Tell me where the structural integrity is-

[dentmac]

(after listening to the Spartan Walk Around LINK) the design/planning of serviceable items is terrific.(filters etc). Air drain lanyards-Hadley control location.
Locations for items were designed/chosen, not bolted in for build symplicity.
Great looking 20,000 front axle designed like the Prevost, not multi-link. Twin Steering gears makes sense and the channel steel forward of the driver/passenger for protection!
Now engineer in the "Roll over" strength without getting to a $1 Mill.
Ross

(12-05-2013 14:17)davidbrady Wrote:  I agree Mike, the Spartan chassis is an excellent starting point, especially the K3, but even the Mountain Master does well I believe in Entegra's application because Entegra built what they call the X-Bridge frame around the Spartan MM. This adds a lot of bending and torsional strength to the basement. Another area where there can be a lot of strength is in the roof, especially if it's engineered well like in our Wanderlodges. The roof combined with the walls can be thought of as a beam where the walls are the webbing and the roof is the flange. If the walls are stout enough to transmit bending and torsion forces from the basement to the roof, and if the roof is well done, then the chassis can be adequately stiff in bending and torsion. This Entegra has three walls on each side of the motorhome to act as webbing and these walls seem to be well built. So to answer Ernie's question, the strength is in the X-Bridge Spartan based basement framework and the roof and the three stub walls. I bet this thing is stronger than it appears and probably adequately strong. Is it BB School Bus tough? No way! Is it a million mile chassis? Probably not.

[Arcticdude]

[/quote]
A new Newell is easily $1.5 million or more and likely the same for a Bird if they were still made. Very few folks have that kind of coin.
[/quote]

I would disagree here. Newell has listed coach #1499 on their site and coach #1517 is already sold to a former bird owner. The money is there, for sure.

[davidbrady]

(12-05-2013 04:04)mhughes01 Wrote:  A new Newell is easily $1.5 million or more and likely the same for a Bird if they were still made. Very few folks have that kind of coin.

Does Newell still offer a 20% discount to buyers who don't have trade-ins?

[Arcticdude]

While I would appreciate the discount VERY much, I still won't be buying a new one anytime soon! Coach 1499 is $1.7. It's just touch out of reach!

[dentmac]

Newell integrety

[AC7880]

I found this link (at bottom) on how this coach is built - fairly unique.

Upsides - reinforced Spartan Chassis, and excellent insulation R values.
Downside - not a bus shell. Any 4 slide coach from any builder does not seem like the overall shell could be strong? All those open spaces with slide out rooms weakening the integrity of the overall coach?

Apparently original design type was lifted from Newmar (hung wall construction vs laminated walls), then taken over to Travel Supreme who had a good rep, but did have some random windshields popping out when the coach was leveled (until reinforcing cross bracing was installed by owners and recalls). Entegra (under Jayco) took the Travel Supreme and modified it to this build type in the link below.

I wonder how this build method holds up over time when compared to the laminated side walls most Class As are using? David - any engineering viewpoint on the methods vs laminated?

Safe link to see how they build them: http://www.rvcruzer.com/2012_anthem.php

[davidbrady]

Hi Dan,

Sorry, I'm not up on the differences between hung versus laminated walls. I know that where the wall attaches to the floor is a highly stressed area, and both Prevost and Blue Bird take that connection seriously, both use gussetts. I'd be concerned over Entegra's use of a handful of bolts. Dan, are you considering a move?

[ernie ekberg]

if you like OSB on your floors- choose Monaco, Newmar, Alpine.

[Teebone]

Good structrural integrity around the engine......

[mhughes01]

(02-06-2014 21:57)Teebone Wrote:  Good structrural integrity around the engine......

It's all in the Bluebirds. Even Newell's are just aluminum.