Sunrise Zodiac, Opinions & Good Deal?

[Spatoo]

Had a Vita Cabaret for 8 yrs and it's beyond the point of being worth fixing. I chose it over Caldera at the time, based on wet test, and never regretted the choice. The latest Cabaret is totally different, so I looked at other brands this time around.

Found a Sunrise Zodiac (best of their cheapest line) for $6000 with the usual cover, stairs & starter kit, plus optional ozonator, lights and speakers/iPod plug in. Wet tested & don't love it like the old one but could definitely live with it and enjoy it because it was mostly comfy and has some decent features.

Company seems most popular in Canada & Europe and I didn't find anything too bad on them. Really didn't find much at all. Oddly, the tub I'm looking at has the European spec of two two-speed pumps instead of the US spec of a two speed and a one speed.

It doesn't have a circulating pump, which worries me a bit. Not as concerned about the insulation as I'm in a warm climate. Other features seem good, construction was good under the hood, warranty is 3/5/10. Any feedback appreciated.

[Spa_Guru]

Manufacturers of this type in Canada come and go like the seasons.

Don't expect them to last as long as the warranty they offer.

[Spatoo]

They've actually been around for over 25 years, although apparently in Canada and Europe. The salesman said they took over Leisure Bay's Lake Mary plant and are making Dreammaker now. I couldn't find a lot about that online but did find enough to confirm they're at the Lake Mary place.

[castletonia]

Spa_Guru, I have dealt with Sunrise and their parent company Leisure Manufacturing since 2010 and based on my experience with the company, I see nothing that indicates they are going anywhere and as Spatoo stated, have been around for over 25 years. I feel they make a quality product and use quality components.

I think part of why they, along with some other Canadian manufacturers don't have a huge presence in the U.S. is that there is additional transportation costs when crossing the border, it is more costly to send parts to and from whether under or out of warranty, and unless you have made a name for yourself like Arctic, it may just be more convenient and economical to deal with a U.S. based company, The company I work for sold Coast for 3 years but due to lower sales volume, we couldn't justify keeping them. Shipping costs were crazy expensive to get across the border from British Columbia to the midwest when we were not placing full truckloads.

To the OP, I have never had the Zodiac on my floor as I have only dealt with the Journey and Odyssey from the Simplicity Series. Overall, I feel these are good entry level spas. I have really seen no customer complaints regarding the insulation and the winters can be fairly cold here in Wisconsin. If that is a special order price, then I consider it very good and even if a floor model, I still consider it a good deal.

[Dr. Spa]

Manufacturers of this type in Canada come and go like the seasons.

Don't expect them to last as long as the warranty they offer.

I'm curious, what your knowledge and experience with Sunrise Spas is that elicits your opinion?

[Spatoo]

To the OP, I have never had the Zodiac on my floor as I have only dealt with the Journey and Odyssey from the Simplicity Series. Overall, I feel these are good entry level spas. I have really seen no customer complaints regarding the insulation and the winters can be fairly cold here in Wisconsin. If that is a special order price, then I consider it very good and even if a floor model, I still consider it a good deal.

It's a floor model, the exact one we wet tested. It wasn't a testing model, so it hasn't had any use other than my wet test, when they filled it up and fired it up for me. It's a definite step down from the Vita, but I didn't use many of the bells and whistles on that one anyway so I think the Zodiac will meet my needs at what seems to be a fair price. I'm especially glad they're taking away the old one. The only thing I'm leery of is not having a circ pump. I wouldn't order the iPod hookup as an option if I were getting it factory built, but I can see myself using it since it's there.

I'm going ahead with buying it, and the store (handles several brands like Master/Phelps) has been around for a while so that's hopefully good for any service needs. I'll post back once it's here and I've tried it out. It's one thing to do a 45 minute wet test and take a quick look in the cabinet and quite another to run it through its paces in the back yard. I'll miss the old Cabaret, but it's time to move on.

[Spatoo]

One more bit of information. I'm curious on whether this should affect the price and any opinions of the overall integrity of the hot tub. When I looked at the tub, it had a pressure-treated wood frame, but the Sunrise website shows this model as having a galvanized steel frame. I called Sunrise and they said they stopped using wood last year (the tub was built in October, 2012). Our old Vita had a wood frame and held up for the 8 years we owned it. I've read pros and cons on both sides, so I don't feel like I have a clear picture of which is best, or if they're really equal. I'm in FL if that makes a difference, and the tub would be on a slab, and it also had a pan. Any wood horror stories? Should the price be cheaper or does that really have no effect? I sure hope my new tub lasts a long time because this is a pain in the butt to go through, LOL.

[Roger]

One more bit of information. I'm curious on whether this should affect the price and any opinions of the overall integrity of the hot tub. When I looked at the tub, it had a pressure-treated wood frame, but the Sunrise website shows this model as having a galvanized steel frame. I called Sunrise and they said they stopped using wood last year (the tub was built in October, 2012). Our old Vita had a wood frame and held up for the 8 years we owned it. I've read pros and cons on both sides, so I don't feel like I have a clear picture of which is best, or if they're really equal. I'm in FL if that makes a difference, and the tub would be on a slab, and it also had a pan. Any wood horror stories? Should the price be cheaper or does that really have no effect? I sure hope my new tub lasts a long time because this is a pain in the butt to go through, LOL.

Wood or steel frame will not effect the longevity of the tub. Build quality and craftsmanship will.

[castletonia]

The Simplicity series was the only line to use wood frames. Since all their other lines (Aspire ,Paragon) and Whitewater Spas had the steel frame, they decided to unify the manufacturing process and use steel in all. Pressure treated wood is fine, most of the industry uses it. FWIW, there was no cost increase from 2012-2013 with the change to a steel frame.

[Roger]

They've actually been around for over 25 years, although apparently in Canada and Europe. The salesman said they took over Leisure Bay's Lake Mary plant and are making Dreammaker now. I couldn't find a lot about that online but did find enough to confirm they're at the Lake Mary place.

The dealer has been around for 25 years? Or the manufacturer?

I think I am on my third metal BBQ grill on the same wooden deck.

[Spatoo]

The manufacturer. Dealer's only been around a few years but has okay BBB rating, not that that's always accurate (I loved the TV exposé where the BBB accredited a fake terrorist organization because it paid the fee). The Vita wood frame held up fine, so probably no biggie, given that there seem to be pros and cons to both.