A Women's RV Forum run by Women RVer's!

Starting to look, even though purchase isn't now. Anyone here have feedback on Four Winds Motorhomes? Quality? Corporate backing? I'm liking the 24C, but it's only just been introduced this year (2013 model year), so it's hard to find out much about it. Instead I'm looking for input on the company itself.

Ellen,

I can't help you with that model or manufacturer. What I did when I started looking was do searches on RV forums for any postings about the 2 models I was interested in. You will get good and bad postings that way.

Ellen,
My former motorhome was a Four Winds Chateau Citation 21B. The company is owned by Thor which is pretty much two guys that formed a corporation and used the first two letters of each of their last names to come up with Thor. They also own Coachmen and a bunch of other rv companies and non-rv companies. I think most manufacturers will take care of any problems you have due to manufacturer defect within their warranty period. The key is to find the deal you want at a good dealer that has a good service department.

My motorhome was a B+ meaning it had an entertainment center above the cab, not a bed. I liked the size and it worked good for just me. I used the gaucho sofa for a bed and didn't really like it. That's just me. I couldn't get comfortable on it no matter what I put on top of it to make it flatter. Because it had a crease in the middle of it, I would get stuck on one position all night. I have a small back issue so would wake up sore every day.

The quality of the Citation line was about what I expected for the price I got it for which was pretty good on sale. I only had one major issue with it and it was that the radio on the dash was wired directly to the battery so I was not able to turn it off. It was annoying to have to use the coach battery to start the engine. I took it to a Four Winds dealer and they fixed it. I didn't have any other issues. It was a breeze to drive and easy to wash because it was so small. I didn't have any cupboard doors fall off or anything like that. It was a solid unit. As Dawn said above, its all about personal preference. There are good and not so good rigs out there no matter how much you pay for it.

As others have said before, find the floor plan that works for you and go from there. There are probably multiple manufacturers out there that make similar floor plans. I found that while researching the trailer I recently purchased. I had it narrowed down to about 5 manufacturers that all had this floor plan. Some had more options than this one, but my Jayco has a 2 year warranty and that won out over all the others with more options that also came with a higher price. I only needed something for weekend camping so only having a little 14' box on wheels is perfect for me. So, its about what YOU want.

Laura

Ellen,
Last winter I did a lot of research on rv's. There is a web-site Rv Consumer. He has done a lot of research and rates all classes of motorhomes and companies. I think he charges a small fee but I thought it was worth it. I found his information very helpful.
CLynn

Truthfully - you'll find good and bad on ALL the mh's if you go looking. If I'd listened to people, wouldn't have bought my rig. After 8 years fulltime in it (and I bought it 6 years old) I'm so glad I didn't listen. Oh, wouldn't have bought this size if I'd listened either. I'm a firm believer - look at the individual rig for the price you're paying. Yes, I could have bought a more "high-end" rig - and would have paid the way more high end price.

When I had the solar installed, the rv person who did it (who has worked on rv's for over 30 years) was very impressed with many of the little touches inside my rig - and how things were put together. Said for one of the less expensive brands, he was seeing some better work than in some of the more expensive. Then again, I also can see where some short cuts were taken - all of which I can live with. The Ford engine would have been identical on the more expensive rigs.

So, I'm a believer in looking and pricing - and if going with one of the more expensive gives you piece of mind - go for it. For me, that wouldn't help at all.

I really have no advice except I would visit all the dealers I could and just have a good look at anything in the length or size you wanted. Actually seeing these rigs , instead of just finding on the net, you can look at the workmanship of the different manufactures. This may help you further in deciding which kind you would like. You can't go by what the ads say, you have to see with your own eyes.

After your purchase, no matter the amount of time you took in deciding, you may still have boo boos, that have to be fixed. The more you investigate by actually seeing the different ones, the less you may have to deal with later. I would not just stick with the "new", several on here have bought really nice r.v's that are a couple yrs old and problems are fewer.

Good luck in your search, you're going to have fun, looking, and hopefully, you will share your experiences with us, so we can enjoy your search too.

CArol

We had a FourWinds XL, 33' Class A, coach made by Thor on a Chevy chassis. Loved it! Over the years we had no major problems with the coach. Each manufacturer (other than a few real high end ones), seem to make low, middle and high end rigs. You can sometimes see the same floor plan with varying price depending on the interior upgrades etc.. leather vs: vinyl vs: fabric furniture, corian vs: other counters, ducted air vs: roof air, well, you get the idea. But most of the 'bones' of an RV do not vary, appliances don't vary much because there aren't a whole lot of choices from manufacturers, they're mostly a 'one size fits most' commodity. Find what will work for you, keep to your financial plan, be willing to compromise a little on items that don't matter too much and have fun!