Isata 3 Questions

[yojohn]

Is the window going to be standard ?

[bclemens]

A window has always been standard

As for it being larger, that will likely be a 18MY change.

[Philos3]

I went to a show in California yesterday and was able to see the Isata 3 and REV.

The material quality and the payload capacities are what I expected. For the buyers they are targeting, and I am not one, they are competitive and should be considered.

[Jasonhardi]

Well it's official! Our new recliner in our Isata 3! We now have an additional 2'x4' storage below as well. Also reupholstered the valences in black leather. Turning our rig into a swanky lounge.

[yojohn]

Looks great Our Isata 3 is being painted as I write glad to see you have the dark cabinets We have the dark cabinets I think they look real rich can you also send pictures of your black bed spread trying to talk wife into the black conformer thanks

[Jasonhardi]

You bet - here you go!

[Philos3]

I think the recliner idea is excellent, a must at my age. Better to put one in yourself, rather than the mfg or dealer, as you did.

I have no idea how well the Isata rides. Maybe bclemens could talk about any suspension tweaks they did or options, like a rear air ride? I know that Airstream offers an air ride suspension in the rear for their touring Mercedes.

I don't trust dealers (often clueless or outright liars), but at an RV fair when I brought up the suspension, PW and LT salesmen argued that an air ride made things worse, but on the Airstream forum the owners said it improved the ride.

(As to sag...my guess is install the rear air ride.)

I think all these type MH are basically for touring or weekend trips, and have fairly light payload capacities.

[yojohn]

Looks great one more request pictures of Black leather valances

[Jasonhardi]

Yep - our next improvement is to install Timbren SRS heavy duty rear suspension hollow rubber springs to deliver a progressive spring rate. thus (we hope) will reduce rear sag and provide better progressive suspension response. I'll report on these next after I get them installed.

[Jasonhardi]

The entire valence project to get them reupholstered was around $200.

[Jasonhardi]

The total cost to replace the original recliners was around $1600. The new sofa/jack knife sofa was made for us at: www.shop4seats.com. Excellent quality, long build time.

[WolfWhistle]

Originally Posted by Jasonhardi

The total cost to replace the original recliners was around $1600. The new sofa/jack knife sofa was made for us at: Home page. Excellent quality, long build time.

shop4seat.com

Nice looking rig!
W

[J nelson]

That recliner is gorgeous!

[Hoo]

I've been doing a bit of online research on the Isata 3 as a possible upgrade to our current 2015 Winnebago Trend 23L. (Closest Dynamax dealer is an hour away and they have only the FW model.

Initially chose the Trend over the more expensive Winnebago View for several reasons--wanted nimble RV that could go most anywhere, also cost was a factor as this was our initial foray into RVing and was uncertain whether it really was for us. Cost of maintenance for the Dodge ProMaster vs Mercedes Sprinter chassis is certainly a factor, as is perceived much superior acceleration of the Dodge over the Mercedes as well as perceived better road manners with it being less subject to side winds and truck shear given the fact that it is nearly a foot shorter in height with a lower center of gravity. This is not without tradeoffs--less interior room, fewer amenities/niceties in the ProMaster model, lack of towing capacity, etc. Of course these two Winnebago models are fairly analogous to the Dynamax REV and Isata 3, respectively.

After nearly 1 year's experience, although I love the drivability of the ProMaster, I've become irritated with it's shortcomings, at least in the Winnebago product. These include but are not limited to: a leaky roof (took dealer 3 attempts to fix, but now seems watertight), marginal refrigerator function in hot weather (seems to be improved with installation of baffles and exterior cooling fan after prolonged back & forth between Winnebago/Dealer/& Norcold), balky on-demand hot water heater (Girard) which was broken on delivery, replaced, but far from optimal with fluctuating temperatures, etc., kitchen drawer that literally fell apart, leaky toilet seal, loud generator (quieted somewhat with installation of a resonator), etc. Also have had mice invade the RV during storage this winter, so I assume there are areas they gaining access to the RV that were not properly sealed.

My wife and I and our boxer dog fit snugly in the RV, but could use a little more room. However, this would come at the expense of drivability and maneuverability--would really have loved to have gotten a B class RV if it weren't for the wet bath, low ceilings (I'm 6'5" in shoes), and lack of storage (for golf bags, etc).

So at this point I'm considering a possible upgrade, and have been frustrated with Winnebago quality. Therefore, Winnebago View might not be the best solution. Have read a lot about the Leisure Travel Vans and Pleasure-Way models, but they are quite expensive, more than I'd like to spend. Leisure Travel Vans especially look nice, but they appear to be in high demand, with little discounting in price and I suspect they have their own issues, though possibly less onerous and prevalent.

Isata 3 looks nice, and seems to have some features that the View lacks, but how does the quality compare with Winnebago (or LTV and Pleasure-Way? Reading this forum does raise some concerns. How responsive is Dynamax regarding issues--and do they support their dealer network well for warranty work? I note that Dynamax has a 2 year warranty on the coach vs 1 year for Winnebago.

Also, I understand that OCCC is an issue coming in under 1000 lbs in some configurations of the Isata 3 (Our OCCC in the Trend is >1400 lbs even though it is a smaller lighter coach, but the rear axle is heavily loaded and most of the storage is in the rear, so that is an issue). Is there a difference between the OCCC for the FW and RW Isata floorplans?

How are the slides--who manufacturers them, how reliable? Does the FW coach actually lean with the slide out (I heard at least one report of that)? With the slides in does the bed have to fold up in both models, and can the sheets/bedding be left on if that is the case? Advantages of RV vs FW floorplans--i.e. in OCCC, exterior storage, etc.? How does the Isata handle--does the Hellwig sway bar make much of a difference and compensate for the higher center of gravity vis-à-vis the ProMaster models (Trend & REV). How about the acceleration, is it adequate? Trend reportedly has a 0-60 time of 15+ seconds vs 24+ seconds for the View--I assume the Isata 3 is similar to the View.

Thanks for any input. I'm debating whether to put up with my current RVs shortcomings or upgrade and possibly face new and additional annoyances and problems.

[Philos3]

Have enjoyed your post because of some of the parallels to my research and the thought process I have gone through. I have not done just a bit, but a lot of research on all the classes over 4 years now.

My wife has been pushing for me to buy a B, but a B+ seemed better because my wife doesn't want a wet bath (yes mobility/nimble was a key consideration). We have a 75 pound boxer puppy name Mace who is 1.5 years old. However, I am currently in the process of purchasing an Airstream trailer and a Ford truck...wife has agreed to my having priority in that decision.

Note: I was not impressed by the Dynamax Isata 3 at the RV show I went to...but you might be...all has to do with ones expectations.

I think you are not going to get the quality you will be satisfied with at the price points you are focused on and have been living with. None of these issues you have pointed out are a surprise to me.

The primary way to get the quality you want at your price point is to buy used. Regardless, you will continue to have problems on your journey. Lots of compromises have to be made to put a lot in a small space and quality costs..and usually adds weight.

You will find the payload is commonly very tight, and often ignored or just not known about by a lot of the buyers for the target buyers of the units you have listed.

When I worked for a rental RV place, for 3 months after I retired, where we rented entry level C's, we were always repairing this kind of Cxxp you have listed (official service technician's word).

At some point, you just have to live and accept what you can afford. You are buying a luxury optional wasting/depreciable asset. It isn't supposed to be reliable and you are supposed to be able to afford to throw the money out the windows as you go down the road.

Ask yourself, why are there so many older units out there with low miles on them?

[bclemens]

1. What you experienced with the Girard, is exactly why I immediately halted the Atwood and switched to the way more expensive Truma. The Atwood works fine, when you get all the settings right...but frankly our customers just want to turn the hot water on and it work. Not troubleshoot and balance out the right flow rate.

2. "How responsive is Dynamax regarding issues". I see you only have one post, but feel free to read lots of posts. I am the General Manager for Dynamax and I am on here just about every day. With over 4,000 posts, I want to make sure our customers have a direct line to get answers when their dealer may fall short.

3. OCCC is always an issue with lightweight chassis. Everyone wants every bell and whistle and yet wants maximum OCC. I go to a curved plastic shower door (that gives more elbow room), saves 70lbs, and then someone will complain that they wanted the glass and don't care about weight. I put the glass in and someone complains about CCC. So really you have a lot do do with that. Go with the standard 2 point stabilizers instead of optioning the jacks, save another 150lbs. Stick with the LP gen, save 90 lbs.

3. Our slides are the Power Gear Slim Track. Almost every MFG is running the Schwintec in-wall slide. I don't think it is as forgiving as the Slim Track, but they work the same and both are owned by Lippert now. I have used both and now that everyone is used to installing them, they work pretty well. They are also much easier to service if there is an issue.

4. The bed is hinged. So leave all the sheets on, just lift up and fold it over to bring the slide in. Slide goes out, grab the corner and flip it back down into place.

5. The Helwig sway bar was not my idea. The Sprinter is sprung very light. It makes for a very soft, smooth ride...unfortunately when a truck passes or you turn a corner it creates sway, so retail customers on THIS forum, started adding the Helwig. I saw so many, I went ahead and made it standard on the Sunseeker MBS and of course on the Isata 3 when I came to Dynamax. I test drove one with and one without, and there was NO question that I would make it standard. It also stiffens the sway when just sitting in the coach without the stabilizers down. When I first added the stabilizers, they were hydraulic. That worked to stabilize, but they went down together...no way to operate independently. I have since gone to an electric stabilizer with a separate switch for each foot. This not only saved weight, but also gave you a small ability to level the coach right to left by operating each one independently. I believe we're the only ones using this system, (and now Sunseeker MBS). The goal was to keep as light as possible (max CCC) and yet give you some semblance of leveling without optioning the more expensive and heavier 4 point hydraulic system.

6. 0-60 The thing you have to watch a little is...which Trend/View did they test. For a while, Winnie was offering the View with the 4 cylinder, which I knew from driving the 5 cylinder that it would not perform well. Also, the Trend is much lighter (about 1000 lbs based on GVWR). I personally have NEVER though the Mercedes Sprinter was sluggish. I'd be curious to see that testing data. The Raw vans (Promaster 0-60 8.5 seconds. The V6 Mercedes 12 seconds). But under load...more weight, or towing, I think that diesel engine would perform MUCH better.

[bclemens]

Sorry...I must have been busy this year...over 5,000 posts now.

[hfpnt52]

Hoo-

We have gone through much of the same thought process (think excel spreadsheet). We are downsizing from a 33ft Class A (diesel; just sold Monday!) per my (wife's) request. I want something nimble, easy to drive, etc. We are between a 2015 LTV MB and an Isata 3 FW. We like the 2 year warranty Dynamax offers since we had so many warranty issues with our Class A. We also like the 5k hitch since we will still tow our jeep. And yes, you will have to decide about the level of fit and finish, etc. It will be hard to beat our beautiful maple cabinets in our Class A. The Isata 3 FW offers the most interior room for us which is important since we are downsizing (hubs is a big guy also). I would be a big fan of buying a used one based on our Class A experience but the newer Isata's have some features that I really like.

I appreciate all of Brian's help in this forum. I still have questions for him but hope to answer most of them myself if we can make it to a dealer that actually has some inventory. Feel free to pm me.

[Hoo]

Brian,
Thanks for your quick response. In perusing this forum, I've been impressed with the fact that Dynamax has been actively monitoring and responding to the questions and issues raised. Regarding the acceleration of the Sprinter vs Dodge ProMaster RVs I got that information for the Sprinter (View) from a Motorhome online article-- Winnebago View 24M Sprinter Review published in 2012 and it was for the 6 cylinder engine and the time was actually 23 seconds for 0-60mph. The Trend time was 15.4 sec as quoted in Motorhome article-- WINNEBAGO TREND 23L published online in 2014. That is a significant difference when it comes to merging with traffic or passing.


You didn't really address the differences in OCCC between the two different Isata 3 floorplans. What, on average, is the OCCC for each (without the glass shower door and with the basic 2 jack stabilizers)?


Any comments on comparison of Dynamax Isata vs Winnebago View re quality issues, warranty coverage, important features, or resale, etc. would be appreciated, but I understand it may not be politic to give on this forum.


Differences in handling between the Isata and the REV would also be appreciated (since the REV is presumably very similar to the Trend). The only major handling issue I've had with the Trend/Dodge ProMaster chassis, is that the rear end will scrape over moderate bumps/driveway entrances due to a long rear overhang, as well as brake squeal (Dodge just replaced brake pads under warranty and we'll see if it helps). I note that Ron Lichtsinn of Lichtsinn RV, a major Winnebago dealer and online presence, anecdotally compared the Trend to the View in his own driving experience on one of their many online videos and said the Trend was significantly more stable on the highway in winds and while passing trucks (likely due to lower height, in spite of lack of dual rear wheels on the Trend).

[Philos3]

You didn't really address the differences in OCCC between the two different Isata 3 floorplans.
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If you are worried about payload you probably won't be happy with any mfgs or units in these short classes. These units are over designed and over built to meet the high demands/moving expectations of the public who want something to drive around mostly on the weekends or for short 10 day trips, and trips to the relatives whom they will stay with once there. If that is what you are after, just buy and get going. Pack only the absolute minimum essentials and buy the rest as you go.

Of course, some owners can actually live full time in them, but eccentric exceptions are not for everyone.

Just look at the advertising to determine what the usage is. A recent airstream touring class B shows a couple arriving at their hotel, paying $150k for their Airstream to have while on the road a private potty, an emergency shower, and a hot cup of coffee on the way...with lots of status emanating as they drive up to their luxury hotel.

I think it was Pleasure-Way that touted a multi-week trip to Alaska to prove it could be done...

I saw a couple in a campground and for some reason they showed me the inside of their PW which was full of all their stuff crammed in top to bottom like a junk room...they claimed they were happy and I'm sure they were AND I'm sure they were overloaded...probably weight deniers or just ignorant.
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