There is on for sale listed on the Barth Rangers site.

http://groups.msn.com/barthrangers

Anyone who wants a Regal should look at this one. The advantages of a tag axle have to be driven to be appreciated compared to a regular P30. This coach has many features I wish my coach has or had to change over myself. I wish I had been able to buy this one five years ago. It is listed as a 31 foot, while mine is a 30T, but measures out at 30 1/2 feet. This might be similar. Lots of campgrounds have a 30 ft limit.

We saw this one at Quartzsite, and it is a beauty, inside and out.



[This message has been edited by bill h (edited September 29, 2004).]

This 1988 Regal Barth motor home is in OUTSTANDING CONDITION and has the 1996 factory design paint. Two roof A.C.'s, two furnaces, T.V., rear camera, tagaxle, jack's, solar 6.5 Onan, 454 engine with 89,000 miles. Also convection microwave, queen bed, couch, table, swivel chairs, new water heater, oak interior with corian counters, two 45 gal. holding tanks, 65 gal. fresh water tank, 60 gal. gas tank, good tires. There has been no smoking or pets in this coach. $25,990.00.
Call (760) 243-9539 Victorville, CA.

I talked with this gentleman, he is a motivated seller and apparently has a max'ed out coach. This could be a real deal for someone. He is sending me some interior photos. I will scan them and have them up ASAP. Dave




[This message has been edited by davebowers (edited September 29, 2004).]

[This message has been edited by davebowers (edited September 29, 2004).]

Bill,
Since I am not so patiently waiting for the photo's to be posted on this coach (love all the photo's!!), could you tell me some of the features and add-ons you were referring to when you said you wished you already had them on your coach five years ago?
Since I have read on this forum that your coach is one of the best out there, my impression is that you think very highly of this Barth coach, so your insight is greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Lola

Lola, I don't have any inside pictures, sorry to say. But I can say it is nice.

And I would not say mine is one of the best ones out there. It is best for us, but has its pluses and minuses. Lots of ongoing and deferred maintenance. I like our paint job, but his is better.

I guess some of my liking for this coach is because it has features I have or did or want. I am usually off on prices, but I paid 18k for mine in 2000, after looking for a year. It was the right length, and had an air bag tag. The tag P30 is so much better, by far, than a non-tag, especially when towing a heavy toad or boat. Two more wheels with brakes is good too, as we do mountains. Additionally, the air bag tag allows me to carry a motorcycle or two 250cc desert bikes on the back without screwing up the handling. Plus, I just plain like the looks of the tag. I had to convert my living room from a dinette and one loose chair to a foldaway bed/couch and two rigidly mounted swivel chairs and a fold up table. Had to build the table and buy and reupholster the furniture and buy chair pedestals and adjusters. Converted bedroom from twins to a single bed, which meant re-engineering the plumbing, new water tank, and removing a furnace.

Plus, his has levelers, remote spotlight, rear camera, Corian counters, and two 45 gal. holding tanks, 65 gal. fresh water tank. Mine has one 39 gal water tank and a 45 gallon all in one holding tank. I am going to have to build my own grey tank and build another water tank to fit in the cavity when I remove the other furnace, and probably make a tank to fit under the fridge where part of the old tank was. Lots more work. "Labor Intensive", as Winston says. Plus, Barth screwed up on our black tank (put it in backward), but he drove his to the factory and they fixed it. I will have to address that issue at some point. And, oh yeah, he actually has a screen door. Why on earth would they make coaches without screen doors? GEEZE! So, with all that, I wish I had been able to buy his, even though ours has a few advantages we really like.

There are not a lot of 30 tags around.

Bill as I am very new at this Barth thing what exactly is a tag???
thanks
John Reilly
Centerville Ohio

John, a "tag" is a second rear axle behind the rear drive wheels . It doesn't drive, it just "tags" along in tandem with the drive wheels. As Bill notes, it adds load carrying capacity, two more wheels with brakes, and adds immeasurably to the handling qualities of the P30 chassis.

I am looking at two motorhomes that seem to fit my family's needs. 1} 1991 London Aire Class c (Aluminum) 28' TAG AXLE 2) the barth 31' TAG AXLE for sale in this website. Each coach has some advantages as well as disadvantages. The london aire has the folowing advantages: 1991 ford has some technological advantages over 1980s p30 chevy. Fuel injection as well as 4 speed overdrive transmission. Both have tag axles. I suspect the barth would have a higher towing capacity as well as gvw. The barth gets about 7mpg according to the owner while towing a car. The seller of the london aire claims that it gets between 9 and 10 mpg but he is not towing a car. The London Aire has 49000 miles vs 85000+ miles on the barth. Bill H , what other advantages does this Barth have over the London Aire. I realize I am sort of comparing apples to oranges. When you go to campgrounds that have a thirty foot limit, how rigid are they on a 30.5 foot coach? Do they measure it?

Bill thanks for the info on a tag ..It makes sence...I do have another tech sort of question... What is a "breakaway".. Sorry to bother you with this trivia...
Going to Indy this weekend to look at a 77 30 footer with the bath in the back and the 2 single beds in the aisle.. Not the perfect setup that I wanted (Wanted a 28 footer with Bed in back) but pricing and condition seem to be there...Anyway I am excited and looking forward to the adventure hoping to come home a Barht owner instead of a wanna be... Anything special I should look for or worry about with a 77 30 footer??? You can see it at http://adcache.rvtraderonline.com/3/4/7/75283047.htm
I sort of like the low maleage and it appears to be in decent shape...
Any insight you may have I would appreciate...
John Reilly

Hi Jeff,

First of all are you sure that the London Aire was a class c. I am only aware of Newmar London Aire fifth wheels and class a's
such as this one.



For me a class C is a non-starter. I feel the foot well and the basic comfort of a class c do not compare with a class a, especially a Barth.

I am not aware of the internal construction of Newmars but I am assuming that it does not approach that of a Barth. I am sure others are bored with seeing these photos but here goes once again.









You can plainly see that you would have to upgrade to probably a Bluebird or Prevost to get this kind of construction. You would be able to tell immediatly the quality in the absence of twist and flex while going over bumps and around corners etc. There is just a big difference.


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[This message has been edited by davebowers (edited September 30, 2004).]

[This message has been edited by davebowers (edited September 30, 2004).]

In discussion of the Ford vs. Chevy big block debate, Chevy is the winner hands down. The Chevy engine is far superior to the Ford and I race big block Fords. Ask a machinist and the Ford engine parts (crankshaft, heads, etc.) are a lot more expensive and harder to find. Also, the Ford is a dinosaur- no longer made- the V-10 has replaced it. Also, the Ford transmission is really probably worse than the engine. Ford cannot compete with GM in transmissions. The Turbo 400 is far superior to the Ford C-6. Our '67 Ford F-100 race truck will get a GM powerglide next season. Remember that GM builds the Allison transmissions that everyone wants and Ford will never get.

[This message has been edited by EddieChevalier (edited September 30, 2004).]

Sorry, Jeffery, I know very little about Fords or London Aires. In fact, when I read you post, I thought the Londonaires were the group that accompanied Elvis in the fifties, but after my morning tea cleared my brain, I realized that was the Jordanaires.

Being built by Newmar, the London Aire is a cut above Fleetwood etc, but beyond that, I can't say much. Even with a tag, a P30 needs a little help, such as the bigger anti sway bar, the roller bearing idler arms and Bilsteins. The drive axle may need air bags to bring ride height to specs. None of this is a biggie, but any P30 owner should look at doing it. I would not let a Ford or Chevy chassis keep me from buying any coach.

The mileage figures he gave your are about right. Maybe Ford owners here can comment on mileage. A C is generally lighter, but has lousy front end aerodynamics, Vis-à-vis mileage. The overdrive will give you a small increase in level road mileage. Someday, we will travel on a level road. I am sure there are some out there. Many manufacturers caution against "towing" in OD. Well, the weight of a MH is far more than a pickup truck and a trailer, so think it over.

As for the length issues, as with all people with uniforms and authority, "It Depends". Occasionally, we get a hard look when I tell them it is a 30 footer, because with the hump roof and tag axle, it looks longer. We have never been measured with a tape, but some parks and campgrounds have white lines painted for length checking. I have seen longer coaches turned away at CA state beaches, but that depends on the individual at the booth that day, and whether or not she is having a bad hair day or something. We have also seen obviously over-length coaches in parks with a 30 foot limit, so go figure. We have also found that the shorter your coach, the more sites you can choose in some parks. We favor the more rustic parks, so it is a consideration.

You need to consider layout, too. At 28 feet, what has the LA given up? Our own preferences are that the dining room have a couch long enough to lie down on and two swivel chairs with a fold down table between. Our 27 foot Southwind managed that with a corner bath. Decide on your requirements and compare. All else being equal, a shorter coach drives a little better and fits in more spaces.

There is one drawback to a tag that is seldom mentioned-----Some parks have sites with concrete stops to keep you from backing too far into the woods. In a few instances, with the tag hitting the stop, we were too far out into the road, and had to try another site. A non-tag would have fit.

Now we are getting into class A vs C. I have had both, and there are trade offs. A C has the overhead bunk, which is really space-efficient, but an A has that lovely large open windshield area. This may or not be important to you, but we love the light and love to admire the scenery when parked in a nice rustic place. If you go to KOAs, then it might not matter. Even when driving, the view is so much better in an A. Heck, one of the few thing we miss about our Southwind is the humongous sloped windshield and its view of the scenery in the mountains.

Even the best C I ever drove never felt as solid as my Barth, or the other Barths I drove, for that matter. Perhaps driving will tell you something.

Does the Newmar have disk brakes on the drive axle? Is the tag adjustable for load?

Does the Newmar have a genset or solar?

One air conditioner is marginal for a 28 footer in hot conditions.

A 28 foot class C tag is a bit unusual. Got a picture?

The lower mileage is an issue. How long do you plan on keeping the coach? The longer you plan on keeping it, the less of an issue an engine rebuild is.

How much storage, inside and out, does the Newmar have? If it has outside bins, look inside and maybe you can get an idea of the body construction.

Dave: Thanks for your prompt reply. It is a class c London Aire. Pictures are at http://www.stenzelscampers.com Upon further questioning, I found out that early london aire class c were made of ALUMINUM while this later model was made of FIBERGLASS! I agree that for longevity as well as structural integrity-the barth seems to be superior. I looked up the nada values for his coach and they are about 22 thousand. Do you feel that this particular coach is worth several thousand more? I spoke with the owner and he reportedly took good care of the motorhome, but with 89000 miles on the clock, I would expect that a valve job or rebuild would be in the near future for this coach. How much would that cost? I like the relatively short rear overhang of the coach compared with the 33' model, as I have a somewhat steep driveway.

I'm sorry I wasn't clear, When i said "his coach" at the latter part of my previous coach i meant the barth.

First of all Bill, that would be the Jordanaires,




Jeff the Londonaire looks pretty cool for a Class C. Interior looks really nice also. As far as the price is concerned on this coach. If you want a certain coach and you have cash money in your hand all kinds of miracles can take place. You aren't too far off I bet. This guy want to sell this coach.

It's too bad you don't have the two coaches side by side. When we went looking for a coach my minumum criteria was that it would have to be comfortable to be in during a three day rain storm. I found the Class C's to be too confining. I also like the driving cockpit to be much larger. I can't comment on the engine. My coach had just 66K on it and the engine blew 8 miles from the RV dealer.

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[This message has been edited by davebowers (edited September 30, 2004).]

Boy, that C packs a lot of room in 28 feet. Good layout.

I see the fiberglass skin as a negative. A metal skin adds a lot of strength to structure. as in MONOCOQUE. Fiberglass less so. Of course, if the frame is stronger in the fiberglass frame construction, then things might balance out. Class Cs are more likely to get creaky, anyway, so you want everything going for you.

Looky here:

http://www.rvtraderonline.com/caddetail.html?/ad-cache/3/2/8/75141928.htm