2012 Entegra Anthem - Road Test and Review
Raising The Proverbial Bar on the Class-A Motorhome
Article Date: September, 2011
Article and Photography by Mark Quasius
Better Storage
The large pass through basement storage is accessed by side-hinged doors and a generous 20-inch height clearance
was found between the bottom of the frame rails and the basement floor. Details like the slide-out cargo tray provides ease of access
to cargo. Power patio and entrance door awnings are standard equipment. One notable feature was the lack of any seams or joints where
the front cap was attached to the side walls. The front and rear caps were molded to the body to provide an attractive one-piece look
and smoother airflow, resulting in less wind noise. LED tail lights, a vertical lift engine access cover, and recessed rear camera
finished off the rear cap.
Notable Features
The Anthem features flush mount windows. There are no frames to create additional wind noise or sliding windows
to leak or rattle. The bottom awning window portions can be cranked out to allow airflow even in a light rain. All slide-outs as well
as the entry door are flush mounted. We found the entry door very easy to open while still remaining tightly sealed when driving. This
is due to a pneumatic door latch system that pulls the door tight whenever the parking brake is released.
Plus, beneath the wide power awning is a built-in entertainment center with its own 32-inch LCD TV plus a
DVD-based entertainment system and speakers. An optional freezer on a slide-out tray is optional.
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An outside entertainment center provides TV Viewing in the patio area.
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Flush mounted frameless windows provide a smooth
appearance and minimize wind noise when driving.
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The Utilities
The Anthem is equipped with a 100-gallon fresh water tank, a 60-gallon gray water tank and a 60-gallon black
water tank. For 2012, the Anthem is equipped with a full house water filtration system. A power hose reel is provided to connect to
the campground water spigot. The 50-amp electrical service is fed by a power cord reel, or a 12,500-watt Onan Quiet Diesel generator,
which is located on a slide-out tray in the front cap.
An Onan EC-30 Automatic Generator Start system can be energized to autostart the generator whenever shore power
is not available and battery voltage is below a certain threshold, or the thermostat is calling for air conditioning. A bank of eight
AGM batteries supplies 12-volt electrical power. Dual Magnum 2800-watt Pure Sine Wave inverters provide AC power for many accessories
whenever shore power is not available or the generator is not running.
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An Aqua Hot heating system performs dual duty. It utilizes a diesel burner or 120-volt power to provide
hydronic heat to heat exchangers in two interior zones, as well as, a basement zone to provide heat for the holding tanks and
plumbing. Another zone controls the in-floor heating loop to eliminate cold floors on the polished ceramic tile flooring. Its
second function is to provide unlimited domestic hot water so that your shower never runs cold.
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The Aqua Hot hydronic heating system also provides unlimited domestic hot water.
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All the AC needs were met by three 15,000-BTU rooftop units with heat pumps. The units are ducted and feed a
series of louvers in the ceiling that tap into the ductwork plenum. The AC return air in the main living area was fed through a
mirrored and hardwood trimmed intake duct to provide quiet airflow when running.
Lighting throughout the coach was controlled by multiplex lighting controllers. You can create specific scenes
to your own taste and save them to allow instant recall from various locations within the coach.
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