We purchased a new 1998 Rialta last May. After an initial flood of problems we were finally able to get everything fixed, and we couldn’t be happier with it. The RV rental is billed as a vacation vehicle, and it suits our purposes perfectly. We seldom stay on the road for more than a couple of weeks, so our family of three is not quite stressed out by the lack of space by the time the vacation is over.
Last summer we did a 7,000 mile tour of the US, just to see where we wanted to go back to, and the Rialta performed wonderfully on some of the “don’t you DARE take a truck on THIS road” roads in the Tetons, climbed the Rockies easily, and cruised RT 1 with class and plumb. The only problem we have had the involved the chassis (VW) was a bit of a pickle, however. The Rialta wouldn’t fit in the VW dealership’s shop. We do find the VR6 engine smooth and reliable, and we got a little over 17 mpg on that long trip. My wife who at times thinks if anyone is in front of her, they shouldn’t be, was able to navigate Wyoming at +100 MPH, until I woke up and fainted. We bought the Rialta over the Internet from Mobility RV in upstate Iowa, saving $13,000 off list. However, they did an abismal job of prep on it. I guess you get what you pay for.
