Ours came with Monroes too. The ride was okay except right off the bat on our first trip in ‘06 I was disappointed when “bottoming out” a couple of times on unanticipated bumps. Of course I was just learning this new rig that had a much different chassis from our ‘84 Pace Arrow, and I subsequently modified my driving behavior.
Like others, I struggled with if and when and which regarding my shocks. I can’t speak to Bilstein’s except the trust I put in Henderson’s opinion resulted in my going with Koni’s when they upgraded our chassis in 2015. For me, owning a quality coach implied it would have better shocks than simply Monroe’s. Not that Monroe’s have a bad reputation, but I just associate them with simpler vehicles and older technology. Spending more for Koni’s seemed to mesh with our having spent more for a quality coach, and the price wasn’t outlandish.
Are they better than Bilsteins, I can’t say, and defer to those that have had both on the same rig. But I have confidence in the Koni’s I have and so far they, together with Safe-T-Plus and Motion Control units, have made a big difference in how the coach reacts to whatever the road offers up.
Joel
