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View Full Version : 2004 40' Gulf Stream Atrium - anyone have any info on these?


DHart
04-22-2011, 03:08 AM
I stumbled upon one of these in a local dealer's lot. My wife and I love the layout and the "atrium" style slide out with the roof windows in the slide out. Looks like a great rig, but I'm a real novice when it comes to these rv's.

I did a search of this forum for "Atrium" and found nothing! :(

Does anyone know anything about this model? Good, bad, or...???

03heritagerider
04-22-2011, 08:30 AM
We have an '03 Friendship, which is similar except for the extra glass. Our's has had some issues, but nothing major or anything that left us stranded.

I have heard some comments about leakage on all that glass in the Atrium. Nothing confirmed, but I would check very closely for any signs of water damage. If it hasn't leaked in 8 years, it must have good seals. Keeping it that way is just maintenance.

You should get lots of responses from folks on here with tips and advice of what and where to look when it comes to a pre-purchase check list. My best advice is to not be in a hurry. It is a definite buyers market.

RayChez1
05-14-2011, 04:57 PM
The Atrium's that I saw had a real nice lay out or floor plans. But I have heard that all those windows can be a problem with heat and I also heard on complain about a leak. Most of the problems can be solved, with proper caulking or sealants. All these coaches you have to be on top of them just like a house. They are a nice looking coach.

DHart
05-28-2011, 11:02 PM
After looking at a bazillion other Class A's, I haven't found one, even up to new rigs at $400k that offer the spacious views and brilliant bright light that this Atrium offers. SO we decided to snap this one up at $93k ($10k below low blue book!) It's actually a 2004, had 34k miles, one owner (who was a race car engine builder).

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we get plenty of grey days and all this glass is magnificent for light and views. We feel we ran into this particular "Atrium" model by divine providence... it is what made us decide to get a Class A. With the three sliders out, this rig has the space of a small apartment! Amazing.

We've been through some really heavy rains in the last few weeks with the Atrium and the only window leak has been a small one from the windshield where the caulk at the top had weathered and opened. Got that squared away and a couple of cracks in the caulking at the top roof trim piece... she's all buttoned up now. I do understand that there will always be some "items" on the maintenance/repair/replace list.... so it is with houses, especially those on wheels. Small price to pay for what these rigs offer.

I think Gulf Stream created a brilliant design with the Atrium. While it may have some slight sacrifices in heating and cooling in extreme temperature climates from all the glass, what it offers in huge spaciousness, brilliant light, and expansive views more than makes up for it in our opinion. We spend little to no time in extremely cold or hot environments, so I'm not too concerned about that aspect. We do spend a lot of time in scenic places and moderate temperatures.



We will be sure to keep up the sealing maintenance... we want this coach to last a loooong time!

http://www.gsowners.com/attachments/photobucket/img_14106_5d13bb8af11c552f8c90ac40040218c0.jpg

http://www.gsowners.com/attachments/photobucket/img_14106_15e072fa2fd21f097553aa9cca685d9d.jpg

http://www.gsowners.com/attachments/photobucket/img_14106_f327d5cedb227f517cd71a1ed2c6ef81.jpg

Even the views from the bedroom are great and bright.

http://www.gsowners.com/attachments/photobucket/img_14106_4ce31a911dbf055c03a0463f4b124402.jpg

http://www.gsowners.com/attachments/photobucket/img_14106_739f90cba350b796994b481a2e1458cc.jpg

We're looking forward to hanging out a lot more in this rig.

http://www.gsowners.com/attachments/photobucket/img_14106_0e9ade87f8862549bc1fb78403fb5fb6.jpg

03heritagerider
05-29-2011, 07:00 AM
Beautiful!

Congratulations and good luck!

holmesaw
05-29-2011, 08:59 AM
Welcome DHart to the forum. We have 2005 Sun Voyager with the same windows and floor plan. Have had to fix a couple of leaks in the atrium
but nothing serious. Wintering in Arizona though, get way too much sun from all of those windows. Had a sunscreen made for them which helps
a lot. You have a great looking coach. Enjoy!

RayChez1
05-29-2011, 10:07 AM
Congratulations on your new coach. Those are some nice pictures and those are coaches with a lot of space. Now go out and enjoy your new coach. Maybe we will meet on the road somewhere. We go in the summer up to the pacific northwest most of the time.

DHart
04-11-2012, 09:31 AM
Well... as it turns out, we bought the Atrium in April 2011 and in December, we traded it for a new 2011 HR Endeavor 43DFT.

The Atrium was a wonderful coach and I sure loved the all glass atrium room! Of course with all things, there is a price. The atrium room brought an incredible amount of heat into the coach on warm sunny days and cold on cold nights. The R-factor in the coach wasn't so good for a nearly full-timing coach in varying climates.

The Atrium was our first motorhome and I'll always remember it with, mostly, good memories.

Since doing the trade, we've been living in and traveling in the Endeavor... about 4 months now. Now with less window exposure, better insulation, and three AC units, we're comfortable on really hot days, until we can move along to less extreme climates. I miss the great views out the atrium windows, but in exchange I get a lot more cabinet space, a full length shelf in the patio slide, and better insulation. Of course the new coach brings quite a few other nice upgrades as well - though at a higher price. Always a trade off of something, isn't it!

http://www.gsowners.com/attachments/photobucket/img_15885_a02a3c95341e24f45370457455f8a051.jpg

http://www.gsowners.com/attachments/photobucket/img_15885_91848ea74a3521b08140121e4a8fed12.jpg

http://www.gsowners.com/attachments/photobucket/img_15885_43061de8477ffed29787d7788fbf9295.jpg

RayChez1
04-11-2012, 10:32 AM
I always like the Atrium coach, but I also figured there would be problems with the big windows allowing too much heat and in the winter getting cold. Too bad.

J79Engine
04-12-2012, 12:26 PM
Both nice coaches, and good photos hope you both enjoy the many moments in life. We have a 2005 SunVoyager we purchased last January year and have put allot into upgrades for comfort like Direct TV, changed the TVs to Flat screen digital and added a Blue Ray player. It had less then 25K on it but sat for a year or more in Michigan before we purchased it in Ohio. It turned out to be a good coach after we got the prior occupant's kids maccaroni & cheese off various parts of the ceiling. We will be out and about as soon as we figure out when I can cut back on international military jet engine consultant work since I am one of the youngest (64) out here that knows how a J79 turbo jet engine operates and how to fix it.

USAFE Ret '89