New Full Timer on Ascent

[Gaucho]

I am brand new to RVing but just made the plunge by putting in an order for a new Ascent. Like the other newbie who just posted about ordering a lexor, I hope to get my rig in about 5 months (no definitive delivery date yet).

The prospect of buying an Ascent off the lot for a reasonable price seemed pretty bleak, so putting in an order through a dealer with the factory seemed like the way to go. It also allowed me to pick all my preferred options as well as request a couple custom modifications (one approved and one pending). Also, PW is now building on the 2020 Sprinter Chassis and just changed the PW model year to 2021.5. One change is going from propane burners to induction. Different fridge as well.

As a lurker of this board for a couple years, I appreciate the friendly and helpful community... alhough I had hoped for a little more info on what others paid, so I hope I did ok with my negotiating, lol.

 

[themexicandoctor]

Congratulations - if I was ever to purchase a short wheelbase Mercedes it would be the Ascent (with a couple of modifications).

Pleasureway have high quality construction within, no rattles & squeaks.

And the Ascent has no more kinks.

Are they going to a DC Compressor fridge also?

Once again, congratulations.

PS. I prefer gas for cooking & now I don't have to run my 3 way on its highest setting/5 & I rarely leave the hot water on, my propane seems endless.

 

[rowiebowie]

I am brand new to RVing but just made the plunge by putting in an order for a new Ascent. Like the other newbie who just posted about ordering a lexor, I hope to get my rig in about 5 months (no definitive delivery date yet).

The prospect of buying an Ascent off the lot for a reasonable price seemed pretty bleak, so putting in an order through a dealer with the factory seemed like the way to go. It also allowed me to pick all my preferred options as well as request a couple custom modifications (one approved and one pending). Also, PW is now building on the 2020 Sprinter Chassis and just changed the PW model year to 2021.5. One change is going from propane burners to induction. Different fridge as well.

As a lurker of this board for a couple years, I appreciate the friendly and helpful community... alhough I had hoped for a little more info on what others paid, so I hope I did ok with my negotiating, lol.

Welcome to the forum Gaucho!

Congrats on the Ascent. Pleasureway enjoys probably the top reputation in quality and reliability in class b's. At least, I've never heard complaints about them.

It's about time Pleasureway is going to compressor fridge. They were a leader in making 200Ah of lithium standard several years ago which is plenty of a couple of days of boondocking. And that should include a few quick uses of the induction stove top and microwave. I wonder if they offer an upgrade, since more lithium is always better.

 

[Gaucho]

Congratulations - if I was ever to purchase a short wheelbase Mercedes it would be the Ascent (with a couple of modifications).

Pleasureway have high quality construction within, no rattles & squeaks.

And the Ascent has no more kinks.

Are they going to a DC Compressor fridge also?

Once again, congratulations.

PS. I prefer gas for cooking & now I don't have to run my 3 way on its highest setting/5 & I rarely leave the hot water on, my propane seems endless.

Yes, the salesman said PW is switching to a compressor fridge. Since I am so new to RVing, the relevance of that change was a bit over my head. I assumed it was an improvement. What’s the advantage? IIRC, I think the salesman said something about no needing to be completely level?

Regarding the burner change, I also prefer cooking with gas over induction, but it sounded like the motivation for the change was safety. I can live with that change.

Thank you for the welcome!

 

[rowiebowie]

Yes, I’m pretty sure the salesman said PW is switching to a compressor fridge. Since I am so new to RVing, the relevance of that change was a bit over my head. I assumed it was an improvement. What’s the advantage? IIRC, I think the salesman said something about no needing to be completely level?

Regarding the burner change, I also prefer cooking with gas over induction, but it sounded like the motivation for the change was safety. I can live with that change.

Thank you for the welcome!

A compressor fridge replaces 150 yr. old "absorption" technology with 80 yr. old "compressor" technology.

A compressor fridge uses more battery power, but is like your home refrigerator. Set and forget. Cools faster, maintains temperatures better, and does not need to be level like the older fridges. Plus, you don't have two big vents cut into the side of your van. I'm wondering if they've gone to a diesel fuel furnace and water heater? If so, they will have eliminated the need for propane. One less thing to bother with.

 

[Gaucho]

I'm wondering if they've gone to a diesel fuel furnace and water heater? If so, they will have eliminated the need for propane. One less thing to bother with.

The furnace and water heater weren’t mentioned as changing, but that’s not to say they haven’t changed.

Oh, another change is the cabinets. Radius cabinets are now standard and are no longer an expensive upgrade. Fenix Euro white upper cabinets are now an upgrade option for a relatively small extra cost.

The new order form was dated July 15, so they are just switching over now to these 2021.5 changes. PW’s website hasn’t been updated yet with these changes, so if you go through their build wizard, you still get the 2020/2021 options.

My timing was just pure luck and softens the blow for needing to wait so long for the build.

 

[T-dawg-ClassB]

Congrats on the ASCENT purchase and nice upgrades. I wonder if the Lexor got some upgrades? although I ordered the crazy expensive radius cabinets. My salesman didn’t know too much about changes and originally gave me a 2019 order form and we ordered 2 weeks ago.

 

[Gaucho]

Congrats on the ASCENT purchase and nice upgrades. I wonder if the Lexor got some upgrades? although I ordered the crazy expensive radius cabinets. My salesman didn’t know too much about changes and originally gave me a 2019 order form and we ordered 2 weeks ago.

I suppose it’s possible that the Lexor hasn’t had the refresh yet, but to keep their parts streamlined, I would guess PW switched over all their model years. Maybe start by asking PW or another dealer for the most recent order form for the Lexor and go from there.

I am guessing you signed a contract and put down a deposit, but I would certainly explore the possibility of resubmitting a new order. Your dealer may be reluctant to do it, and it might put your build in the back of the queue at the factory. As a reasonable sounding suggestion, I might just propose to your dealer, “our current deal is X% under MSRP, so I’d be happy to pay the same relative amount on the resubmitted order”.

Good luck (whatever approach you take)!

 

[markopolo-ClassB]

Gaucho - That looks to be a nice unit. Is it equipped with an Onan generator? If so, is it the new computer-controlled variable speed unit (model 2.5HGLAA-8304A)?

If it does have an Onan but it is the older single speed then it's worth trying to get it changed, IMO. Might as well start your new RV adventure with the new technology. My guess is that the old tech Onans will be phased out.

 

[Gaucho]

Gaucho - That looks to be a nice unit. Is it equipped with an Onan generator? If so, is it the new computer-controlled variable speed unit (model 2.5HGLAA-8304A)?

If it does have an Onan but it is the older single speed then it's worth trying to get it changed, IMO. Might as well start your new RV adventure with the new technology. My guess is that the old tech Onans will be phased out.

The generator wasn’t mentioned, so I assume I’ll be saddled with the incredibly loud Onan, although I plan on using it as little as possible.

Thanks for the suggestion to inquire about it.

 

[T-dawg-ClassB]

I suppose it’s possible that the Lexor hasn’t had the refresh yet, but to keep their parts streamlined, I would guess PW switched over all their model years. Maybe start by asking PW or another dealer for the most recent order form for the Lexor and go from there.

I am guessing you signed a contract and put down a deposit, but I would certainly explore the possibility of resubmitting a new order. Your dealer may be reluctant to do it, and it might put your build in the back of the queue at the factory. As a reasonable sounding suggestion, I might just propose to your dealer, “our current deal is X% under MSRP, so I’d be happy to pay the same relative amount on the resubmitted order”.

Good luck (whatever approach you take)!

I stand corrected, my wife says our salesman gave us the 2020 order form, a different dealer had given us the 2019 form. I suppose we will get whatever improvements are available to the pro master lexor when our unit gets on the assembly line. We’re satisfied with that. Before we ordered I communicated with PW about the new upgrades to the 2021 promaster chassis that the car mags had written about but the spokesperson said they received nothing official from Chrysler/Fiat so it probably wouldn’t be on this years promaster builds. Don’t want to digress further from the op’s Ascent excitement, so congrats. Now the long wait!

 

[Gaucho]

Gaucho - That looks to be a nice unit. Is it equipped with an Onan generator? If so, is it the new computer-controlled variable speed unit (model 2.5HGLAA-8304A)?

If it does have an Onan but it is the older single speed then it's worth trying to get it changed, IMO. Might as well start your new RV adventure with the new technology. My guess is that the old tech Onans will be phased out.

So, I called Pleasure Way.

Regarding the new Onan generator, they plan on using the new variable speed generator when they become available. Apparently, Onan’s plan to announce the availably of this new generator was delayed a bit due to covid and PW had hoped to start including them already. My rig may or may not have it. I guess they need to work through their current stock as they begin receiving the new ones. So, crossing my fingers on this one! In any case, they are about to cut over.

Delivery times are now 6 months (they were 5 months just a couple weeks ago). I blame T-dawg for making me wait longer.

Other good news pertains to the Sprinter chassis. Over the past year, Mercedes was sending PW chassis with whatever options were available (although PW prefers to build on option-rich chassis, but beggars can’t be choosers). That is no longer the case, and new builds will have a consistent full-featured option set including the larger 10” nav screen. The chassis year is 2020.

Anyway, if people can wait 6 months for their rig to be delivered, now is a great time to order a Sprinter Pleasure Way! Again, I suspect you can also get a better price this way given the very limited lot supply, and you can certainly choose all your options.

 

[PleasantonMac]

I can't tell you how thrilled I am to read this thread. God willing and the creek don't rise, I'll be placing my Ascent order tomorrow. The only concerns I'd had were the 3-way absorption fridge and the propane system (I used to prefer that, but have changed my thinking in recent weeks). So hopefully I'll be able to get all these new goodies as standard.

Bummed I'll have to wait six months to get my toy, but I guess good things come to those who wait.

 

[Gaucho]

I can't tell you how thrilled I am to read this thread. God willing and the creek don't rise, I'll be placing my Ascent order tomorrow. The only concerns I'd had were the 3-way absorption fridge and the propane system (I used to prefer that, but have changed my thinking in recent weeks). So hopefully I'll be able to get all these new goodies as standard.

Bummed I'll have to wait six months to get my toy, but I guess good things come to those who wait.

Have fun choosing the options and good luck with the haggling.

One other improvement that was mentioned was that the kitchen countertop now has a “waterfall” element. I’m not entirely sure what that entails, but it’s an apparent aesthetic improvement (no visible seam?). It wasn’t terribly relevant to me, so I didn’t dial in on that change.

 

[PleasantonMac]

YES! After much armtwisting and back-and-forth, and insistence from three (!) different dealers that "Pleasureway only sells at MSRP, nobody is going to discount it at all, end of discussion", I got my Pleasureway Ascent on order! Put down the deposit yesterday.

Delivery times are now 6 months (they were 5 months just a couple weeks ago). I blame T-dawg for making me wait longer.

Yup, I was given the same timeline. I blame Gaucho for making ME wait longer!

Other good news pertains to the Sprinter chassis. Over the past year, Mercedes was sending PW chassis with whatever options were available (although PW prefers to build on option-rich chassis, but beggars can’t be choosers). That is no longer the case, and new builds will have a consistent full-featured option set including the larger 10” nav screen. The chassis year is 2020.

Anyway, if people can wait 6 months for their rig to be delivered, now is a great time to order a Sprinter Pleasure Way!

Couldn't agree more with this statement. The new upgrades-as-standard are as of July 15th, so it's pretty fresh. Gaucho ordered his at just the right time.

Again, I suspect you can also get a better price this way given the very limited lot supply, and you can certainly choose all your options.

The MSRP on a fully-loaded Ascent is $157k. With much arm-twisting, you can get them down to $140 (139,995) here in California, as well as Oregon and a place back east. I was fortunate in that, just when I was about to sign with a place 3 hours away, my 5-minutes-away dealer -- who insisted there was no discount and actually allowed me to walk away -- finally relented and agreed to match the price.

Anyway, I'm thrilled!

 

[Gaucho]

Congrats on ordering your rig!

Yeah, I think if one can wait 6 months or so, you can get a better price. An added bonus is choosing the options and getting a more current model and chassis.

As I was monitoring the Ascents on RVTrader, there were typically about 20 for sale but about half were indicating “sale pending” before any pictures were even posted of the rig. This suggested to me that the units were selling before hitting the lot which further suggested they could command a price near or at msrp. Lots of demand and limited available supply. Also, some dealers were listing the VIN number of the chassis which indicated the 2019 Sprinter chassis.

So, get a 2021 PW on a 2019 chassis now in a poor negotiating position or wait 6 months to get a 2021.5 PW on a 2020 chassis in a better negotiating position? The latter, please.

Again, congrats!

 

[Papasaur]

YES! After much armtwisting and back-and-forth, and insistence from three (!) different dealers that "Pleasureway only sells at MSRP, nobody is going to discount it at all, end of discussion", I got my Pleasureway Ascent on order! Put down the deposit yesterday.


Yup, I was given the same timeline. I blame Gaucho for making ME wait longer!


Couldn't agree more with this statement. The new upgrades-as-standard are as of July 15th, so it's pretty fresh. Gaucho ordered his at just the right time.



The MSRP on a fully-loaded Ascent is $157k. With much arm-twisting, you can get them down to $140 (139,995) here in California, as well as Oregon and a place back east. I was fortunate in that, just when I was about to sign with a place 3 hours away, my 5-minutes-away dealer -- who insisted there was no discount and actually allowed me to walk away -- finally relented and agreed to match the price.

Anyway, I'm thrilled!

I am in northern CA and also considering the Ascent. Would you mind sharing which dealer you ordered it from? Do they have a unit that you can tour in person?

Thanks!

 

[PleasantonMac]

I purchased from Happy Daze RV in Livermore (https://www.happydazerv.com/ ). They also have a location in Sacramento. The only Class Bs on the lot in Livermore were a Coachman Galleria and a Coachmen Beyond. To be honest, I'm not aware of any Pleasureway Ascents anywhere in the country that are actually sitting on a lot to be seen, and given the six-month leadtime when you order one, I doubt one would last more than a few hours if it did appear.

Update: I looked on their site, noted that they had a PW Lexor in stock in Livermore, and even listed a VIN number. "No way," I thought. I called them, and yes, it really is there. It's already sold (of course). I might nip down there this afternoon to check it out tho.

 

[Papasaur]

I purchased from Happy Daze RV in Livermore (https://www.happydazerv.com/ ). They also have a location in Sacramento. The only Class Bs on the lot in Livermore were a Coachman Galleria and a Coachmen Beyond. To be honest, I'm not aware of any Pleasureway Ascents anywhere in the country that are actually sitting on a lot to be seen, and given the six-month leadtime when you order one, I doubt one would last more than a few hours if it did appear.

Update: I looked on their site, noted that they had a PW Lexor in stock in Livermore, and even listed a VIN number. "No way," I thought. I called them, and yes, it really is there. It's already sold (of course). I might nip down there this afternoon to check it out tho.

I am about an hour away so will try to go check it out tomorrow. Is there a contact at Happy Daze RV that you can share?

Thanks

 

[PleasantonMac]

I worked with Jason there. I think he's generally there on weekdays. Hope you get to see it!