Truck Conversion & Toterhome Community - View Single Post - New NRC Motorhome

paul.zr1 · 09-12-2003, 10:45 PM

Hi Guys,

Thought you might be interested in some follow up information on my new NRC Motorhome.

Some of you may have read the previous thread I started on my "NRC Truck Conversion". After 60 days of no posts, it went inactive, so I'm continuing with this new thread!

After being out of the country for over a month in early summer I finally picked up the new NRC in early August. If you want to refresh on the details of this conversion, the previous thread is still available to read in the "Motorhome" Topic, so I won't cover all that ground again.

In addition to the NRC I also picked up a new Classic Stacker trailer 20 miles up the road in Sturgis, Michigan. Then I went to Muskegan and picked up a '57 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham that was previously purchased, as well as a Harley Road King. So towing 16,000 pounds, all 75 feet of my new rig cruised up to northern Wisconsin and then to Austin where I dropped of the trailer at home. Over 2000 miles of towing I averaged 8.2 mpg. Other than being tuned in to the length and bulk going down the road, I barely noticed the extra weight. In most cases it just pulled up the hills on cruise control without even downshifting.

After unhooking the trailer, a friend and I headed west to Monterey for the vintage races and Concorso Italiano car show. Over about 5,000 miles it ran great and averaged 9.4 mpg for the trip. The rig cruises very nice at 70 to 75 mph. It has 3.21 gears.

Overall, I'm pleased with the Freightliner Columbia chassis, Mercedes engine, and Meritor Freedom transmission. I'd make those same choices if I had it to do over again.

The transmission is particularly impressive in that it can be run as a fully automatic, or as a manual box. The programming for the automatic shift points, both up and down, is very intuitive. It automatically does just what you'd expect it to do!

As far as NRC's work, I've got to say, I was pretty blown away by the quality and workmanship they put into the conversion. Naturally there were a few minor glitches, but they are far outweighed by the positives.

I'm not trying to be a salesman for NRC, but I'm damn impressed. It exceeded my expectations after studying the alternatives for almost two years

The things that I like most, and stood out most to my car-guy friends were:

- Steel frame construction, .063 aluminum siding bonded and rivited. Fiberglass bat insulation. Rattle, creaks and groans that are normal for most motorhomes are nonexistant. I drove through some of the hardest rain storms I've seen, and so far not a single leak. The exterior is all metal, no fiberglass or plasic.

- High ceiling (93 inches) gives a feeling of spaciousness most motorhomes don't have. Solid, high quality interior materials. NRC has their own in-house cabinet shop that does solid wood craftsmanship second to none. Vinyl padded walls, day/night shades, kitchen skylight give a feeling of luxury. Also, the Flexsteel sofas with Ultra Leather are a great way to go.

- Extensive indirect lighting with decorative string lighting built into the oak trim. Also, main lighting with classy brass fixtures and spots.

- User friendly set up of control panels for the electronics, generator, inverter, water/waste tanks,and propane were easy to understand (even for me)and have the look and feel of being high quality pieces.

- Carpeted storage compartments with lighting and power outlets. One goes all the way through for skis, ladders, etc.

- Propane tank mounted in the middle between the frame rails for safety, with remote fill. This also saved me one storage compartment.

I'll be back in Indianapolis in a few weeks for the F1 race, and plan to swing up to Middlebury to visit the NRC guys and get little work done. I'm adding an outdoor shower and getting a few "new vehicle gremlins" fixed, e.g., loose piece of flooring, levelers adjusted, etc.

Regards,
Paul

09-12-2003, 10:45 PM	#1
paul.zr1 Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 35	Hi Guys, Thought you might be interested in some follow up information on my new NRC Motorhome. Some of you may have read the previous thread I started on my "NRC Truck Conversion". After 60 days of no posts, it went inactive, so I'm continuing with this new thread! After being out of the country for over a month in early summer I finally picked up the new NRC in early August. If you want to refresh on the details of this conversion, the previous thread is still available to read in the "Motorhome" Topic, so I won't cover all that ground again. In addition to the NRC I also picked up a new Classic Stacker trailer 20 miles up the road in Sturgis, Michigan. Then I went to Muskegan and picked up a '57 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham that was previously purchased, as well as a Harley Road King. So towing 16,000 pounds, all 75 feet of my new rig cruised up to northern Wisconsin and then to Austin where I dropped of the trailer at home. Over 2000 miles of towing I averaged 8.2 mpg. Other than being tuned in to the length and bulk going down the road, I barely noticed the extra weight. In most cases it just pulled up the hills on cruise control without even downshifting. After unhooking the trailer, a friend and I headed west to Monterey for the vintage races and Concorso Italiano car show. Over about 5,000 miles it ran great and averaged 9.4 mpg for the trip. The rig cruises very nice at 70 to 75 mph. It has 3.21 gears. Overall, I'm pleased with the Freightliner Columbia chassis, Mercedes engine, and Meritor Freedom transmission. I'd make those same choices if I had it to do over again. The transmission is particularly impressive in that it can be run as a fully automatic, or as a manual box. The programming for the automatic shift points, both up and down, is very intuitive. It automatically does just what you'd expect it to do! As far as NRC's work, I've got to say, I was pretty blown away by the quality and workmanship they put into the conversion. Naturally there were a few minor glitches, but they are far outweighed by the positives. I'm not trying to be a salesman for NRC, but I'm damn impressed. It exceeded my expectations after studying the alternatives for almost two years The things that I like most, and stood out most to my car-guy friends were: - Steel frame construction, .063 aluminum siding bonded and rivited. Fiberglass bat insulation. Rattle, creaks and groans that are normal for most motorhomes are nonexistant. I drove through some of the hardest rain storms I've seen, and so far not a single leak. The exterior is all metal, no fiberglass or plasic. - High ceiling (93 inches) gives a feeling of spaciousness most motorhomes don't have. Solid, high quality interior materials. NRC has their own in-house cabinet shop that does solid wood craftsmanship second to none. Vinyl padded walls, day/night shades, kitchen skylight give a feeling of luxury. Also, the Flexsteel sofas with Ultra Leather are a great way to go. - Extensive indirect lighting with decorative string lighting built into the oak trim. Also, main lighting with classy brass fixtures and spots. - User friendly set up of control panels for the electronics, generator, inverter, water/waste tanks,and propane were easy to understand (even for me)and have the look and feel of being high quality pieces. - Carpeted storage compartments with lighting and power outlets. One goes all the way through for skis, ladders, etc. - Propane tank mounted in the middle between the frame rails for safety, with remote fill. This also saved me one storage compartment. I'll be back in Indianapolis in a few weeks for the F1 race, and plan to swing up to Middlebury to visit the NRC guys and get little work done. I'm adding an outdoor shower and getting a few "new vehicle gremlins" fixed, e.g., loose piece of flooring, levelers adjusted, etc. Regards, Paul