I bought my Barth Regency 5 years ago and it had right at 90,000 miles on it. It now has 127,800 miles. Had to replace the head gasket 6 months ago... other than that and some other less major issues it has ran very well. We also have done a lot of remodeling inside and just installed a new Domectic Fridge RM 3962SS IMF. However.... lately we have been seriously considering purchasing a newer SOB and do some full timing. We believe that we will be more comfortable in a coach with slides, which of course a Barth does not have. Our Barth is the first and only motor home we have ever owned and we have enjoyed it. Still thinking hard about it... your thoughts are welcomed.

Having spent parts of 6 winters and 45000 miles in the 33 Regal I can see your desire for a bit more room. If you are still thinking about 32ft then slides are your only option for more space.

The Monarch is 10 inches wider and 4 feet longer than the Regal. A lot more room than the Regal. So far we have not had any desire for a slide.

Some slides can have problems with leaks, squeaks, jamming, etc. As usual the higher end brands are less trouble but not always. (Obviously won't hear much about them on this site.) I would check other forums for feedback on SOB slides. Might be interesting...

A longer coach might be all you need.

We are going to kick you our of Barthmobile. Charge you $500 to come to our events. Just kidding Fred!. A few of our members have Foretravel coaches. It might be alright but we better have a poll.

---

The more I hear about slides the more I am glad Barth does not have slides. I am partial to BARTH!. If you need more space just buy a camper or class C and use it as a toad.

Thanks for the feedback guys. Going to Iowa next week then off to Colorado Springs for a couple weeks. I have definitely become attached to the Barth. Maybe I will get over it and keep it... we will see.

A newer SOB can have many more other features than just slides, but with those features comes additional complexity.

A very good friend of mine bought (new - he and his wife are retired IBM VPs, so have a buck or two to fritter away on RVs) a TropiCal. Out of the factory, the wheels and tires were not capable of handling the sticker GVW. Then, Tom and I spent a wonderful hour in the rain @35°F trying to get one slide to retract. Eventually, a defect in the exhaust seals caused gasses to ignite the fiberglas, and the whole coach and the toad were lost.

Then he bought (new) a Beaver. Four trips to the factory site never fixed all the issues.

His Entegra has been trouble-free for two years, but at $700K, it should be.

Like choosing a Barth, an SOB should be heavily researched. Foretravels, Newells, and others seem to be robustly designed and built, but others, bot so much.

My son-in-law's father has been selling motor homes for over 40 years,(he's made a lot of money doing it) from Prevosts to stick and staple trailers. He has, and still, states emphatically that he would never buy a motor home with a slide, NEVER!! In fact, he has never bought a motor home of any kind which says an awful lot. BTW, he never sold or had any experience of any kind with a Barth motor home. Barth married decent chassis with incredible well constructed coaches. Airstream, Prevost, Foretravel, Newell, Barth,---the rest are, well I'm not going to say.

Jim

We have another problem with Barth. My levelers have not worked properly since the day I bought the it 5 years ago. I can get them to go down but they will not extend when there is pressure on them, so they will not lift the coach. We have stayed at many places where the pads were so unlevel that it was impossible to have a level Coach, which is very annoying. HWH, in Moscow IA, wanted $4,000 to fix them 2 years ago. I declined at that time thinking I would sell instead. Well, I never did sell the coach and I have another appointment next week with HWH for the levelers but I may cancel. Besides wanting more space, the levelers is another big reason for wanting to sell soon. That's a lot of money to spend on a motor home worth around $20,000... and I would never recoup the money when selling.

quote:

Originally posted by Fred & Cindy:
We have another problem with Barth. My levelers have not worked properly since the day I bought the it 5 years ago. I can get them to go down but they will not extend when there is pressure on them, so they will not lift the coach. We have stayed at many places where the pads were so unlevel that it was impossible to have a level Coach, which is very annoying. HWH, in Moscow IA, wanted $4,000 to fix them 2 years ago. I declined at that time thinking I would sell instead. Well, I never did sell the coach and I have another appointment next week with HWH for the levelers but I may cancel. Besides wanting more space, the levelers is another big reason for wanting to sell soon. That's a lot of money to spend on a motor home worth around $20,000... and I would never recoup the money when selling.

Sounds like a total overhaul at 4k. Maybe just send them the pump unit. Sounds like a pressure problem.Maybe just a damaged relief valve.

I second that vote. If the pump is making noise, levelers are actually moving, and no fluid is running out anywhere, it sounds like air or dirt in the pump or valve body.

A thorough flush followed by a refill and bleed of each cylinder would be my first step. If still no good probably a pump problem. They can be rebuilt, not rocket science.

I had a problem with one rear unit leaking down slowly. No external leaks so I knew it was leaking back somewhere. After numerous cyles the problem persisted. Not until I ran the jacks out full extension and continued to run the pump a bit more did I finally clear the check valve. Has held ever since.

Yep, the $4k was for a total rebuild. One back leveler was leaking profusely but I have since had it rebuilt at a place in St Louis for $600. The other back leveler is spot leaking and... bad news does not get better over time. HWH is about a 6 hour drive from me. I have more knowledge about these levelers now so I am going to give them one more shot at giving me a reasonable price. If not, then Iowa is a nice place to visit this time of the year.

quote:

Originally posted by Fred & Cindy:
Yep, the $4k was for a total rebuild. One back leveler was leaking profusely but I have since had it rebuilt at a place in St Louis for $600. The other back leveler is spot leaking and... bad news does not get better over time. HWH is about a 6 hour drive from me. I have more knowledge about these levelers now so I am going to give them one more shot at giving me a reasonable price. If not, then Iowa is a nice place to visit this time of the year.

Good luck with the levelers. They come in handy now and then.

I had the added advantage of the rear tag axle. It has individual airbags with driver controls so I could raise and lower the rear of the coach with those.

quote:

Originally posted by Fred & Cindy:
That's a lot of money to spend on a motor home worth around $20,000... and I would never recoup the money when selling.

For the most there are not many motor homes you can purchase and "recoup" your money. I have said this before and here it is again:

---

You get your money back in enjoying the use of your motor home."

---

A good person to ask about newer motor home would be Mogan David (Mark) on our forum. Hike up your skirt and fix the levelers, or sell it to someone at a discounted price and they will fix the leveling system. Remember my above statement holds true to whatever you plan to buy.

MY 2.5 cents

Cheers for eclipse day!

Kevin

For the most there are not many motor homes you can purchase and "recoup" your money. I have said this before and here it is again:
You get your money back in enjoying the use of your motor home."
A good person to ask about newer motor home would be Mogan David (Mark) on our forum. Hike up your skirt and fix the levelers, or sell it to someone at a discounted price and they will fix the leveling system. Remember my above statement holds true to whatever you plan to buy.

MY 2.5 cents

Cheers for eclipse day!

Kevin
---------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for your 2.5 cents Kevin. Opinions are like noses, everyone has one and they all smell... ha!, just kidding. But seriously I have spent nearly the same amount of money on fixes and upgrades as I originally paid for the coach. My business degree tells me I will never hit a break even point but the point of deminishing returns has not been reached either because.... we still enjoy getting out in the Barth. We are still headed to Moscow, Iowa on 28 Aug to get the levelers fixed. OBTW... we have been thinking about getting it repainted too and have been checking out some places in Mexico. So the cost of fixing the levelers plus repainting can get pretty expensive, which is the main reason we were contemplating getting a newer coach that would also provide us more room inside. I know most Barth owners love their coaches. I am very fond of mine too. We will see what happens. Thanks!

Don't sell that thing yet. Get it all fixed up and I'll buy it. I haven't got a Regency yet, after all.

Would be good to have a trailer and a nice class C too...

Like I need any more projects.

I can see how the choice to sell coach would be tough. With a new paint job it will look awesome sharp.

If you are planning extended stays in warm areas, an attached screen room is a great addition, literally. We really liked ours on the Regal. 8 x 18, 3 sides, fully screened. We put our picnic table and several chairs and end tables inside. Ice maker and small fridge, too.



Only down side it takes a couple hours to get it all set up, floors and side panels that attach to the coach, etc.

Good to hear Fred you are biting the bullet on the levelers.

---

No I will never get my money back on my coach, except in enjoyment. The same goes true for most vehicles. With most vehicles you get less when you sell than when you buy. In the case of Barth you add money to "maintain" value. The total value will not increase much, if any. Put your business thoughts aside and consider your enjoyment. Consider buying a new stick and staple for $100,000 and think how much you would lose the first three years. Consider buying a few year old rig with lots of electronic toys you know nothing about. When these little toys break you are at someone mercy to fix the gadgets at a fair price. Lots of variables here to consider. You know your Barth and our community will always help.

---

When the previous owner owned my Barth he paid $140,000. I am sure Bud spent about that to keep it maintained, I have several receipts from him. He did enjoy the Barth for 20 years before I was the LUCKY guy to buy it. No matter what you brand you own it is generally cheaper to keep her. Compared to renting rooms and cars for trips, and sleeping in other peoples dirt, I will take my Barth any day. I have come to hate the filth in a motel or hotel. Enjoy life while you can. Good luck either way.