Entegra Coach Construction Overview

Introduction

Every now and then something truly unique comes along that's noteworthy of mentioning. One of these items is the Entegra Coach. for those who are not familiar with Entegra let me begin with a brief summary. When the economy took a major dump in 2009, the RV market was one of the hardest hit. Many manufacturers went bankrupt and disappeared forever while some brands were resurrected by new owners. One brand in particular was Travel Supreme who was based in Wakarusa, Indiana. Travel Supreme always had a great reputation for building a quality product but their limited resources allowed them to get caught up in a financial position that they couldn't get out of. Fortunately, Jayco saw the potential in the product and purchased most of the assets of Travel Supreme and created the new Entegra coach division under the Jayco umbrella. That marriage allowed Jayco's strong financial position and excellent management systems to meld with the Travel Supreme product line. Many of the previous craftsmen at Travel Supreme also made the move over to Entegra Coach and this resulted in a quality coach with the excellent backing of a customer service oriented company. Jayco, who had 40 years of history, ensured that this product would be around and able to weather any future cups and downs in the economy. The stronger financial position allowed Entegra to improve on an already great product and take it to the next level.

I had the opportunity to spend some time at Entegra Coach in the various areas of manufacturing as well as with the finished product. I cam away impressed as to the build quality, level of detail put into these coaches, and the end result experienced while driving them. Entegra truly is in a class by itself and in this webpage I will attempt to describe just what makes an Entegra Coach different.

Entegra makes four models as of this writing. The entry level Insignia is followed by the Aspire, which in turn is followed by the Anthem, and topped off by the Cornerstone. Most of my work was done researching the Anthem but similar techniques apply to all and I'll specify the differences between the various models if and when they do occur. The units as described will be 2012 model year coaches.

The Insignia is Entegra's entry level coach. Built on a rear radiator Freightliner chassis it's powered by a 360 HP Cummins ISC. It comes in 36' or 40' floorplans. The next step up is the popular Aspire. As of 2012 the Aspire will have a Spartan Mountain Master chassis with side radiator and a 400 HP Cummins ISL engine. In prior years the Aspire was equipped with a Freightliner rear radiator chassis. The Aspire is offered in 40' single axle floorplans or 42' tag axle floorplans. The Anthem is the ever popular unit in the market. Equipped with a Spartan Mountain Master GT tag axle chassis and a 450 HP Cummins ISL engine the Anthem is available in 43' and 45' floorplans. The top of the line is Entegra's Cornerstone. The Cornerstone is built on Spartan's robust K2 chassis and is powered by a 500 HP ISX-11 engine. This tag axle chassis supports 45' floorplans.

For detailed spec sheets on the various chassis click on any of the following links;

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Enjoy!

Mark Quasius - "Cruzer"

Building the Foundation

The photos of the various stages of construction are of an Entegra Anthem. The Anthem uses Spartan's excellent quality Mountain Master GT chassis as a basic foundation. The goal of Entegra is to provide the quietest and best riding chassis in the industry and numerous additional modifications are made to the chassis to allow that to happen. It all begins in the welding shop. The bare chassis is rolled into the shop and the usual steel subframe structure that will support the flooring and frame out the basement compartments is added. This is a typical process with any of any class A diesel pusher with a pass-through basement but Entegra takes it a step farther to increase chassis rigidity.

Any class A motorhome is basically a large box. When driving down the road these boxes flex. When that happens, creaks and groans that never seem to go away begin to appear. Gaps can appear where cabinets are put together, ceramic floor tile can crack, and a host of other issues happen. If you can imagine twisting your house that way you can get a good idea for the damage that would occur. So these RV "boxes" are mounted on a steel sub-frame structure that supports the floor. Unfortunately, there is still some twisting going on when driving on uneven roads, entering driveway approaches, encountering potholes, or even on making a simple turn on city streets. This happens because frames tend to twist and move around a bit under normal use. The secret is to make the framework as rock solid as possible while allowing the suspension to do that work. In a perfect world the chassis frame and RV superstructure would remain perfectly square while the air bag suspension does all of the work. This is what Entegra has tried to do by upgrading the chassis to levels not undertaken by other motorhome manufacturers.

Protective Overhead Steel Hoop

One example of Entegra's approach to additional strength and support is a steel "roll bar" style hoop that is part of the structural framing. This adds additional support at the front of the cap to prevent the twisting common to large class A motorhomes when encountering driveway approaches or speed bumps at an angle or when leveling the coach. This helps to minimize stress on large one piece windshields to reduce the chance of cracking or moving around within the windshield grommet and popping out. It also adds an additional layer of protection in the cockpit area for the driver and passenger.

X Bridge Frame Gussets

One area of major interest is in the X bridge chassis bracing. This bracing helps to stiffen the entire coach frame to minimize rail-to-rail flex. This allows the entire chassis to ride in a flat plane so that the coach body can be supported evenly and consistently. This allows the suspension to do the work whenever bumps or dips are encountered. The coach body and frame are held square rather than allowing frame flex to turn the coach body into a parallelogram that eventually loosens up and fatigues the coach bodywork. This ties the frame rails and basement sub-frame structure together and creates a rigid platform to build the coach upon.

Diagonal Basement Framing

In addition to the vertical X bracing, Entegra also utilizes horizontal X bracing to further minimize any flex in the frame from any yaw motions. This extra support can be seen in the above photo taken of the basement floor supports taken early on in the construction process in the weld shop.

Wooden Floor Structure

At the top of the chassis frame rails a steel framing structure is put in place to create a solid platform to mount the floor to. Most class A manufacturers place an Oriented Strand Board (OSB) floor over the steel frame structure to serve as their flooring. Entegra takes it a step farther in that a 5/8" exterior plywood floor is placed over a 2x4 wood truss floor riser structure, which is placed directly on top of the steel subframe weldment. This affords a number of benefits. First of all, it deadens sound because wood acts as a damper to absorb any road vibrations or noise rather than resonate them through the steel subframe work directly into an OSB or plywood floor. Secondly, it provides additional space for insulation. The Entegra Coach floor utilizes fiberglass and Flexfoil insulation to achieve an astounding R-33 value, which is unheard of in the class A industry. This not only provides additional insulation against heat transfer but also helps deaden sound and keeps the coach interior nice and quiet.

Most motorhomes that use the Aqua Hot hydronic heating system have two heating zones. Entegra also includes a third hydronic heating zone and places that zone into the floor area. In the photo above you can see that red hydronic heating tubing is beginning to be installed into a floor assembly for an Entegra Coach. This will help provide warm floors, which are otherwise hard to obtain in any coach with ceramic tiled flooring.

Slideout Rail Installation

Because the wooden floor adds some additional space not found on typical class A motorhomes, it's possible to utilize that space for other items. The slideout mechanisms are a proprietary design to Entegra Coach. Rather than hang them alongside the frame rails, they are mounted within the wooden flooring support structure. Entegra slideouts are the smoothest acting and quietest I've ever seen and this location does not protrude upon the basement storage space so you will have maximum storage room in the basement. I found that there was 20" of clearance between the bottom of the frame rails and the basement flooring. The dual Magnum true sine wave inverters were mounted on the basement ceiling between the frame rails so maximum use of any available basement space was available for storage.

Front Cap Insulation

Another area commonly overlooked in motorhomes is insulation in the front cap. Entegra completely insulates the front and rear caps to prevent heat penetration or escape. This also contributes to a quieter interior environment.

Sidewall Construction and Insulation

Entegra utilizes the hung sidewall method of construction. Rather than completely prefab a wall panel and then lift it into place, Entegra welds up the aluminum tubing wall framing members in a jig, then applies plywood to the interior surface. The wall is then set onto the flooring and bolted down into place. Reflective waffle barrier Polar Insulation is applied to the interior. Then the cavities, are filled with insulation. While the reflective barrier does play a major role in reducing radiant energy from passing through the wall it is not really considered when determining a wall's R value so it is a benefit that provides significant additional insulation beyond the stated R-16 wall value even though it's not included in the standard R rating method system. The walls of an Entegra Coach are 2-3/4" thick, which is heavier than the typical motorhome wall. This further contributes to reduced sound level and heat gain or loss. This Aluma-Tru superstructure construction places vertical studs on 16" centers with additional supports in key areas.

Sidewall Mounting Detail

Entegra's hung sidewall method of construction allows the wall to be built in place. Normally a finished wall structure is set on top of the RV's floor and then held down by screws from beneath. Entegra's hung wall design allows them to utilizing locking nuts to hold the wall down to the floor. This eliminates the possibility of screws loosening up or stripping out over time.

Two Way Hydraulic Leveling Jacks

HWH jacks are the most popular jacks used in the motorhome industry. While not a bad product, they are single acting jacks. The system uses a hydraulic pump to extend the jacks. When the jacks are retracted, a valve opens and springs pull the jacks back to their stored position. This system works but there are limitations. If the springs break or fatigue it may be difficult to retract them. During cold weather the rate of retraction will be very slow due to the stiffness of the cold oil and reliance upon spring tension to retract them. Also, if you get into soft ground conditions and bury a leveling jack you may need to help unstick it by prying on it. Entegra Coach uses two way hydraulic jacks manufactured by Equalizer Systems. These jacks use hydraulic power to both extend and retract the jacks rather than spring tension. This system will ensure fast and response jack operation in any conditions.

Additional Construction Details

Interior Sidewall and Galley Construction

A bonded interior wall material is used rather than wallpaper over luan. This eliminates the shrinking and wrinkling of wallpaper near the edges of cabinetry or window frames. All cabinetry is made to exacting detail by Amish craftsmen at a facility dedicated to the Entegra line. This cabinet will contain a large slide-out workstation and storage area as well as a Fisher-Paykel single drawer dishwasher.

Pneumatic Door Locks

Sliding pocket doors are placed to provide privacy in the bedroom and bath areas. These doors need to be latched in place to prevent banging around when driving. Sliding wardrobe doors also need to closed so that the latches hold them in place during travel. Entegra eliminates the need to do this manually. Instead, pneumatic door snubbers extend to hold the door in place and prevent movement during travel. These units are automatically engaged whenever the parking brake is released. When the parking brake is applied, all doors are free to slide. In addition, the entry door has a Sure-Seal pneumatic air lock system that pulls the door tighter into the frame whenever the park brake is released. This creates a nice, tight seal against wind noise. When the parking brake is applied, this solenoid releases to relieve pressure on the door latch mechanism and weather seal so that the door can be easily operated with minimal effort.

Roof Truss Construction

Entegra utilizes 4-1/2" arched aluminum roof trusses placed on 16" centers, except where conditions warrant an extra truss or two to support specific loads. The air conditioning output ductwork is run in a pair of insulated ducts running the length of the coach. Fiberglass and Flexfoil insulation combine to give an R-24 value. 3/8" plywood roof decking and high grade fiberglass material complete the roof construction.

Rear Engine Access

The Anthem is powered by a 450 HP 8.9 liter Cummins ISL engine. The side radiator design allows easy access to the engine for routine service needs. Air filters, hydraulic systems, belts are reached via the easy to lift lift-up engine access cover.

Engine Filter Access

The rearmost curbside compartment contains the Diesel Emissions Fluid (DEF) tank, a pair of chassis batteries, the engine's ECM, DEF dosing module, and the air drier and fuel filters. This compartment is designed for easy cleanup when servicing fuel filters.

Sewer Hose Storage

The Anthem is an all-electric coach. The sewer hose is stored in a dedicated storage tube located above the hydraulic leveling system pump.

Water Service Bay

The spacious water service bay houses the power hose reel, water pump, low point drain valves, and holding tank dump valves. A threaded plug is installed in the floor to allow the sewer hose to exit through that access hole or directly out the side. The dump valve assembly can be rotated to either angle. A black tank flush kit is installed as well as a hand-held shower attachment, paper towel dispenser and a second monitoring panel for the holding tanks. This compartment is heated via the Aqua-Hot heating system and is controlled by a separate thermostat zone.

Aqua-Hot Hydronic Heating System

The Anthem is heated by an Aqua-Hot hydronic heating system. Powered by a diesel burner or electric heating element the Aqua-Hot provides unlimited on-demand domestic water heating so that long showers never go cold. It's heating system feeds heat exchangers located through the coach interior and basement area. Two thermostat zones are monitored in the coach interior and a third zone is used to supply heat to the heated floor to prevent the porcelain tile from giving you cold feet. The basement heat is controlled by yet another zone. This system can also derive heat from the engine when driving via it's Motoraide feature. Lastly, an engine preheat switch is also included to preheat the engine coolant prior to cold morning startups. The system is easy to access for any service needs and the power cord reel that supplies the coach's 50 amp service is located right next to the Aqua-Hot.

Exterior Features

Entegra Anthem 42DLQ

The Entegra Anthem has a very attractive exterior. The large one-piece windshield offers an unencumbered view of the road. The slideouts and entry door were flush mounted. This eliminated wind noise and airflow penetration and made for a nice tight fit and quiet ride. An exterior entertainment center consists of a LCD TV and CD/DVD player with speakers contained within a flush mounted enclosure at eye height. Window awnings and a power patio awning and power entry door awning provide shade from the sun or rain. A stainless steel scuff trim at the entry door eliminates scuff marks on the paint from footwear when entering or exiting the coach.

Frontal View

The extra depth of the large one-piece windshield and lowered dash allow the driver to see right down in front of the coach rather than guessing how far away an object is. It also allows the Anthem's mirrors to be located below the line of sight. I found this to be particularly helpful in two areas. For one, there were no blind spots created by mirrors that are located at eye level because the driver's line of sight was over the top of the mirrors, rather than around them. Yet, a slight downward look provided a full view of the road behind. The lower angle also allowed the driver to see the rear tires and center line and fog line on the road as well as the distant area behind the coach. I found this to be a big improvement over eye-level mirrors found on many competitive brands. The Anthem comes equipped with bright Xenon headlamps to illuminate the road during those night driving chores.

Rear View

The rear cap of the Anthem features a formed upper edge which helps to minimize dust on the rear cap and camera lens created by the vacuum formed when driving down the road. LED tail lights provide brighter lighting and longer life than incandescent bulbs. A full width mud flap is covered with a laser cut stainless steel trim piece featuring the Entegra name. The upper half of the roof access ladder is mounted to the cap while the lower half is stored in the basement storage area and can be hung on the upper ladder portion when roof access is needed.

Flush Mount Windows

Entegra installs flush mount windows on their coaches. These windows provide a high end look and streamline the appearance of the coach. They also minimize wind noise common to framed sliding windows and a better seal. The lower awning style sections can be cranked out for natural airflow and can be left open in a light rain without fear of water intrusion. Attractive enclosed window awning are also provided.

Sand and Buff Process

Every Entegra Coach is painted at Precision Painting in nearby Bremen, Indiana. Precision Painting has an excellent reputation for show quality finishes and they take it to the next level for Entegra. After taking the time to sand the primer to glass-like smoothness the basecoats are applied. After the basecoats are applied they are once again sanded up to a 2,000 grit sandpaper to ensure that the perfectly flat smoothness is retained.

An Insignia after Clear Coat Buffing

Most Entegras receive 3 coats of polyurethane clearcoat to achieve a 5-6 mil clearcoat thickness. This clearcoat is then wet sanded with extremely fine sandpaper and then polished and buffed to achieve a glass-like finish with much depth. The top of the line Entegra Cornerstone is also sanded and buffed after 3 coats but then receives 2 additional coats and a second polishing and buffing. These 5 clearcoats yield an awesome depth of finish and extra level of protection. All Entegra finished are baked in a curing oven for maximum durability.

Interior

Main Living Area - Rearward View

The Entegra Anthem features Flexsteel furniture. The ceiling contains output ducts for the air conditioning and a decorative mirrored structure with hardwood trim and lighting which also serves as a diffuser and silencer for the air conditioners' intake air. A mid-coach hutch contains a 40" LCD TV as well as room for the surround sound system DVD player, satellite receiver, and any other entertainment system components. An electric fireplace finishes the hutch and provides warmth and ambience.

Main Living Area - Forward View

In addition to the 40" mid-coach LCD TV, a 26" LCD is also placed in the front overhead to ensure that comfortable viewing can be had at any location in the coach. The captain's chairs can be rotated to face the interior and provide additional seating space for entertaining. The passenger side couch can be replaced with an optional computer desk and recliner if desired.

Galley Area - 42DL Floorplan

Entegra galley layouts vary from floorplan to floorplan but every galley area will have hardwood cabinets and Corian solid surface countertops. High end appliances and Price-Pfister faucets are used. The Fisher-Paykel dishwasher is trimmed with a custom made panel.

Refrigerator

A Whirlpool stainless steel residential refrigerator is installed. This 21 cu ft unit features an an-door ice dispenser and filtered water dispenser. The unit is powered through one of the two Magnum 2800 watt true sine wave inverters in the coach, which are in turn fed by 8 AGM coach batteries so power can be provided at all times when shore power is not available and the Onan 12,500 watt generator is not running. Should the battery bank be depleted an Onan EC-30 automatic generator start (AGS) module will start the generator to recharge the batteries. However, past experience has shown that the refrigerator's power consumption is minimal and it's not the energy hog prospective buyers might think it is.

Typical Dinette Area

The most popular dinette layout is this legless table with comfortable bench seating that wrap around into the driver side couch. Large slide-out drawers are placed beneath the benches for additional storage.

Bedroom TV and Dresser
(Move Mouse over Image to Open TV)

The bedroom features a Corian topped dresser. The overhead cabinetry houses the 26" LCD TV, which is hinged to allow access to the DVD/Surround Sound system, Satellite Receiver, and any other entertainment system electronics. This leaves the other cabinetry available for useful storage. This image also shows part of the full width rear wardrobe, which is lined with aromatic cedar and includes an upper shelf. Move the mouse over the image to view the cabinet with the TV in the open position.

King Bed

A Select Comfort king sized bed is trimmed with custom shams and flanked by Corian topped nightstands. Overhead cabinetry and Amish handcrafted mirrored headboard are placed between windows that provide flow-through ventilation. Pocket doors can be closed for privacy and a multiplexed lighting control panel can control set the various pre-programmed lighting scenes.

Bathroom Vanity

This particular floorplan features a dual sink vanity with lighter accent colored trim. All fixtures are Price-Pfister and the circular shower surround encloses the ceramic tiled shower.

Stackable Washer and Dryer

A Splendide-Arriston stackable front loading washer and dryer ensemble are placed behind louvered doors.

Cockpit Area

The cockpit area places everything at the driver's fingertips. The Spartan instrumentation and information center are placed in a burl wood dash inlay. The transmission selector and parking brake control are placed in the dash, to the driver's right. Various switches are placed in the driver's left side console while the center console holds the rear backup and side camera monitor, the radio/CD/DVD/GPS Navigation system, and a compass-outside temperature display. Dash heat and air conditioning controls, Onan generator controls, and a pair of 12 volt power outlets complete the center cluster. The VIP Smartwheel contains ICC and headlamp flash buttons, as well as cruise control and windshield wiper/washer controls.

Woodworking Details

The woodworking craftsmanship is top of the line at Entegra. All Entegra woodworking is built at a dedicated facility by skilled Amish craftsmen. A great deal of handwork is put into every Entegra cabinet and door. The following images were taken while touring this facility and illustrate the painstaking steps taken to produce top level cabinetry. The woodworking style is best described as elegant, but not over the top with the bordello style styling that is seen in many high end coaches.

Pre-Staining the Edges

Raised panels are used in cabinet doors as well as privacy pocket doors. One issue common to raised panel doors is shrinkage when in a dry environment. This can allow them to rattle when in a moving vehicle and also exposes a small light edge where the stain was not applied. To eliminate these potential problems Entegra pre-stains the edges of every raised panel so that shrinkage will never expose an unfinished area. They further use a series of nylon beads and place them into the styles and rails where the raised panels slot into. These beads compress when the door is assembled and will expand whenever the panel shrinks in dry climates and recompress whenever the panel expands when in a moist environment. This eliminates and rattling from loose panels and is just one of many fine details incorporated into Entegra cabinetry.

Hand Sanding the Woodwork

Entegra woodwork is a culmination of many hours of detail work. At this station woodwork is hand sanded to provide a flawless surface prior to staining.

Valance Assembly

At this station various components are assembled. This image shows window valances being hand fit and assembled prior to staining.

Hand Rubbing the Finish

These cabinet doors have been stained and are now in the process of being hand rubbed to ensure even coloring throughout. Beads of gel stain are also placed accent grooves to help set off the main area with a dark outline. After the doors have been properly stained they will be sprayed with a clear polyurethane finish.

Door on Spray Rack

After the doors or other woodwork is stained it is placed in racks or holding fixtures so that the clear topcoat finish can be sprayed.

Sample of Detail Work in Trim

This example of a woodwork trim piece showcases the talent and level of detail exhibited by these Amish craftsmen that is used in Entegra Coaches.

Ready To Ship

This stack of cabinet doors is placed on a pallet to send over to the Entegra assembly plant. Each layer is packed between layers of foam padding to protect them from damage.

Summary

Entegra is committed to taking the extra steps necessary to sweat the details. Already a proven design, Entegra has upgraded a number of features and process to further improve the product. Many of these details are hidden beneath the glitz and glamour and may not be seen when comparing to other brands of motorhomes. Yet, Entegra's beauty is more than skin deep. It begins with the basic frame structure and never stops until the last piece of trim is fastened into place. Quality components are used throughout. Every unit receives a PDI prior to shipment by an inspection group that is independent of production goals and provides a great checks and balances system to ensure that everything is done correctly and not under pressure of "getting it out the door". Entegra feels strongly enough about their product to offer a two year bumper to bumper warranty, which is not the norm in the class A motorhome industry.

The true proof is in the drive. Driving the Entegra is a real treat. It's honestly the quietest and best riding coach I've ever driven. The X bridge construction and other tweaks make for a very stiff chassis that supports the coach superstructure solidly, yet it glides down the road effortlessly, allowing the suspension to do the work, which is the way it should be. The combination of insulation, flush mounted windows, thicker walls, and a host of minor details all add up to easily provide the quietest ride of any coach. both wind and road noise are greatly reduced. I'd recommend that anyone interested should take an Entegra Coach out for a test drive to see and feel the difference firsthand.