golfknut
SW Michigan
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Joined: 02/21/2004
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We are presently down at Jayco's International Rally in Indiana and they have an Embark on display. My wife and I sat in it for awhile and listened to comments from people going through it. We didn't hear one person say they liked it better than the Seneca...which was our same opinion.
You really have to like the chassis to pay $60,000 more for it than a Seneca.
Don't get me wrong, it is beautifully appointed and spacious inside but we sure didn't see the value with an MSRP of over a quarter of a million dollars.
2005 Jayco Granite Ridge 3100SS
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dleslie125
Southern Ontario/Palmetto FL in Winter
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golfknut, I think you hit it right on.
We were at the factory in April having warranty work done. Just south of the service center we could see the initial supply of the MB chassis. I thought the wheelbase looked awful short and clearly they did a cut and insert as usual to lengthen it somewhat. The photos of the finished product, however, lead me to believe that they missed the boat on the w/b length by a good 20 inches.
I can't help but think they really missed the market given the economic situation.
Don, Bev & Phil
07 Jayco 32SS on Kodiak May 07 Yahoo Kodiak Group
06 HR Amb 40PLQ ISC 330/950 9/05-5/07
04 Winnie Jrny 39W CAT C7 7/04-9/05)
00 Triple E Commander 5/03-5/04
Toad - 07 Tahoe LTZ 12/06 -
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golfknut
SW Michigan
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Well, in regards to the economic conditions....I'm sure this model has been in the works for 18 months to two years so it is tough to predict a market downturn like we're in that far in advance. But it sure isn't good timing for them. I saw about 7 embarks around the factory property, a couple inside being finished up and a few parked outside.
We toured the factory today and they are down to three-day work weeks..... with an output of five motorhomes a day.
They were working on a prototype in one corner of the factory but it was too hard to see what size it was and he offered no more information on it.
The head of product development talked to us today and he did say to watch for some new Melbourne models coming out this December.....in the 24 to 25 foot range.
He also said they checked into building on the Sprinter chassis about a year ago but due to the demand on the chassis at that time they couldn't get delivery on enough units per week to make it viable.
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dleslie125
Southern Ontario/Palmetto FL in Winter
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I agree it is hard, if not impossible to predict exactly what has happened but I'm getting the feeling Jayco might be out on the limb with the Embark. Their Class A sure didn't stay around long (at least they have the guts to cut and run when they think it won't fly in the future).
I can recall this past year being told about one manufacturer that had its staff out trying to buy up every Sprinter it could get its hands on.
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redflhrs
Trois-Rivieres
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Jayco will sell the Embark around $225,000., and in a 39 foot long RV, they didn't find a place to have a washer/dryer in the RV. Now you will buy a RV that price with no w/d? This is ridiculous. Cheaper Class A, Class C, and fifth wheel have w/d. I took a close look at the "GULF STREAM SUPER NOVA 6400" and found a better floor plan, with more options, (bunks, office, or larger wardrobe)and it has the Washer/Dryer with a cheaper price. Wake up Jayco, I wonder if your enginers ever did any RVing.
REDFLHRS
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mm-and-steve
New York
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I just got this e-mail from Jayco. The text says:
WITH THE NEW EMBARK MOTORHOME, THE JOURNEY JUST GOT BETTER
The new Embark® motorhome by Jayco® has made the journey better than ever with its long list of amenities that provide the perfect balance between power and luxury.
At nearly 40 feet long, the Embark features a tastefully decorated expansive interior, four slideouts and thoughtful floorplans, as well as high-end amenities that give it a sense of luxury and provide the every day comforts of home. Standard features include an Optima Leather hide-a-bed sofa, Northridge Maple™ cabinetry, attractive nickel hardware, one piece Honex® solid surface countertops with built-in sink, convection microwave, pillow-top mattress and under bed storage. Additional high-end amenities of the Embark include a standard full body premium paint package and Optima Leather power driver and power passenger seats.
Built on the Freightliner Business Class M2 chassis designed for superior visibility, the Embark boasts an unusually powerful 330-horsepower Cummins ISC diesel engine and 6-speed Allison® TRV 3200 series automatic transmission with overdrive, offering over 7 tons of towing capacity. In addition, its 55-degree turning radius, cruise control and air brakes with ABS make the Embark the ultimate in drivability.
The Embark comes with several "must have" items for cross-country travel, including electric powered triple entrance step, side-hinge motorhome-style baggage doors, automatic hydraulic leveling jacks, Onan® 6,000-watt quiet diesel generator with auto-changeover and 110-volt Apex™ electric roof mount patio awning by Carefree® of Colorado. Safety features include daytime running lights, driver and passenger-side airbags and 3-point lap and shoulder safety belts.
The Customer Value Package features a premium AM/FM/CD/DVD cab entertainment center with back-up camera, monitor and GPS navigation, plus other top-notch entertainment items, such as an exterior entertainment center with AM/FM/CD stereo and a 32-inch high-definition LCD TV. To further enhance your entertainment center experience, an optional Winegard® satellite dish option will expand your channel options.
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dleslie125
Southern Ontario/Palmetto FL in Winter
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mm-and-steve wrote:I just got this e-mail from Jayco. The text says:
WITH THE NEW EMBARK MOTORHOME, THE JOURNEY JUST GOT BETTER
I doubt it would make our Journey any better. Our 2004 Journey had a lot of good features but it was a PITA from a quality point of view as after 15 months it was still not debugged. I hope the Embark's quality is better than the Journey's. 
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HoukLR
McKinney TX
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Nice Rig...too bad they wont sell. I can get a 2004 40' Monaco with less than 30k miles for under $100k and still have more towing ability. Market is flooded with cheap late model rv's.
http://www.rvonline.com/single-ad.asp?Recnumber=41682&SearchMethod=1
1994 GulfStream Conquest LE
1999 Jeep TJ Sahara
2006 Jeep Commander
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dleslie125
Southern Ontario/Palmetto FL in Winter
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I doubt very much that the Monaco can tow 15,000 lbs - which is what the Embark will tow (in excess of 7 tons is a lot more than the 10,000 lbs the Monaco can tow).
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az99
N.Y.
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You must be kidding ! That is not even a reasonable comparison of two vehicles.
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