Community Forums

pdq_bc · 03-10-2015, 09:07 AM

again, thanks everyone for your comments. they are appreciated and helpful.
cheers,
pdq

kbhine · 03-14-2015, 06:01 AM

We changed from a Fleetwood Pulse 24A to Tiffin Allegro Red 33AA. Love it, and never looked back.

mre · 03-14-2015, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdq_bc

we have a 2009 itasca suncruiser 35P, which we bought new in feb 2010. we are now considering to replace our motorhome. have decided that a gasser works just fine for us and are not prepared to add $100,000 to the cost just to go to diesel. since we have been very satisfied with the itasca (winnebago) motorhome, we are hesitant to “change brands”.

that said; yesterday we looked at a tiffin 36LA and liked the floor plan. we have looked at the suncruiser 37F and 38Q, but not thrilled with either of the floorplans

- have others changed brands and how has that worked out
- any comments on the 36LA (the good, the bad, and the ugly)

THANKS,
peter

We are looking at either a Winne Suncrusier 33C/Itasca Sunova 33C or the Tiffin Allegro 32SA. . The Tiffin seems to be a much nicer finished unit that the Winnie both in exterior and interior. The Tiffin also appears to be a better build. Both have pluses and minuses are about the same length and the Winnie has space for a washer/dryer. If Tiffin had the same floorplan, we would go with the Tiffin.

However my question concerns this: The Winnie in on a 22K chassis and has a 220 inch wheelbase. The Tiffin is on a 24K chassis and has a wheelbase of 228”. The Winnie has three slides and the Tiffin two. What puzzles me is that the both have about the same CCC. With much of the equipment and options being the same between the two and the Winnie with a washer/dryer and three slides as opposed to two slides, how can the CCC be the same especially give the heavier chassis on the Tiffin? Also looking at the 31SA on a 22K chassis and is a shorter version of the 32SA, it has about 1K less CCC that the Winnie. Another thing I would like to add, I would assume that with the more slide openings a unit has and all the associated hardware to move the slide in and out alone with the addition weight (I assume) of the slide itself just adds to make the CCC issue more confusing (at least to me). Since you have owned a Winnie product, you are probably more in tune with them than I am. As such shed any light on this?

Thanks
Ed

pdq_bc · 04-20-2015, 08:14 AM

an update...

we test drove the allegro 36la on saturday. the drive is not the same as the drive in our current motorhome that has the gm 8.1, allison trans, and workhorse chassis. i know that that combo is no longer available, so have reconciled that if we are to get a new gasser, it will have a ford engine.

what experience do people have with the engine brake on the ford. because we live in the west and go over lots of mountain passes, the engine braking system is important to us.

liked the interior (fit, finish, layout) and the exterior storage - but now it is about performance going down the road.

thanks everyone
cheers,
pdq

PICDave · 04-20-2015, 08:54 AM

Just traded our V10 gasser for our first DP.
The V10 is solid and capable , if a bit loud. Downhill braking usually requires manual downshift on steeper grades. The tow /haul mode allows you to set a downhill speed by braking, let off the brakes and the tranny will attempt to hold that speed. Good to about a 5 percent grade, steeper and manual downshift usually required to hold speed, in my experience. We had great performance out of our 2010 for 5 years, trouble free!

garykk · 04-20-2015, 10:48 AM

Our previous MH was a gasser with F53 chassis, V-10. I always felt comfortable in downhill situations, I used the tow haul button frequently, especially in hilly territory..on really steep grades I would just slow the MH down before I started downhill which is the safest way to do it..

Roger G · 04-21-2015, 07:03 PM

The first MH I had with a Ford V10 always seemed to be hunting gears, it was probably something that could have been fixed by reprogramming the shift patterns in the transmission. My current 36 LA performs and shifts great. The Ford V10 and the Chevy 454 are two entirely different animals. Not long ago I had a conversation with a Brit friend. The conversation started about the power and torque curves of American V-Twin motorcycles vs Italian V-Twin. He stated that we Americans do not know how to use the power available in engines. He said that we have been fed a steady diet of low reving engines that develop torque and power early, ie, the Harley V-Twin and the push rod V-8 that we all know and love. Most European and Japanese engines develop optimum power at a higher RPM. The Ford V-10 is a high rev engine and just can't be lugged like the old big block V-8s, it just takes some time to get used to it. I have really come to admire the V-10, and this is coming from a Chevy guy.

pdq_bc · 04-22-2015, 06:41 PM

a further update....

we have just finalized the deal on a new allegro 36LA :-)

we full time, so now its the fun of moving all of our stuff from our old motorhome in to the new on. think we will living in the dealer's lot for a couple of days.

thanks everyone for your help.
cheers,
pdq

xctraveler · 04-22-2015, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdq_bc

a further update....

we have just finalized the deal on a new allegro 36LA :-)

we full time, so now its the fun of moving all of our stuff from our old motorhome in to the new on. think we will living in the dealer's lot for a couple of days.

thanks everyone for your help.
cheers,
pdq

I can sympathize. three years ago we moved from a 36 foot 2 slide Southwind to our Phaeton. With every load we carried over my wife said it won't all fit

at one point I found her sitting on the floor in the middle of the kitchen almost in tears over where to put things. We had lived in our previous coach for 8 years and knew where everything was - mostly.

We have more "stuff" today and I swear there are cabinets and storage areas that are half empty and we have weight capacity for 1500 more pounds.I swear this coach just swallows stuff. But it does take some time and a lot of thinking to get it all where you can find it. DW never rearranged the furniture in the S&B but she is endlessly redoing the storage areas on board. She is not allowed in the basement! that is my domain

pdq_bc · 04-23-2015, 07:53 AM

thanks Paul
your post made me smile as i recalled filling up our current motorhome when we began to full time. our house had closed and there was the day we moved everything from the sticks & bricks house into the suncruiser. i made a map of the layout for both the main floor and the basement and then noted exactly WHAT went WHERE. we had to refer to that map for a while. and yes, now we know where everything is (mostly, as you say).
time for a new map!
pdq