Aurora 35′

“DURING LAST SUMMER, THIS NEW motorhome was previewed in front of our dealer body as the
Catalina Millennium Edition and it was very well received,” comments Michael Bear, vice
president of sales for Coachmen Recreational Vehicle Company. “In fact, we received
numerous recommendations that we assign a new model name to this innovative product because
of its total redesign, state-of-the-art features and exceptional appearance. Hence, the
birth of the Aurora.” Coachmen builds the Aurora 3480DS, or dinette-slideout model, on the
Ford chassis with a 20,500-pound gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr), powered by the
6.8-liter V-10 gasoline engine and four-speed automatic transmission with overdrive. The
chassis includes leaf springs front and back, along with four-wheel disc brakes. Auroras
are available in five models with lengths ranging from 27 to 35 feet. A pair of streetside
slideout rooms is standard for the 3480DS: an extra-large slideout up front houses the sofa
bed and the dinette, and a smaller slideout aft moves the bed out to make more bedroom
space. Additional floorplan details for the 3480 include a single curbside swivel chair
opposite the sofa bed, a curbside kitchen, a walk-through bath with an enclosed
toilet/shower room, and a rear master bedroom with an aft-wall closet and a curbside vanity
table at the foot of the bed. A new style of bar/dinette is optionally available in place
of the traditional fixed dinette. The floor and lower compartments are framed in steel;
aluminum is used elsewhere. Polystyrene foam insulation, fiberglass exterior skin and end
caps and a rubber roof are standard. The floor, walls and roof are assembled using a
vacuum-bonding technique with a urethane “hot melt” adhesive securing the components. Both
slideouts are powered by electric-driven rack-and-pinion mechanisms. All basement-style
exterior storage compartments are single-piece roto-cast plastic units enclosed with
stamped, insulated aluminum doors. Inside, the company uses Waterford Pear cabinet finish,
a soft-touch ceiling fabric and day/night corrugated fabric shades throughout. Buyers can
choose from Summit Spruce, Opulence Sand and Tuscany Blue interior color-scheme options.
All of the usual safety and convenience features common to Class A motorhomes are standard
in the Aurora. Systems for the Aurora include 30-amp electric service and a 45-amp
converter, a 35,000-BTU furnace and a low-profile 13,500-BTU roof air conditioner. Listed
capacities show 50 gallons of fresh water, 46 gallons each gray and black water, a 6-gallon
water heater, 19 gallons of LP-gas and 75 gallons of fuel. Coachmen has available a long
list of options to upfit the Aurora to meet any buyer’s equipment preferences. Included in
this list are several Onan AC generator models, a satellite TV system, a VCR, a rear-vision
camera, a double-door refrigerator, a 10-gallon water heater, a second roof air
conditioner, 50-amp electric service, a hitch receiver, hydraulic leveling jacks, a
driver’s-side door, slideout-room awnings and a spare tire. An Aurora 3480DS like the one
pictured, equipped with a loaded option list in addition to its standard features, carries
a $96,400 suggested retail price. The Aurora line is currently in production and available
at Coachmen dealers nationwide. Article by: Jeff Johnston Coachmen Recreational Vehicle
Company, P.O. Box 30, Middlebury, Indiana 46540; (219) 825-5821