First Time Post!!

[brianh442]

Greeting's

I've been lurking in the shadows on this forum for the last couple of months, just reading thru the hundreds of posts on here, trying to get a feel for the Dynamax experience! Well, I must admit, I'm very impressed with the product, it's users and more importantly the corporate culture of the manufacturer.

We have a Thor class A coach, our 3rd RV over the years. Having had a really bad experience with the corporate culture of Thor, it is truly refreshing to see a person like Mr Clemens who has Mo-Jo within the company to make things happen and to effect change actively working on this forum to help coach owners with their problems, big and small.

I like that he is not just here to put fires out and trying to save face for the company, but he's actually working to make the product better by listening to the folks who know the product best, the end users. Dynamax owners seem to be well informed in the product and from the posts I've read have made some really great suggestions that Mr Clemens has taken back to the production team and they've implemented them. 2 examples are; the addition of the fireplace and TV by the door and the other being the addition of a second 3,000 watt-inverter to run the coach AC unit!

We are sold on the Dynamax XL and are now in the process of figuring which floor plan we like the most and waiting to see what upgrades and changes are in store for the next evolution of the production line. I do have a couple of questions for current owners of the XL, DX-3 and Force;

1) For those that have owned or driven a gas Class A coach, how is the noise level compared to your current XL, DX-3 or Force?

2) For those that have owned a diesel pusher coach, what's the comparison in ease of driving, maneuvering, parking etc?

3) For the XL, DX-3 and Force owners how hard is it to wash, dry and wax your rigs? In particular drying that huge cab-over area must be difficult?

4) My only real concern for the XL is the roof, how do you inspect or clean your roof? I live in the Pacific NW with lots of pine trees, it's not uncommon to have hundreds of pine needles and a dozen or more pine cones drop onto my roof while camping up in the hills.

My current coach has a rear roof ladder, I'm able to use my 6 foot ladder to climb further up my rear ladder to access my roof. I typically climb up there 3 or 4 times a year to clean and inspect the roof, and use a rubber roof cleaner and UV protector.

I recently had a problem with my Winegard Trav'ler while on the road. I was able to call Wingard customer support and they had me climb onto my roof to inspect and take pictures of my roof mounted dish.

If I were camping in the XL, how would I have accessed my roof to take those pictures?

I know this is a little long, I just have a couple of questions for Mr Clemens;

1) Are there any plans for a King tilt-bed on the XL line?

2) Any plans for privacy curtains in the drivers cab area?

3) On the Bunk House model, any plans on adding the ability to fold those bunks up, to allow for storage when the bunks are not being used?

Thanks for all on this forum who take the time to answer questions and share your insights with others, your input and information is well appreciated!!

And thank you to Mr Clemens for taking the time to be available to your customers and making a difference!!

Brian

[letsgorving]

Hi Brian, welcome to the forum!! I can answer a couple questions.....we have a 2018 DX3 BH floorplan, came from a Tiffin Phaeton.

1) It is noisier upfront (obviously) but it doesn't bother us. The music always playing
2) Our DP was about the same length, my husband does most of the driving. He can maneuver the DX3 for parking and within campgrounds etc easier and prefers driving it over the DP. We were always pushed around by the semi's and winds with the DP, not the DX3, it is SO solid on the road.
3) Washing it pretty much as hard as the DP, tough getting to the top, we don't have the cab over so can't share about that
4) Yes no outside ladder, looks better without it. Most buy a 15ft telescoping ladder and keep it on board. We do, easy to pull out and put up.

On question #3 for BC, we have the bunkhouse and just pile whatever we want in the bunks when they're not being used, close the curtains. Some have remodeled their bunk area, took the top bunk out etc. maybe they'll chime in.

Best of luck to you on whatever you decide!!

[brianh442]

Thank you,

This is the feedback I'm looking for! We were actually looking at a couple different Tiffin models as well as Entegra and Fleetwood!

Brian

[joet19711]

brianh442:

1) For those that have owned or driven a gas Class A coach, how is the noise level compared to your current XL, DX-3 or Force? We have had two DP, there is a little engine noise up in the cab of the DX3, but I have a diesel pickup truck so I dont notice any noise.

2) For those that have owned a diesel pusher coach, what's the comparison in ease of driving, maneuvering, parking etc? DX3 driving is the best part of the drive. There is almost no wind or trucking passing that affects you. It is a breeze to maneuver and to park. It is like driving a pick up truck.

3) For the XL, DX-3 and Force owners how hard is it to wash, dry and wax your rigs? In particular drying that huge cab-over area must be difficult? No harder than any other MH to wash/wax Do not have a cab over..

4) My only real concern for the XL is the roof, how do you inspect or clean your roof? I live in the Pacific NW with lots of pine trees, it's not uncommon to have hundreds of pine needles and a dozen or more pine cones drop onto my roof while camping up in the hills. We all have collapsible \ladder that you can purchase from Amazon. It fits in my passenger side rear bin that is a partial pass thru. Fits there and takes up very little room.

I have had mine for almost two years and have 21,500 miles on it and dont think that I would go back to a Class A/DP.
The factory service is exceptional as well as the GM (you all ready know that)
and the people here on the forum are very knowledgeable and are forthcoming with information that helps us all.

If you choose a Dynamax you will love the ride.

[bclemens]

Originally Posted by brianh442

1) Are there any plans for a King tilt-bed on the XL line?

2) Any plans for privacy curtains in the drivers cab area?

3) On the Bunk House model, any plans on adding the ability to fold those bunks up, to allow for storage when the bunks are not being used?

Thanks for all on this forum who take the time to answer questions and share your insights with others, your input and information is well appreciated!!

And thank you to Mr Clemens for taking the time to be available to your customers and making a difference!!

Brian

1. we have looked at the tilt-bed several times. Mainly on the smaller stuff to eliminate the the hinged mattress, but the travel depth was not enough to make it work. If you do order an XL...we have been wanting to try out a tilt bed, so request it and we'll see if we can make it work. If it works, that could be a feature for the 2021.

2. We used to do a privacy curtain...but with the swivel seats and more things on the dash, the curtain hindered access. So we went to the reflective shades. While they don't look as "refined", they are ABSOLUTELY functional. They do a great job of keeping the cab cooler, dash protected from the sun, provide full access to all the nooks and crannies on the dash, dash controls, CB, etc.

I understand the vanity involved with wanting it to "look good" as well, but I have struggled with that. I have tried to get fabric on the back side, but they are not interested. There is a local vendor, and I can get you their contact info, that makes a "sunbrella" style cab shade for the M2 (like the reflective shade) but at a MUCH higher cost. I have not bene able to justify the added cost just to make it look a little better on the inside and lose the reflective portion on the outside...but I could be swayed if that was more of a buying decision. Especially when there are so many other aftermarket options that one can tailor to suit them.

3. The top bunk is currently built in two pieces. I don't know that it can be "folded" up, but it does come out. I think we only hold it in with a couple of screws just to keep it in place.

[joet19711]

bruanh442:

Here is a picture of what I did with my top bunk
2/3 of top is removable. As you can see we use top 1/3 for a shelve to store
things

[brianh442]

Originally Posted by joet19711

brianh442:

1) For those that have owned or driven a gas Class A coach, how is the noise level compared to your current XL, DX-3 or Force? We have had two DP, there is a little engine noise up in the cab of the DX3, but I have a diesel pickup truck so I dont notice any noise.

2) For those that have owned a diesel pusher coach, what's the comparison in ease of driving, maneuvering, parking etc? DX3 driving is the best part of the drive. There is almost no wind or trucking passing that affects you. It is a breeze to maneuver and to park. It is like driving a pick up truck.

3) For the XL, DX-3 and Force owners how hard is it to wash, dry and wax your rigs? In particular drying that huge cab-over area must be difficult? No harder than any other MH to wash/wax Do not have a cab over..

4) My only real concern for the XL is the roof, how do you inspect or clean your roof? I live in the Pacific NW with lots of pine trees, it's not uncommon to have hundreds of pine needles and a dozen or more pine cones drop onto my roof while camping up in the hills. We all have collapsible \ladder that you can purchase from Amazon. It fits in my passenger side rear bin that is a partial pass thru. Fits there and takes up very little room.

I have had mine for almost two years and have 21,500 miles on it and dont think that I would go back to a Class A/DP.
The factory service is exceptional as well as the GM (you all ready know that)
and the people here on the forum are very knowledgeable and are forthcoming with information that helps us all.

If you choose a Dynamax you will love the ride.

Thanks for the input, Other than my Kubota tractor, I've never owned anything with a diesel engine before. We have friends that previously owned a Seneca, they traded out of that into a Fleetwood Bounder. They said they were tired of the floor plan. He drives delivery for UPS, he recently told me the Bounder rides better than the Seneca did!?!? I've never driven a Super C, so I have no comparison.

Thanks again for the info!!

B

[brianh442]

Originally Posted by bclemens

1. we have looked at the tilt-bed several times. Mainly on the smaller stuff to eliminate the the hinged mattress, but the travel depth was not enough to make it work. If you do order an XL...we have been wanting to try out a tilt bed, so request it and we'll see if we can make it work. If it works, that could be a feature for the 2021.

2. We used to do a privacy curtain...but with the swivel seats and more things on the dash, the curtain hindered access. So we went to the reflective shades. While they don't look as "refined", they are ABSOLUTELY functional. They do a great job of keeping the cab cooler, dash protected from the sun, provide full access to all the nooks and crannies on the dash, dash controls, CB, etc.

I understand the vanity involved with wanting it to "look good" as well, but I have struggled with that. I have tried to get fabric on the back side, but they are not interested. There is a local vendor, and I can get you their contact info, that makes a "sunbrella" style cab shade for the M2 (like the reflective shade) but at a MUCH higher cost. I have not bene able to justify the added cost just to make it look a little better on the inside and lose the reflective portion on the outside...but I could be swayed if that was more of a buying decision. Especially when there are so many other aftermarket options that one can tailor to suit them.

3. The top bunk is currently built in two pieces. I don't know that it can be "folded" up, but it does come out. I think we only hold it in with a couple of screws just to keep it in place.

Thanks for the great info, I like the idea of functionality over refined. Keeping the rig cool during the day is nice, but more so for privacy and for keeping prying eyes out!

The tilt a bed would be nice option!

Thanks again,

B

[brianh442]

Originally Posted by joet19711

bruanh442:

Here is a picture of what I did with my top bunk
2/3 of top is removable. As you can see we use top 1/3 for a shelve to store
things

That looks really nice, best of both worlds, you have the bed space, plus room for more stuff!!

Thanks,

B

[caseymyers]

Originally Posted by brianh442

That looks really nice, best of both worlds, you have the bed space, plus room for more stuff!!

Thanks,

B

I've owned a couple of DP's and I prefer the super c style for the cab and the handling. I have a small one (the I 5) and it performs very well, handles like a dream, with lots of power, no comparison to a gas rig or a Class A.

[halla]

I have owned three Super C’s, two of them Dynamax. Do I cannot answer the DP questions, other than we test drove a few of them and didnt like the way they drove.

Washing and waxing is pretty easy with the right tools, if you search the forum there are a lot of suggestions on cleaning. I have a scaffold that helps me clean and wax the cabover.

Welcome to the forum, good luck picking out your rig.

[Mr. Jiggles]

Originally Posted by brianh442

Thanks for the great info, I like the idea of functionality over refined. Keeping the rig cool during the day is nice, but more so for privacy and for keeping prying eyes out!

The tilt a bed would be nice option!

Thanks again,

B

Hi Brian, i believe what it really comes down to is how comfortable YOU are in that space. Everyone is different and has different needs or has a certain level of agility. I have the Isata 5 and have only put less than 6000 miles on it. However, I have put over a million miles in the seat of a tractor trailer. I have driven so many different class 8 trucks that I know what I think is comfortable and the ride of my Isata 5 on rough areas of the interstate sucks. I am convinced that the XL/DX rides much better. It's a completely different frame and suspension plus larger tires.
I have no problem transitioning from the living area to the drivers seat but the wife does (1 bad leg). It requires a small amount of acrobatic maneuvers but I think you will find that it is much easier in the M2 frame rigs. Dynamax in general is a pretty well built rig when you consider all of the components that go into making one. All of us on here have experienced some level of frustration with things that don't work as well as we think they should (some not working at all). Hopefully yours will be problem free but you either need to be quite handy at fixing things or have a lot of $$ and patience to have someone else do it.
Good luck with your purchase!

[MasterBlaster]

We took our top bunk out and made a sitting area with a larger tv in it. We still can put the bunk back in if we need to, I attached the two halves together and they sit under the bottom bunk mattress until needed.

[brianh442]

Originally Posted by MasterBlaster

We took our top bunk out and made a sitting area with a larger tv in it. We still can put the bunk back in if we need to, I attached the two halves together and they sit under the bottom bunk mattress until needed.

That looks amazing! Great work!!
Thank you for sharing those pic's

B

[brianh442]

Originally Posted by halla

I have owned three Super C’s, two of them Dynamax. Do I cannot answer the DP questions, other than we test drove a few of them and didnt like the way they drove.

Washing and waxing is pretty easy with the right tools, if you search the forum there are a lot of suggestions on cleaning. I have a scaffold that helps me clean and wax the cabover.

Welcome to the forum, good luck picking out your rig.

That's good to know! We currently have a 35 foot class A. Washing is pretty easy. I start on the roof with a cleaner, followed up with a UV protector. I actually clean the front top cap, (above the windshield) while I'm on the roof. After I rinse that front cap, I wonder back down the ladder and start washing the body. It generally takes me 3 to 4 hours to clean the roof, clean the awning, wash the body, clean wheels and squeegee the body and windows. If I have help I can knock it out in about 2 hours!!

I'm a firm believer in the motto; "A clean rig is a happy rig, and a happy rig is a good running rig" Not to mention it's a very big investment, I want to protect it!!!

Thanks again,

B

[letsgorving]

Masterblaster you also took out some of the wall at the foot of the bunks. Was that easy to do/did it involve moving wiring etc?

[MasterBlaster]

Originally Posted by letsgorving

Masterblaster you also took out some of the wall at the foot of the bunks. Was that easy to do/did it involve moving wiring etc?

Was not hard at all, worst part was finding all the screws that held it in place. Once the screws are out the wall came out without a problem. No wiring in that wall that needed to be dealt with. Overall was a fairly easy project to do. The only down side to doing it is that you cant completely close off the bedroom with the bedroom door, but you can with the door between the kitchen and bathroom.

[letsgorving]

Originally Posted by MasterBlaster

Was not hard at all, worst part was finding all the screws that held it in place. Once the screws are out the wall came out without a problem. No wiring in that wall that needed to be dealt with. Overall was a fairly easy project to do. The only down side to doing it is that you cant completely close off the bedroom with the bedroom door, but you can with the door between the kitchen and bathroom.

Good to know thanks!!