Viking Opinions?
D Fortner
My wife and I are looking to buy our first pop-up camper.
We've looked all over at used ones and haven't been
interested in any thing we've found so far. On the other
hand, our local Viking (Coachmen) dealer has a bunch of
left-over '99 Viking campers. We really like the layout of
the model 2470ST. All of the units that the dealer has have
a furnace (not needed here in Florida) and awning. Thier
asking $6400+$750 for Air Conditioning (which IS required
down here). I think it's a pretty decent deal on a floor
plan that I think would work well for us.
I'd like to hear opinions of the Viking pop-ups and this
model in particular.
Thanks in advance,
Dave Fortner
patrick
Is that your final choice, look at Coleman's (major Plug), Jayco and
Starcraft. These three are considered the "Big Boy's" in the business.
I happen to sell one of these brands. You should be able to find what you
are looking for without the furnace for around that 7K price.
If your reading this Chris, you might be able to suggest a Florida dealer
for these folks.
Pat at Sunbelt RV
D Fortner <for...@digital.net> wrote in message
news:3890F071...@digital.net...
tim cox
the little extras, and the great price made us believers.
viking puts things on their trailers that no one else does, and adds
little touches that others charge extra for or don't offer.
if you like the dealer, i think you'll be very happy.
if you want more info, email me directly.
t cox
93 aerostar awd
99 viking 2480
Rob and Karen
1060st and am very happy with the fit and finish also the extras that
Coachmen industries puts in there product.
Good luck on whatever you choose
Rob
D Fortner
seen. But of course, to look at the flip side. We've been
looking at used popups for a while, not one has met our needs
(at a price we're willing to pay w/o a warranty). For all of
'em we've see, not one has not been "un-useable" (just didn't
have what we're looking for). I'll address each in you point
below.
Tim Davis wrote:
> Hey from Gainesville, FL....we bought our first popup back in
> July'99. We
> looked extensively at the Viking and the Coleman campers. I
> really liked
> the layout and overall looks of the Vikings, however here is
> why we chose a
> Coleman.
>
> 1. Sunbrella fabric (less problems with mold, fabric
> breathes)
Flip side: I haven't seen/noticed mold/mildew problems in ANY
of the used units we've look at, regardless of manufacture.
Plus, did you see the 60 Minutes piece not long ago? They
showed that sunbrella isn't very fire resistant, they actually
had live footage of people inside a pop-up when the sunbrella
caught fire. After that piece I'd be suprised if Coleman
doesn't pull the sunbrella out of their units. (Please note, I
have dozens of yards of Sunbrella on my boat and LOVE the
stuff.)
>
> 2. Stainless steel lift mechanisms and the overall size of
> the supports
> (1"x3-4") compared to 1"x1" on other campers.
Flip side: As stated before, we've look at a bunch of used ones
(some >20 years old), not one problem with the lift mechanisms.
Plus, Viking has a lifetime warrany on the lift mechanism.
Lastly on this point, I like the snap-on pieces that Viking
(and other manufactures) have which prevents the roof from
falling if the cable snaps. I don't know if Coleman has these
safety supports.
>
> 3. Frame is tubular or box steel and not C-channel. The
> cargo capacity is
> larger.
Flip side: Tubular steel isn't appreciably stronger than "C"
channel steel (my F-150 4x4 has a "C" channel frame) and is
heavier. The Viking we're looking at has ~500 lbs. capacity, do
we need more?
>
> 4. ABS panels on the front and rear. They initially appear
> cheap but they
> do not ding and they make the overall weight less.
Flip side: True, but I've towed horse trailers, stock trailers
and boats for over 25 years and have never got a chip or ding
above the level of the tailgate of the truck (our tow vehicle
is the before mentioned F-150).
Again, I too feel that Coleman is probably the best pop-up
camper on the market today. BUT, a comperablely equipped
Coleman would run $2-3000 more than the Viking we're looking at
and none of the current models have a floorplan that fits our
needs as well as the Viking 2470ST. I'd still like to hear more
informed discussion on the topic.
Later . . .
Dave Fortner
Rob and Karen
constructed, at least as the salesman say. I bought a Coachmen (Viking)
because when talking to the salesmen he brought up some interesting points
as you said. And as for the lift mechanism, had a 1971 Starcraft that one
lift cable broke in 1994, so as you say not a problem. The tent was
original, and as stated I never saw mold or mildew on it. I have a friend
who has an older Colemen Brandywine and again no mold and it is not
Sunbrella. When you start comparing brochure to brochure there seems to be
not a whole lot of diffence in make up of units. I know about the welded
and riveted aluminum on the Coleman but as you say sometimes that cost seems
a bit on the high side. I had considered a Colemen Sedona but at a show in
1999 $6100.00 bare bones was a bit on the high side in my oppinion, last one
they had. Paid 5100 for a Coachmen 1060st, with refrigerator, furnace,
awning, privacy package(whatever that is) and have been more than happy.
Found out after the fact that there is a Viking dealer less than 7 miles
from my home, at the time he was not a dealer, and have to go 100 miles if I
need warranty work, but not a problem have not need that yet.news:38912FB1...@digital.net...
just me
dealer for warranty work? Colemans are like cars, you can take it to any
Coleman dealer for warranty work, regardless of where you purchased it. I'm
not putting any camper over one another, just curious if that is how
Coachmen works.
--
Colorado Campers
'95 Tahoe
'99 Cheyenne
Rob and Karen <cava...@swbell.net> wrote in message
news:7nqk4.174$l72....@news.swbell.net...
JimW
it. The '99s have a few extras that our '98 does not but basically they're
the same. The layout is great for us (2 adults, 2 kids) but some owners
might complain of climbing over a sofa to get to the rear bed (kids don't
mind at all). The front storage is great, electric brakes are great,
screw down supports are nice and all the accessories (fridge, furnace, water
heater/pump, cassette potty, awning) all work very well. Don't know about
the AC but the tinted windows should help. We've been in torrential
downpours and no leaks, we towed it 10,000 miles and no breakdowns. Sure,
if we had an unlimited budget, we'd have a Coleman but for the money, we're
very happy with the Viking.
--
Jim & Cinda
'98 Viking 2470ST
'97 rAstro Phoenix AZ
D Fortner wrote in message <3890F071...@digital.net>...
Rob and Karen
dealer. Have a warranty card that it can be taken to any dealer but seeing
as how that is the closet dealer that is where I take it.
just me <nob...@here.com> wrote in message
news:s94ib3t...@corp.supernews.com...
Jeff Neese
In fact our Coachmen has a build sticker that says it was manufactured by
the Viking division. Apparently these are made in the same factory (in
Indiana?) from the same plans. We think it is an exellent popup.
We looked at a lot of popups before our purchase, both new and used. We in
fact were going to buy a brand new Coleman Mesa fully decked out, but the
final price scared us off and we found a great deal on a '93 Coachmen 1060.
It's small enough to be towed easily (the Mesa would have been too heavy for
the Caravan - I had let the dealer convince me that it would be fine, but I
have since wised up). We are very happy with the layout, construction, and
functionality of our Coachmen. True, it's not as "luxurious" as a Coleman,
but since I viewed a popup as a major step up from tent camping, I was going
for value, function, reliability, and solid construction more than anything.
We do plan to step up in the future to something bigger. The 10' box works
for just the two of us (I'm a firm believer in the "kids sleep in their own
tent" method) but it is just a little cramped. More storage would be nice,
and I think a front trunk would be great to have. I would definitely buy
another Coachmen or Viking if the right one at the right price came along.
Ken
the rv show here they were taking off $1775 right off the top. That
makes it bare bones at $3424. Im getting the Santa Fe with everything
including Delux instide stuff, air, furnace, hot water, 3 way frig,
hitch, etc. for $6700. Did one of us miss something? :-)
--
"Only The Good Parts Of Time Fly By" ken"
Visit My RC Web Site http://home.rochester.rr.com/sar/
Lars Andersen
I do not know much on Viking pop ups as I am a Coleman owner, but I have
seen one down the street here that has the front storage trunk. My Coleman
has this feature and we could not live without it. It is so handy for
putting all of your camping gear.
Good luck with your decision. I am sure Viking is a good pop up..
Lars & Vicki Andersen
larsan...@sprint.ca
Paul
buy our Rockwood. We were very pleased with the trailer the whole time
we owned it. We were the 3rd owner and never had any real problems with
it. It was still all original when we sold it, except for the water
faucet. Our reason for selling was to move to a larger unit. This
trailer was a very small; 6' box with only one sliding bed.
At the Tampa RV Supershow 2 weeks ago, we looked at the Viking's. We
were very impressed with the units we saw. It was the only manufacturer
that had a popup that we were interested in. We really love our
Rockwood, but have at times, wished we had gotten a model with a shower.
Viking offers a model (2460ST) that has a shower and a SEPERATE dry
built-in porta potty. Why doesn't anyone else do this?
We felt the Viking was very similar to our Rockwood in most aspects,
including the upgraded Carefree of Colorado awning. (Sorry but most of
the other manufactures offer what I consider very Mickey Mouse awning
systems with their models.) In our opinion the similarity was a plus,
for we have not had even one problem with our Rockwood in almost 3 years
of ownership. The general consensus seems to be, that Rockwood is one of
the inferior brands out there. Give me inferior any day, if it performs
this well, and is this trouble-free.
Our only negative about the Viking was the lack of a dealer any where
close to where we live.
PAUL
1998 ROCKWOOD 1901
1998 MAZDA B4000
Jeff Neese
to agree that it is a solid, reliable, good-value brand.
"Paul" <mister...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:17946-38...@storefull-227.iap.bryant.webtv.net...
Ken
it looks to me as showers start showing in 12+ foot boxes. If I get the
Santa Fe I can put the cassette toilet in and that takes care of the
potty issue. As for a shower I came up with an idea. Im not claiming to
be the inventor and im sure it's been done many times before. A recessed
shower in the floor with a flush mounting top when not in use. The
curtain can hang from a glued on channel in the roof and go down into
the shower pan. And put a drain in.
Monte & Barb
Can't give specific info as I have never owned a Viking, but my wife and
I came within an eyelash of buying one last year. We both liked the
interior (seemed as well built as any-better than many). I liked their
method of greasing the wheel bearings. Anyone with a Viking have
comments about wheel bearing greasing/packing? and if it works why don't
other companys do this?
Good luck
-Monte
--
98 Damon Camplite
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
patrick
go with the Santa Fe, it's the better deal, it's loaded. 5 yr warranty on
Sedona roof, Lifetime on Santa Fe.....do that math Ken, the grand tour is
the way to go.
Pat at Sunbelt RV
Ken <kbr...@rochester.rr.com> wrote in message
news:3892FD02...@rochester.rr.com...
> Did some math: Opinion please. The MSRP on the 2000 Sedona is $5199. At
> the rv show here they were taking off $1775 right off the top. That
> makes it bare bones at $3424. Im getting the Santa Fe with everything
> including Delux instide stuff, air, furnace, hot water, 3 way frig,
> hitch, etc. for $6700. Did one of us miss something? :-)
>
Ken
do some sole searching (Im sure a lot of folks have been there). Im
working on details now. Battery, Toilet, Shower, Leveling jacks, etc.
etc. etc. Ken
Mark J Strawcutter
>of the used units we've look at, regardless of manufacture.
You're lucky. Most of the used units on dealer's lots around here
stink so badly from mold/mildew I don't know how they'll ever sell.
>Plus, did you see the 60 Minutes piece not long ago? They
>showed that sunbrella isn't very fire resistant, they actually
>had live footage of people inside a pop-up when the sunbrella
>caught fire. After that piece I'd be suprised if Coleman
>doesn't pull the sunbrella out of their units. (Please note, I
>have dozens of yards of Sunbrella on my boat and LOVE the
>stuff.)
I wonder if it would be better having globs of melted vinyl dripping
on you?
>Flip side: Tubular steel isn't appreciably stronger than "C"
>channel steel (my F-150 4x4 has a "C" channel frame) and is
>heavier. The Viking we're looking at has ~500 lbs. capacity, do
>we need more?
IMO few if any of the pop-ups on the market today have sufficient
cargo capacity. I'd like 1000 lb _after_ allowing for A/C, battery,
refer, furnace, 2nd propane tank and fluids.
Mark J Strawcutter
Indiana PA
'97 Coleman Key West
Dino
than C-Channel. What you must remeber is that C-Channel is
strong in only two directions! Tubular steel is strong in
FOUR directions!
Dino
Someone said...
>Flip side: Tubular steel isn't appreciably stronger than "C"
>channel steel (my F-150 4x4 has a "C" channel frame) and is
>heavier...
MikenDeb
comparision, say comparing 4" deep x 1/4" thick members, tube
steel will offer more structural rigidity and strength than
channel steel," I could agree with you. Tube steel will weigh
slightly more than double the channel section and will also cost
more than channel steel. I'm sure the engineering departments
of all RV manufacturers consider the benefits and costs of using
different materials for their frame construction. I can not
make a blanket statement that tube steel is better than channel
steel...it's not quite as black and white as that.
Mike Mason Austin TX
* Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet's Discussion Network *
The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet - Free!
Dino
use c-channel is because it is cheap and in MOST cases, gets the
job done.
What you must also realize is that there are different types
of c-channel. There is structural and rolled steel for example.
The rolled steel comes in coils and is passed through a machine
that folds the steel to the desired shape. When you brake (fold)
sheet metal, it becomes stronger. This is what the manufactures
are doing! Its cheap, easy, and fast to do. Have you ever seen
a mobile "seamless gutter" truck that goes around and installs
rain gutters on people's houses? Its the same thing!
Structural c-channel is heavier and only provides strenth in TWO
directions! This would be on the sides!
Tubing is ALWAYS stronger (given same size etc...)!
Are you curious how I know this? Its a GREAT story!
mma...@faulkcomp.com says...
moo...@my-deja.com
> > of the used units we've look at, regardless of manufacture.
> > showed that sunbrella isn't very fire resistant, they actually
> > had live footage of people inside a pop-up when the sunbrella
> > caught fire. After that piece I'd be suprised if Coleman
> > doesn't pull the sunbrella out of their units. (Please note, I
> > have dozens of yards of Sunbrella on my boat and LOVE the
> > stuff.)
> >
> > >
> > > the supports
> > > (1"x3-4") compared to 1"x1" on other campers.
> >
> > Flip side: As stated before, we've look at a bunch of used ones
> > (some >20 years old), not one problem with the lift mechanisms.
> > Plus, Viking has a lifetime warrany on the lift mechanism.
> > Lastly on this point, I like the snap-on pieces that Viking
> > (and other manufactures) have which prevents the roof from
> > falling if the cable snaps. I don't know if Coleman has these
> > safety supports.
> >
> > >
> > > 3. Frame is tubular or box steel and not C-channel. The
> > > cargo capacity is
> > > larger.
> >
> > channel steel (my F-150 4x4 has a "C" channel frame) and is
> > we need more?
> >
> > >
> > > cheap but they
> > > do not ding and they make the overall weight less.
> >
> > Flip side: True, but I've towed horse trailers, stock trailers
> > and boats for over 25 years and have never got a chip or ding
> > above the level of the tailgate of the truck (our tow vehicle
> > is the before mentioned F-150).
> >
> > Again, I too feel that Coleman is probably the best pop-up
> > camper on the market today. BUT, a comperablely equipped
> > Coleman would run $2-3000 more than the Viking we're looking at
> > and none of the current models have a floorplan that fits our
> > needs as well as the Viking 2470ST. I'd still like to hear more
> > informed discussion on the topic.
> >
> > Later . . .
> > Dave Fortner
> >
trunk)used to think it was gonna be like a garage or basement and only
collect junk, have had three other pop-ups and guess what, no more
without the storage trunk.
Dino
In a trailer frame, you need strength! If you look close, you
will see that the main rails that carry the springs are tubular
while the rest are a folded c-channel.
Pat is 100% right (as always) when he says Coleman uses their
lifter arms for better access. A stronger channel is NOT needed.
Also, anytime you use a rectangle instead of a square, you will
get better strength.
Dino
In article <17057-38...@storefull-223.iap.bryant.webtv.net>,
mister...@webtv.net says...
>
>Ever wonder why Coleman says tubular frame is better than C-frame, yet
>they use C-frame on their lifter arms, while the other manufacurers use
>tubular. I am sure there is a good reason, but it just seems Coleman
>would carry this theory throughout construction if it were superior.