Differences between the 2020 and 2021 Compass & Gemini?

[Bluetreak]

...other than the AWD Transit chassis?

I think:

1. No outside TV on the 2021
2. Only one AGM house battery on the 2021
3. The driver's seat rotates around to face the coach in the 2021
4. The 2021 has the fancy hot spot antenna

Anything else?

(Is the 2017 the same as the 2020?)

[Bluetreak]

In the process of answering this question for myself, I've found a used 2020 for sale and am negotiating to buy it.

Once I refine the differences, I'll post what I find. First look-there aren't many!

[Bob Denman]

Good luck with the negotiations!

[SemperFi]

Originally Posted by Bluetreak

In the process of answering this question for myself, I've found a used 2020 for sale and am negotiating to buy it.

Once I refine the differences, I'll post what I find. First look-there aren't many!

Please update us.
How has the process went for you?

[Bluetreak]

Originally Posted by SemperFi

Please update us.
How has the process went for you?

So, we did purchase a used 2020 23TW out of a local dealer's rental pool. We also drove a 2021 on the AWD Gas chassis (the other one, with the Murphy bed and the bath across the rear of the coach) and decided we liked the diesel rig more, so we paid a reasonable price for a coach we could get now from a dealer 40 minutes away. They also took our 5-year-old TT in trade for an excellent price.

We like the coach. It's our first MH after almost 25 years in travel trailers and it's different in many ways. The Gemini is quick, fast, easy to drive, and easy to get in and out of tight spots, gas stations, and funky campsites. All while getting 14-16 MPG. None of which was true for our Ford E350 van with the V10 towing a 35" travel trailer.

It's not all been a bed of roses. There were things we found in the first couple of outings (slide sealing issues, dangling wiring, poorly supported main waste piping, Drawers under the dinette a bit "tweaked") that were taken care of in a post-sale visit. We uncovered a couple more slide issues in a multi-day trip to South Carolina that had us staying in a hotel for the last overnight stay. I now know way too much about the Schwintec system and hopefully, I never have to use any of it again.

The '20 compared to the '21 ends in a shortlist, none of which really matters unless you REALLY wanted to watch TV outside. If you want to know more, I'll write it out, but trust me, it's mostly really niche-stuff. The basic tanks, systems, and equipment are the same. The tablet-based control system is the biggest difference, and that is a whole 'nother beast.

The jury is still out on basic reliability of the slide. If my wife becomes reluctant to go out in the rig because of those issues, I am not getting rid of my wife and we'll find another way to RV. We'll pick up the rig from the shop this week and see if they got the slide all fixed in preparation for Summer trips. Stay Tuned.

[SemperFi]

Originally Posted by Bluetreak

So, we did purchase a used 2020 23TW out of a local dealer's rental pool. We also drove a 2021 on the AWD Gas chassis (the other one, with the Murphy bed and the bath across the rear of the coach) and decided we liked the diesel rig more, so we paid a reasonable price for a coach we could get now from a dealer 40 minutes away. They also took our 5-year-old TT in trade for an excellent price.

We like the coach. It's our first MH after almost 25 years in travel trailers and it's different in many ways. The Gemini is quick, fast, easy to drive, and easy to get in and out of tight spots, gas stations, and funky campsites. All while getting 14-16 MPG. None of which was true for our Ford E350 van with the V10 towing a 35" travel trailer.

It's not all been a bed of roses. There were things we found in the first couple of outings (slide sealing issues, dangling wiring, poorly supported main waste piping, Drawers under the dinette a bit "tweaked") that were taken care of in a post-sale visit. We uncovered a couple more slide issues in a multi-day trip to South Carolina that had us staying in a hotel for the last overnight stay. I now know way too much about the Schwintec system and hopefully, I never have to use any of it again.

The '20 compared to the '21 ends in a shortlist, none of which really matters unless you REALLY wanted to watch TV outside. If you want to know more, I'll write it out, but trust me, it's mostly really niche-stuff. The basic tanks, systems, and equipment are the same. The tablet-based control system is the biggest difference, and that is a whole 'nother beast.

The jury is still out on basic reliability of the slide. If my wife becomes reluctant to go out in the rig because of those issues, I am not getting rid of my wife and we'll find another way to RV. We'll pick up the rig from the shop this week and see if they got the slide all fixed in preparation for Summer trips. Stay Tuned.

Thank you for the update and I hope the slide issue is solved to your family's liking. If you are ever around Lawrence, please look us up.

[MLP]

Unless you have a very long and heavy slide like my THOR Palazzo, you should not have many problems with your Swintek slide. The motor can go bad, but the biggest problem is that it can loose track of where it is at. You need to not stop when extending or bringing it in. Otherwise, at some point, it will only go out a couple of inches. The system can be retrained by extending out about two inches and then back in while hold the switch for eight seconds without releasing. Do this twice and the slide should fully extend again. My short bedroom slide has never has had a problem. My large slide had rails stripping do to the inner motor supports bowing in over time. This was an under designed system by Swintek. Lippert redesigned it and it has operated nicely ever since except for me needing to learn to retrain it to know its position. That was my fault for stopping and starting while extending and bring the slide in.