be true... the rear end will hang up on anything and everything, and the short wheelbase unloads the front axle, distributes ALL the weight to the rear axle, and basically screws up the handling of the coach...

What is a "good" answer for what you want to do? A comfortable slide-in pickup camper with a couple tents for the kids...and a .44 mag for the bears.

Denny

Fw: [KodiakChassisClassC] newb+Gulfstream conquest 6319dk VS the Fou

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1575
Quote

From:
To:KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 6:36 PM
Subject: Fw: [KodiakChassisClassC] newb+Gulfstream conquest 6319dk VS the Fourwinds Ko...



From:
To:KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 6:31 PM
Subject: Re: [KodiakChassisClassC] newb+Gulfstream conquest 6319dk VS the Fourwinds Ko...

Well Denny,
I get my 27 foot TT in there pulled behind a lincoln Navigator...Not sure where you hail from, the Cascade Range, esp on the Dry side, is sort of unique as forests go. Big trees, limbs start about 40 foot off the ground. It gets cold, (one trip went from 40f to -9f in one night) and we do get some snow, but I really figured anywhere I could get a 10,000 LB TT in and out behind a 2 wheel drive truck, I could get a Motor home. Am I that wrong?
Morrigan
Quote

From:
To:KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 8:22 AM
Subject: Re: [KodiakChassisClassC] newb+Gulfstream conquest 6319dk VS the Fourwinds Ko...

Morrigon,

Kllasvegas is right... while the Super C's "look" aggressive and rugged, they are still a motorhome, and not really built for rugged use. Once you start having issues, they never go away, and are often aggravated by conditions of use. I have spent time in the same environment you describe (without the RV), and if I took my Dutchmen Super C into conditions like that, it would fall apart. One obvious problem would be overhead clearance in the woods... once the roof membrane is cut by a branch, it will be an expensive fix. I "thought" the short wheelbase (213.5") on my coach would get me over humps on the dirt roads, but I quickly realized that just the opposite would be true... the rear end will hang up on anything and everything, and the short wheelbase unloads the front axle, distributes ALL the weight to the rear axle, and basically screws up the handling of the coach...

What is a "good" answer for what you want to do? A comfortable slide-in pickup camper with a couple tents for the kids...and a .44 mag for the bears.

Denny


Re: Fw: [KodiakChassisClassC] newb+Gulfstream conquest 6319dk VS the

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1577
Morrigan,

I have a Dodge Durango with 4 wheel drive and previously had a 27 foot
TT before our Four Winds 34h. We park the RV next to our house. It
is just dirt and weeds, and turns to mud very easily. The Durango
could always get the trailer out even in the mud. It's not quite a
fair comparison since I used 4wd with it. The 34h will just happily
spin it's wheels in the mud. It took an hour trying to get it out
into the street by filling the mud with everything I could find around
the house. The 34h has Goodyear G670RV tires which of course are
useless in this situation.

The second problem is ground clearance. Even though it seems good
standing still, with the long wheelbase, long overhangs, and many
things sticking down the ground clearance is easily used up. I broke
one of the leveler jacks on the sidewalk.

A trailer can be raised easily and our last one definitely had more
ground clearance than the RV. Also if you get stuck a trailer would
be much easier to move than an almost 20,000# motorhome.

Now, we do like it much better than the trailer, but we don't normally
use it for off road traveling. Even though we have gone to a state
park here in New Mexico which is a bit of a rough dirt road. I was
hoping it wouldn't rain. The advantage for us is that the RV can tow
the Durango, which of course we can use to go off roading. Except this
summer in Colorado we got to a point where the Durango wasn't going to
make it either.

David

Quote
Well Denny,
I get my 27 foot TT in there pulled behind a lincoln Navigator...Not
sure where you hail from, the Cascade Range, esp on the Dry side, is
sort of unique as forests go. Big trees, limbs start about 40 foot
off the ground. It gets cold, (one trip went from 40f to -9f in one
night) and we do get some snow, but I really figured anywhere I could
get a 10,000 LB TT in and out behind a 2 wheel drive truck, I could
get a Motor home. Am I that wrong?

[KodiakChassisClassC] newb+Gulfstream conquest 6319dk VS the

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1576

Morrigan...

No, you're not that wrong; I am just being the devils advocate, which I try to be good at. You must be hunting some of those Roosevelt Elk in the Washington/Oregon Cascades... I used to hunt Eastern Oregon where the country was a little more open, but the past 25 years I have hunted the Bridgers in Wyoming and the Bitteroots in Montana. While I'm in mud and snow, you're driving on pine needles.

Right now I an having serious quality/safety issues with my Dutchmen, and frankly cannot recommend Four Winds. They are coming out with a coach for 2009 that has better capacity and wheelbase, and depending upon how the inspection went today, I may be trying one of their new ones...guys that have the 34H seem to like them, but I would definitely try the model 36a first in the new Four winds Kodiak coach... still the same bunks, better suspension and much longer wheelbase (than my coach, the 33K). It may cost another $10-12,000, but believe me, the extra cost will be offset by a MUCH better coach (I hope).

Denny

Re: Fw: [KodiakChassisClassC] newb+Gulfstream conquest 6319dk VS the

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1578
Denny,
Nope, Roosevelt elk are strictly coastal range critters. You find them in the Olympics and south, Rocky mountain elk are in the Cascades. We get the snow up in the mountains, to the point that I'll have to buy chains for what ever I'm toteing, WA WAC requires Chains be carried from Nov1 to Apr1 for anything going over the passes with a GVW of 15K or more. But if we got snow, we don't got mud, and on the dry side of the cascades, we don't get much rain, so it's snow or fairly dry.
I would love to do a Montana hunt, but getting the time off... and I've never hunted the area, so I would either need a guide, or a local, or spend my first two or three years just learning the area...
Price wise, waiting till the 09's come out would raise the price a lot, I fear. Right now I have them in the double wammy of end of year, and gas crunch makes folks now real loose in the wallet. I hesitate to give up those advantages.
Morrigan

Re: Fw: [KodiakChassisClassC] newb+Gulfstream conquest 6319dk VS the

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1580
Denny,

While I am here, I saw that on rv.net you ask about the Four Winds 36a being a class 6 truck. But, from the pictures it is still the 5500 since the 6500 looks different . You can look here for further information, http://www.chevrolet.com/mediumduty/kodiak/ . To get the 30k GCWR, it uses the Allison 2350 transmission instead of the 1000. They also have 9k front springs and axles and the 19k rear springs and axle to get the 26k GVWR.

I assume it would compete directly with the Jayco Seneca 36fs. If they keep the weight down so your are less than 24k loaded than it would certainly be a better alternative than the 34h. The Jayco 36fs wasn't out yet when we bought our motorhome and I haven't seen any weights for it but if loaded it is close to the 22k GVWR than that wouldn't leave enough to tow the Durango.

Anyhow, I certainly wouldn't want to trade in the 34h with the difference between the depreciation and the cost of a more expansive RV. Although while searching on the internet, The Newmar Ventana 3942 with the bunk beds would seem to be a worthwhile upgrade.

David

Re: Fw: [KodiakChassisClassC] newb+Gulfstream conquest 6319dk VS the

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1581

David,

Thanks for your comments, and I agree with one exception. The Seneca shows a wheelbase of 260" vs. the Four Winds w/b of 259". While I do not usually promote Four Winds, they do not typically extend the wheelbase, which IMO, voids the chassis warranty. The 259" w/b comes right out of the specs for the commercial cutaway, while Jayco's 260" w/b does not exist in the specs. This tells me that Jayco probably extended the 213.5 w/b which most RV SVM's bought to build the Super's on...which means the frame rails are spliced between the axles on the Seneca, and not spliced on the Four Winds.... because the Seneca is 22,000# on GVW, and not the 26,000# that four winds has, does that mean the Seneca is using the Allison 1000 tranny?

Denny

Re: Fw: [KodiakChassisClassC] newb+Gulfstream conquest 6319dk VS the

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1582

I wonder if the Four Winds has the 80,000 psi frame rails also...I will email Four winds to find out.

Denny

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