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Comments from Junction City

Yahoo Message Number: 2917
Just a few miscellaneous comments that might be of interest to Country coach owners.

1. CC is no longer building 40 ft Intrigues and Allures with single rear axles.

2. CC has two new Intrigue coach lengths, 38 & 42 ft.

3. The first 42 ft unit is on the production line now.

4. The 38 'Escape' floor plan has the W/D in the rear bedroom corner.

5. Not sure if 38 ft has single rear axle or tag. The statement made during a factory tour was either "38 ft and over will have tag axles" or "over 38 ft will have tag axles. Didn't think to request specific answer until after tour concluded.

6. First Avenue editions now in production look great with TV moved over and above driver. Front and rear caps big change from past, providing smoother look. The rear caps look very clean without the ladder and have much nicer set up for license plate.

7. Apparently CC very pleased with introduction of 1st Avenue and reported very good sales of show models at the Pomona show. Quite a few people trading one year old units (Obviously some people out there still have money!).

8. Allure/Intrigue production level at 7 units per week. MAC line products between two and three units per week.

9. 95% of coaches built are firm orders (dealer stock or retail). Balance are coaches built to CC specifications and options for RV shows. If these units do not sell at the show they go to different dealers, presumably remaining on CC books until sold.

10. 95% of Intrigue/Allures are coming of the line with Girard awnings.
11. 12R22.5 tires with IFS were first installed on Intrigues starting with coach number 11034 or 11039. Sorry about confusion, cant quite make out the hand written note to determine if the last digit is a four or nine.

Hope these comments are of interest.

David and Karen,
2000 Intrigue 11062

Re: Comments from Junction City

Reply #1
Yahoo Message Number: 2918
I just ran into David and Karen at Country Coach, very nice people.
This is one really nice benefit to working out here, every time I stroll over to Country Coach I run into someone I know or meet new people.

The 38' Intrigue has a tag axle, this floorplan offers 2 sinks in the bathroom. The first one debuted at Kansas FMCA and retail sold right away. The 2nd one showed up in Pomona and also sold right away. Its a nice floorplan and measures 38' 10", so its really only 12" shorter than the 40' models.

The new 42' Intrigue will be a triple slide and on paper it looks great, I sold two myself from a blue print in Pomona last week.
This unit will have a great room 30" deep slide on the drivers side living room, a 20" deep galley slide on the passengers side, and a very long (approx. 11' by 24" deep) bedroom slide that really opens up the bedroom and bathroom area. The bedroom slide will move the bed, nightstands, a shirt closet, and a bathroom sink (1 of 2) and vanity. You will have a king bed option as well. It also has two large pocket doors between the bedroom and bathroom for privacy.
This unit will have a tag axle and 3 pass through storage bays. The floorplan reminds me of the 45' triple slide Affinity that debuted in Kansas.

Country Coach has made some really nice changes in the last month with the "1st avenue" edition and new floorplans, its begining to feel like 1999 again when they were sold out 6 months in advance.
In Pomona last week we turned our 12 unit display 3 times! This was a 10 day show and they let us move sold units out and bring in new inventory on Mon-Wed-& Fri. Each day we moved almost every unit, towards the end Country Coach ran out of units and we ended up bringing down Magnas, Affinitys, and Lexas from Guaranty stores. We were the only dealer there selling Magna, Affinity, and Lexas so Country Coach was fine with it. The 45' triple slide Affinity that debuted in Kansas sold at this show, 3 stock Lexas and 2 ordered Lexas, and all kinds of Allures, Intrigues, and Magnas. This rates right up in the top 5 shows I have ever been to, the excitement was high and coachs were selling left and right. We will be returning to Pomona for the FMCA in March with the Country Coach pre rally in Vegas, cant wait!

Damon Rapozo

Dieselrvs@...

Re: Comments from Junction City

Reply #2
Yahoo Message Number: 2922
Hi Damon. Hope to meet you someday and glad for you that business is booming. What with all these slideouts and tag axles could you kindly indicate what the carrying capacities are for these units? They sound on the heavy side...

On Wed, 23 Oct 2002 20:00:40 -0000 "damonrapozo" DRapozo@...> writes:

Re: Comments from Junction City

Reply #3
Yahoo Message Number: 2924
RVMike,

The tag axle Allure in Kansas had about 12,000 pounds carrying capacity, the Intrigue about 11,000, and the 45-foot Affinity about 5,500. Some of the owners are having some concerns with this huge carrying capacity, since the tire tables bring them down to 65-75psi on their tires. Personally, I would never run tires that low on one of these coaches.
Per Korslund

rvmike@... wrote:

Re: Comments from Junction City

Reply #4
Yahoo Message Number: 2925
Damon, I hate to rain on your parade, but I think the First Avenues are a step backward in design. The rear cap is Ok, but the front one reminds me of a 1995 Pace Arrow with the catfish mouth. I noted that on some of them they covered it up with Aluminum ( or stainless ) and improved them somewhat, but the tiny marker and fog lights don't do anything for me. Maybe my opinion is slanted due to being ticked off that my 2003 is already dated, but I don't think so .

Walt Rothermel

2003( or 20021/2?)Allure

Re: Comments from Junction City

Reply #5
Yahoo Message Number: 2926
The tag axle itself adds about 1,000. lbs of dry wieght to each unit, in return you gain 10,000.lbs plus of "carrying capacity". The net carrying capacity is very generous on tag axle units, especially Allures and Intrigues. The tag axle adds stability, additional braking power, and a tighter turning radius when the tag is lifted.
As far as ride hieght your coach has three ride hieght valves, since you have Intrigue # 5 (10005) its probably a Gillig chassis which means you have two ride hieght valves in front that control your side to side adjustment.

The new caps on the 1st ave have been getting great reviews. The Intrigue has a "mouth" around the fog lights towards the bottom of the front bumper. It also has a large inset with the Country Coach logo in the center.

The Allure 1st Ave has no "mouth" around the fog lights and a piece of stainless steel with the Country Coach logo placed flush in the center (where the inset would be on the Intrigue).

The 1st Ave edition Allure and Intrigue models are $10,000.00 more than the non first ave Allures and Intrigues.

Damon Rapozo

Dieselrvs@...

Re: Comments from Junction City

Reply #6
Yahoo Message Number: 2929
The Gillig chassis has the two ride height control valves in the rear, and one in the front. Side to side adjustments are made in the rear.
Per Korslund
Affinity 5259

Re: Comments from Junction City

Reply #7
Yahoo Message Number: 2934
I have a 1997 Intrigue with a Gillig chassis and it came with two ride control valves in the front and one in the rear. It was recalled, and along with changing the front two tires to Toyo's, the ride control valves were changed to have one in the front and two in the rear.

Joe from Michigan
'97 Intrigue

Re: Comments from Junction City

Reply #8
Yahoo Message Number: 2935
The additional CC is great but how do the cubic inches of storage space compare to the non-tag?

Dick May

2002 Intrigue, #11438
Dick May
2002 Intrigue, #11438, towing a
2014 Jeep Gr Cherokee ecoDiesel

Re: Comments from Junction City

Reply #9
Yahoo Message Number: 2936
Ity is my opinion that you actually loose space to the tag axel. True you can carry more but where do you put it? I do find the tag axel very smooth on the road.
Charlie

Intrigue 11478

Re: Comments from Junction City

Reply #10
Yahoo Message Number: 2939
I dont have cubic inches to give you however in a 40' Allure or Intrigue non tag axle you have 3 medium width pass through compartments. In a 40' Allure or Intrigue tag axle you have two large width pass thru bays. So from a non tag 40' Allure or Intrigue you loose 1/2 a pass thru bay.

Damon Rapozo

Dieselrvs@...

Re: Comments from Junction City

Reply #11
Yahoo Message Number: 2941
-I moved from a 40' Intrigue without a tag to a 40' Allure with a tag.I found that while I have less total storage space I have more USABLE storage due to the improved slide design allowing much better access to the compartments under the slide.

Walt Rothermel
2003Allure30811

Re: Comments from Junction City

Reply #12
Yahoo Message Number: 2942
This is true with Magnas & Affinity's, I was answering the Intrigue post, coach # 10005. The Allures and Intrigues had two ride hieght valves in front and one in the rear from Gillig. Then CC did an update which reversed the ride hieght valve patern, by puttting one in front (and two in the rear) it distributes the weight better on the front axle.

Damon Rapozo

Dieselrvs@...
Quote
The Gillig chassis has the two ride height control valves in the
rear, and one in the front. Side to side adjustments are made in the rear.

Re: Comments from Junction City

Reply #13
Yahoo Message Number: 2946
I had my 2003 Allure weighed a couple of weeks ago. I am about 10,000# to go before being over loaded. But, there is no more space for "stuff". I lost a lot of basement space because of the tag axel and because of the generator located on the side rather than in the front. I could also put 4,000# or so in my toad--but it won't hold the stuff either.

Ree

Full-time

Re: Comments from Junction City

Reply #14
Yahoo Message Number: 2948
Ree - Thats the main problem with full timing. You just can't take all the "stuff" with you. Thats probably why most of us are Two-timers. Too much stuff so we can only go part time. ron and molly Intrigue #11262 san diego

Re: Comments from Junction City

Reply #15
Yahoo Message Number: 2981
Cubic feet of storage was our key thing about the new tags...we have a 2001 Intrigue Suite of Dreams and were seriously looking at the 2003 tag Suite Sensations, but we pulled it next to ours and measured the bays, etc. and found that our storage would definitely be a lot less. It's not just the capacity, but by not having 6 opening bay doors and only 4 you lose "convenience" of access too. Our Intrigue is about as loaded as one could be and is still 500 pounds under our axle limits, so we're ok...Chris hauls his weight bench, weights, etc. and we have 6 file boxes, suitcase of scrapbooking stuff, etc...can't imagine much more. We're fulltimers. Also the interior offered less storage than our current one (we had Davis build in a wall of cabinets in the living area that is similar to what is now being standard.) All in all, we figured we'd wait until they made a 42 foot Suite of Dreams with tag and 3 bays...sounds like the new ones might be good! However, we "don't think" we want a triple slide...lose storage with that, I would think.
Glad the comments have been good though...looking forward to seeing them this winter!
Jan McNeill

2001 Intrigue 11320


Re: Comments from Junction City

Reply #17
Yahoo Message Number: 2990
Dave & Karen...thanks for your update from JC...really liked hearing about all the inovations.

No problem with over 40' in CA now...they allow you to go on "certain roads" which would mean most of the ones we travel here.
Yes, it certainly makes us happy we balked at the rally rig...however, we don't like buying one of the first ones of a new model, either, so we'll wait another year or so and see how things work out with the new 42'. We don't really want a triple slide, either..we'll see...We still love this coach and we've got all the bugs worked out...well, the satellite is on the fritz at this point...always something!

Take care...happy travels...
Jan McNeill

2001 Intrigue 11320