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[jabrabu]

I bought a new Chateau 23U on Friday. I bought it from a dealer half way across the country and drove it home over the weekend. Here is my initial review. Note that I am a motorhome newbie, so forgive any naïve and ignorant comments. It is loaded with nearly all the available options, including:
· HD-Max exterior
· Exterior TV
· Convection microwave
· Leatherette dinette and driver/passenger seats
· Child safety tether
· 12v attic fan in bedroom
· Upgraded A/C
· Outside shower
· Heated holding tanks
· Second house battery
· Stainless steel wheel liners
· Keyless entry & valve stem extenders
· Spare tire
· Back-up monitor w/touch screen stereo
· Heated, remote side mirrors with side cameras
· Cockpit carpet mat


I wanted a fairly compact class C or maybe even a B+ because we are a family of 3 and will keep the RV in our driveway. We like the barrel chair behind the cab on this floor plan, so narrowed our search to this floor plan or something similar.


When I first started doing my detailed inspection of the coach, it was quickly obvious that these are assembled very quickly using cheap materials and with little quality control. However, at this price point this is pretty much what I expected. A lot of things are just held on with a couple of small screws and are kind of flimsy. You’d think that something that takes the shaking and abuse of a motorhome would be put together a little more solidly.


My inspection revealed a few issues that I had the dealer fix. The cheap tile-look wallpaper that they use for backsplashes in the kitchen and bathroom were bubbled and peeling. The screen door would not latch. And the outside shower had no hot water and was leaking. I also found some minor things I fixed myself like a battery hold-down that was not secured and some plumbing fittings that needed tightening. Also, the tape holding a tank heater blanket on the tank was peeling. I asked for some duct tape so I could better secure it, and a dealer employee said he’d fix it with the proper kind of tape. His fix looked good, but it all came loose once I started driving it and is currently hanging down under the coach until I get a chance to fix it. The bathroom door also would not stay closed while driving. I adjusted the latch during a stop and fixed it.


This thing is kind of a beast to drive. I expected it to feel big and cumbersome and not ride and handle like a big SUV or minivan, but it was often a white-knuckle experience. It would wander around in its lane, the steering is vague and unresponsive, and it really gets pushed around in any crosswind or when another truck passes. I had read that this is common on these and that there are fixes such as larger swaybars and steering stabilizers. Since my class C is only about 24’ I didn’t expect it to be that bad, but it has a fairly short wheelbase for its size, which probably hurts stability. I don’t think Ford has updated the design of the Econoline in decades, and it felt like I was driving a 30 year old truck, not a new vehicle. My dad used to have a 1965 Ford pickup, and it had the same I-beam front suspension. Even the dash and instrument design look like something out of the 80’s.



One thing that really surprised me was how noisy it is going down the road. The road noise, engine noise, and especially the wind noise are really loud, making it hard to listen to music or a podcast or to have a hands-free phone conversation. It sounded like the windows were rolled down even when they were closed. It also rattled and banged a lot over pavement irregularities and expansion joints.


I expected fuel economy to be around 10 mpg, but on my first day I was only getting 6.6 mpg. However, I was driving pretty fast since I was on a tight schedule to get back home. I was driving about 75 mph most of the time. I drove 80 mph for a little while, but found it much more of a handful to drive at that speed and wasn't really comfortable going over 75. On the second day I slowed to about 70 mph with some significant stretches at 65 mph, and the gas mileage went up to 8.7 mpg. On an actual vacation trip I would take my time and slow down for better fuel economy and a less stressful drive.


The V10 engine is plenty powerful. Up steep grades it wouldn’t even slow down. It would downshift and guzzle more gas, but there is plenty of reserve for being loaded and towing if we need it.


So, the RV is really nice when it’s parked, but it’s not so nice to drive. I imagine the expensive Mercedes Sprinter based RVs or the Super C's drive a lot better, but they cost a whole lot more. I got more used to driving it after a while, but having to play the stereo really loud to hear it over the noise got very painful.


Even though the driving experience wasn't great, I'm still pretty excited about it. On an actual family vacation trip I won't be driving 800 miles a day by myself. We will slow down and probably share the driving and enjoy the journey.