20 QUESTIONS.....AND HOW TO 'TRAVEL SUPREMELY'

What has 500 horse power and a 6 speed Allison transmission?

Ok, it also has 1500 foot pounds of torque, making it something of a "hill flattener".....?

Ok, it has 8 very large wheels.....still guessing?

Another hint:  it has "all the comforts of home".   Give up???

 The answer is the 2003 Travel Supreme Select Motor Coach shown here.   It is our new "condo" on wheels.   Yup.....somewhere along our 4+ month trip we decided to put the Damon Tuscany up for sale (it sits on a consignment sales lot in Texas awaiting its new owner) and get a coach that we think is more suitable for our long distance travels.   And this is it.  

Like the Damon, this too has four slide outs.   Unlike the Damon, it has a full desk, a residential refrigerator, an electric fireplace / heater, two bathroom vanities, a walk in (cedar lined) closet and a washer dryer.   With the added horsepower we should be able to get over the mountains much more effectively despite this coach's additional 6 tons of weight....and our pre-emissions control Cummins diesel engine should do so without sacrificing any mpg's!!!   

The Travel Supreme Company started a few decades ago manufacturing trailers and 5th wheel RV's when in 1996 they decided to also manufacture upscale motor coaches.  For the 11 years they continued to offer their 40 and 45 foot motor coaches (ours is 45 feet) they built high levels of quality into their products.....maple glazed cabinetry manufactured by Amish craftsmen in the Midwest; granite countertops in the kitchen and bathroom as well as the dining table top and desktop; marble tile flooring in the living and bath areas; and other amenities typically only found in "high end" RV's.  

 

Here is a photo of the interior....from the brochure....ours has a fireplace in the cabinet below the TV.

   For those folks who know their motor coaches, oftentimes it makes sense to "trade down" in years  but up in quality.   You get all these wonderful amenities built on a high performance chassis and with a diesel engine that will give you a half million dependable miles or more if you take care of it.

So there you have it.....crazy us, we started the trip in a very nice mid quality 40 foot motorhome and we head for home in a higher end, older 45 foot "land yacht" of sorts.   Since we plan to spend at least 6 months a year in our house on wheels, we wanted what we wanted....and with this change we got most of what was on our list.   We bought the Travel Supreme from Dan and Claudia McCaffery of Hutchinson Island and Vero Beach, FL.   Dan and Claudia had ordered the coach from Travel Supreme in late 2002.  For the next 10 years they enjoyed seeing the country and took very good care of the coach in the process.   As a result, we "inherited" a very well maintained pre-owned motor coach.....one that we should enjoy for quite some time.   Now you know the reason why we changed the trip itinerary after we said goodbye to Amy and John and Alison in Arizona....and headed for Florida.

We are now in Georgia, seeing a bit of the antebellum homes spared by General Sherman in his March across Georgia.  Stay tuned for more as we continue to head North.....with NH in our sights.