I'm thinking about a new fifth-wheel.

[donnandon]

Every other system out there if used for full time will fall apart. Disk brakes are far superior then drums for sure but the IS System is VERY HD! The ride is also much better than standard springs. System is fully alignable.

Sorry to question your comments, but we are full-timers, know a lot of full-timers, and are on a few full-timer forums. There is not much evidence out there to substantiate the comment “Every other system out there if used for full time will fall apart” if properly loaded. Many do not weigh their loaded rigs either due to ignorance or knowing they will find they are overweight. In our case our Ambition is approx. 18k lbs. with 14k on 16k worth of axles. Our old 5th​ wheel was 14k lbs. with 11.5k on 14k axles. Our old 5th​ wheel had the Mor-Ryde SRE2000 system and had almost 50k miles on it after 9 years without a problem. As an example regarding the ride quality, we left a water bottle on the counter in our old rig, and after 6 hours and 300 miles of towing the water bottle was still there when we arrived at our destination.

Yes, disk brakes are awesome. We have had them on both of our 5th​ wheels and would not want one without them.

Don’t want to start a fire, just want to keep the facts straight when broad statements are made. The IS system is nice, but not necessarily required..

 

[Killgore]

Chris, I know we both hope you're wrong. They are running at full capacity at present, and yesterday when I confirmed our plant tour
the sales rep. told me that due to their production schedule they were trying to restrict tours to just Tuesdays and Thursdays. He
will be taking us through on Monday afternoon since we already had it set up. I suspect Lakota can be viewed as the parent helping
the son on this venture, while at the same time viewing this endeavor as adding some diversification to the portfolio. Obviously, I don't
really know anything yet, just ratchet-jawing, but I see the RV industry thriving over the next several years and Augusta's timing to get
into the rat-race targeting a specific market segment sounds like pretty good thinking on somebody's part.

In 2005, Warren Buffett bought Forest River after looking at it for only seven days. Although the industry took a hit, forecasts are now predicting over 400,000 units to be sold possibly this year with Forest River enjoying a 40% market share. I'm no Warren Buffett, but
I can't help but share his optimism, and I think Augusta's business model will put them riding on the crest of the wave.

- Ed

 

[kthaxton]

Don’t want to start a fire, just want to keep the facts straight when broad statements are made. The IS system is nice, but not necessarily required..

Amen to that.

 

[Cummins12V98]

The service bay at MORryde is filled every day with people having the 7,8 or 9K IS systems installed. My point is anything that has axle weights 14K -18K should come from the factory with the IS system. For the cost difference above any other system it's money well spent.

donnandon I am not trying to start anything (you asked and I gave my opinion based on experience) I have seen MANY people have springs break spring brackets break off and parts literally wear out. IMHO spend the extra up front. I had a MORryde system on my 02 Avion the MorRyde part was fine but the spring brackets literally were breaking and one broke clean off the I beam.

Sure you can grease the spring bolts but that only works so long the sleves eventually wear out and unless you are really good at maintenance the system will fail. i am guessing you were very good at keeping things in good order.

 

[Killgore]

Aha! It's me again. We fought the traffic through Louisville, Indianapolis, and Ft. Wayne; dodged road construction until my eyes crossed; said "Howdy" to all the Amish folks around Shipshewana who paraded up and down the road in their horse-drawn buggies while their John Deere's and trucks were hidden in the tractor sheds (I don't completely understand their modus operandi, they look very prosperous not to be of this world); took plant tours of both DRV and Augusta; and ended up buying an AB-35RS Ambition. I didn't care for the 'soft walls' either, but that particular construction technique isn't available on the Ambition, (I was more concerned how well it would hold up over time, and what do you do if it gets torn?). Yep, I would have preferred to have gotten the MorRyde IS suspension that comes standard on the LUX but is a $5200 option on the Ambition ($6200 from MorRyde) but our roads down here are not in as rough shape as up there and I think the SRE 4000 suspension will be just fine, forgive me. So why didn't I get a LUX if the Ambition costs almost as much with the options we spec'd it out with? The smallest LUX has a dry weight of about 17,000 lbs., an over-riding issue.

Everything in production at Augusta was pre-sold. They are producing two units a week and we have a build date of October. They want us to spend three days at the factory living in the unit so they can correct any bugs, or make any needed adjustments. I like that. Right now they have a pretty good incentive program going on that they call the Hershey Show Discount that amounts to $7500 in options. We took advantage of this to order our camper fully equipped using the unexpected savings to get the full-body paint job. No pictures yet, but I will keep you all posted.

- Ed

 

[Jim W]

I hope you enjoy your new camper. I have seen the factory and seen the article in Trailer Life on them and they do seem assume.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Killgore I am sure you will be happy!!!

 

[RVTRKN]

Congrats on your purchase, it will seem like forever waiting for it. I went through it waiting for my 1995 Bluewater Overnighter boat to be built. It took 4 months to arrive and two weeks staring at it, before its maiden voyage.

Goodluck
Steve

 

[Killgore]

I'm already antsy thinking about the wait. I re-thought the route that I will take going back up in October and now figure on going straight up Highway 31 from Indianapolis to South Bend, unless someone recommends some other way.

I failed to mention that Augusta has a toy-hauler prototype in production that I suspect they will take to the Hershey RV Show in September. Although it was just starting up from the floor it looked very substantial.

Again, thanks to each of you for your input. TDR as usual continues to be the source for good advice and excellent information.

- Ed

 

[donnandon]

WOOHOO!! Congratulations on your purchase!!! We are sure you will love it! D&D


p.s. Maybe by October some of that road construction will be done!

 

[jacknife]

Lux has a very good rep. as far as Lippert frame they are built to dealer specs, not lippert specs.I and many thousands of others have these frames and have experianced little or no problems . Not to say they are perfect but considering the thousands of frames the percentage of problems are minimal

 

[Killgore]

The LUX is definitely a substantial unit with the downside being a minimum dry weight of approximately 18,000 lbs. Cost differences between the LUX and Ambition can be attributed to the full-body paint, MorRyde IS suspension, and beefed up frame and side-walls. This is not to say the Ambition isn't built to handle full-timer demands and run the roads with confidence. We bought the Ambition equipped with our list of options for almost what we could have bought the LUX, but our limiting factor was the dry weight.

Our completion date has been moved to the latter part of November to accommodate their production schedule and our paint job. I only hope we can get up there and back before bad weather moves in and the roads get salted. The plant personnel want us to stay for several days to insure everything is working properly and to take care of any needed last minute adjustments. Otherwise, we are almost ready to head north.

In preparation for pulling heavy, I am adding a Trans-Cool and gauges from Geno's on both the transmission and differential which already has a PML cover that I will drill and tap to accommodate a sensor. I made the transition sometime back to a SBC G-56 OKHD clutch and SMF with hydraulics, as well as a BD exhaust brake that is the cat's meow. A Prodigy P-3 brake controller to work in conjunction with the disc brakes on the camper rounds out the list of pulling options. No, everything on the engine is stock but the G-56 is the AD model which gives me a better pulling ratio in combination with the 3.73 rear-end. Yep, I learned it all right here on TDR from some pretty knowledgeable folks who through the years I have learned to consider good friends!

- Ed

 

[RVTRKN]

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/threads/246651-Transmission-oil-cooler

Check this thread out, it cools awesome.

 

[Killgore]

I like that, and may find that I need to eventually go in that direction. You mention that if you had it to do over again, you would seriously consider the BD cooler. I notice that there are several mounting locations that are used for the cooler itself; up front, under bed, etc. With your past experience, where would you mount the unit?

- Ed

 

[Killgore]

This is an old thread but I figured it's time for an update. Augusta RV was bought out by The RV Factory around the first of November. The RV Factory is another relatively small manufacturer who specializes in toy-haulers and Class B vans (Avion). Both manufacturers share the same business model; factory direct; factory certified service centers; and liberal customization during the build.The manufacturing facilities have been combined under one roof in Elkhart. I think most believe this is a win-win for everybody concerned. I know the employees I have talked with, both production and front office, are excited.

Yes, on the 28th of November we showed up and took delivery of our new AB-35RS, spending several days getting last minute adjustments and questions addressed, until the weather threatened to turn off ugly and we headed south. Since that time we have moved into our new home, piled our belongings in, addressed the remaining and inevitable issues that always appear during a "shake-down cruise", and formed some fact-based opinions. Is it the best on the market? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and she is beautiful! It is way above average if average is Thor/Keystone/etc. I think it is in the ballpark with Mobile Suites (I've been through both plants), and pricing is a bargain based on the elimination of the ineffective dealer system that will stock but not service (including Camping World).

It is well-conceived and the layout for us is ideal. All the aggravating add-ons including the A/C's, toilet, awnings, furnace, HWH, climate control, etc. are supplied through manufacturers who are owned by one company, Dometic. (Talk about being in-bred!) Our appliances are residential units; LG refrigerator/freezer with icemaker powered by an 1800W inverter tied to two AGM batteries, a four-burner stove with broiler, and a convection micro-wave. I opted for a Ranger WiFi system that boosts as well as gives us password protected WiFi access. The TV's are both LG Smart units that let me watch Blue Bloods on Netflix (cops watch cop movies) and Jennifer watches Once Upon a Time.

Weight-wise I am within the parameters of my tow-vehicle, with the camper and all of our belongings scaling 17,860 lbs., and truck and camper grossing 26,240. The GAWR on the camper is 19,180. The shift in weight to the hitch pin is around 4,200 lbs. or 24%, mandated in part by the addition of a washer, dryer, and dishwasher.

The driving impression is a substantial improvement over our previous fifth-wheel which was a Cougar High Country that grossed about 11,000 lbs. With the MorRyde 4000 SRE suspension, MorRyde hitch, and 8,000 lb. axles, the ride is smooth and straight. The disc brakes and Goodyear G114 Unisteel H-rated tires inspire confidence, being activated with a Prodigy P-3 brake controller.

I still haven't figured out how to jack this rascal up if I have to change a flat or lube the EZ Lube hubs. I have a 12,000 lb. bottle jack but hate to carry the necessary dunnage in order to reach the frame. Lifting this unit with the axles is a definite no-no unless you are looking for an issue with tire alignment resulting from a bowed or bent axle. I suspect I will utilize the Equalizer 6-point leveling system in some capacity to make this happen. I need some help in this area.

Overall, we are well satisfied with our decision to get this new home. As soon as I can figure out how to work this new phone I will post some pics. Hey, maybe I'll get my grandkids to show me how.

- Ed

 

[Cummins12V98]

Good for you! We took the factory tour this summer. They are nice rigs.