BAC Forum
General Boards => Technical Support => Topic started by: Dwight Lakusta on March 11, 2019, 02:14:11 PM
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I was speaking with a friend that has a Monaco unit with the roadmaster chassis, and he was telling me that the magnum was not a good chassis.......and the roadmaster is a superior chassis....I find this hard to believe, is this true? What are the main differences? I’m sure they are equals in many ways?
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There is some info on the chassis' here https://beaveramb.org/coach-assist-members-only-new/ (see Beaver Chassis History link)
There were several different Magnum Chassis used and several Roadmaster chassis - is there a specific model coach you are discussing?
I would say that as advances in technology and production methods improve over time, the chassis tend to get better.
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Our Magnum Chassis are not known for this failure. http://www.irv2.com/forums/f24/failed-vertical-frame-3-x-3-posts-2005-signature-361033.html A friend of mine has a Dynasty with the Roadmaster Chassis and I look at it and feel my Magnum D Chassis is far better by looking at the quality and design of the structural members. I have also read on the other site about shock tower failures
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Dwight,
There is no definitive answer to your question. In fact there were a few years where the line between Magnum and Roadmaster was blurred because Monaco just changed the name on a Magnum chassis and called it a Roadmaster. As time progressed, the Roadmaster chassis improved and the Magnum plant in Harrisburg was closed as all Roadmaster chassis production for Oregon coaches was moved to Coburg. The improvements were mostly related to Federal laws that restricted or stopped the overloading issues that were very common on all diesel pushers in the late 90s and early 2000s. There was also technology advancements that provided better brakes, and the improvement in turning radius of later model coaches. However, there were several changes that Monaco made to Roadmaster chassis production that made them inferior to the old Magnum chassis, like the 4 air bag chassis under the Beaver Baron and Monaco Knight that had to be recalled because the arms for the rear suspension were so poorly designed that they were breaking off, and the side radiator fan motor mounts on high end coaches that were so weak that the fan motor broke loose and destroyed the fan and radiator.
To put it shortly, your friend is wrong. When comparing the same production year, there is virtually no difference between Roadmaster and Magnum, but as technology improved, the Roadmaster chassis improved and there was no Magnum chassis to compare it to.
Gerald
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Good to hear, I thought it was a bit wonky, those signature owners seem to have th all figured out! Haha. Thanks