Contemplating Allegro 34TGA order

[Windy City]

Hi all, new to this forum!
I am contemplating ordering a 2012 Allegro 34TGA (gasser) and was wondering if anyone could offer any good information or pitfalls to avoid?
One question I have is the issue of the satellite tv receiver option. I watch very little TV at home and don't expect to watch much when away. That being said I know some options may be worth there weight in gold at resale time. Is it worth doing now for factory installed for or is an aftermarket installation just as good?
Thanks for your help and opinions!

[woodburner]

For what it's worth; I am not so patiently waiting for our new one to arrive.
I ordered the 7K Genny to facilitate the 15K BTU A/C with heat pump.
Ordered all 3 TV's, front, middle and bedroom. More for potential resale later than actual need now. (How many TV's can you watch in a 35 foot space?)
We liked the French Roast Interior, with the Sunlit Sand exterior.
We ordered the air coil, Hide-a-bed and the leather drivers/passenger seats with all the controls.
I did not order the dome satellite as we usually camp where there's a lot of trees so a dish would just make more sense for us.
I ordered it with a drivers door; not so much to let me climb in and out but to give me access to things under the dash and I liked the roll down window for toll booths and camp check-in stations.
We got the DVD with surround sound for videos and we enjoy music as well while camping.
We liked the oven delete with just the stove-top and convection microwave. Wood inserts on the frig were a must just to keep the decor in line.
We did not order the ice-maker and will probably kick ourselves later for not doing so.
Got the vacuum cleaner to help keep our dogs hair in control; should make keeping things clean a little easier.
We ordered it with the booth rather than a dinette for a change of pace from our old 5ver.
Last but not least we ordered it with the English Chestnut cabinetry because that's what appealed to us.
Have fun picking out what you like!
That's part of the fun. Make it your own.

[Windy City]

Hey Woodburner congrats on the new toy!
How long of a lead time did they quote you?
I am thinking all 3 tv's too, but I don't think they will get "worn out".
I too feel the 7K generator is a smart move, you can never have enough power!
How much of a percentage were you able to beat them up off the list?
Best of luck to ya with your new rig!

[paz]

Windy City,

One thing you might want to check on the 34TGA is the CCC. Since the relatively heavy triple slide floorplan of the 34TGA is on a Ford chassis of only 22,000 GVWR, make sure it will carry enough cargo for your needs.

On your question about the satellite dome, try to find out if the coach comes pre-wired for a dome if you don't order it with one already installed. That way the wires will be there for a future owner to add one if he wants.

Not sure about Dish Network, but be advised you can not receive HD programming on any dome for DirecTV. For Direct, it requires an open face dish such as the Winegard Tra'vler, which is not available from the factory. If you think you will ever want HD satellite and you want to go with DirecTV, the optional dome would have to be replaced anyway.

[Windy City]

Hey Paz, thanks for the welcome!
Thanks for the tv info too, thats exactly the kind of info I was looking for.
The curb weight was an item I had been trying to get information on while shopping brands. Some manufacturers units leave the factory with no hope of ever being below the max weight. I looked at a 2012 34TGA last weekend that a dealer brought in for "stock". I believe it had an approximate 2,700# "cargo capacity" per the label in it. I also think the label said you needed to remove the weight for fresh water but not gas or occupants? I remember the "assumed" allowable load being +/- 2,000#.
I have been very concerned about this from the onset of shopping motorhomes. Some have no chance of hauling a load and tongue weight and staying within manufacture's specs.
I was originally interested in the Allegra 32 for this exact reason. Only 2 slides and i was assuming less weight but same chassis.
Still not sure what route to take. I would like to have the ability to pull a car, boat, or enclosed motorcycle trailer without killing the horse!

[paz]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Windy City Hey Paz, thanks for the welcome! Thanks for the tv info too, thats exactly the kind of info I was looking for. The curb weight was an item I had been trying to get information on while shopping brands. Some manufacturers units leave the factory with no hope of ever being below the max weight. I looked at a 2012 34TGA last weekend that a dealer brought in for "stock". I believe it had an approximate 2,700# "cargo capacity" per the label in it. I also think the label said you needed to remove the weight for fresh water but not gas or occupants? I remember the "assumed" allowable load being +/- 2,000#. I have been very concerned about this from the onset of shopping motorhomes. Some have no chance of hauling a load and tongue weight and staying within manufacture's specs. I was originally interested in the Allegra 32 for this exact reason. Only 2 slides and i was assuming less weight but same chassis. Still not sure what route to take. I would like to have the ability to pull a car, boat, or enclosed motorcycle trailer without killing the horse!

CCC used to be calculated with full fresh water, full fuel, full LP tank, and passengers on board. Tiffin usually counted 4 passengers at the standardized weight of 154 lb.

I think the latest method of calculating CCC does not include people.

A CCC of 2000 lb is not bad for weekend and vacation use. With 2 people on board, you would have around 1700 lb left over for "stuff" (depending on the actual weight of the people). If you didn't travel with the tank full of fresh water, you could carry a little more.

The GVWR of 22,000 lb of the Ford chassis and GCVWR of 26,000 lb would let you pull a 4,000 lb car or trailer. Theoretically, a lower amount of cargo would let you pull a heavier car, but you would still be limited by the capacity of the hitch (probably 5,000 lb).

[Steve N Sal]

Welcome to the forum "Windy City". Hope you enjoy your time on the site. I wouldn't think that not ordering the satelitte receiver system but that's my opinion. Hope you get your coach ordered soon and enjoy our great country when you start traveling. Good luck with the decision and hop to see you down the road someday.

[Campbuds]

Love our 2011 Allegro 34tga. Awesome floor plan. We ordered ours also without the oven but a convection oven. Love the big drawer instead. Ordered the tile in bedroom, CB pre wire and no dome satellite but we have a portable dish and DTV. We have the dinette instead of booth. It's a place to put our doggy crate for travel. Lol.

Enjoy

[Windy City]

Hey Campbuds, glad to hear about other Tiffen "Happy Campers" :face palm: (Little RV humor there, very little!)

I did pull the trigger last weekend. Told lead time was about 8 weeks on the build, so we should be ready for summer.

I'll be sure to establish a thread on experiences after receipt as to let other future buyers stay informed!