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Old 11-11-2013, 08:50 PM   #1
isabeau69
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Default What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

I know, strange question. We are seriously looking at a 2004 Crescendo (my husband is in love with it). However, he was wondering what the "pecking" order is. I.e. Crescendo, next step up a Yellow Stone? We've never owned anything like this but have six year old twins and figure now is the best time to do some traveling with them. The thought of having them strapped in car seats for hours on end, and hauling a 5th held no appeal for me. I figured as owners you all would be the best people to ask.

Also, he was wondering how Gulfstreams rate. For example, if you were comparing them to vehicles, would they be Cadillacs, Buicks or AMC Pacers? (His analogy, not mine.)

Please be patient with the questions, I promise future ones will not be so asinine.
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Old 11-12-2013, 08:07 PM   #2
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

I'm not an expert but from what i've seen over the years, certain Crescendo models are the same as my unit. Pretty much the same RV. Although I would change a few things with my coach, we have really enjoyed our 2008 Yellowstone 8390 pusher. Make sure the slides work smoothly... check for any sign of leaks. make sure all the lights and outlets work. check the age of the tires (not just the condition).
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Old 11-12-2013, 08:36 PM   #3
isabeau69
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

Thank you! We are going to have it inspected by a professional (not affiliated with the dealership). We are in Georgia, the RV is in Utah. Sale is contingent on it passing the inspection. Plan on picking it up on the kids' Christmas break. Trial by fire. Big surprise for them if it goes through. Probably going to drive other people nuts with questions on the way home.
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Old 11-13-2013, 07:41 AM   #4
03heritagerider
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

According the the literature I've found for 2004, here is the "pecking" order...

Atrium
Crescendo
Friendship
Independence
Sunvoyager
Ultra Supreme
Yellowstone

From what I can tell, the difference is in the options, except for the Atrium, which had a LOT of glass!

Good luck with your research. If you have ANY questions, this is the place to ask. I have learned more from this forum than I could possibly explain. Some very knowledgeable folks in this group.
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Old 11-13-2013, 10:50 AM   #5
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

Here's the info that I have from Gulf Stream according to the 2004 Motor home line up:
Class A Motorhomes

Diesel

Atrium
Friendship
Yellowstone Country Club
Crescendo

Gas

SunVoyager
Ultra Supreme
Independence


Now each model could have many options added that could drive the list price up, sometimes way up.

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Old 11-14-2013, 06:22 PM   #6
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

I dont know the pecking order in or out of Gulfstream, but compared to friends of mine with other diesel pushers, I'm money ahead,they paid more, alot more and I have alot of the same items. As far as the Crescendo the only thing I can warn you about is the bedroom, with the bed turned sideways there is a step up on the far side of bed and if your tall you wont be able to stand staight up, I'm 5'10" and I hit my wife is shorter and has no problem. Any other problems are inherent to diesel pushers, look thru all the forms, see what people say are good or bad options in there coaches, enjoy what ever you get, Good luck
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Old 11-14-2013, 07:32 PM   #7
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

The Flagship for Gulf Stream from 2002 to 2006 was the Scenic Cruiser

1. Scenic Cruiser
2. Atrium
3. Friendship
4. Yellowstone
5. Crescendo
6. Sun Voyager (diesel)

These were all rear diesel pushers.
Then in 2007 Gulf Stream made the Friendship 7 the top of the line for two years 2007 and 2008 and they stopped manufacturing the Scenic Cruiser.
2009 the TourMaster was revived and they made it the flagship for Gulf Stream.
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Old 11-27-2013, 04:09 PM   #8
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

Ray,

I'd pretty much agree with your list, however 2005 was the last year for the SC. I was looking at a 2005 model to replace my 2000 Millennium Edition SC, but ended up with a 2006 Tour Master instead. Here is how I'd amend your list.

2002-2005
1. Scenic Cruiser
2. Atrium
3. Friendship G7
4. Yellowstone
5. Crescendo
6. Sun Voyager

2006-2010
1. Tour Master Constellation (started in 2008...45G Tag axle...amazing coach)
2. Tour Master
3. Friendship G7 (G8 in 2007, last year made...replaced by Atrium in 2010)
4. Yellowstone
5. Crescendo
6. Sun Voyager (replaced by Caribbean in 2009)

I find it interesting how the Atrium made a brief reappearance in 2010 before GS stopped producing Class A coaches all together.

Anyway, just my $0.02. I'm loving my 2006 TM T40. It was built so late, it is essentially a 2007 T40A model.
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Old 11-28-2013, 09:28 PM   #9
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

Howerm, You are probably correct, but I thought SC was last sold in 2006, but you are probably correct. I was almost on the market for a Constellation, but they made very few and I never did get to see one in person. But they looked like a nice coach with a tag.
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Old 11-29-2013, 08:58 AM   #10
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

Honestly...sometimes the older Gulfstreams are good. I have heard lots of problems..with ALL motorhomes over the past few years. I think they were all pricing down, cutting costs, and cut some corners. They looked good, but then again, have talked to many with recent gulfstream before they totally stopped Motorhome production, and they have had great luck. FYI..the Atrium we did look at once..and let me tell you, if your in the southern climates, all that glass, turns the coach into an oven with sunshine despite shades etc...if your up north, you might just like it!! I had heard the AC units can't keep up.

Ok..I will shut up now. Sadly, GS quit making them, I think basically they did a good job. Its sad the economy has raised so much havoc with these rv units, and boats as well...sad sad sads.
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Old 12-04-2013, 10:45 PM   #11
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

@raharkness - I agree that many of the older GS coaches were great. I beat the heck out of my Scenic Cruiser and never had a problem with anything EXCEPT the Spartan chassis IFS (which unfortunately needed to be replaced 1/2 way through my trek on the Alaska Highway). My wife and I looked for nearly 2 years for a replacement, and I still think that you can't get much better bang for the buck than the final run of Tour Masters. We finally settled on a 2006 T40 because it was essentially identical to the 2007-2009 T40A...but much less expensive. We've only put 3,500 miles on it so far (and we only bought it 7 weeks ago!), but we plan on taking our consulting practice on the road and full-timing early next year.

@RayChez - I found some late 2005 Scenic Cruisers with 4 slides (including an atrium). Almost bought one, but we live out west and I will do a lot of my work out here too. All those atrium windows scared me. My propane bill in winter would be more than my diesel bill! We looked (ok, stared) at a tag Constellation, too...beautiful coach. Just a bit too rich for my wallet.

My wife and I are actually loving the Tour Master. We bought it with 15K miles, and it was really well maintained. I was aerospace/electrical engineer in a former life, and my wife was an interior designer. Between the two of us, we have enough projects on the books to keep us busy until we can collect SS. This forum is a great resource. I wish I would have found it when I first bought my Scenic Cruiser, it would have saved me lots of $$. I'm sure I'll be asking lots of questions....
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Old 12-05-2013, 04:35 PM   #12
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

howermj, It really amazes me how Gulf Stream made so many different versions of the chassis on the Scenic Cruiser. My coach has the Neway Freightliner chassis, yours had the Spartan and I believe my friend in Florida his has the Spartan also.

I live in the West coast, in California and we belong to a Gulf Stream coach club. Several members have the TourMasters and they are a beautiful coach. About the only problems that some have encountered are the ones that have the Generac generators. Also if you are going to do some dry camping some of those coaches have residential type refrigerators (all electric) and the only thing that keeps them running are three batteries in the front of the coach. What they have done to eliminate the batteries from going dead is install some solar panels on the top of the coach. Works pretty good when dry camping.
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Old 12-05-2013, 09:59 PM   #13
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

@Ray

The residential fridge was one of the selling points for my wife. She hated our Norcold 1200. When the LP circuit on it finally went out, she really started pushing for an all electric model. I really like how it keeps stuff cold for hours without power. We've traveled all day without the inverter turned on and the fridge never got above 45F.

Solar is on my list of things to do. I'm in the research stages now, looking at matching up parts with vendors and figuring out what stuff I can do myself vs hire out. I'm a tinkerer, so it should be a fun project. ...and then there is the noisy Generac under the hood. I miss my Onan Quiet Diesel.

So many projects...so little money.
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Old 12-06-2013, 03:51 PM   #14
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

I HATE that Norcold 1200 fridge..it ain't worth a crap...scuse me...specially in the warm climates. Looks nice, but thats about it.
how hard was it to get the other fridge in???? what model did you put in???? did it fit relatively close, so not a lot of screwing around? That peaks my interest. We put some ice cream in the freezer, all is cold, but its never cold enough. And I don't like my hot dogs thawing out!
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Old 12-06-2013, 08:19 PM   #15
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

Fortunately, our 2006 TM came with a GE residential fridge. You could get a Norcold 1200 LP/propane as an option, but in over 40 used coaches I looked at, only 1 had it. We love it...works ridiculously well.

Before we bought our new coach, we were looking at a Whirlpool 21 CF model with french doors to replace the failing Norcold in our Scenic Cruiser. We talked with the local shop to design a procedure...it went something like this:

1) Remove window opposite fridge in coach
2) Using forklift, drive up to side of coach and put tines directly through window opening.
3) Unbolt Norcold
4) Carefully pull out Norcold, and with 2 or 3 burly guys lay it on it's back on the tines
5) Back out forklift
6) Use norcold for target practice
7) Wire fridge space with 110v power.
Repeat process in reverse for new Whirlpool.

Very messy.

You also need to make sure that your batteries and inverter can handle it. I figured I'd have to up my bank size to keep it working in the summer heat (or run the generator all the time). The way the Tour Master handles this is with a separate (3rd) bank of batteries on an inverter dedicated to the 110 outlets in the coach.
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Old 12-07-2013, 10:55 AM   #16
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

It's great to see this site finally come to life with some great posts. I have owned a 07 Friendship G8 since then and we have absolutely fallen in love with it. It has every expensive option ( hydro hot, full granite counter tops to name a couple) on it you can order and we paid far less for it new than any comparable coach on the market at the time.

Gulf Stream had a history of re inventing their coaches every 3-4 years with a different one being the new top of the line coach. I have seen a lot of G7 Friendships but just a couple of G8 like mine. Ray Chaze and I have done battle over the last 6 years on another web sit about GS vs Tiffin and Monaco. I can tell you first hand I bought the Gulfstream over both of them and have never regretted it.

My Moto is be good to your coach and do the service work as recommended by the manufacturer and you do the screw and bolt tightening and that GS will treat you well.
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Old 12-07-2013, 11:10 AM   #17
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now that I agree with...take care of it and it will take care of you. If you think about it, you drive down the road, twisting and turning, thngs are going to happen.It ain't a tank, although we would like to think so. I know some of the HONEST staff at the GS dealer told me that ours are beasts, and will take a beating. Think about it, Chassis, the coach on top. They all use similar products..althought wish mine didn't have that danged Norcold fridge 1200 lrm. but..it is what it is......

I have no complaints. Its take a beating and keeps on ticking!
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Old 12-07-2013, 04:34 PM   #18
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

I think it just takes a little bit of luck with anything. Knock on wood, but I am on ten years now with my Norcold 1200 lRIM and I have not had any issues with it. I live in the high deserts of southern California where the temperatures get up to around 110, and I also go to Las Vegas a lot in the summer and winter where in the summer it gets even hotter to around 118 degrees and the Norcold has served us well. I did have to slide the sensor that is mounted on the fins up about half an inch and the temperature is right where I wanted it to be. The freezer keeps everything solid (frozen). So I really can not complain about the Norcold, but I have read others that have had problems with the coils springing a leak and could cause a fire. But if you stop and think of the millions that have been sold, the percentages that have given problems is minimal.

But if it ever goes out I might consider the Samsung frig that many have been installing IF it does not take too much modification. It would have to be the exact size of the Norcold 1200 because I do not have much clearance to go up or down.
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Old 12-08-2013, 06:53 AM   #19
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

Ray, just to check..what find do you have that sensor on? counting from the right to left...
and how close to the top. I moved mine once, and it did help. I still can't get my freezer really cold..
but am working on it....and if you think about it, Norcold really stepped up to the plate on this unit, and paid
a ton of money to provide a fix and protection....so I can't complain really about Norcold...its a sophisticated unit for sure.
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Old 12-09-2013, 10:34 AM   #20
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Default Re: What is the hierarchy of Gulfstreams?

I believe it is called a thermistor or something like that. Looking at the inside of the frig, it is mounted way in the back on the cooling fins on the right side. It just clips on, so all I done was slide it up about half an inch and it dropped the temperature down to where my wife wanted it on the refrigerator part. I am not sure if that sensor has anything to do with the freezer part. My freezer has always been super cold. Not sure if the freezer has its own thermistor. I will do some research to see what I can find out and if I find anything that will help you, I will post it.
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