Re: Looking for input on the 2004-2006 Country Coach
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 103274
We have a 40' 2004 Allure High Cascade model, that most of our 'Must Have's.
The main reason we're driving this coach, is it had the largest galley of any 40-45' coach we looked at. And that, was game over as far as the DW was concerned. (She could care less that it has the mid size ISL vs BIG BLOCK CAT available in the Intrigue on up!).
We wanted two Drivers Side slides with the front slide being the deeper slide. Did not want moving plumbing, and the DW did not want to lose the top cabinet space that a slide kitchen does. (She had upper shelves installed in the tops of two them, to place items less then 8" deep that are not used often on. Pointed out that much of the taller cabinets had wasted storage space up above things like glassware.) We also wanted a year with IFS. While we were aware of PTO's and the potential for suspect radiators, by chance our coach ended up not having either one. Making sure that the coach had the ISL in it, we did get the 2 Stage Jake Compression, that was not available on the ISC's which have Exhaust Brakes. If you elect to go with a coach with the ISL, getting between a 2004 and 2006 should get you into the Common Rail with Variable Geometry Turbo generation of the ISL. (Do check this by calling Cummins with the actual engine SN. I was almost 18 months into owning our coach, when we found out our 2004 model year, had a July of 2003 built ISL CAPS era engine. Cummins gent I talked with at Tech Support, said it as probably in the last batch built before the shift to Common Rail. They have the same torque, and many times the same HP. But the HP/Torque curves, provide a much more usable power band.)
To me, the sweet spot in the Country Coach lineup, with the best bang for the buck, were the Intrigues. They could be had with the Big Block CAT as an option. And staying younger on engine smog levels, gets you one without any of the potential teething pains of the ACERT management. I also would personally steer away from the combo of the CAT Engine and Automatic. (If they had not pulled out of OTR when they did, I have no doubt that the CAT Automatic would have matured well in RV application.) I've lost track of what year they made the CAT automatic as an option. The Alison 4xxx series is a very mature, and robust automatic, so sure not losing anything:)! Do check carefully for front end weights, some models in the real your looking considering, I believe left the factor floor right at or very near max axle front weight. More of a problem the higher up the food chain you climb, vs say the Allure, as the Allure does not have as many 'goodies' an options.
While we like our 40', I do believe that a 42' is not going to impact in reality of places you can use it too often. (Very few places that I can recall, that I could not have fitted a 42' into the same sites that I've had our 40'. (Many by the way, were 'max size' of 36'. Most National, State and County/City parks, will allow you to drive thru the campground with your toad, and pick a spot that you feel you can fit in safely. A few times, I've had to park the toad at a different location, but not often.) The extra 2' of the 42', gets you back the full third bay, vs 2 1/2 bays of storage on our era 40'. And, they sometimes allow a larger Grey tank in the 42' coach.
I wish you luck on your hunt, and do come back and ask this braintrust on CC's any follow up questions you may have.
Smitty
04 Allure 31017 40', Tag, ISL CAPS, High Cascade
Topic: Looking for input on the 2004-2006 Country Coach (Read 1711 times)
previous topic - next topic
Country Coach Motorcoach Forum