2009 Itasca Suncruiser 35P

In 2009, Itasca continued to offer one different model from Winnebago Class A motor homes, and expanded on the 2008 Sunrise 32H full wall slide design by introducing the 2009 Suncruiser 35P.   Here's the floorplan of it:






Technical Data

Exterior dimensions are:

• Length: 35' 5" 
• Width: 8" 5"
• Height: 12' 3"
• Wheelbase: 228"
• GVWR: 22,000 or 24,000
• Engines:  Ford: 6.8 ltr, 362 hp, 457 lb-ft torque   Workhorse: 8.1 ltr, 340 hp, 455 lb-ft torque

Capacities are:

• Basement storage: 85.9 cu. ft.
• Fresh water: 85 gallons
• Grey water: 60 gallons
• Black water: 43 gallons
• LP: 28 gallons
• Fuel: 75 gallons

Interior dimensions are:

• Width: 8'
• Height: 7' 2"

The benefits of this model are:

1. Three slides, including a full wall slide on the street side, a dinette slide and a bed slide.  The opposing slides in the living and dining area make that area open and inviting.  The opposing slides in the bedroom gives the bedroom plenty of room for changing clothes and ease of movement at the foot of the residential king size bed.
2. A dining area on the curb side giving a good view over your campsite while eating.
3. A 37” LCD TV mounted amidships rather than over the dashboard as most other motor homes did at the time, making better use of the cabinet storage, and taking away the chance of head injuries by banging your head into the cabinet while getting in or out of cockpit seats.
4. Great storage cabinets throughout the coach, with a convenient countertop storage cabinet in the galley, and designated storage slots for the Corian sink tops and a garbage receptacle under the counter.  The bedroom has lots of drawer space including a built in clothes hamper.
5. Space for a washer/dryer amidships rather than at the end of the rig for less “tail wagging” and vibration when using the washer, or the space can be used for even more storage.
6. A spacious, well laid out bathroom with plenty of cabinets and a roomy shower.
7. Good basement storage space with 85.9 cu.ft of pass through basement storage, 85 gallons of fresh water, 60 gallons of grey water, and 43 gallons of black water storage.
8. A convenient driver’s door with a sliding window, enabling a 2^nd entrance and exit, that’s easy to use when getting gas or checking on the street side of the coach.
9. Sleeping room for 6.
10. Opening north-south windows on the bed slide for excellent north-south fresh air ventilation in the bedroom, along with non-opening north-south windows on the dining slide, allowing folks at the table to see better the curbside of the rig (like who was knocking on the door.
11. A fiberglass roof, which is something all higher priced motor homes have.
    
    

The drawbacks to this model are:

1. While the LCD TV is mounted mid coach, it isn’t directly across from the couch, which is the optimal viewing angle.  This means that anyone in the most comfortable seats in the rig would still have to turn their necks to watch the TV, having almost the same effect on TV watchers necks as if the TV was placed over the dashboard, where most other motor homes had the TV mounted.
2. The cabinetry frames need to be made of the same wood as the cabinet doors rather than pine, or some similar wood and wrapped with paper that looks like wood.  The color on paper will wear out over time and eventually the frames look different than the doors.  Also, some of the upper cabinets have a storage space opening behind the doors that is less than the size of the door.  If there is a cabinet door, the storage space opening behind it should be a similar size to that cabinet door, or better engineering needs to be done.
3. The furnace has floor registers rather than registers mounted in the bottom of cabinets.  Registers mounted in the bottom of cabinets give better heat dispersion and isn't a problem when walking on the floor barefooted.
4. The galley doesn’t have a countertop extension which always helps out in a motor home galley.  More counter space equals a happier cook, which equals a happier time camping.
5. No television “Antenna Up” warning which would save on roof top and antenna damages.
6. As the top of the line gas rig for Itasca or Winnebago, it should at least include as an option, an electrical package that is closer to, if not the same as, the electrical packages found on entry level diesel pushers, which means a larger generator of at least 7.5 killowatts, a total of four coach batteries, and a 2,000 watt inverter.
7. While the 85.9 cu. ft of pass through basement storage is easier to manage due to the basement storage compartments not sliding out with the sides, other rigs of similar length offer more basement storage space.  Also, supports for the slides inhibit opening the side opening doors all the way.
8. The length of the 35P should be lengthened by about a foot to give six additional inches of floor space on each side of the bed  for walking around it.  Maybe it'd be called the 36P then, ya think?  Another option would be to have a queen size bed instead of a king size bed.
9. Rework the hydraulic ram for the bedroom slide so there is more storage space under the  bed.

Thoughts about the 2009 Suncruiser 35p:

Having said all the above, I still feel like the 2009 35P would make an excellent full-time rig.  If a 2009 model isn’t available, the 2010 – 2014 Suncruiser and Adventurer 35Ps have made improvements which might overcome the increase in price since the 2009s were introduced, and would be very viable rigs as well.  During those model years, improvements have been made that don’t make the criticisms quite so bad, such as:

• A galley countertop extension being added in 2013.
• A digital TV antenna was added in 2011 replacing the old antenna that had to be cranked up.
• Basement storage was increased to 105.1 cu. ft. in 2011, 107.6 in 2012, and 125.5 in 2013.

Regardless of what type of RV you are contemplating (pop-up trailer, travel trailer, toy hauler, fifth wheeler, or motorhome), remember to look for places for these five necessary items in any RV you look at, with those five items being: shoes, dirty clothes, a garbage receptacle, and hooks.  In the 2009 Suncruiser 35P, it seems rather obvious to me that:

• Shoes could go in the closet in the bedroom, or in the cabinet to the left of the entry   as you climb the stairs to enter the rig.
• Dirty clothes would go in the hamper in the bedroom.
• A garbage receptacle would go in its designated place under the counter.
• The broom would go along the wall in the bathroom immediately to the left as you     enter, or in the closet in the bedroom.
• The hooks would be put on the sliding door on the bedroom side to hang those clothes that you want handy.

Also, if you’re gonna be a full time RVer, I suggest getting the following items for comfort and safety:

• Vent covers to allow the roof vents to be open during rainy weather for better ventilation.
• Upgrade the loud ineffective bathroom vent fan with a quieter, more efficient   Fantastic or Create-a-Breeze fan.
• Invest in an rv surge protector to protect your rig from electrical spikes and/or an autoformer to step up voltage when shore power voltage is low to protect your electrical and electronic components such as air conditioners, refrigerators, and TVs.
• If the rig has a crank-up TV antenna, replace it with a TV antenna that doesn't need to be cranked up.
• Replace the tires if they're more than five years old.
• Replace the toilet bowl seal if the rig has been sitting for long periods of time with the toilet left dry, or if water leaks out of the toilet bowl causing the seal to dry out.
• If you're contemplating a motor home, consider upgraded shocks and anti-sway bars for a better ride, and a steering damper or similar equipment for steering safety in case of blow out or heavy winds.

With the exception of the tires, you can buy the above items at reputable RV parts stores.

HAPPY TRAVELLING!