2017 Entegra Anthem 44B
An In-Depth Review of the Anthem by Entegra Coach
Article Date: October, 2016
Article and Photography by Mark Quasius
Entegra Coach has made a number of improvements to its ever popular Anthem motorhome. The Anthem has always been a
good blend of features and amenities within a reasonable price point for an upscale coach that offers tremendous bang for the buck. 2017 in
particular brought a number of changes as part of Entegra Coach's commitment to continual improvement. But the many new features don't take
away from the fact that an Entegra Coach has always lived up to their claim of being "The Quietest Riding, Best Handling Coach
on the Market.
Period". I recently spent a day with a 2017 Anthem and documented this year's changes and upgrades.
44B Floorplan
The Anthem I tested was the popular 44B, one of 5 available floorplans and is a 45' quad slide coach. Entegra doesn't
care for full wall slides and would rather stress structural integrity but the 44B gives the look of a full wall slide floorplan without
sacrificing the strength and support of a quad slide floorplan. This particular coach was finished in the Gold Ribbon paint scheme. The Anthem is
built on Spartan's K2-450 chassis and is powered by a 450 HP Cummins ISL9 engine that
puts out 1,250 ft-lbs of torque. The chassis is a side radiator design that is rated at 49,000 lbs. GVWR and 64,000 GCWR.
As good as the Spartan chassis is, Entegra kicks that up a notch with a number of custom chassis tweaks that make this
coach a real joy to drive, such as additional X bracing that further stiffens the frame and provides a solid surface to mount the coach on. The
end result is a chassis that doesn't flex and a superstructure that will not twist and loosen up over time. Michelin 315/85R22.5 Load Range L
XZA2 series tires easily handle the front axle weight while 295/85 tires are fitted to the rear and tag axles. The stated cargo carrying capacity (CCC)
of this coach is 9,369 lbs. The unloaded vehicle weight is 39,631 lbs. with full fuel. This is an all-electric
coach so no propane tank is required
but if you add in 830 lbs. for a full fresh water tank you can easily carry in excess of 8,500 lbs. if you could find a way to stuff that much cargo
into the coach. The 17,000 lb. rated front axle has in excess of 1,000 lbs. capacity when unloaded and fueled up so steer axle overweight issues will
not be a concern with this coach.
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The Cummins ISL9 diesel engine is easily accessed via a power engine cover lift at the rear of the coach.
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The chassis batteries, air dryer, primary fuel filter, fuses, battery disconnect and DEF tank are all located in an easy-to-access
curbside compartment at the rear of the coach
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The coach is designed for easy access to the engine and related components. A Spartan service center contains all of
the service items in a dedicated compartment. For those items that need to be directly accessed at the engine, a power lift access cover raised to
expose the various dipsticks and filler tubes for engine oil and
transmission fluid as well as easy access to the hydraulic filter and any drive
belts.
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2017 debuted a new battery bank system. The 6 volt AGM batteries formerly up front have been replaced by four large L16 AGM batteries
that are now relocated to an area mid-coach. The wall that covers them is now equipped
with a complete set of battery disconnect switches
so that every system in the coach can be easily disconnected if need be for extended storage or service work.
This also helps to reduce weight on the front axle and transfer it to the rear of the coach, where there is plenty of excess capacity.
The batteries are close to the power distribution systems which also helps minimize voltage drop over extended lines.
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The fuse blocks used to power cockpit accessories in previous years have now been replaced by a Firefly Systems G6
multiplex controller. Circuit breakers now supply power to these systems and greatly clean up this compartment, which is located on the driver's
side of the coach at the very front.
Radar sensors such as these are located in various positions on the side of the coach to warn drivers of close proximity objects.
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Proximity signals appear in the side mirrors whenever an object is close to side of the coach.
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Rotary compartment latches replace the previous plunger style in 2017.
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The Sanicon Turbo hose is now in a remodeled compartment.
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The 2017 Anthem is equipped with the En-telligent Blind Spot Monitoring system. This system uses radar modules
mounted on the front and sides of the coach to detect objects in close proximity to the coach. This eliminates blind spots by flashing a
warning light on the dash as well as in the appropriate side mirror to warn the driver of the nearby object.
Entegra has also replaced the plunger style latches in the basement compartment doors with automotive style
rotary latches. The storage compartment for the Sanicon Turbo macerator hose has also been relocated to a lower position and fabricated with
fiberglass rather than sheet metal.
The utility bay contains controls for the remote dump valves, Sanicon Turbo macerator and fresh tank fill.
A soap dispenser and paper towel holder are standard as is a power rewind hose reel, full house water filtration system and black tank flush
connection. A quick-release panel gains access to a bypass valve for those times when you would rather use the 3" slinky type dump hose
rather than the macerator.
Immediately nest to the utility bay is the compartment that holds the
Aqua Hot 450D hydronic heating system. This
system uses diesel fuel or 120 volt AC power to heat the boiler to provide heating for the coach interior, domestic hot water heating and the
hydronic heating loop that heats the tile floor. This compartment also contains the power cord reel for the 50 amp shore power service. The
previous automatic transfer switch is now replaced in 2017 by the TRC 40350-RVC. This transfer
switch has full surge protection as well as both
low and high voltage protection for the coach's electrical systems so there is no need to add a supplementary surge protector to this coach.
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A Dometic freezer/refrigerator is located in the front-most curbside basement compartment for easy access from the patio area.
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A pair of cargo slide trays can be found in the two large pass-through basement storage areas to allow easy access to your cargo
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a 40" Smart LED TV is placed in a weatherproof exterior
compartment in the patio area. S JB Lansing sound system is also
incorporated into this exterior entertainment center.
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Dual pane frameless windows are used throughout the coach for a sleek appearance.
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