Coachmen 289TBSS reviews

We purchased our Apex 289TBSS in 2017 after attending 6 RV shows and working with four local dealers. Our primary objectives in deciding on a floor plan were 1) light weight for towing, 2) key functionality requirements, 3) exterior amenities, 4) interior comfort and 5) ample storage. Having experience towing heavy items and large, boxy items we knew that towing a heavy, large, and boxy item would not be ideal regardless of the towing capacity of our personal truck (an F-150 with rated towing capacity of 10,500). Many people think that just because the truck is "rated" to tow something, it safely can. This unit was just the fit. At 32', it only weighed 5900 lbs dry so towing was a breeze with our Andersen weight distribution and sway control hitch system. (We have ridden with friends towing 9000 lb, 35'campers and you often "pucker up" as a tractor-trailer or strong breeze comes along) We have two girls, so we knew we needed to provide them with some privacy, especially when they had friends camping with us. The rear bunk room with pocket door was just the trick. We also like the "L" shaped bunks which provided a nice jack-knife sofa below so all the kids could sit and watch movies in their space in the event of a rain storm. The only way to do this with a quad, opposing-wall bunk room was with a slide which added too much weight. The master offers pocket door access to each side of the bed which is great for my wife and I as we don't have to turn-sideways and squeeze around 8" of space at the end of the bed to get to the other side as was with many other models with only one entrance to the master bedroom. The outside has a huge awning with blue LED lights that doesn't attract bugs (all outdoor lights are blue). Also, the exterior kitchen was a requirement because, as we predicted, we do most of our cooking (and living) outside. The outdoor fridge is very handy as well! The counter space in the outdoor kitchen is used to store many things, but mostly our outdoor roll-up foot rugs and cleaning supplies. We also enjoy the outdoor cable hookup as we love to watch college football camping in the Fall! One very nice feature that many people (including us) overlooked was the rack-and-pinion slide. This is a very nice upgrade over a cable-slide and doesn't require the annual adjustment that most cable-slides require. The interior is really where this unit shines for us. You have to remember, we held ourselves to a strict standard of 6000 lbs dry weight with a bunkroom so finding a great deal of interior comfort features was going to be difficult. But, this unit has exceeded our expectations. Although counter space is limited, the sink cover comes in handy to provide a few extra ft2 of working space. The 15k BTU AC unit works brilliantly as does the unit's furnace. We have never been hot nor cold in the summer nor winter and we camp in the extremes (un-shaded places at the beach in the summer, and shady places in the mountains in the winter). The fridge is plenty large for a week's trip and the microwave and cooktop/oven have both come in handy on many occasions. The bathroom is tight, but tidy and I have no problem showering or "sitting" (I am 6'4" so this was an issue in most units). The upgraded tri-fold sofa is very comfortable and the dinette was thankfully slightly larger than most in these size units. Storage abounds in this unit for it's size and weight. We have never run out of space and we carry around 1400 lbs of "stuff" based upon our scale check. The pass through storage is huge and we are able to keep all of our outdoor items and more in there. Overall, we could not be happier with our decision to purchase the Apex 289TBSS. Looking back, we definitely made the right decision in the unit we purchased. Our kids love the camper and would go every weekend if we would let them! Show less

Mine is a week old, a 2020 $28,000 Apex 289TBSS. It's literally a week old, we took it last weekend and drove it 80 miles away to spend 2 nights camping in it. At this point I feel that this list has just begun. I'm not at all confident in the build quality and seeing what I've seen behind the curtain... I see that it's built horribly weak and will likely require repairs and reengineering for a long time before the manufacturing deficiencies are eventually corrected. What a sad level of product quality. Drawer hinge on rear diner bench, screws stripped wood, door sags and does not align consistently. Slide out dragging on carpet and flooring. Slide out delivered with 15a fuse (after dealership cut open floor and wired in a completely new circuit due to blowing fuses on the lot during delivery) that melted repeatedly, dealership instructed us to replace 15a fuse with 30a fuse and report back if it still melts. I refused to go to 30a, installed 20a. Has not melted yet, but questionable repair method at best. Heating duct to rear bunkhouse getting no airflow with heat on. Cabinet/wardrobe across from bathroom, internal slide drawer framework collapsed by dropping free from staples. Behind toilet, pex tube coming from wall has wall plate hanging free and laying on pex tube. Awning wiring plastic protective cover fell off and is sitting inside. Show less