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Old 03-20-2019, 08:18 PM   #1
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2015 Interstate Coach
MEDFORD , New Jersey
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AI over Midwest Automotive Design RV

Has any AI owner looked in the Midwest Automotive Designs Brand Motorhomes, prior to buying an AI. The design and fit and finish are very good , I think better then AI. I interested to get your opinions if you did and why you chose a AI . I’m looking to maybe move into another RV from my 2015 Lounge.
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Old 03-20-2019, 08:29 PM   #2
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Any particular model you are considering?

https://midwestautomotivedesigns.com/sprinter-rvs

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Old 03-20-2019, 08:35 PM   #3
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Weekender Or Daycruiser D6
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Old 03-20-2019, 09:43 PM   #4
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I looked one over last weekend. It's kind of different is all I can say. I wasn't impressed.
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Old 03-21-2019, 01:08 AM   #5
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I looked at them. They reminded me of limo but that is the history of the company so makes sense. Friend of mine has one and is very happy with it. Best feature is the 12v ac for the back that runs off the Mercedes engine. In the south that is a great option.

All in all we liked the style of the AI more and didn’t consider summer heat at the time.
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Old 03-23-2019, 06:59 AM   #6
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Interesting - their styling looks very "marine" to me. Not my taste, but obviously fairly well thought-out.

I wish they had more pics on their website. One of their floor plans is similar to the T1N Interstate RS, except it pushes the wet bath further back so that both front seats can swivel (but no second row), rather than just the passenger as in our modified rig. It's an interesting idea, but I haven't seen anyone execute that particular design well yet.
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Old 05-28-2023, 09:00 AM   #7
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Lake Mary , Florida
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The quality of two

Hello dear fellows!

As you know, I am a member here from 2016, having AI since 2015, on which I already put 155,000 miles, and I loved it as a concept.

Recently I have traded-in it to the new 2023 American Coach Patriot by the Midwest Automotive Designs outfitted and based on the Sprinter van.

I know that this forum is monitored by the Airstream company, and they are not always pleased of any negative posts about its quality, however I want to inform everybody that attention to details and overall craftsmanship of the Midwest Automotive Designs is for a huge level higher than of the Airstream. I mean it. In everything.

I am sorry if this post is insulting the micromanagement of this forum and can be possibly deleted, but what I just said is from my personal experience, and it is thru, and in accordance with first amendment of our constitution.
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Old 05-28-2023, 07:04 PM   #8
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I like MAD products overall for a good look and feel and the appearance of quality. For their models with upper storage cabinets, however, check out the wasted space in the back. The rear upper cabinet is only as wide as the door. Upper cabinets on either side are also blocked off from using the space on either side of the rear cabinet. Thus, there are huge amounts of wasted space up there. No thanks, can't afford that much wasted space in a Class B. If they would fix that one thing, it would give me more confidence in their product.
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Old 05-29-2023, 01:29 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rocinante View Post
I like MAD products overall for a good look and feel and the appearance of quality. For their models with upper storage cabinets, however, check out the wasted space in the back. The rear upper cabinet is only as wide as the door. Upper cabinets on either side are also blocked off from using the space on either side of the rear cabinet. Thus, there are huge amounts of wasted space up there. No thanks, can't afford that much wasted space in a Class B. If they would fix that one thing, it would give me more confidence in their product.
For me personally the quality is priority, and should I was in need of more space just would purchased a bigger rig.
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Old 05-29-2023, 09:30 AM   #10
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I referred to MAD units having an "appearance of quality," which is mitigated by at least one significantly poor design decision that wastes valuable space. Nobody who makes quality class B RV's wastes that much space in a van where every cubic inch of storage matters. I have no idea what other thoughtless moves they may have made, and I am not interested in finding out by purchasing one.

Also, I don't actually know whether MAD products are high quality. They have a look inside the vans that makes one feel like it's a beautiful well-made unit, but when I peruse forums around the Internet, what I see is a camper van with minimal documentation, different implementations over time that make behind-the-scenes components challenging to find and service, and very few ways to get help from the company that makes them.

That said, don't misunderstand this as a defense of Airstream products. We're on our second Airstream now, and for us there will not be a third. We're always looking around for what our next camper van might be.

At the moment, our favored unit would be a Pleasure-Way OnTour 2.2 or a Coachmen Beyond in a Ford Transit 350, or maybe a Panoramic in the new Ram ProMaster (Panoramic would have to add a sink in the wet bath). If we wanted another Sprinter, we'd be considering the Pleasure-Way Plateau FL. If we had unlimited cash, we would be looking at a custom van made by Advanced RV. We also love what George and his team at Humble Road are building in the way of custom Class B units, though I suspect they would also be relatively expensive.

However, given the current realities of the RV market (e.g. low resale value on used units despite the apparently wishful thinking of people putting their used class B vans up for sale these days) we're keeping and improving our current camper instead of trying to trade / sell it followed by purchasing a new one. In this market, it's frankly much cheaper to keep upgrading what we have. By multiple thousands of dollars. Also, with our recent suspension upgrade (Agile Off Road RIP Kit) we already have a better riding Class B than any we could buy new today. Even if the market were better it would be a hard sell to get us into another unit because we would have to add another $5K to whatever Class B we bought so we could get that suspension installed on the new unit.
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Old 06-12-2023, 05:38 AM   #11
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AI over MAD et al

We just bought a 2021 AI 24GT, after looking very closely at several MAD and Grech units. Although I thought both MAD and Grech were better built and designed overall, my wife (apparently) had the final say on our selection. It all came down to the AI cabinetry (below galley counter), the microwave, and the refrigerator. In the AI, all the galley storage was pull-out drawers (vs cabinet doors), a pull-out microwave (vs traditional door, mounted below the counter), and larger/separate fridge and freezer (vs smaller fridge/freezer mounted low). My wife did not like the MAD and Grech ergonomics of having to literally kneel down to access the galley cabinets, microwave, and fridge.

I was a huge fan of Grech's consolidated exterior hookups hidden beneath a trim panel and the window in the wet bath. I also really liked Grech's lithium package of 1260 amp hours and 3000 watt inverter! I wish AI would take some cues from Grech.

Anyway, I am the (still) proud owner of an AI 24GT, and we will enjoy it (that's what I've been told).

John
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