Alante vs Greyhawk

[Greg0]

Reality set in on resale value of or 5th, can’t afford swap these thinks like cars on retirement income so I’ve got to get this right this time. Want a Jayco, wife has chosen her floor plan so now we’re debating between Alante 31V or Greyhawk 29 MV (assuming I have the model numbers correct) which appear to be identical except for A or C. I’d appreciate any experience to assist in final decision. Thanks.

[Jagiven]

Good luck! My only advice, is look at ride characteristics. I have seen a lot of posts about how poorly the Alanta handles, and how much money people have spent to improve handling.

[Jopopsy]

Look at the carrying capacity (CCC) as well. Make sure you can live with it and remember - unlike the 5’er you and your wife count as cargo!

[t18skyguy]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

Good luck! My only advice, is look at ride characteristics. I have seen a lot of posts about how poorly the Alanta handles, and how much money people have spent to improve handling.

X2, my Greyhawk rides beautifully, lots of complaints about that A's ride.

[ladder16]

Looked at the Greyhawk 29MV last week and loved it. Unfortunately my wife could not get out of the front seat easily due to a bad knee. We looked at a Precept and we were impressed. I am not sure of the Precept reviews though.

[cfisher523]

We went through this same decision a couple years ago. Same situation with the 5th wheel poor resale and everything. We were trying to decide between the Alante 31R and the Greyhawk 31FS. Just like your situation, the two floorplans were identical - only differnce was A or C.

We opted for the Alante. Yes, it had some handling issues right off the lot, but nothing that wasn't addressable with minimal financial pain. Here is how and why we made our decision though.....

We never owned a motorhome before so the shift from trailer to motorhome was a big one. We found a dealership near us that had both floorplans on the lot. We went down and toured them both back to back. Then we sat in them, in various places as we would if we were camping to see how they 'felt'. We compared inside/outside storage, towing capacity, holding tank sizes, and how it felt to sit in the drivers/passengers seats - including how easy it was for my wife to get in and out of said seat to simulate moving around while driving.

Inside storage was similar in terms of space. Outside storage was no comparison, the Class A had far more storage and more available GVWR. Fit an finish was similar, but the ability to use the drivers/passengers seats as living space seats was great and something impossible to do with the Class C. The 'cockpit' was also no comparisson. The open feel and space of the Class A makes for a very comfortable driving situation and it also makes it effortless for my wife to get up go back into the coach for any number of reasons. In terms of usable space and ease of access to it the Class A won out - big time.

As I said earlier though, it didn't drive very well right off the lot. I added a Roadmaster Reflex Steering Stabilizer ($350), a set of front Sumo Springs (~$400), and a set of rear Timbrens (~$250). It's definitely not comparable to a pusher, but it has improved significantly and I no longer have a death grip on the steering wheel - sometimes I even find myself driving one handed.

Overall, for us, the Class A offered a 'feel' that the Class C would've never been able to do. It was a little intimidating to drive at first, but after a few trips I was just as comfotable driving it as I am any car or truck we own. I would suggest you spend as much time in both models as a you can, and if possible test drive them. Just don't expect the A to behave without a little 'tuning' in the handling department.

Whatever you decide, I wish you luck and safe travels....