hello all, can someone educate me ? what's the difference between a Regal and a Regal se ?

This has been a source of puzzlement for years!

My Breakaway is the prototype for the post-'93 28's, and is an "SE". AFAIK, it's not different from (floorplan and appointments) its predecessors except for the raised floor and consequently greatly enlarged basement storage. (Sadly, the other major change was the use of the GM 6.5L TD and GM 4L80E, both of which in original form were not as robust as the prior Cummins 5.9L/Allison).

now I'm really confused, I thought all breakaways were diesel pushers ?

I'm trying to figure out where my 88 fits in.

The paper work says it's a Regal, yet it is out fitted with leather seats, leather around the driver and passenger area, top of the line appliance.

I also have a raised floor with large storage compartments with the side docking lights ? were these all options?

Breakaways are all diesel pushers, the "entry-level" Barth pusher, usually with the Cummins 5.9L at 160, 190, or 230 HP. Except that a couple of 34' Breakaway XLs Have the 8.3 Cummins. At least 2 Breakaways have Cat engines (IIRC, 1 3116, 1 3126). There are also Regal pushers - some with the Ford 460, and apparently a diesel was an option.

Then there were a couple of 33'-34' "Breakaways" that turned out to be "Aristocrats". And one Regency 32' with a Cat 3116 - only 6.0L when most have the 10+L 3208 or the C8.3L.

To add to the confusion, it's rare to find a badge anywhere on a Barth that says: "Breakaway" (or Regency, or Sovereign, or Regal, or Aristocrat, or Monarch). The Monarchs seem to have been slotted between the Breakaways and the Regencies (C8.3 but many with a propane generator) and a redesigned interior.

Leather upholstery appeared at any coach line (although my "SE" had cloth, which, with dogs, I prefer).

Why all this variation/deviance? We suspect that it's because few Barths were built on spec; most seem to have been built-to-order, especially the larger pushers. Mine seems to have been built as a prototype/spec, but completed to order (color scheme, upholstery, etc.)

The John Deere chassis seems to have more storage than the GM P30/32/37, and most seem to have the Ford 460/C6.

But our chant here is, "No two Barths are alike," which even seems to apply to the early trailers.

quote:

Originally posted by Dave R:
hello all, can someone educate me ? what's the difference between a Regal and a Regal se ?

Some Barth brochures refer to the tag axle gasser as an SE. As one example, there is a 1990 Barth Brochure on the Barth CD that shows the 28 ft gasser as a Regal, and 31 and above as SE. Not Regal SE, but just SE. The same brochure lists the difference in features (standard and optional) between the Regal and the SE. Larger genset, etc.

I have a copy of an undated Barth Sales Sheet that lists both gas Regals and Regal SEs. And this document says SE is Special Edition. It says Regals are up to 31 ft, and Regal SEs are 32 and 34 ft, "and offers a selection of chassis with gasoline or diesel engines mounted front or rear." That same document shows what they call a Regal SE rear diesel. It is not a tag.

So, even relying on Barth publications or documents can be a little indefinite.

Of course, Barth built custom coaches, so there is some overlap here and there. There is a lot of misinformation out there, such as KBB, NADA, even Motor Home Magazine, so it gets hazy. If you stick to Barth Corp publications, you will be as close to accuracy as you can be.

My own practice is to believe only the designation Barth applied to a particular coach, either by invoice or build plate. That is why I call mine a 30T, from the build plate. I have seen at least one 32 ft tag that was a 32T on the plate. Olroy's very similar 33' Barth had a build plate calling it a 33C. I believe the SE term might have come after these coaches were built.