Mother Nature conspired to prevent a test drive I had planned on a recent winter afternoon. With mudslides closing roads to the west, avalanches promising to do the same to the roads going east and a record-breaking snowfall predicted up north, the only option left was a construction-laced run south down the Interstate in the pouring rain. A less than preferred road trip for the average motorhome under normal circumstances, but as it turned out, the 2009 Cheetah isn’t your average motorhome.
Our test unit was the new 42PAQ, a quad-slide coach with a bath and a half and tag axle. Cheetah is available in three floorplans
for 2009, two of them brand new designs (40PBQ and 42PAQ).
The lone carryover floorplan is the 40SKQ.
The first thing immediately apparent upon driving the ’09 Cheetah is that it knows how to handle the road. Built on the Roadmaster Raised Rail Chassis RR8R and powered by a Caterpillar® engine (C7 350 for 40-foot lengths; C9 400 for the 42 footer) with
Allison® 3000 MH 6-speed transmission, the Cheetah easily managed the challenging one-lane construction bridges, sloping rain-soaked curves and steep mountain grades. A one-piece panoramic windshield helps offer an unobstructed view of the road ahead and a six-quart windshield washer tank with a low level indicator on the dash keeps road spray under control.
“There are eight (outboard-mounted) airbags in the 40-foot lengths and ten in the 42-foot floorplan,” explained Shannon Thatcher, Safari national sales manager. He went on to say that the addition of the tag axle on the 42-foot Cheetah, “makes [this coach] the least expensive tag axle coach in the industry.”
Not only is its ride and handling efficient, but Cheetah also provides a great deal of luxury comfort as well. The cockpit of the 2009 Cheetah is handsomely constructed with Ultra-Leather pilot and copilot seats, a new automotive dash design with easily accessible switches, upgraded gauges and a new in-dash AM/FM/CD stereo radio with Sirius-ready compatibility, iPod® control and weather band. There are also a lot of extras that come standard in the cockpit, including a rear vision system with audio and adjustable camera, adjustable brake and accelerator pedals, automatic hydraulic leveling, audible turn signals, carpet floor mats, new in-dash driver’s message center, and a new attractive lower-center dash cabinet.
A notable addition to the cockpit this year that is sure to make some waves is a new instrumentation system called Medallion. Along with the analog-style gauges, Medallion features an integrated light bar. All indicator lights are located on this light bar and that makes it much easier for the pilot and co-pilot to observe the status of assorted systems while driving down the road. The Medallion system also includes audible alarms, which alert the driver to a variety of circumstances, including turn signal activation, engine and air pressure warnings, park brake status and whether the headlights are still on after the ignition is turned off. Another notable function of the Medallion system is a digital display screen that allows the operator to monitor a long list of features, including outdoor temperatures, engine diagnostics, trip overview, chassis battery voltage and fuel performance.
“With the Medallion, owners have a great automotive feature in the cockpit, plus you’ve got more light to see by,” Thatcher said. “And the digital display is very user-friendly.”
High standards define the front living space of the 2009 Cheetah. A 32-inch (40PBQ and 42PAQ) or 37-inch (40SKQ) flatscreen LCD TV comes standard and there are also exterior hookups for DSS Dish and cable. The living area also includes a home theater system and cube speakers mounted tastefully into the ceiling. Designer carpeting comes standard, but you can opt to make the living room floor full tile.
“The full tile option is a hot item right now,” Thatcher said. “You can throw rugs down on tile, it’s easier to clean and has a fresh look.”
In addition to the living room tile option, all the cabinetry is hardwood throughout the coach, according to Thatcher.
Furniture selections include easy sofa beds in fabric or Ultra-Leather on both sides of the room, or in select floorplans, a sofa on one side and a wrap-around computer desk with a Euro-Recliner on the other side.
Polished radius solid surface counters and backsplash with tile inlay gives the galley area an elegant feel. A large four-door refrigerator with icemaker comes standard, along with the Sharp® microwave/convection oven, or you can opt to add an oven with a three-burner range. Solid surface covers for the cooktop and stainless steel sink are removable and can be neatly stowed away under the counter in custom-designed racks. A free-standing dinette with two free-standing chairs is positioned next to a full-length wall cabinet, and two extra folding chairs are stowed nicely away under the bed.
The hallway monitor panel—what many consider to be the brains of the RV—is nicely mounted in the hallway and positioned at eye level for easy reference.
The half-bath in our test unit sits aft of the galley, with the full-size bathroom located at the rear of the coach. The water heater holds ten gallons and holding tank capacities for the 2009 Cheetah are 100 gallons freshwater, 40 gallons black, and 60 gallons gray. In the 42-foot floorplan, the waste tanks provide a couple more gallons of holding capacity. The shower is roomy and provides a shut-off valve on the showerhead as well as a newly-styled faucet. There is plenty of room for hanging towels on attractive bars and rings.
A queen-size bed comes standard in the bedroom, but you can opt to make that bed king-size in select floorplans. A decorative headboard with fabric inserts is featured at the head of the bed and nightstands wrap around each side. If you opt to add a Select Comfort Sleep Number mattress, custom-made racks are mounted on the wall to hold the mattress remotes. There’s plenty of room for bedroom storage with an oversized wardrobe closet, deep dresser drawers and cabinets over the bed. In this particular unit, a 20-inch LCD TV is attractively mounted in the bedroom, and the new optional DVD player is neatly tucked away in a custom-designed cabinet.
Available options also include a combination washer/dryer, central vacuuming system, KVH In-Motion Satellite and an exterior entertainment center with a 26-inch LCD TV/AM/FM/CD and speakers.
One of the big changes in this model include the new front and rear molded fiberglass cap designs. “We’ve renovated and sharpened the look of the caps,” Thatcher said. “We’ve also added a seamless one-piece molded fiberglass roof.”
In addition to shiny new caps and a one-piece roof, the 2009 Cheetah comes with deluxe full-body paint, eye-catching four-color exterior graphics and polished aluminum wheels. Additional exterior features offered standard include the 3M film front mask, rear roof ladder, and undercoating.
Exterior cargo bays are side-hinged instead of top-hinged, which creates a larger entry/exit opening for superior accessibility. The 2000-watt Magnum Inverter is easy to access and the four deep-cycle house and two heavy duty chassis batteries are stored together on a new slideout battery tray. A sealed metal box contains the chassis electrical department inside and battery cut-off switches are positioned on the outside of the box.
Other exterior features include the an aluminum rear-mounted radiator, along with an engine block heater. Coolant bottles and dipsticks are easy to reach, as are the air and fuel filters. Tow hitch rating is 10,000 pounds and an attractive full-length mud flap is offered as a standard feature. Fuel tank capacity is 100 gallons, and the 2009 Cheetah offers dual fuel fill.
The front run box is neatly organized with easy to reference labeling. A 160-amp alternator comes standard. The shore cord rating is 50 amps and an on-board energy management system will help to monitor the loads. “There’s also a generator tray that slides out for better access,” Thatcher said. Generator size is a choice between the Onan® 8.0kW (40PBQ and 40SKQ) and 10.0kW (42PAQ).
With the ability to combine function with affluence, on top of all the extra touches that make the 2009 Cheetah a luxury motorhome, I think it’s safe to say that this latest model in the Safari line is going to be the talk of the town.
Shelly Curtin is a Pacific Northwest-based writer. She has contributed numerous features for Safari Adventures, from product reviews to RV lifestyle topics.
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