Thinking about ordering the 337RLS - have some questions

[bertschb]

My wife and I have been looking at the Reflection 337RLS on line and can't find any equipped with dual pane windows or the front A/C so we're thinking about ordering one. I have some questions for those of you who have done this.

First, roughly how long does it take for delivery once an order is placed? A couple months? Also, We don't really want the dinette table and chair. Does anybody know what they use in place of this optional table? Finally, is the freight charge the same for all locations and if so, how much is it?

I've spent at least 100 hours researching RV's online and have narrowed it down to the 337RLS and Coachmen Brookstone 315RL/325RL. We plan to look at both of them tomorrow for the first time. I've heard a lot of great things about the Grand Design models but not much about Brookstone.

Thanks for your help!
Brian

 

[huntr70]

This time of year you should be able to get one pretty quickly, couple of weeks. The longer you wait towards Spring, the longer the wait gets, as dealers statrt ordering their Spring and Summer stock. I would say a baseline average is 6-8 weeks.

If you don't get table and chairs you get a standard booth dinette.

The freight charge depends on how close the dealer is to the factory. Obviously, the closer the dealer, the less the freight charge.

Brookstone isn't even on the same planet as a Reflection.....just sayin'

 

[bertschb]

Thanks for the reply. The Brookstone has virtually the same floorplan and is in the same price range as the Reflection. It also has many more factory options available. That's why we're looking at it. What sets the Reflection apart from it?

 

[bertschb]

Well huntr70, you were right! The Brookstone RV's were poorly constructed. The Grand Designs were much nicer. Now we're trying to choose between the Reflection and Solitude.

 

[LCBoyer]

Solitude is heavier, maybe a little better insulated. Years ago I worked in a Caddilac, Pontiac, and Buick dealership. Once in a while a Caddilac owner would trade for a Buick or Pontiac. They were always unhappy. The few dollars they saved didn't make them happy. Buy the most you can afford

 

[huntr70]

Yeah, sorry I didn't answer sooner.

I was at a Show all weekend.

There isn't any Coachmen that is built like a Grand Design....

There are many brands that paint a pretty picture by having lots of "bling", but they don't build a quality product.

 

[Sandi]

All I can add to this is we have had ours for over a year and I wouldn't trade it for anything else on the market! Once you go to the factory and actually see the construction process it's a no brainer!
Good luck in your search!
I don't think you can go wrong with this company.

 

[bertschb]

There is one more brand that our Grand Design dealer had that looked fairly nice and was decked out with options (dishwasher, vac system, auto-leveling, etc) -and discounted nicely- Bay Hill by Evergreen. We didn't get a chance to look it over very closely. Any comments as to Bay Hill vs Grand Design? Waaaaaay too many RV manufacturers out there! At least with my truck purchase I only need to consider three brands.

 

[huntr70]

Another "bling" builder.

Built very much like my Columbus. Bay Hill designers couldn't come up with a unique floorplan if their life depended on it.

They copy everyone else's models...

 

[bertschb]

Huntr70-
We actually looked at your 5th wheel model yesterday at the dealer that had the Coachmen Brookstone. Are you thinking of moving from your Columbus to a Grand Design?

 

[huntr70]

Well, Bill Fenech did offer me a smoking deal on any GD product I want, however, my wife still likes our 2013 Columbus, and we really have had no problems with it.

I work for a GD dealer, and we also have the Columbus line. Had I known about GD before I ordered our Columbus, we would be in a Solitude.

GD was not in business at the time we ordered ours...

 

[1970kw]

Our 337 came with the table and chairs, but we negotiated a deal to have the dinette installed. We wanted another rear lounge coach, but still needed a place for kids to sleep. We have used it both ways, but I actually like it better with the dinette. Love the 337. Great floor plan, and a little shorter and lighter than the 369rl Solitude.

 

[Norcalrv1]

We have the 337, number 263. We did have the front A/C installed and have used it many times. It is not hooked to the thermostat, it is manual and works very well. I recommend it. Dual pain windows was something that I wanted but did not get them because as soon as the seal cracks during travel the will leak and become fogged over. I would only get them if you are not going to travel with it, just let it sit and an RV park.
Hope this is not to late.

Rod Zebb
Fairfield, CA.
2014 Reflection 337, number 263
2014 RAM 3500 turbo diesel

 

[Kev&Gin]

To the dual pane window question, they are not sealed units like a house or motor home. They are simply two panes of glass with an air gap between them. No seal and inert gas to fail causing them to fog up. They mainly prevent condensation and reduce noise but provide little in R value.

We just took our 303RLS out for the first time this past weekend. The windows never had a drop of condensation on them even down to 19 degrees using the furnace and with two adults and two kids. The park was relatively empty so I can testify to the noise reduction but have read other posts where people would never go without out them. So far I'm very pleased with them.

 

[Dave & Darlene]

We ordered our Solitude on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, It arrived on January 7th. Our dealer said If you want it quickly November to January is the best time to order. as we approach spring they will get backed up a bit.

 

[Norcalrv1]

You won that one. I explored that issue also and was led to believe that dual windows were not desirable for the reasons I explained. Glad you figured it out. I have been in temps to 19 and been fine. The heat works great and the underbelly is also heated. No freezing problems.

You will really enjoy your Grand Design. We lived in ours for 5 months after we got it. It tows behind my new 2014 RAM 3500 perfectly. Speed limits in Wyoming and Utah are 80 and it towed great even at those speeds. Leaving in the morning for a month or two and then to Alaska. Very comfortable place to be. The fireplace is great and we put a 14 inch mattress in the bedroom (Overstock.com) and sleep better than in the house. Can't wait to leave in the morning!

 

[TucsonJim]

Speed limits in Wyoming and Utah are 80 and it towed great even at those speeds.

Wow! Did you change out the tires on your 337? I thought the Westlake ST tires were only rated for 65mph? Have I been holding back for nothing?

Jim

 

[Norcalrv1]

Yes, I sure did. I have G rated tires, the E rated that they put on the 5th wheels blow out. I was told that they were rated at 3,500 pounds, which is 14,000 pounds for four; our gross weight. The G rated tires are 4,500 each which gives us 18,000 pounds of load carrying capacity. These numbers are what the dealership told me; unverified otherwise. I also saw at least two blow outs last summer with E rated tires. One really made a mess out of the side of the 5th wheel. A friend of mine told me about this problem and he has many years of experience with a 5th wheel. He blew two tires in less than 400 miles. Somebody said that these are truck tires, I couldn't say. I pump them to 80 psi and in 10,000 miles no issues.

 

[TucsonJim]

Yes, I sure did. I have G rated tires, the E rated that they put on the 5th wheels blow out. I was told that they were rated at 3,500 pounds, which is 14,000 pounds for four; our gross weight. The G rated tires are 4,500 each which gives us 18,000 pounds of load carrying capacity. These numbers are what the dealership told me; unverified otherwise. I also saw at least two blow outs last summer with E rated tires. One really made a mess out of the side of the 5th wheel. A friend of mine told me about this problem and he has many years of experience with a 5th wheel. He blew two tires in less than 400 miles. Somebody said that these are truck tires, I couldn't say. I pump them to 80 psi and in 10,000 miles no issues.

Did you change out the rims too? When I was doing my brakes and bearings a few weeks ago, I saw a stamp on the inside of the rims that they are rated for 3200 pounds each. It kind of defeats the purpose of a 7000 pound axle, when the the two wheels on each axle are rated for 6400 pounds.

 

[BobbieT]

We ordered our 303 the beginning Jan with dual pane windows. (I know there are pros and cons with dual panes but there are so many windows we went ahead and paid the extra. Hopefully we will be happy with our decision.) Today we called the factory and were told it would be assembled Feb first and delivered three weeks later. Funny, we were also looking at a new 2014 brookstone 315. Great price, lower than the 303, but we went with GD's strong reputation. We also wondered why the dealer had several 2014s left in Jan. The 315 is also a couple thousand pounds heavier and a couple feet longer. We wanted to stay on the smaller and lighter side.