Quote:
Originally Posted by Carolina Liz
We're thinking of buying an Adventurer 29B. I'm interested in hearing your concerns about the F53 chassis as well as your overall opinion about the coach. Thanks
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Purchased ours in March, 2021. In May/June traveled 5,000 miles from ATL to LAV and 7 national parks in Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. Towing a 2020 Chevy Equinox. Some observations, comparing this chassis to my previous 28' class C with the same wheelbase but the V10 and a 15,000 lb. chassis and no toad. I've put about 7,000 on it as of this post.
MILEAGE: Averaged 7.7 MPG at a maximum cruise speed of 65 -- toad limited. Hoped for better, as the class C average 9-to-10 while keeping at 70 MPH or more. I'm chalking it up to the higher gross weight, added toad, and aerodynamics.
HANDLING: It has a tighter turning radius than a class C of the same wheelbase, which is great in the campgrounds and in gas stations (just watch the toad)! Added Safe-T-Plus steering stabilizer before the trip to help reduce steering wander and the impact of cross-winds and passing trucks. It works as advertised! Still, it has a higher profile and center of gravity than a class C, so it's going to be impacted more by wind and in how it handles turns at highway speeds. Sway seemed somewhat better than the similarly sized class C. I might add Sumo Springs to the back to tame sway some more. Also, on the few times I got it up to 70+ MPH while passing or downhill, I noted that the steering seemed to get lighter (it wandered more and took less effort to turn the wheel), which was a little disconcerting, as it seemed "loose". I'm wondering if aero or tires has something to do with it.
ENGINE: The V8 pulls well accelerating onto freeway and cruises well at 65 MPH (about 2,200 RPM). Quieter at cruise than the class C by a wide margin (67 dB in the class A vs. 87 dB in class C before I modded it). Engine screams bloody murder when going up or down mountain grades of 6%, 8%, or 10%. It freaked me out when some cooling fans kicked in the first time on a long grade -- sounded like some turboprop airplane. Engine consistently climbed big grades at over 4,000 RPM in 3rd gear to hold 40-to 45 MPH. Same going downhill with engine braking. Not much different from my experience in the class C, but noticeably louder. There is also a fair amount of heat and noise coming from the doghouse, but no worse than the class C.
RIDE: Kind of a wash compared to the class C. The new A seems to exhibit less sway, but you can still feel every expansion joint or rough patch, especially through the steering wheel. The C had air bags in the rear, which seemed to soften some of the ride, at least in the back. It's still a truck.
TOWING: This was a first for me. Used the set up recommended by many -- Roadmaster base plates and tow bar with Stay-and-Play Duo braking system. Fast and easy connect and disconnect. Towed like a dream, wouldn't have known it was in back there if I didn't have a camera watching it.
OVERALL: We love the floorplan, and are very pleased with the 29B, it fits our needs perfectly. Our biggest concerns have been related to manufacturing quality control (or lack thereof). While overall fit, finish and quality are very good, there have been a few things that should have been caught before they (I'm not the only one with issues) rolled them out to the dealer. You'll find those with some searches on this and iRV2 forums. I'm also concerned about being at or over the GVRW weight limit when fully loaded, which is another reason for me to add the Sumo Springs.
IF YOU BUY IT -- YOU'RE THE BUYER, YOU CALL THE SHOTS: Go over it with a fine tooth comb before you sign any purchase papers. Make sure everything (appliances, drawers, plumbing, electronics, etc., works as it should. Check to see if any TSB's have been taken care of (get documentation). Take it on a test drive of at least 10-to-15 miles (including 5+ freeway miles) to get a feel for it and, again, make sure everything works and it's road-worthy. Make a punch list to be fixed (and checked again) before you sign the papers. Don't waste money on any extended coach or tire warranties of any kind. Be willing to walk away if the dealer isn't cooperative.
Good luck!