It’s RV show season in a big way and I am getting a flood of press releases. So much innovation and revolutionary design. And so much hogwash. There are some of these that I think have value and I’ll share them with you with my own commentary, and some where I’ll do a full review.
It’s pretty rare that I get someone’s press information and stop and have to show my wife. But that’s just what happened with the American Coach American Eagle 45E which debuted at the Florida RV SuperShow in Tampa. When I saw the interior shots I was really taken aback, again with the understanding that interior design is subjective.
But, seriously. Wow.
Perhaps what really got me is the detailing in the ceiling fixtures. I’ve seen this kind of attention to detail before, but somehow this really grabbed me.
New features in the American Eagle 45E
The 45E is a Class A diesel ultra-luxury motor coach with a new floorplan, new kitchen design with a center island, and an abundance of amenities that travelers will appreciate. The 45E was specifically designed to deliver a home-like entertaining experience.
American Coach is a luxury RV brand within REV Recreation Group, Inc., a subsidiary of REV Group, Inc.
The stand-out attraction of the American Eagle 45E is its reconfigured kitchen. Like a residential layout, the galley features a center island that houses an induction cooktop and wine chiller. It’s the perfect spot for cocktails and appetizers. Across from the gorgeous Cambria quartz-topped island is a convenient bar-style dinette. Above the dinette is a picture window that delivers natural light and an expansive view of the outdoors. The opposite side of the spacious room has a high-end sink, dishwasher that comes standard, and full-sized French-door stainless steel refrigerator.
“Everyone gathers in the kitchen, so we wanted to create a space that makes entertaining easy and comfortable,” said Doug Miller, product manager for REV Recreation Group’s Class A products. “A center island is one of the most-requested kitchen elements so we know this model will generate a lot of interest, and we’re excited to unveil it at the SuperShow.”
Sought-after elements in the American Eagle 45E
Due to its length, the 45E delivers two other sought-after elements: 1 1⁄2 baths and an expansive master suite that’s nearly one-third of the coach. The master includes a private water closet, his and her vanities, a large floor-to-ceiling tiled shower, considerable wardrobe storage, and a new washer/dryer configuration. Instead of being stacked, the appliances have been raised to arm’s height and are alongside each other. The repositioning of the units delivers additional dresser storage in the master.
Interestingly, the mid-bath dissects the floor plan so the master bedroom is completely separated from the main living space. On the living room side is a hinged door, whereas the bedroom side of this space features a pocket door. The sink is on the camp side, the toilet on the road side.
At the front of the coach, the living room has an opposing seating layout. The room boasts an oversized power motion lounge that is positioned across from the 4K Televator LED TV and a full-size sleeper sofa. By swiveling the front captain seats around, the space has ample room for a party of eight.
Opposite the kitchen island is a desk-like breakfast bar. I could see this doubling as a desk to write RV reviews, or whatever you use a desk for.
The American Eagle 45E is finished with the finest materials and appointments
The floor throughout is polished porcelain. The cabinetry is solid wood and comes with soft close doors and drawers, and the countertops are Cambria quartz. The furniture is custom made using Ultraleather Fabrics, all the interior lighting has been synched to eliminate yellow tones and deliver uniform brightness, and an Aqua-Hot 600D tankless water heater provides instant hot water.
American Eagle offers owners a plethora of choices to customize the motor coach. These include five exterior swishy swirl paint designs (Cannon Beach Blue, Coastal Retreat, Napa Valley, Split Rock Grey and special-order Key West), three stylish and refined décor packages (Channel Island, Independence, and Sleepy Hollow), and four hardwood options (American Black Walnut, Chill-Out Seal, Cool Ashes, and Mindful Gray).
To help owners make their interior design choices, the American Coach website now features an interactive design tool. Users can toggle between décor packages and cabinetry options to see how the selections look together in the living and bedroom areas.
What’s not to like…
While I like the interior and appointments on this coach, and that makes sense since the thing costs almost a million bucks, there are definitely things that frustrate me. For example, the company talks about their cameras on their website as well as an escape door in the bedroom. But those are just line items—no details. Yet, if you want to know more about swishy swirl paint jobs, this is the place to be.
These are the kinds of details that would earn my business and satisfy my curiosity. Although I am the first to admit that the interior photos did get me to stop scrolling. However, I didn’t do a chart because of the lack of information available. Come on, for a cool mil give me something because, as readers know, I’m no giant fan of the graphics on the outside.
Big engine but hefty price
The American Eagle is the flagship of American Coach motorhomes. The new American Eagle 45E has a MSRP starting at $940,000. Power comes from the Cummins X15 diesel engine shifting through an Allison 4,000-Series six-speed automatic.
*****
I would love to read your comments and suggestions over on our new forums, where you can weigh in and start or join a discussion about all things RV. Here’s a link to my RV Reviews Forum.
Tony comes to RVtravel.com having worked at an RV dealership and been a life long RV enthusiast. He also has written the syndicated Curbside column about cars. You can find his writing here and at StressLessCamping where he also has a podcast about the RV life with his wife.
These RV reviews are written based on information provided by the manufacturers along with our writer’s own research. We receive no money or other financial benefits from these reviews. They are intended only as a brief overview of the vehicle, not a comprehensive critique, which would require a thorough inspection and/or test drive.
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Looks like a hospital break room.
So, how many miles per gallon ?
We bought a new London Aire 2018 it was still in the finish out stages and we’ were able to reverse the exterior paint colors because the top color was black and that made it black across the front and I didn’t like it being so dark. So the primary color on ours is a cream. I’m not crazy about this color at all. Now I do like the sleek look of the inside , cabinets, but no way to that silly island, that’s a joke, and the work table is a joke. We have a booth so the chairs don’t go flying, been there.
Our 1/2 bath is very tiny, I like the sink and toilet separate. I can’t see the full bath or the front in the pictures. I’m so glad they aren’t putting carpet in them anymore. With 3 large dogs that’s no fun. But our porcelain floor does get slippery. Overall it’s ok. Not my choice if we were in the market for a million dollar fiberglass RV. I would rather buy a used Prevost for that money.
We like our chairs. They’ve never gone flying. Two front opposite legs slot into a 3 in high ‘holder’ on the floor (table is next to large picture window). The other 2 front legs we use a fly fishing rod Velcro tie. Works perfect.
We had table and chairs, in our first two motor homes. We like the booth as it gives you more seating and storage. Our chairs were so tiny in the Monoco Dynasty and never used them, I guess we didn’t Velcro them down properly? Now our recliners are not bolted down and they do move about while driving, we turn them sideways and bungee cord them. Maybe Its my husbands driving?? Hahaha
You have to click on the floorplan picture – it opens a new full-sized picture so you can see the whole coach!
From the floorplan view, it appears that with the slides closed it would be hard, if not impossible, to get to the bathroom due to that center island blocking what would normally be the open isle. As an experienced RVer and reviewer, I would think that should pop out to Tony and be checked out and/or mentioned as a possible negative.
Frankly, I don’t put much stock in RV reviews based on the manufacturer’s literature alone. I used to like the old Motorhome Magazine reviews where the RV was actually put to the test in a hands-on trip where pros and cons from actual use provided real value insight.
An island in a Class A!!! I’m in heaven. And then brought back to earth. Never going to afford it. And way too big. Hopefully this means it will be coming out in smaller, affordable models.
What’s the front axle weight capacity rating and what is the REAL WEIGHT on that front steering axle?
Could be not saying it is a tire blowout waiting to happen.
This model looks like the only place to eat is that teeny weeny table and two chairs. Not only are you never going to have guests for dinner, just trying to eat for me and wifey looks problematic. And of course, the space for the washer and dryer would be great storage. So, someday when we go on that TV show “Your Lottery Dream RV” (oh, that’s Dream Home. Sorry), I might look at something like this. I’ll bet the fuel mileage on this 600+ hp coach makes my Ford F-350 look like a mileage-master . . .
The model “K” is more to our liking. I think it’s fun to look at stuff like this, even if it DOES make our Arctic Fox look and feel like the bowery.
Sorry, I normally read your entire article but in cases like this it’s senseless to waste my time reading about something this expensive. I wouldn’t buy this or any other hi-priced RV if I were a multimillionaire. So no need looking at something I don’t consider feasible.
Wow. That living room and kitchen are jaw dropping. But the sofa arm looks like it interferes with walking space to the sink area of the kitchen. And the split half bath makes it seem like you walk into the bed to get to the bedroom. It looks awkward.
Personally, I love the coaches that you can view front to rear or pull the door closed for privacy. But they didn’t ask me and I’m out of funds to be able to swing that purchase price!