Two years ago I had the privilege of doing the first test article for the newly introduced Holiday Rambler Scepter. Today, I can report that the 2003 Scepter fulfills its mission better than ever. Scepter brings high-end diesel performance and luxury into a lower price range, to bridge what once was a big gap between Holiday Rambler’s very popular Endeavor diesel and its luxury Imperial line.

Yes, the price has edged up a bit, but inflation isn’t the culprit. It’s more what I think of as value-creep—the tendency for manufacturers to keep pushing upward the luxury, features and performance in each model line every year.

For instance, the 2003 Scepter got a big power boost with the now standard Cummins 350, and every coach is equipped with automatic traction control. There are plenty of other upgrades from last year, some of which are highlighted here. (See sidebar.)

Construction is still a hybrid—a raised rail chassis with aluminum coach-body framing that saves better than a ton of weight. The seamless transition from sidewall to roof is still and exclusive in Scepter’s class.

Drivers first.

The coach I tested was a 38PST. This triple slideout model is a nice couples coach and a great party coach. I’ll explain why presently, but, putting first things first, let’s start with the entrance.

There are now five steps in your ascent to the Scepter’s cab—two outside and three in the stepwell, which has a pneumatically retracting cover for the copilot’s safety and convenience. There is a storage compartment—great for oft-needed tools—under one of the steps.

The cab has the standard, supremely ergonomic Holiday Rambler layout, with six-way power driver’s seat, telescoping, tilt steering column, Smartwheel steering wheel with all the light, wiper, cruise and horn controls on the spokes, and brake and accelerator pedals that adjust at the flip of a switch to the length of your legs.

However, I was particularly impressed with some of the options this coach had that focus on the convenience and comfort of the passenger. Specifically, the optional extra-wide passenger seat had six-way power and a power footrest. (Both seats were optional leather.) These are great features when you are traveling a long way. So is the fact that you have a 12-volt outlet under the dash for the navigator’s laptop computer. There’s a phone jack under there, too, so this is the ideal computer station when you are parked, as well. Either way, being able to kick back with your feet up is a nice way to operate a laptop.

Three slideouts mean room to live.

If you take your first look at the 38PST on a dealer’s lot, I hope he has the slideouts set up, because your first impression on stepping into the salon of this coach is breathtaking. It’s beautiful, and, boy, is it big!

There are sofas on either side. The room has enough open space to hold formal dances. The total seating capacity, for entertainment purposes, not travel, is 12, counting the cab seats and the four free-standing dinette chairs. But more to the point, a party this size could mill about in comfort, without tripping over one another (or the slideout floors, which are flush on both sides) and without crowding the cook.

If you are looking to entertain and impress all those people, the Scepter is the right coach. Scepter’s interior is a marvel of understated elegance. The natural cherry woodwork has a medium-light stain with rectangular raised-panel fronts and crown moldings above the slideout surrounds. Counters are polished solid-surface material. Lighting choices include recessed dimmed lighting under the cabinets.

My coach had all the options for entertaining that crowd, as well. Standard audio equipment is a great Sony AM/FM/CD system with six speakers, but my rig also had a five-disc DVD system with home theater sound. The standard cab TV is now a 25-inch model, up from 19 inches. There’s also a VCR, for those who, like me, are still in the video dark ages.

Cooking and dining are a pleasure in the Scepter. As I noted, the floorplan of the 38PST leaves plenty of room to operate in the kitchen. All the luxuries were there, including a chrome-front convection-microwave (which eliminates the need for a regular oven for most people, saving a great amount of space for storage) and the optional four-door Norcold refrigerator.

Cabinet space is ample. There are two very large lower cabinets without shelves. They’re nice for larger cooking utensils and appliances; you might want to put some coated wire racks in here to create shelving. The sink-and-a-half is installed at an angle to maximize counter space and comes with a Moen integral faucet-sprayer.

Across the way is the dinette. Standard production includes the optional legless, pull-out dinette table. This is a great solution for what is normally a tight area. It comes with two nicely upholstered chairs plus two similarly upholstered folding chairs. The kitchen floor has genuine ceramic tile, as does the bath.

More room just for the two of you.

The bed and bath area is beautifully designed to accommodate two people. (This should seem like a no-brainer, but in many coaches, this area is only comfortable for two people if at least one of them is still in bed.) The area seals off with raised-panel pocket doors fore and aft. However this is not an open walkthrough bath. The toilet is private, and well-appointed with a china toilet, spacious solid-surface counter with molded-in sink, a double-door medicine cabinet and plenty of storage, including an open, shelved area under the counter.

The shower is opposite, and has a large skylight, and a seat. You can order a tub.

There is even more bathroom in the bedroom—to wit, an angled sink with a large counter and two angled medicine cabinets with mirrors, so you can see yourself from two angles at once. The convenience of being able to get ready in the morning simultaneously is a boon in my household.

The bedroom area is where this motorhome begins to look like not only a party coach, but a great coach for long-distance, long-term travel.

It’s a slideout bedroom, of course, which leaves plenty of room to move around and plenty of storage. A nine-drawer dresser with a solid-surface top sits opposite the foot of the bed, with recessed dimmer lights above it. There is a large shelved cabinet under the TV, although you lose it if you opt for the washer-dryer. That’s no problem, though, since there is a big rear closet with sliding mirrored doors, with a shirt locker and drawers to its right.

Better all the time

Outside are some nice features I didn’t see on the Scepter I tested two years ago. One was the optional power patio awning (a manual awning is standard, along with awnings over the slideouts.)

Slideouts are now built the same as the rest of the coach work – aluminum framing with full bead foam insulation for increased comfort.

With the optional dual leveling systems, you can choose the convenient hydraulic leveling system or level the coach using the air suspension system.

There are two adjacent doors for the water system—one contains the winterizing equipment and a hot-and-cold handheld shower. The other has the water-fill fittings, including a gravity fill, and the tank flush controls.

The dual fuel caps, one on each side, are a must on a big motorhome, especially if you are towing anything.

The cavernous basement storage included optional heavy-duty pull-out trays in both pass-through bays. Full body paint and new, flush-mounted windows are standard.

The 2003 Scepter is more luxurious, offers higher performance, and remains a great luxury-coach value. There are five 40-foot models, three 38 footers and a triple-slide 36—for a total of five triple slideout models. There has to be one you’ll fall in love with.

Dave Bessmer is a freelance writer living in East Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has spent 25 years in or around the RV business. He has authored several features for Holidays magazine.