Factory really backed up with new orders

[Grandcanyon]

Hello Friends! I placed my order for a 2015 Allegro Red on September 8 2014 and as of today the factory is telling me that it will probably be sometime in mid December before they start the manufacturing of my MH, is there someone else out there that has also placed an order and it has been delayed? At this time I'm in no hurry originally the dealer told me that I would have my MH by the end of November or early December now it looks like it will be delivered sometime in late January or February so again I'm in no hurry, can anyone tell me how many weeks does the entire manufacturing process takes?? Wanted to use the new MH down in Florida for Christmas now it will have to be in 2015!

[allegro1x]

From what I read in the Allegro Club magazine they build 12 a day and only build when they receive a order. So their all custom jobs, which probably takes longer. I usually don't trade any vehicle very often, so a few months on something that is custom made doesn't seem to long. Hang in there the wait will be worth it, Dave

[okgc]

On another forum a poster mentioned to expect a 6 month delivery for ordered Tiffins.
Tiffin production is working 6 days a week

[Pigman1]

Tiffin production of motor homes is somewhat different than most manufacturers. They will not make a rig that has not been specially ordered and FULLY PAID FOR. So every rig on the line is essentially a special order, either by an individual or a dealer, and has been paid for in full. Bob Tiffin told me this when we were in the plant watching our 2013 Bus being built. We ordered the Bus at the Hershey RV show in September, 2012 and we took delivery on January 11.

So your rig is in the production schedule. Ours was built in early December and went through final finish the first week of January. Don't forget there's a Christmas break at the factory. A call will tell you exactly when that is this year.

I'd highly recommend you go to the plant to watch yours being built. It's an unforgettable and enlightening experience.

WHen we took delivery in Buffalo, NY, it was in a snow storm. We brought it to Delaware to finish loading and were in Quartzite , Az for the January RV show.

Good luck with the new rig.

[CoastieSCPO]

The factory closes on Christmas Eve and opens again on Monday, January 5, 2015.

[kbhine]

Ours only took about 6 weeks.

[edgray]

Originally Posted by Pigman1

Tiffin production of motor homes is somewhat different than most manufacturers. They will not make a rig that has not been specially ordered and FULLY PAID FOR. So every rig on the line is essentially a special order, either by an individual or a dealer, and has been paid for in full. Bob Tiffin told me this when we were in the plant watching our 2013 Bus being built. We ordered the Bus at the Hershey RV show in September, 2012 and we took delivery on January 11.

So your rig is in the production schedule. Ours was built in early December and went through final finish the first week of January. Don't forget there's a Christmas break at the factory. A call will tell you exactly when that is this year.

I'd highly recommend you go to the plant to watch yours being built. It's an unforgettable and enlightening experience.

WHen we took delivery in Buffalo, NY, it was in a snow storm. We brought it to Delaware to finish loading and were in Quartzite , Az for the January RV show.

Good luck with the new rig.

I'm trying to be very careful and respectful here, but I simply find it hard to believe that Tiffin dealers have to "fully pay for" every coach that Tiffin builds beforeit is built. Tiffin does not sell direct to consumers, only to their dealers, so all orders are dealer orders. Even if the dealer's order is based on a signed purchase agreement with a consumer, the customer will not have to fully pay for the coach until it is delivered, and I can't believe the dealer will do that either. There are just to many dollars involved, and money costs momey. I can understand the claim that they only build what they have orders for, Newmar does that too, but that simply means Tiffin isn't building "spec houses" like Monaco did before that practice helped bankrupt them.

It is hard to imagine any dealer, large or small, having the financial ability to pay the full Tiffin dealer invoice total BEFORE Tiffin will start building a coach. The dollars involved would be so astronomical (millions) for a high volume dealer like Lazy Days, that they couldn't afford the interest alone.

I do believe Tiffin has some dealer's order in hand for every unit they build, and I think the dealer does have to fully pay for the completed unit before the transport company can move it from Belmont to the dealer, but that isn't the same as saying "fully paid for before being built". IMO, the dealers are too smart to let Tiffin put them in that position, not to mention the risk of losing their money if something terrible happened to Tiffin.

I'm not saying that isn't what you heard Mr. Bob say, but I doubt that is what he meant to say. He is a wonderful man, I've talked to him on several occasions, but sometimes things don't come out as clearly as he intended.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by Pigman1

Tiffin production of motor homes is somewhat different than most manufacturers. They will not make a rig that has not been specially ordered and FULLY PAID FOR. So every rig on the line is essentially a special order, either by an individual or a dealer, and has been paid for in full. Bob Tiffin told me this when we were in the plant watching our 2013 Bus being built. We ordered the Bus at the Hershey RV show in September, 2012 and we took delivery on January 11.

Newmar is the same way although, as I understand it, the dealer has until delivery to pay.

[Grandcanyon]

Hello! I called the factory again today and they actually send me via e-mail the complete production phases that my new MH will take, I have already bought my airline ticket and I hope to be at Red Bay on the week of December 8 and returning back home on Saturday December 13, cannot wait to take pictures and movies on how they actually work on my new coach I only wish I lived closer to see more of the actual completion of the MH. Again Thanks for all of the information that I have received. Happy Thanksgiving to All!!!

[edgray]

Originally Posted by Grandcanyon

Hello! I called the factory again today and they actually send me via e-mail the complete production phases that my new MH will take, I have already bought my airline ticket and I hope to be at Red Bay on the week of December 8 and returning back home on Saturday December 13, cannot wait to take pictures and movies on how they actually work on my new coach I only wish I lived closer to see more of the actual completion of the MH. Again Thanks for all of the information that I have received. Happy Thanksgiving to All!!!

CONGRATS on your new baby about to be born. I'm sure you will enjoy your time in RB watching its birth. The Tiffin plant is awesome-sometimes a little hectic- but the people are friendly and welcome you to be there. Bring lots of camera batteries!

There is a well-documented thread on here somewhere by David & Brenda BOTT, who spent MONTHS watching their Bus be born. Do a search.

[Mike and Cha]

Mr D..X2, Newmar does the same thing, I don't know if they did that before the recession, but that's how the major manufaturers protected themselves and didn't go bankrupt. Alot of the manufacturers who were building MH's that were not paid for had to eat the cost and sell the MH at a reduced price if at all during the recession, when the buyers and or the dealers backed out. That's the way it was explained to me by more than one dealer and a Newmar rep.

[Pigman1]

I was quite surprised when Bob told me this too, but that's EXACTLY what he said. Not having a way to audit his books, I'll have to say "there ain't no higher authority".

We had stopped into see him in his office while the rig was being built. The subject came up because we were discussing how our bus was a very special build, and required quite a bit of engineering work. We have a 43' QSP WITHOUT Aqua-Hot heating system and with a gas hot water and gas stove/oven. He said this was the only one he'd build like that because he was afraid if I turned it tin on a newer model, the next owner would want him to convert it back to an Aqua-Hot setup, and it couldn't be done.

[edgray]

Originally Posted by Pigman1

I was quite surprised when Bob told me this too, but that's EXACTLY what he said. Not having a way to audit his books, I'll have to say "there ain't no higher authority".............

I will certainly agree about that. Mr. Bob is the original "Mr. Tiffin".

However, I hope you will agree that dealers are not likely to be paying $200,000.00 every time when they place an order for a $350,000 Allegro BUS, (just as an example). An outfit like Lazy Days will have dozens of Tiffin coaches "on order" at most times, and I can't believe they could afford to layout that much CASH. Borrowing those funds, which would be "tied up" for months, would be very expensive. too.

Of course, the dealers always claim that don't make much on each sale, so maybe it is true after all-I really don't know.

[Pigman1]

I understand your reasoning, but I don't think that's not quite how it works. If Tiffin were to ship the rig for a dealer to put on his lot, Tiffin would be the guy out the $$ until the rig sold, and if the dealer defaulted or burned it up, Tiffin would be out the money, period. WHen a dealer orders a rig for stock, to show and/or sell, he pays up front. In actuality, the dealers bank pays, and the type loan the dealer pays it on is called his floorplan loan. Along with that, the bank is the actual owner of the rig, probably through a contract or special power of attorney, and either the bank or the dealer carries the insurance on the rig until title actually transfers out of the dealer's hands. In this way it's really costing the dealer just the interest over the period it's in his hands, not the total cost of the loan. This is why you can usually dicker the price a bit more on a factory order. The dealer isn't looking at having the rig on the lot up to for 6 months or even more and paying that interest each month.

That's how it runs for auto dealers as well. The finance guy you have to deal with at any or all dealerships isn't there for your or my convenience, he (she) is the one who negotiates the dealer's bank loans and makes sure the money paid gets to pay off YOUR coach and you get clear title. He's also the guy who has to push the sales manager when rigs are sitting on the lot too long and that floorplan interest comes in each month. Of course if the dealership doesn't carry any rigs on his lot, his floorplan cost is zero, but how many folks do you know who would buy a $400,000 rig sight unseen? You really do that when you buy based on what you saw on the dealers lot, but at least you saw what you're going to get.

We used to have a car dealer where I live who operated just that way, no demo's, no test drives, no show. He operated out of a storefront, but you could get a heck of a deal from him as long as you knew exactly what you wanted.

Things really get complex when you stick trade in's into the system, but this might give you a quick view about floorplans.