First Impressions

[mikemc53]

Well, this is just some first impressions, including; overall thoughts, RV performance (house), mechanical performance (chassis), manufacturer and dealer thoughts, and whatever…

We picked up the new 2021 Gulf Stream Conquest 6250 (Class C) in late May from the dealer, which initially did not go as smoothly as we would have liked. Now before I go any further let me preface this by saying that we are not newcomers to the RV scene (have bought new and used) and truly believe that much of what we get out of things is shaped by our expectations. I consider myself to be fairly realistic so my commentary should be taken as such…my opinions and/or statements, only, and not an endorsement nor a knock of anything.

Anyway, my initial impressions after we went to pick up the rig were not overly positive. The prep of the unit was poor and I was not happy with the presentation but I must say that the dealer really surprised me with their response as they stood by everything and made things right (at least for the sale itself). Nice to see when you read so many horror stories of dealers just leaving you high and dry. So we got the unit home and started to prep for our trip (Florida to Michigan via Missouri), making notes of anything that might need addressing under warranty, or just by myself.

The RV part of this is going pretty well. Now I will say that the overall quality/workmanship is certainly nothing to write home about – and I have noticed this recently in a number of newer units that we either looked at during our search or that we have witnessed through friends and acquaintances. The workmanship in so many newer units is just poor. Not all, but many, it seems. Poor fit and finish, materials of less than stellar quality – just overall not something that I would let out the door in my manufacturing life. That said, the performance of the RV portion itself has been quite good. All appliances, structure, plumbing/heating/ac – everything works properly and well. I am keeping an eye on the slideout as it seemed to be rubbing slightly (at the mid-point) early on but not so much on the last couple of days.

Mechanically I was pretty impressed (save one area that I will touch on later), especially after having read some comments about Class A vs Class C, new Ford drivetrain, etc.. This rig comes with the 7.3l V-8 and a six speed trans. Now I am coming from a 37 ft Class A with the V-10 so I have some working experience in these platforms. To me (and remember, my opinion only) there is little to no comparison in the ride and driveability of these two rigs. The Class C handled all of the aspects of my motorhome driving better that the Class A. Much better handling in wind and when being passed by big rigs – I believe the new front and rear stabilization makes a big difference (as does wheelbase, overhang, etc.). I towed the same vehicle (Ford Escape w/tow dolly) behind both and the Class C performed better here also. Hills were handled much better with the new rig and the gas mileage (though never stellar) was noticeably better. While towing with the Class A I would normally get about 6.5 to 7.0 mpg – with the Class C I stayed right around 9 mpg. Overall nether one is great but on a longer trip it makes a decent difference.

The one area, mechanically, that I cannot say I am happy with is, what appears to be an all too common theme with Fords (especially on RVs)…the Advance Trac service issue. About 1/4 to 1/3 of my driving had me working with no cruise control, as this is one of the systems that goes out when the Advance Trac is not functioning (also ABS and Hill Assist). I have read countless stories on this being a problem, especially in RVs but also in trucks from Ford. It is frustrating that there hasn’t been either a recall or a determined cause/fix but we will see what shakes from this. Other than that I love the drivetrain in this rig.

As I alluded to earlier, the manufacturing quality in the unit is nowhere near the best. I will say though that I have had a couple of conversations with customer service at Gulf Stream and they seem to be very responsive and caring – to this point.

The dealer (Travelcamp in Ocala) has also been quite responsive and customer oriented. I qualify this by saying, “to this point” because we won’t be bringing the unit in for any warranty work until this fall so we will see how things go at that time.

Well gang, thanks for your time…we will try to stay active here.