comparing the 390bh to other BH makers. opinions please

[caravan6]

I have been shopping for a bunkhouse for about 6 months now. pricing is great. I have looked and search for nearly every brand and model with bunks. I was orginslly shopping for a gas coach, but I feel you get SO much more in a diesel coach.

have narrowed it down to:

Damon astoria

fleetwood discovery 40g

berkshire 390bh

monaco/HR 38sbd


I like the berkshire, but I am not as familiar with Forest River. looking for advice from some owners.

Thank you,

Matt

[chaser1217]

well here is my take on this. best stick with forest river or the damon.just because monaco and fleetwood financial distress would make me wonder if 6 months if they will be in business,i have the berkshire and finally most all bugs worked out. right now is the time to buy prices lower than i paid for mine out there for 15k less,

[tmmar]

I was down to the Berkshire and Damon but liked the fact that the Berkshire had 4 slides which greatly increased the living space. If you will be travelling with 4 or more, then the extra living space will be greatly appreciated. I too seem to have the bugs worked out and really enjoy the coach. Very comfortable and much quieter travelling than the class c's I prevously owned.

[wnytaxman]

Like you, I have been looking at various bunk house models. From what I have seen there are some pretty good options in the diesel market. The Berkshire 390bh is the lowest in terms of cost. Top end is probably the Tiffin Allegro 38qba at close to $200k. Tiffin also has a FRED model called the 35qba which lists out at around $150k. I've also looked at the Bounder and the Astoria. I would avoid the Bounder as was stated earlier because of Fleetwood's financial problems. I can tell you from experience that when the manufacturer is gone you really take a hit on the trade or resale. For me it was on an Olds van. There are very few of the Allegro 38's showing up on the net. I only found two and they are both in Florida. There are quite a few of the Bounders, but to me that is becoming irrelevant unless I can get one fantastic deal. The Astorias are handled by a lot of the Camping World outlets and there are quite a few 2010's out there. There are at least 4 just here in Upstate NY of the Astoria bunk house models. Some of the quality issues on the Berkshire scare me, but if I'm saving $20k, then I've got to have the Berkshire being in the mix. The Berkshire definitely appears to be the best bang for the buck, providing the quality issues can be kept to a minimum. I've been driving a 2007 Itasca Sunova 35j and it has had quite a few issues.

[wnytaxman]

My how things can change in just six months. When I first posted my comparison things were a lot different than what I find now. Bottom end of the price spectrum on the diesel pusher bunk house models appears to be the Coachman Cross Country. It has an MSRP of over $200k but most places are discounting them to below $140k. Next I would put the Damon Astoria. It seems to be a little more plush than the Coachman, but not a lot more. Discounted price there seems to be around $160k. Both the Berkshire 390bh and the Tiffin Allegro 38qba seem to be the best bang for the buck. Some of the features of the Berkshire would rank it over the Allegro and vice versa. Whichever one would choose would be a matter of personal preference. There are also a Winnebago and Itasca version out there, but they lack the plushness of the Berkshire and the Tiffin and they are carrying an MSRP of around $230k which I think is way too much for what appears to be a stripped down version.

I hope this helps my fellow bunk house shoppers.

[AllenCrabtree]

As for the Berkshire 390BH, is the 350 Cummins worth the price difference? I understand that it has a 10,000 lb towing capacity but all I plan to tow is our Honda CRV. At the same time, I do not want to pass on paying the premium and then live to regret it. Anybody out there with experience with the 350 Cummins?

[wnytaxman]

The amount shown on the Berkshire brochures is $11,500 to go to the 350. That's a chunk for something that may or may not be needed. Granted that is MSRP, but you are looking at a dealer cost of probably around $6,000 to $7,000. Is there really that much of a difference in the transmission?

[cfsoistman]

Originally Posted by AllenCrabtree

As for the Berkshire 390BH, is the 350 Cummins worth the price difference? I understand that it has a 10,000 lb towing capacity but all I plan to tow is our Honda CRV. At the same time, I do not want to pass on paying the premium and then live to regret it. Anybody out there with experience with the 350 Cummins?

You most likely have answered your own question. If you are only towing a small vehicle the cost is not worth it, unless you plan to tow something with a higher weight later. For those towing around a larger vehicle or heavy trailer occasionally than the cost difference is worth it. JMO!