Dick:
My wife Carol and I have a 2004 Patriot Thunder Lexington with three slides. We are considering leaving motorhoming (we’re now living in a Continuing Care Retirement Community). Our 2004 Thunder is a fabulous coach! We have an original brochure on the 2004 model, but we are reluctant to part with this brochure until we ultimately part with our coach. However, perhaps I could photocopy pages of the brochure and send those to you by email (PDF). Let us know if you would like to talk about possibilities. Below are answers to your specific questions:
1. The 2004 Patriots have the following floorplans: Ticonderoga, Monticello, Princeton, Lexington, Gettysburg, Yorktown, and Wilmington. The Ticonderoga is listed as 37’, and all the other floorplans are listed as 40’. In 2004, Beaver did not offer Patriots in other lengths (i.e., there were not 42’ or 43’ Patriot models in 2004). The actual length of the Ticonderoga is 37’10”. The actual lengths of the Monticello, Princeton, and Lexington floorplans are 39’5” (they called these floorplans “California 40s” because of that state’s enforcement of a 40 maximum length at that time). The actual lengths of the Gettysburg, Yorktown, and Wilmington floorplans are 40’10”. The Thunder option (CAT C-12 505HP) was only available in the six 40’ floorplans.
2. The Ticonderoga, Monticello and Princeton floorplans have two slides. The Lexington, Gettysburg, and Yorktown models have three slides. The Wilmington floorplan has four slides.
3. The 2004 Patriots came standard with a Hydraulic Leveling System (jacks to the ground). Beaver offered an option of an Air Leveling System or BOTH Air and Hydraulic. Our coach has BOTH Air and Hydraulic Leveling Systems.
The 2004 Patriot brochure states that the kitchen island is an option available only on the Yorktown floorplan. This does not make much sense since all of the three slides floorplans appear to have room for the kitchen island. We recall looking at a 2004 Thunder with a kitchen island, but Carol determined it would be more of an obstacle than a benefit.
Best wishes to you during your investigation, Bill and Carol Jacobs, F143644, Medford, Oregon. bill.jacobs@charter.net and carol.jacobs@charter.net
