Finally Pulled the Trigger: Pleasure Way Ascent

NorthPotomac · 02-01-2017, 12:59 PM

This forum has been invaluable for my wife and me as we contemplated our first ever RV purchase. Yesterday we pulled the trigger, ordering a new PW Ascent.

We visited 2 Hershey shows and several dealers (WGO, PW, RT) before making our choice. Ultimately, a long test drive of an Ascent at our friendly dealer (Beckley's Camping, Thurmont MD) made the difference. My wife LOVED driving it and we loved the huge panoramic views from the back afforded by the layout of the Ascent. She told me she didn't want anything longer, and so that ruled out the Lexor (our other option) and our choice was made. We are coming from a motorcycling background (including trips to Newfoundland and to California from our base in Maryland) and so we are unlikely to feel constrained by the 19'7" length and concomitant cargo capacity.

We got the maximum solar capacity, by the way. The Lithium batteries, inverter, etc. are the right setup for the moderate boon docking we have in mind. We also really liked the fact that the Ascent comes with TPMS (the dually Sprinter chassis are not so equipped).

I might add that we contacted several factories with questions, and Pleasure Way was mighty forthcoming. I got responses within minutes, usually from high-ranking executives (including CEO Dean Rumpel). We also explored the FB page of Pleasure-way owners and were mighty impressed with their ownership experience.

Nothing is perfect, of course, and I'm sure other manufacturers make products that fit other forum members perfectly. But we think the Ascent works for us. We will be picking up the unit in May, and will test it for 3 weeks before embarking on our first ever trip, to the Grand Canyon.

Again, thanks to members of this forum for their invaluable teaching.

BBQ · 02-01-2017, 01:03 PM

.

Congratulations!

PW has the best quality cabinets of all the new models I have visited.

I like the Ascent layout; it makes the small RV feels very comfortable.

Good luck.

jrobe · 02-01-2017, 01:46 PM

Excellent choice. That is one of the better Class B designs especially because of the open design and great driving visibility. I think the build quality is excellent also.

Did you get a spare tire and a swivel passenger seat? In my opinion, they could take that model over the top with a second alternator, getting rid of the propane generator and getting a spare tire back under the van. Nothing is perfect though. Hopefully they are ordering the Sprinters with swivel seats now again, at least the passenger seat.

NorthPotomac · 02-01-2017, 01:51 PM

Yes, the 2017 chassis now has swiveling seats. The passenger seat swivels 180 degrees and the driver's seat swivels 90 degrees. Nope, no spare tire. Not sure if anyone retrofits them under the van or if there is space to do so.

avanti · 02-01-2017, 02:03 PM

Awesome choice. Floor plan is very similar to our rig. You just can't beat that view out the passenger side! If we were shopping today, this unit would be on our short-list for sure.

jrobe · 02-01-2017, 05:01 PM

The LP generator is in the rear space where the spare tire is mounted. That is one of the issues with a generator (along with filling a propane tank, exercising it monthly, etc.). The only other option for a tire is a rear mounted spare tire which Pleasure Way doesn't seem to offer anymore.

The Aluminess Rear Bumper with a spare tire on one side and a storage box (for tools, small grill, etc.) on the other side would be perfect for the Ascent. One problem with the Ascent and any of the short Sprinters is lack of storage. This is one way to address the spare tire and storage issue a little anyway. Not cheap, but built very well.

Mercedes Sprinter Rear Bumper | Aluminess

SteveV · 02-01-2017, 11:27 PM

Forgive my ignorance, but what is "TPMS".

Thanks

Steve V

NorthPotomac · 02-01-2017, 11:52 PM

Tire pressure monitoring system.

MobileCabin · 02-01-2017, 11:54 PM

Good choice! We almost got one but went with the Agile. Really love the small footprint, 4 cyl and 7 sp drive train, great for camping while fly fishing.

Roxy4x4 · 02-02-2017, 02:04 AM

Congrats. We have a 2016 Ascent (swivel passenger seat on the 2015 chassis). It has been amazing and PW staff have been even more amazing. Best customer service in the industry. You will love it!

Keyne · 02-02-2017, 04:05 AM

Congratulations that's great! i really like the PW products.

talktodean · 02-02-2017, 06:32 AM

Hanging anything off the back of a rig, be it bike carrier, luggage carrier, spare tire, robs gas mileage big time. You lose 2-3mpg. All having to do with air flow, not a weight issue.
No spare is fine I think.

SiennaGuy · 02-02-2017, 07:26 AM

I had a complicated question about the new PleasureWay Plateau, so I emailed the company. TEN MINUTES LATER I got a detailed reply. It wasn't "your message is important to us and we'll get back to you when we feel like it." It was a detailed reply that indicated that they'd carefully read my email and had thought through a response.

As I told them, their rapid response said more about their company than any ad ever could.

Davydd · 02-02-2017, 04:08 PM

We have over 110,000 miles on two Class Bs now including trips to Alaska and the tip of Newfoundland with no spare tire. Our first Class B had a spare that never got used over another 60,000 miles. It could be the least of your worries especially with a TPMS monitoring your air pressure to catch issues before they get worse.

NorthPotomac · 02-02-2017, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davydd

We have over 110,000 miles on two Class Bs now including trips to Alaska and the tip of Newfoundland with no spare tire. Our first Class B had a spare that never got used over another 60,000 miles. It could be the least of your worries especially with a TPMS monitoring your air pressure to catch issues before they get worse.

Davydd: That is SO good to read. It was really our only worry, as we are dreaming of a trip to Alaska in 2018. Did you drive both ways or take the Marine Highway one way? Was there any particular stretch to avoid or bypass?

I actually rode my motorcycle to Newfoundland last year, and am not fearful of flats there (the roads are "interesting" but clearly quite passable). Alaska (outside the SE panhandle), however, is an unknown quantity to me.

Davydd · 02-02-2017, 05:55 PM

Drove both ways. Starting out in Minnesota we drove to Winnipeg first and then across the Prairie to Riding Park NP, Saskatoon, Edmonton, and Calgary. Up via Banff, Lake Louise and Jasper then on to the Alaska Highway with a side trip to Skagway. From Skagway we did take a short ferry to Haines and then back to the Alaska Highway. The ferry was unplanned and a pleasant surprise since it was a once a week trip we just happened to discover.

Once in Alaska all roads traveled were paved from Fairbanks and south to Denail, Talkeetna, Wasilla, Palmer, Anchorage, and Valdez, Whittier, Seward and Homer as the far reaches. We did not attempt going north from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay which is a challenge. Travel to Whittier was via a 9 mile one way railway tunnel.

Our return was out of Valdez to Wrangle NP which we did not attempt any further after the pavement ended. Went back to Tok and then up to Chicken. We crossed the unpaved On Top of the World highway to Dawson City, Yukon. We took the paved Yukon highway down to White Horse and then instead of going back on the Alaska Highway all the way, we went straight down the Cassair Highway in British Columbia with side trips to Prince Rupert and Hyder Alaska. Our return back to the states was again via Banff and back through Idaho.

We didn't attempt too many unpaved roads other than On Top of the World. The Alaska Highway did have a 40 mile unpaved stretch under repair that was washed out in 2012. One reason to not go to Alaska until July is to allow the road crews to repair as much as possible. The Alaska Highway west of White Horse was the worst with a lot of frost heaving. The other reason is to avoid the June mosquitos, noseeums and flies. We actually did not encounter much in July and August.

We got to Glacier Bay NP, Ketchikan, Juneau and Sitka on a previous Holland America cruise so had no interest in taking the ferry. You can't access your RV on the ferry.

jrobe · 02-02-2017, 06:13 PM

I have driven the Alaska Highway 4 times (both ways). I have had 2 flat tires on those trips. Luckily I had spares both times and I made it into towns where I could replace the spares. I also broke an axle spindle on my pickup on one of those trips. I had to hitchhike with a trucker about 80 miles into town to arrange to have the vehicle towed in. There were no parts available for 1 week but the shop lathed a new part for me (those people have learned how to live in remote areas) and I got out of there in 3 days (with quite a bit less money).

Of course, you can't be prepared for all potential problems but in remote area, I damn sure don't travel without a spare tire and at least some decent tools. The fact that some people have never had any problems in remote areas doesn't reassure me very much.

cruising7388 · 02-02-2017, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jrobe

Of course, you can't be prepared for all potential problems but in remote area, I damn sure don't travel without a spare tire and at least some decent tools. The fact that some people have never had any problems in remote areas doesn't reassure me very much.

LOL, the reason you don't travel without a spare tire and some tools is quite clear - your momma didn't raise a fool.

BBQ · 02-02-2017, 08:35 PM

.

If I am within 1 hour of civilization, I think I should be ok without a spare.

If I am in the jungle, even if I have a spare, I will have a hard time lifting a 10,000 lb RV.

So what should I do? IDK.

Davydd · 02-02-2017, 08:43 PM

Its all in the odds. I'm retired, make no reservations to keep, and time is no problem. I've played it well for 170,000 miles. I know it is going to happen sooner or later. Just take it in stride. Alaska on the paved roads is no more remote than anywhere else. Like BBQ I also know I am not going to change a tire on a Sprinter van.

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