Fleetwood Tioga Montara 2013

Transcription

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iMotorhome
because getting there is half the fun...
Maiden
Voyage
Delivering the Queen Mary across America...
Review and images by Richard Robertson
Touring Test: Fleetwood RV Tioga Montara 31M
Our first night on the road: Free camping just off the Interstate near Danville, Illinois.
T
he first thing you need to
understand about lowerend US motorhomes
is that they are appliances
intended to be junked after a
relatively short time.
Designed and built to a
price they are cheap to buy,
expensive to run and quickly
become ‘bargains’ in the used
market. Indeed in many ways
they epitomise everything
wrong with America’s
consume-to-excess-andthrow-it-away society.
This ‘test’ vehicle was actually
a brand new Apollo rental
motorhome that we picked up
at the Fleetwood RV factory
in Decatur (pronounced De-
Kate-Err), Indiana. Every
year between March and
June, Apollo needs to move
hundreds of new vehicles
from the factory to its rental
locations in Los Angeles, San
Francisco and Las Vegas.
Consequently, a veritable
motorhome mass migration
takes place each year and the
Good Mrs iMotorhome and I
joined this year’s stampede.
Our vehicle of choice (yes, we
had one) was a Fleetwood
Tioga Montara 31M, complete
with two slide-outs. We could
have opted for the single slide
Tioga Montara 25K, which
was the predominant model
available and would have been
a bit more economical, but
chose the extra space and
comfort instead.
On Apollo’s website these
vehicles have different names
and the rental fleet changes
regularly, so for this story
I’m using the manufacturer’s
model designations. We
quickly christened our vehicle
the Queen Mary due to its size,
thirst and handling prowess:
a name that proved entirely
appropriate.
Moving Ford
T
he smaller/cheaper end
of the US motorhome
market is primarily built
on Ford cab-chassis. By far
On old Route 66 somewhere south of Springfield, Illinois. Note the ill-fitting dinette slide-out at the top,
which would never retract flush.
the most common vehicle type
on the road, the venerable
F-Series Ford is now actually
the E-Series, which means
it can accept ethanol-based
fuel. Interestingly, this whole
line of light-to-medium duty
trucks and vans, which has
been the backbone of Ford’s
commercial line-up in America
for decades, is being replaced
in 2014 by the Ford Transit.
However, production of the
cab-chassis models to suit
motorhome construction (and
other specialist duties) will
continue until the end of the
decade, Ford has announced.
The Queen Mary was built
on a Ford E450 Super Duty
cab-chassis and had a gross
vehicle mass (GVM) of 6577
kg. It was listed as a 31 footer
(9.45 m) but was actually 32
ft 5.5 in (9.89 m) long. It was
also 8 ft 6 in wide (2.59 m)
excluding the awning and
side mirrors. Australia’s limit
is 8 ft 2 in (2.5 m) including
attachments. Interestingly, the
Fleetwood brochure has a
disclaimer in the fine print that
says, “Motorhomes feature a
body-width over 96" which will
restrict your access to certain
roads. Before purchasing,
you should research any
state and/or province road
laws which may affect your
usage.” Very comforting (not!)
and something nobody at the
The first fuel stop of many, at a tiny rural gas station.
Ford’s E-Series trucks will be
replaced by the Transit by the
end of this decade.
Fleetwood factory or Apollo
mentioned. Completing the
measurements, the Queen
was 11 ft 5 in (3.5 m) tall and
rode on an 18 ft 2 in (5.54
m) wheelbase. No special
license was required for this
size/weight motorhome – or
it seems, for any other size
motorhome in America. Go
figure...
According to its Federal
Certification Tag (equivalent
to our compliance plate, but
a paper sticker inside the
vehicle) the tare weight was
5621 kg, leaving an occupant
and cargo carrying capacity of
956 kg. Interestingly, the tare
weight included an allowance
of 271 kg for fresh water and
propane, but not grey and
black water. Maximum towing
capacity was 2268 kg but with
a ball weight of just 159 kg.
Surprisingly, the tag said the
vehicle was seatbelt equipped
for seven people although
we didn’t notice more than a
couple of dinette seat belts (but
then we weren’t really looking).
Spring time camping at Meramec Caverns, Missouri. Mrs iMotorhome enjoys a glass of red in the chill of the
spring evening, under the large electric awning. Despite appearances, rear overhang and ground clearance
never proved a problem.
Power Play
nder the Queen
Mary’s bonnet lurked
a 6.8-litre Triton V-10
petrol engine, which at first
I thought was ‘stonking’ but
by the trip’s end realised was
quite modest by American
standards. For example,
Chevrolet makes a V8 petrol
engine used in many A-class
motorhomes and it’s 8.1-litres.
U
Big 6.8-litre V10 petrol engine is hardly accessible through the
short bonnet.
Hooked up in Vegas: All connections are a bit different to
Aus/NZ, though.
The Triton V10 produced 305
hp (227 kW) and 420 lb-ft
(569 Nm) and drove through a
five-speed column-shift auto
to the rear wheels – naturally.
To satiate the V10’s thirst a 55
US gallon (208-litre) fuel tank
was provided and on average
we comfortably travelled 250
miles (402 km) between refills.
Overall we averaged 7.8 mpg
(30l/100km), with a worst of
5.88 mpg (40l/100km) while
escaping an ice storm in
Oklahoma City. Ouch! Our
best was 9.5 mpg (25l/100km)
on the largely downhill run into
California from Las Vegas. The
Apollo brochure says 10-12
mpg is to be expected. In their
dreams! I drove conservatively
and usually below the posted
speed limit, never exceeding
60 mph (100 km/h) on the
freeways, even in places where
the posted limit was 75 mph
(120 km/h). Drive it at those
speeds at your financial peril!
Suspension-wise the big Ford
was more sophisticated than
anticipated. Independent
coil spring front suspension
was a surprise, as were
Ready to go, with windscreen mounted phone for GPS and dual iPads charging in the centre console.
Thank goodness for multiple 12 V dash outlets! Note limited footwell space, especially for the passenger.
four-wheel disc brakes with
ABS, although a live rear axle
with leaf springs was what
I’d imagined. Steering was
power assisted recirculating
ball and true to form lacked
any real precision, but it was
nicely weighted and suited the
vehicle.
I was pleased to see quality
Michelin Mud & Snow tyres
fitted all around, although I’m
not sure if they were standard
or specified by Apollo. They
certainly had their work cut
out in the snow and slush as
we left Oklahoma City in an
ice storm, but never missed
a beat. That was just as
well as no spare wheel was
provided: the task of wheel
changing deemed far too risky
for tourists. If we’d had any
problems we were required to
Gas stations often have separate RV lanes. Water is free (note unusual
red tap) but dump points often cost.
The Queen Mary proved just the right length for two car spaces in suburban car parks.
Best to straddle four, though, to avoid being parked in.
call Apollo (if we’d had phone
coverage!) and let them send
someone. Not very reassuring,
to be honest.
Construction-wise the
Queen Mary was thoroughly
conventional: A frame of
steel and aluminium covered
by composite walls with a
fibreglass outer skin and
internal block foam insulation.
There were also plenty of
external storage bins, as you’d
expect from a vehicle this size.
Casting Off!
umping into any new
motorhome requires
some adjustment, even
if you’re familiar with the basic
vehicle type. Jumping into a
new motorhome that’s about
a foot wider than anything
else you have driven, on a
completely unfamiliar base
J
Judging width proved a challenge with those extra wide mirrors.
Dash was modern although showing its age, but reversing camera was a godsend. Nicknack storage was good.
Stepping into the cab for the
first time I found myself sitting
quite low and yet there was
still decent visibility, aided
by large side mirrors and a
most welcome (optional, I’m
thinking) reversing camera.
Both front seats proved very
comfortable but the age of the
E-Series design was obvious in
a number of ways.
vehicle, with the steering
wheel on the wrong side and
requiring you to drive on the
wrong side of the road was
more than the usual challenge.
I guess it’s a tribute to the easy
drivability of the big Ford that
it didn’t prove too much of a
challenge.
Firstly, the engine protruded
considerably back into the cab
and significantly compromised
the footwell space – especially
the passenger’s – and also
radiated much heat into
the cab, especially on the
passenger's (exhaust) side.
Secondly, the equipment level
was odd. For example, despite
heated electric side mirrors,
power steering and steering
wheel-mounted cruise control,
the cab lacked central locking
(very inconvenient) and there
was only a basic AM/FM radio.
Firing up the big V10 was
simple and the engine was
quiet and refined under most
conditions. Only when cruise
control dropped it back,
say from 5th to 3rd in quick
succession on steep hills and
the revs rose north of 3500,
did it intrude. On long down
hills the gearbox had a neat
feature that helped hold the
big girl back. At the end of
the gear lever was a button
marked tow/haul, designed
like a sports mode to hold
the transmission in gear to
assist in the American national
pastime of towing. It held gears
longer under acceleration and
also prevented upshifts when
coasting; sort of acting like an
Rest stop Somewhere USA: Trucks and RVs seem to share the road with little agro.
engine brake on long descents.
Very handy.
Despite her size the Queen’s
turning circle proved quite
reasonable; her ground
clearance and rear overhang
didn’t cause any problems
and she had a comfortable
and quite refined ride quality,
even on choppy surfaces
(aided by her long wheel base,
no doubt). Our east-west
route saw us battling strong
quartering headwinds for about
two-thirds of the journey and
that was where the Queen’s
two biggest drawbacks
came to the fore: thirst
(understandable) and windage.
Effectively a tall and empty
box on wheels, the Queen’s
The Queen was dwarfed by this 12.8 m (42 ft) rocker
near Fanning, Missouri.
Making a mile: It didn’t take long to feel at home. Thankfully, the seats proved very comfortable.
vast slab sides, huge nose
cone and relatively low weight
(compared to a similar sized
truck) caused ‘bother’ in
strong winds. Lots of bother,
actually. With winds gusting
60-80 km/h most of the time
and reaching 100 km/h on
occasions, twice we were
literally nearly blown off the
road. The rest of the time was
a constant battle to stay in the
lane – not always successfully
– and an inexperienced driver
might have had real issues.
Despite all that after about a
week I was completely ‘in the
groove’ and by the time our
15 days/14 nights were over
I was genuinely sad to hand
Her Majesty back.
Luxury Liner
f course, driving the
Queen Mary was only
half the adventure.
Living in her was a whole
other experience. Compared
to the more compact (and
nimble) motorhomes I’m
used to reviewing in Australia,
the Queen was indeed a
luxury liner – albeit a rather
O
Driving the Queen Mary
was only half the adventure.
Living in her was a whole
other experience.
“Camping” at Circus Circus Casino’s RV park on the Las Vegas Strip. So scenic (not) and only $54 a night!
Rubber end cap kept drain hose
secure in rear bumper.
old fashioned one. But first,
here’s a look at some of the
major differences between US
and Australian/New Zealand
motorhomes.
For starters, North American
vehicles have an inbuilt
propane (think LPG) tank that
requires filling at a ‘gas’ station.
Propane tank is 21 kg capacity, vehicle mounted and always on.
This is never turned off and in
fact the Queen’s large Dometic
two-door fridge/freezer ran
exclusively on propane (a rental
feature I later discovered) and
operated 24/7. Surprisingly,
we didn’t blow up, nor did we
see highways and campsites
littered with burnt-out wrecks.
Also, North American vehicles
almost invariably have their
own generator and the Queen
was no exception: a remote
start Onan 4 kVa petrolpowered unit was tucked
neatly away in an external bin
just aft of the driver’ door.
Having plenty of water
Black/grey water drain hose stores in hollow rear bumper. Clever!
(60 gallons/227 litres),
propane (11 gallons/21 kg)
and our own generator meant
we free-camped most nights
and only connected to ‘shore
power’ (as the American’s
call it) when we stayed on
the strip in Las Vegas, at
Circus Circus. Shore power is
another interesting difference
and the Queen was wired
for 30 amp power, which I’m
told is equal to our 15 amps,
given the US uses 110 volt
electricity. Bigger US units
require 50 amp power and
you have to specify what you
need when you check into an
RV park.
The power hookup method
was very different, too. It used
an inbuilt heavy-duty power
Onan 4000 watt remote-start petrol generator is standard.
First dump! Must remember: Drain the black (toilet) water first, then flush with the grey water...
Two other Apollo delivery vehicles in Las Vegas. Ours was the same as the one on the right.
lead in one of the external
bins which, when on the road,
needed to be left plugged into
a bin-mounted power point
to allow the house electrics
to work. When connecting to
shore power you unplugged it,
pulled out the cable from the
bin and connected it to the
mains power point. Because
of the amperage the cable
was very thick: I’m guessing
twice as thick/heavy duty as an
Australian 15 amp.
Waste water management
was another major point of
difference, with North American
vehicles seeming to use black
water tanks for the toilet
waste rather than removable
cassettes. This necessitated a
different routine and we were
advised to let the black water
tank, which held 35 gallons
(132 L), fill more or less to
capacity so the toilet chemicals
could work their magic on the
contents. Both grey and black
water drained via a common
hose (that cleverly resided in
the hollow rear bumper bar)
and you had to ensure the
black water was dumped first,
with the great water used
to flush the black tank and
hose. Our vehicle also had
a separate mains pressure
connector for fresh water that
was just used to flush the black
and grey water tanks.
Another major difference
was the use of propane-fired
central heating. Operating via
a domestic-style wall mounted
thermostat, when we pulled
up at night I just set it to auto,
set the temperature slider to
around 72F (22C) and it kept
the Queen cosy until morning
via five floor level outlets (2
kitchen/lounge, 2 bathroom
and 1 bedroom). Very civilised.
Considering we used propane
for heating, refrigeration
and hot water, we only filled
(partially) once en route for
about US$15 and still had
some left in LA.
Naturally, airconditioning was
included and a single roofmounted system sent cooling
air via ducted ceiling outlets
throughout the vehicle. It was
operated from the same wall
mounted thermostat control as
the central heating and could
be run using the generator
when not connected to mains
power.
All Plans on Deck!
he Queen’s floor plan
comprised an overcab bed, front lounge
and dinette, mid kitchen and
T
rear bathroom and bedroom.
Although the dinette and fridge
were in the front slide-out and
could easily be used without
extending it, the queen bed
down the back required the
slide-out to easily access it
and most of the bedroom
cupboards (although you
could still open the double
wardrobes).
We only used the over-cab
bed for storage and it was
voluminous. Through-cab
access was easy with the
centre bed-section folded
back and I felt like a bomber
pilot every morning; stepping
down into the cockpit, ducking
slightly and lowering myself into
the left seat and then starting
the engine, while my copilot
retracted both slide-outs.
Speaking of slide-outs, we
quickly developed an evening
routine. Arriving in camp and
Over-cab bed was enormous but we just used it for storage. Through-cab access was good; note the TV/DVD
on the side wall. We watched for 10 mins in Las Vegas but could only find commercials...
Queen bed was comfortable, private and well away from the living area.
Still good floor space with slide-out
dinette retracted.
with the engine still running we
would both slip back into the
living area, where I’d activate
the dinette slide-out. Mrs
iMotorhome would make the
long journey aft and activate the
bedroom slide-out and once
deployed, I’d cut the engine,
lock the cab doors and we
were set for the night.
The driver’s side four-place
cafe-style dinette had a height
adjustable table, while directly
The iMotorhome office for two weeks.
Not a bad place to work!
opposite was a rather too
upright two-seater lounge that
converted to a third bed. We
basically lived at the dinette
and I put Issue 23 of this
magazine together from there,
but after just two weeks the
cheap foam seat cushion had
a Richard-shaped depression
in it. Opposite the fridge, at the
rear of the dinette, was the side
entry door, which effectively
separated the lounge area from
the kitchen.
Positioned in the middle of
the vehicle the -shaped and
relatively small kitchen had
everything Mrs iMotorhome
needed – except much usable
bench space. It included
double stainless steel sinks,
a full gas oven/grill/cooktop,
rangehood, microwave and
2-door fridge/freezer, plus a
decent set of cupboards and
drawers.
Because of the kitchen’s
L-shape, to move past it
towards the bedroom you
walked down a hallway on the
driver’s side, complete with a
feature floor-to-ceiling window!
The kitchen’s back wall was
shared with the bathroom and
Twin sinks great; bench space stinks.
at the end of the hallway on
the left, just before entering
the bedroom, was the main
bathroom door (there was a
secondary concertina door
between the bathroom and
bedroom – of course!).
The bathroom featured a
separate shower cubicle
with sliding Perspex door,
a corner vanity, a heap of
cupboard space and in the
corner between the main and
secondary doors – in splendid
isolation like a true throne – sat
Fridge and dinette were both in the front slide-out.
L-shaped kitchen was well equipped and formed a hallway to the bath/bedroom.
Decor was very old fashioned but typical of American RVs.
Spacious bathroom had hallway
and bedroom doors, and worked well.
the ceramic bowl toilet! In all
honesty the bathroom worked
very well and it was great
having double access. It was
also great having a ton of room
around the loo and not trying
to squeeze into a corner on
some cramped swivel-headed
device!
The bedroom featured a kerbside east-west queen sized
island bed, bedside windows,
tables, reading lamps and
overhead cupboards, plus a
double wardrobe and lots of
drawers on the wall opposite
the foot of the bed. The bed
had an innerspring mattress
and proved very comfortable,
while the bedroom layout –
with the bed head in the slideout (behind the bathroom) and
the bedroom door by the foot
of the bed – afforded plenty of
privacy even without the need
to close the bedroom door.
Most evenings I’d work on
the magazine and the good
Mrs would retire to read and
eventually nod off. We were,
effectively, in separate worlds.
Handing Over
hen it came time
to hand over the
Queen Mary we’d
both become very fond of her
and were rather sad. That’s
despite the awful 1980s decor;
the mix of ill-placed fluoro and
incandescent lighting; cheap
foam dinette cushioning;
the uncomfortable sofa; the
dinette slide-out that never
retracted flush and sat out by
about an inch at the top; the
bathroom vanity light fitting
that was broken ex-factory; her
appalling thirst; dodgy handling
in high winds and the need
to empty the toilet via a black
water hose.
W
(which nobody pays), whereas
an Australian equivalent would
be something like three times
the price. In bang-for-yourbuck terms the Big Girl proved
hard to beat; if a bit crude,
rough around the edges and
unrefined by our standards.
Would I buy my own Queen
Mary? Surprisingly, yes. Or
something similar. Discounts
in America are rife – expect to
pay about $65,000 with a bit
of shopping around – and the
diesel argument doesn’t stack
up: you’ll never save the price
difference with fuel savings
unless you basically travel allday every-day.
Consider also that in 10 years
she’ll be worth around $20,000
or less and the used market
is littered with them. They
can make excellent buying,
You might say, “Only in
just make sure it was never a
America,” but consider this
rental. Long live the Queen –
continent-crossing land-liner
lists at just US$81,340 full price we can’t wait to do it all again
next year!
In bang-for-your-buck
terms the Big Girl proved
hard to beat; if a bit crude,
rough around the edges and
unrefined by our standards.
Specifications
Manufacturer
Fleetwood RV
Model
Tioga Montara 31M
Base Vehicle
Ford E450 Super Duty
Engine
6.8-litre Triton V10 petrol
Power
227 kW @ 4250 rpm
Torque
569 Nm @ 3250 rpm
Gearbox
5-speed automatic
Brakes
ABS ventilated 4-wheel discs
Fuel Capacity
208 litre
Tare Weight
5621 kg
Gross Vehicle Mass
6577 kg
Towing
2268 kg
Licence
Car
Approved Seating
7
External Length
9.89 m (32 ft 5.5 in)
External Width
2.59 m (8 ft 6 in)
External Height
3.50 m (11 ft 5 in)
Internal Height
2.01 m (6 ft 10 in)
Rear Bed Size
2.03 m x 1.52 m (7 ft 6 in x 5 ft 0 in)
Cooktop
Gas 4-burner/grill/oven
Fridge
220-litre propane only
Microwave
Yes
Lighting
12 V Fluoro/incandescent
Batteries
unknown
Generator
Onan 4000 remote start
Propane Capacity
21 kg propane
Heater
Propane, ducted
Air Conditioner
Roof mounted, ducted
Hot Water Heater
22-litre propane
Toilet
Dometic porcelain
Shower
Separate cubicle
Fresh Water Tank
227-litre
Grey Water Tank
132-litre
Black Water Tank
132-litre
Price (USA)
US $81,340 plus on-roads
Pros
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Bang for your buck
Vast living space
Gas central heating
Standard generator
Comfortable bed
Big bathroom
Tough E450 Ford
Smooth, easy to drive
Cons
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Appalling thirst
Poor build quality
Ford’s odd equipment list
Dated decor
Cheap foam dinette seating
Poor quality interior lighting
Stability in high winds
Suspect longterm body
durability
• Awful resale
Contact
Fleetwood RV
1031 US 224 East
Decatur, IN. 46733
USA
Ph: (+1) 1800 854 1344
W: www.fleetwoodrv.com
Copyright © 2013 iMotorhome.com.au All rights reserved.
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Fleetwood Tioga Montara 2013

Transcription

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