THE RVING EXPERIENCE IS UNBEATABLE
by Tim

If you buy a motor home or any other RV thinking you're buying just another car, you may not be happy. An RV takes an inordinate amount of time with just routine maintenance, and since there are so many parts in an RV that really aren't meant to travel down the road, you'll be constantly tightening screws and bolts. If you can get past all that, the experience is unbeatable.

We now have a 2000 Itasca Suncruiser and these are some of our experiences.  We bought this rig new. It was our first new motorhome (we had two previous pre-owned motor homes). There were a few minor problems and adjustments that needed to be made, but they were all cheerfully fixed by our local dealer.

The Suncruiser has only one slide, but it's very large and opens up the living area quite well. We did find out (after 4 years) that the microwave/convection oven was incorrectly installed. There is a vent that must be uncovered if the unit does not vent to the outdoors in order for it to cook properly. The vent was not uncovered at the factory so I had to remove it and re-install the microwave. Of course, after that amount of time, Winnebago would not cover the cost, even though it was clearly a manufacturing defect. All of the systems on our motor home have been functioning nominally for the six years we've owned it. No water leaks, no slideout malfunctions, no hydraulic problems.

We thought it rode a little rough when it was new, and that continued even after it was broken in. I replaced all the shocks with Monroe gas RV and the ride is much improved. The quality of the paint is excellent and easy to maintain. The one piece fiberglass roof, if sealed as recommended every year, is an excellent choice. We store it indoors when not in use and I'm sure that has something to do with the finish remaining in great condition.

We'll be selling this one and buying a new one next year. It will probably be another Winnebago.   My wife likes the functional design of the galley and I like the quality of the furniture. The couch/bed is not like a sofa bed, it actually folds out into a queen size bed with a full mattress, something we probably won't be able to get in our next rig. I would like to have more foot room in the dinette area, but it's okay unless you sit there for a long time. The bedroom is good size for a 33 foot rig and the storage is ample. Cargo carrying capacity is almost 3,000 lbs and that's plenty for us.

I would only say again that as RV takes an inordinate amount of time with just routine maintenance, but if you can get past all that, the experience is unbeatable.

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