When one thinks of a Class A diesel-pusher motorhome, the tendency is to associate it with
a robust chassis, luxurious interior appointments and, of course, a big price tag.
Monaco Coach Corporation’s Holiday Rambler division hopes to change at least part of that
perception with its new Neptune Class A. It has a robust chassis and the kind of interior
features you would expect, but with a price tag in the low-$100,000 range.
According to Mike Spencer, national sales manager for Holiday Rambler’s motorized division, the Neptune is the company’s most entry-level diesel coach, yet it uses the same construction in the chassis, frame, walls and roof as the company’s higher-line diesels. “The Neptune is targeted at the customer who is coming from a gas coach,” Spencer explains. “This customer wants the power and torque that a diesel engine provides, but doesn’t want to spend much more than he would for a high-line gas product.”
Available in four double-slideout floorplans (30PBD, 32PBD, 34PBD and 36PBD), the Neptune is built on Monaco’s Roadmaster RM4C chassis with the company’s Alumaframe superstructure, steel-cage cockpit construction and 24,000-pound gross vehicle weight rating. Power is supplied by a 275-hp Cummins ISB engine with 660 lb-ft of torque, linked to an Allison 2000 five-speed automatic transmission. Smooth aluminum side walls, a peaked aluminum roof, a steel-frame floor and molded fiberglass end caps are just a few of the Neptune’s construction highlights.
Standard in the driver’s compartment are a CD stereo system with four speakers, a
rear-vision camera system with audio, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel and reclining
driver’s and front-passenger’s seats. The living area features western-oak cabinetry with
solid-wood raised-panel doors in the overhead cabinets, a 25-inch color television with
remote, a booth dinette and a fabric barrel chair with a party table (except in the 30PBD).
Galley details include a three-burner cooktop, a space-saver microwave oven, a double-door refrigerator, a laminate countertop, a fiberglass sink and a pantry with adjustable
shelves. Optionally available are a double-door refrigerator with an icemaker, a three-burner cooktop with a conventional oven and a convection/microwave oven. Out back,
the Neptune bathroom features a laminate countertop and a one-piece fiberglass tub/shower with glass door and brass frame. Washer/dryer prep is standard in all but the 30- and 32-foot models, and a combination washer/dryer is an option.
The bedroom slideout accommodates the head of the laterally mounted queen-size bed in the 32PBD and 36PBD models, and a smaller slideout houses the wardrobe in the other models. The bedroom comes prewired for an optional 13-inch television. Keeping the Neptune’s interior comfortable are a 13,500-BTU air conditioner and a 35,000-BTU furnace with floor ducting. An additional 11,000-BTU air conditioner is standard on the 36PBD and optional on the other models. An Onan 6.5-kW LP-gas AC generator, a 60-amp 12-volt DC power converter and two deep-cycle batteries are also standard, but for those who like to dry camp without having to run the generator, a 1,500-watt inverter with two additional batteries is also available.
Capacities for all Neptune models include 75 gallons of fuel, 80 gallons of fresh water, 52
gallons each of gray and black water, 31 gallons of LP-gas and 6 gallons of hot water. The
base retail price for the Neptune is between $109,998 and $117,257.
Holiday Rambler, (800) 245-4778, holidayrambler.com
