Monaco Coach has been around since 1968, so they’ve had enough time to figure out how to build a proper motorhome. They’re a well-respected brand that offers a limited series of highly sought-after luxury Class A RVs. In an industry defined by its lack of quality, Monaco stands apart as one of the few remaining trustworthy manufacturers.
There isn’t much to dislike about this brand, but there are a couple of things that you should know. Overall, Monaco offers the time-refined skills of a master that are perfectly paired with ultra-modern conveniences.
Whether you purchase the pinnacle of the Monaco line, the Marquee, or the still wonderful and luxurious Monaco Signature, you will not likely regret your decision. Their luxury is very difficult to match.
Warranty
Basic Limited: 12 Months or 15,000 Miles
Structural Limited Warranty: 36 Months or 45,000 Miles
This industry gives warranties that are a little too short. There are so many issues that develop within the first couple of years, so the standard needs to change to accommodate the needed repairs directly caused by the commonly poor craftsmanship of the RV industry. That said, the Monaco Basic Limited warranty is unfortunately average.
Monaco covers all that we have come to expect from a standard RV warranty. We will give you a very simplified description. If you plan on actually purchasing a Monaco brand class A motorhome, we highly encourage you to visit read through the online owner’s manual that contains full terms and conditions of the warranty. Okay, here’s the quick list of items that will either invalidate the Basic Limited warranty or just aren’t covered by it:
- Any damage caused directly or indirectly from a human outside of the manufacturing facility. This includes damage caused by negligence, lack of maintenance, abuse, misuse, accident, or modifications to the unit.
- Any damage caused by the elements, the environment, or other sources of normal deterioration will not be covered. Premature deterioration is also not covered.
- Normal Wear and Tear
- The RVs will not be covered if they are used for business or commercial purposes
- Anything covered by a separate warranty will not be covered by this one. Known items include: chassis, drive train, tires, and batteries
- Not following instructions in the manual
- If the odometer has been altered, the warranty will be void.
- Any aesthetic damage
- Will not cover financial losses related to seeking repairs
- If used for commercial or business purposes, the warranty will be void.
The structural limited warranty shares the list of exclusions. The only differences between the warranties are the length and what they cover. The structural warranty only covers the roof structure, the subfloor structure, and Vacubond walls.
Durability
Delamination is the number one killer of RVs, so it is logical that many owners are highly concerned about the risk of delamination. You don’t need to worry about that here. Monaco doesn’t use any wood in the construction of the structure of their motorhomes. They only use steel, aluminum, and fiberglass.
The structure is interlocked together and very secure. Rather than welding the structure together, Monaco chose to use the superior huck bolt fasteners to secure everything together. Their long-term value is hard to match and will hold tight through the many bumpy roads that you are sure to travel.
Another fear of the average RV owner is failing slideouts. Too many manufacturers install slideout mechanisms that are not equipped to handle the weight placed upon them. This leads to the innumerable amounts of people that wake up one day to find their slideouts broken. The Monaco units are incredibly well-supported with Geny 10k Electric slideouts. They are smooth operating systems with strong supporting arms. They will serve you well for many years.
Interior
It wouldn’t be realistic to call Monaco a cheap line. However, they are competitively priced compared to other Luxury motorhomes. They are comfortable units; more than comfortable. This company has successfully integrated the conveniences of a residential home in a very portable package.
Monaco doesn’t make small Class A motorhomes. You might have trouble finding a national park that is equipped to handle your RV, but it will be worth the extra effort. When you pair the 40+ feet with several slides, sometimes full-wall slides, the floorspace becomes massive.
These are beautiful RVs. The cherry hardwoods, the glistening tiled floors, and the top-of-the-line furniture work in concert to create a masterpiece of excellence. This excellence extends into the bathrooms. Yes, we said bathrooms, as in plural, because most units have two of them. The master bathrooms in these RVs include, in most cases, extra-large showers, plenty of counter space, walk-in closets with shoe racks, a linen closet, and a washer and dryer. The second bathrooms can’t match the quality or features of the master bathroom, but they are still quite comfortable.
Oh yes, do you remember those shining tiled floors? They heated with a dual-zone system, so your feet will never wake up to a cold morning.
Standard and Upgradable Options
For most of the Monaco RVs, you get all of the expected features that befit a luxury motorhome:
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- Stacked Washer and Dryer:<span style=”font-weight: 400;”> No more visits to the laundromat with your bag of quarters.
- Ample Storage: Massive pass-through compartments with one equipped with a slide.
- Battery Tray and Several Batteries: Will keep you powered for multiple days.
- Large Residential Refrigerator: Will have no trouble holding all of your groceries.
- Central Vacuum: Very convenient and saves space on the vacuum cleaner.
- Lots of Room and High Sleeping Capacities: Enough sleeping space for most families and maybe some friends.
Because these motorcoaches are so large, we would like to point out some of the driving features. These will keep you and those around you safe and make for an overall more comfortable and confident driving experience.
UltraSteer(S) – There are multiple versions of the UltraSteer. All of them are designed to improve the turning radius of their motorhomes at speeds slower than 20 MPH. Depending on the specific version, you can expect an improvement between 10 and 20 percent.
Sach Shocks(S) – In the automotive world, Sach shocks are commonly found in the superior brands that are known for their smooth traveling experience: Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, and Rolls-Royce. In the Motorhome world, Monaco is the only brand to attain the privilege of integrating these world-class and custom-tuned shocks into their design.
RoadWatch(S) – Driving a large motorhome can be terrifying. If you agree, you’ll be happy to hear that every Monaco comes equipped with several features that will likely placate many of your fears:
- Adaptive Cruise Control: While cruise control is active, the motorhome will automatically calculate the distance and speed of the vehicle ahead. Using this calculation, your motorhome will adjust its position to give you 3.6 seconds of travel time between your RV and the other vehicle.
- Collision Mitigation: If you aren’t reacting to a stopping vehicle, the RV will alert you with sound, visual indicators, and haptic feedback. If necessary, it will apply the breaks without your input to prevent a rear-end collision.
- Electronic Stability Control: This is a favorite for many owners. These motorhomes are large and can do massive amounts of damage in an accident. The ESC will assist with engine management and selective braking so that you don’t lose control in an intense situation.
- Roll Stability Control: Using a mix of gyroscopic sensors, the RSC will calculate the force and angle that a turn is placing upon the RV. As the lateral movement of a turn grows into a high-risk situation, this stability control system will make adjustments to the power and breaks to reduce that risk.
- Automatic Traction Control: If you have ever driven in a heavy rainstorm, you likely know the gut-dropping feeling of hydroplaning. The instant loss of control as you glide across the surface of a puddle can make anyone lose their lunch. Monaco counteracts these lapses of control by managing the braking of each wheel independently. If one wheel is spinning faster than the other, the brakes for the faster wheel are applied to regain traction. If both wheels have lost contact with the road, the brakes are applied to both.
Customer Service
It can be difficult to determine the true quality of the customer service department. Humans are programmed to notice and focus the bad so that we can adapt to the environment. This creates the unfortunate consequence of humanity’s tendency to hyperfocus on what we dislike. There are some ranting reviews that make Monaco appear to severally fall short in every category. They are disconcerting and shouldn’t be dismissed. However, we must realize that people are much more likely to focus on the bad and concurrently tell others about it. Instead of focusing on those specific reviews, zoom out and notice the overall message that people are telling.
On RVInsider, Monaco is one of the highest-rated manufacturers. That isn’t earned by being lucky. It’s earned through consistency of providing good products and providing good support to the people and to the products they own. Aside from some outliers, people do seem generally happy with the customer support both in the forums and the review sites.
The Big Issue
There is one issue that seems to come up repeatedly. It’s a common issue with many of the popular brands. They are ill-equipped to handle the sheer volume of motorhomes that come in for repairs. This isn’t because their units aren’t durable. There are just a lot of them. Many motorhomes can spend two or three months, sometimes more, waiting for their turn to be repaired. This severely cuts into the ability to enjoy the unit. First-year owners and full-timers can be seriously inconvenienced with such ridiculously long wait times.
Monaco Review Summary
-Luxury is Standard
-Beautiful Interiors
-Easy to Drive
-Great Driving Features
-Good Customer Service
-Long Repair Times
-Very Durable
-All Metal Structure
