Is it advisable for me to buy a 94 Elante?

Roland Trombley · 01-22-2009, 04:03 AM

I wonder if anyone can advise me as to the comfort and drivability of a 37' Winnebago Elante, as compared to another class A of the same vintage, such as a 95 Winnebago Vectra. We have located an Elante that by all accounts is in pristine condition with 35,000 miles on it, but it is 700 miles from home, so I have not had a chance to drive it yet. They are asking $25,000.
We particularly like the low profile and exterior styling of the Elante. I found a local Vectra in good shape near home for half the price, but it is too tall for our taste and I don't need the basement storage, etc.

Can anyone comment about the handling of these units (Elante) on the road? It is the 37' model with a tag axle. We have 2000 Suzuki Grand Vitara that we comfortably tow with our 2004 Chevy Class C motorhome. Would the Elante tow the Suzuki as well as our class C does? How much engine noise does the Elante have on the highway, as compared to other class A units? I have driven a 1999 Ford based Damon Intruder and it was just too noisy. I also drove a 2004 Damon Challenger which is quieter than the 99 Intruder, but noisier than our class C. Our Class C is very quiet on the road. Will the Elante likely be noisier to drive than the Class C?

Buying an Elante may be a carzy idea, but I saw one last summer when we went out to the Black Hills and I really liked the sleek look and the low profile of the Elante. I had never seen one before. I spoke to the owner, but it didn't occur to me at the time to get his contact information. We also collect antique cars, so aesthetically, at least, the age of the Elante is not an issue for us. I do have reservations, though, about the comfort and reliability of the Elante as compared with our Class C, since we like to take trips over 1000 miles from home.

We really enjoy our class C. It is a Four Winds 5000 28A on the Chevy chassis. It is very comfortable and quiet to drive and really no noisier than driving a car. It is still in excellent shape, but of course this is an entry level unit, and we'd like to get something a little larger. I don't like the newer motorhomes, partly because we like to travel on secondary roads and try to avoid the big interstates when it is practical. It seems that all the newer units are much taller than ours to accomodate the basement storage, etc. Our Four Winds works out well because it is fairly low to the ground and we don't have to worry too much about hitting tree braches, etc. on the back roads.
Any comments would be appreciated.
Thanks

smlranger · 01-22-2009, 04:32 AM

Welcome to the forum

. Regardless of which RV you have or end up with, you will find this a most helpful and informative RV website.

I have also placed your question in our Vintage RV area to expand the possibilities for feedback.

DonGee · 01-22-2009, 07:21 AM

At one time the Elante was top of the line . Because of it's styling cupboard space was lost. The tag made for a smooth ride although you lose some manuverability. With only 35 K miles it has sat for a long time and I would suspect the rubber components may be dried out, the brake and other fluids could be stagnant and if the tires are more than 5, years old they should be replaced. Only a visual exam and test drive will answer your other questions.Caveat Emptor.
Don, WIT 70041

bluegrasser · 01-23-2009, 04:12 PM

While we don't have an Elante, we do have an 89 Itasca Sunflyer which has a similar profile to the Elante, ie. low & aerodynamic, slightly narrower at the roofline than at the floorline. We find ours has excellent road manners and does not have much of the rolling sway that some of the taller coaches have. There is some engine noise, but not what we would call objectionable. We boondock most of the time and find the systems are more than adequate for 4 or 5 days without hookups. We've had ours since new, and done all the usual maintenance things and obviously since we've kept it this long are well satisfied with it. We still look at newer units, but when we boil it all down we still love ours. We like the looks, the handling, storage and comfort, and thts what it's all about.

Good luck making your decision

bluegrasser · 01-23-2009, 04:21 PM

Roland, forgot to mention, pay particular attention to the ceiling, they don't usually leak, but I have seen some problems with the fabric type headliner sagging down.

Izzyblueye · 01-24-2009, 04:01 AM

Interesting point on the sagging ceiling. It did happen even on some much later standard coaches. Winnebago has a fix for this. They install ribs color matched to ceiling, this corrects the problem. You can hardly notice them. The also can offer wood ribs for contrast.

Roland Trombley · 01-24-2009, 01:09 PM

Bluegraser,

Thank you for your helpful comments. I really appreciate them. I'm not familiar with the Itaska Sunflier. I'll have to look that up. Do you do any owing with your? I'm hopeful that the Elante can tow our Suzuki Grand Vitara.

Homer...thank you also for the tip regarding the ceiling. I have seen a photos inside couple of other Elantes and the ceiling s were coming down. This particular
Elante does not appear to have that problem, but if I go ahead and buy it and the ceiling comes down, thanks to you I'll know how to fix it.

Roland Trombley · 01-24-2009, 01:53 PM

Bluegrasser,

Please pardon my poor typing. I meant to ask...do you do any towing with yours?

)

Roland

bluegrasser · 01-26-2009, 05:06 AM

Roland: No I've never towed anything, all my other vehicles have been a bit big for towing, Suburbans & Expeditions. If we are at a destination for a week or so we find it convenient to just rent a small car for a few days. That way we don't have the hassle at gas stops etc. I'm sure there would be no problem towing a Suzuki Grand Vitara or similar. we have friends that tow similar vehicles without problems, the drive train is certainly up to it. I didn't know about the ribs to solve the saggy ceiling problem I will pass that on to a friend who has the saggy ceiling trouble.

blacktie.shooter · 02-10-2009, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Roland Trombley:
I wonder if anyone can advise me as to the comfort and drivability of a 37' Winnebago Elante, as compared to another class A of the same vintage, such as a 95 Winnebago Vectra.

Roland - Just passing on a couple thoughts:<LI>Tow capacity - You need to know the GCVW and the GVW; the difference is the tow capacity, as long as the coach is not loaded over the GVW. We had a 31' 1989 Suncruiser, and the capacity was stamped right in the receiver: 3,000 lbs. Since you are talking a 37'er, and with a tag axle on undoubtedly a P30 chassis, it may be a little less. That said, I don't think towing a Suzuki Vitara would really be a huge problem, as long as you don't overdo it too much. No Pikes Peak hillclimbs. I say this because our coach, with the heavy Oshkosh John Deere chassis, has a theoretical capacity of 2,000 lbs, and we tow our '99 Saturn SL2 all over. We did switch the engine and tranny to full synthetic specifically to guard against heat, #1 tranny killer.
<LI>I almost always buy used, and always try to buy top of the line, as you are doing. If you are ever disappointed in your coach, it won't be for that reason. The Elante was a very nice coach, and yeah, you do lose a little efficiency in your cabinet storage, buy you make up for it in other ways - crosswinds, for example. That soft "chine" at the roofline makes a big difference.
<LI>The condition of the tires, unless brand new, will depend a lot on how the coach was stored. My tires are heading for five years, but still good tread, and more importantly, not a single sidewall or shoulder sun/ozone crack that we can find. It's like new tires in a warehouse; if they are out of the sun, weather, and off of the blacktop, they will not age nearly as badly as sitting outside under a coach that never gets moved.<LI>Our Itasca was carbureted, with a three-speed tranny. It started every single time; set the choke, get your foot the heck off the gas pedal, and turn the key. Then just give it a couple minutes to warm up, so the choke opens, and away you go. A '94 may be fuel injected, not sure; definitely OK either way. The only thing I would have preferred tranny-wise would have been a little better compression braking in second gear. Also, if yours is a four-speed, do NOT lug the engine while towing. Trying to leave it in fourth while towing uphill is going to buy you problems - not unique to the Elante, applies to any Chev/GMC, nor, for that matter, to my Ford/C6.

Enjoy!