Coachmen help

[Tbonz]

O.K. folks we are looking at the Coachmen Concord 300DS, I would like input on Coachmen class c vehicles..We have been on the internet looking and are dismayed at the reviews..I would like real input from real owners.Thank you for your time.. We are looking between Coachmen Concord and FR Forester..Like the mini cap on then Concord better..

[grumpy0374]

Since nobody has answered, I'll give it a try...
We have a 2012 Forrest River Lexington 283ts. If you look at the Forrest River, the Coachman, even Nexus, you will see very similar floorplans for
like units.
They will all use similar appliances, similar hardware, similar drivetrains (probably almost all use Ford E-450. As far as the "mechanics" they will all be very similar, with warranties for the "components" from each (Ford, Dometic, Norcold, ect)
They will even be constructed in a very similar fashion, using basically the same materials.
The biggest difference will be in the "who" constructed it, the workmen that built it, and if they were "rushed" or were able to take a bit more time to turn out a nice product. Some manufacturers require a certain # of units off the line per day or shift, while others will slow it down a bit to give workmen a chance to "properly" build it.
You will read horror stories from a lot of folks here about their buying a new rig, and before ever getting it out for the first time, having major problems with the build quality.
I'm not including appliances, as they can go bad , but will include sloppy work, lack of pride by those building it and a serious lack of quality control by those who let an obvious defect out of the factory.
It will help if your a "do it yourselfer" cause your sure to have some problems that will be much easier to fix yourself than trudging back and forth to your dealer.
I see your an RV owner now, so nothing here is going to be news to you. As far as the Coachman's "quality", its probably no better or no worse than my Lexi, or any similar unit...just depends on the guys and gals that built it on any specific day.
Grumpy

[Tbonz]

Thanks Grumpy, I am a hands on do it myselfer..I did talk to Mike at FR warranty..He said I do have two dealers in town that I could use for major warranty issues..A large amount of the problems I can handle myself..Thanks for your reply..

[jjSpeedwagon]

My wife and I bought a 2016 concord 300ds. Took us 2 yrs of looking. We are extremely pleased with our decision. We have had no major prob with any system on coach. We pull a 2 door Jeep Wrangler with ready brute tow bar and drives and pulls like a dream. Air bag suspension is awesome. Concord is one of the best built larger c class out there our fit and finish inside is flawless and I'm very picky about things. We purchased ours from MHSRV in Alvarado and they were great to deal with all there concords come with all the options from satellite to aluminum wheels. Nothing worse than those cheesy covers on steel wheels. Any how I highly recommend the concord above the rest.

[wahoonc]

Sorry... missed this post the first go around. Like jjspeedwagon, we have a 300DS and love it. No major issues with ours, just some little appearance and WTH were they thinking items. We looked at a wide range of C and B+ RV's. We had looked at Born Free (used, new was too expensive), Dynamax (used), Lexington (used, no longer in production) and quite a few class C's. We had a couple of Lexington's on the short list but there were still things we didn't like design wise. Driving back from Florida to NC (for work) we stopped at a dealer in SC that had a Concord 300 DS on the lot. We bought it. We had not planned to buy for another 6 months to a year but it checked off most of the boxes on what we wanted. If money were no object I would buy a Born Free Imperial... at nearly 3 times the price of the Concord.

However I consider the Concord to be one of the best values on the market. Do a very thorough walk through and check every thing prior to signing on the dotted line. Make sure they repair everything prior to picking it up.

I will also add, I contacted Coachmen for a couple of minor pieces that the dealer did not have and they promptly mailed them out to me no charge.

Aaron

[Tbonz]

Thanks for the replies. We are still searching..

[pacin]

I am beginning to think that if a person is not a pretty good DIYer, or can afford 75 dollars an hour at a dealer, maybe he should not even consider purchasing an RV.

[grumpy0374]

Originally Posted by pacin

I am beginning to think that if a person is not a pretty good DIYer, or can afford 75 dollars an hour at a dealer, maybe he should not even consider purchasing an RV.

You almost have to be a DIY unless you have $100 bucks an hour for labor to throw away, or want to have your rig tied up, sitting on a dealers lot, waiting to have some simple repairs done.
Everything I have done to our Lexi to get it to the point that it is trouble free, leak free/leak resistant, and upgrades are things that a dealer would charge up the wazoo to do. Yet all were simple, common sense modifications and upgrades.
I read a lot of posts from members who, for whatever reason, are at the mercy of a dealer to get a repair done, and almost wish I lived closer to some of them. I'd help them in a heartbeat, as some of the problems/repairs would take almost no time at all.
Grumpy

[wahoonc]

Being handy and DIY is a huge plus. Our local Camping World(s) charge $149 an hour for shop time. At least one of them does not have any RVIA certified techs on staff. My closest non CW dealer is 1.5 hours away. I have done my own work for years. I have been messing about with RV's for close to 40 years. They have gotten more complicated and not as well assembled over the years. But even the old ones had their fair share of issues.

A lot of people also don't understand that this isn't really a house on wheels. Think about how well your house would stand up to earthquakes and hurricanes several days a week. And if you think RV's are bad you should try working on boats!

Aaron

[Tbonz]

Can someone report on how well the 15000 BTU air conditioner does on cooling the coach..?? We plan to try and install another AC ..We like to be cool .Thanks..We do most of our camping in Texas but have a Phoenix trip planned in October..

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by Tbonz

Can someone report on how well the 15000 BTU air conditioner does on cooling the coach..?? We plan to try and install another AC ..We like to be cool .Thanks..We do most of our camping in Texas but have a Phoenix trip planned in October..

It was 97° at my house the other day, the Concord was sitting in nearly full sun and it was holding at 78°. We try to camp in partial to full shade when we can. If you decide to add a second air, you will need to upgrade to a 50 amp service. I am sure it can be done, just not sure how expensive it would be. Another possibility would be to run a separate 20 amp branch circuit for just that second AC and use a single drop cord to the box for it. However if you hit a camp ground with only 30 amp (I have stayed in a few) you are SOL.

Aaron

[Tbonz]

I am thinking the second cord is the way to go ..Had that on my previous coach,,..Hard part will be running the wire to feeed it..I doubt the extra hole is wired for 120v.

[wahoonc]

I don't think it is either. What we have done in the past to get the bedroom cooled down is to close all the other vents and use the air dump feature, as well as put a small fan on the floor pointed in that direction. It got cold FAST. Then we just switched everything back to normal. I suspect at night it will have no problems keeping the unit pretty cool. I have full paint and the dark paint doesn't help much with minimizing direct solar gain.

There is 12v power at the vent for the FF so you might be able to snake a cable back down the chase using them as a guide. Not sure which way they run. The AC in the bedroom mod isn't on my list.

Aaron

[Tbonz]

O.K> folks thanks for the help so far..We will take delivery on the 2016 Concord July 7...My next question is what are you all using for Toads ////?I will be towing a 2015 Toyota Tacoma..

[wahoonc]

Congratulations! Welcome to the family!

I don't have a toad set up yet. But it is most likely going to my bride's 2015 Ford Fusion Hybrid. I plan on using the Blue Ox stuff with the Patriot brake system. There is an outside chance we might rig our 2003 F150 instead. Both are well with in the weight range of what the Concord can handle.

Aaron

[wahoonc]

BTW we do EXPECT pictures of the new unit when you get it!

I started a thread on my planned and current mods... I would start one on yours when you get the chance. I have no clue how many 300DS are on the road but there have to be quite a few of us.

Aaron

[Tbonz]

There is 12v power at the vent for the FF so you might be able to snake a cable back down the chase using them as a guide. Not sure which way they run. The AC in the bedroom mod isn't on my list.

Thanks,I hope that plan works out...If I can get the wires down to the 12v box, I can make it work from there..

[wahoonc]

I will be piddling in the camper over the holiday weekend. I am building a platform for the dog to ride on that fits between the seats. If I get the chance I will pull the interior vent frame and see if I can determine which way it runs. Eventually I will be upgrading the bedroom FF to a reversible with remote. My bride is vertically challenged and has problems reaching the controls. I also like the idea of having one vent being able to pull air in while the other pulls out.

I have a bunch of electrical stuff to work on and upgrade, but they are a bit further down on the list at the moment.

Aaron

[Tbonz]

Wahoonc, I will do my best at pics,,will need guidance..

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by Tbonz

Wahoonc, I will do my best at pics,,will need guidance..

We have the technology....

Aaron