Full-Time in Phaeton 40AH

[Desertboyz]

After years of planning, dreaming, shopping, buying, selling, etc we are about a month into full-time life! We are loving it so far and have had about 20 seconds of wondering "what did we do". We actually have wondered why we waited so long!

We are loving our new Phaeton 40AH. We initially had shopped a wide range of RV's. We loved the Entegra Anthem and Newmar LondonAire. But at this stage of newbie-ness, we couldn't wrap our head around spending so much money. We found a leftover 2015 Phaeton during the Winter and got a great deal.

The layout is perfect for two people. We thought we might regret not having a 1/2 bath, but it's something we don't think about. We haven't had any problems so far except for a fried TV splitter. A replacement is on the way. The build quality is good, we love that it's all electric, and we were pleasantly surprised with the power the 380 hp engine provides.

Happy Campers so far!

[RVingGuy]

We have most-timed in our 5th wheel for a little over 10 years. By that I mean 2-3 months a year in our S&B and the rest on the road. Before the 5th wheel it was a travel trailer, before that it was a pop-up, and before that was a tent (30+years in all). We decided on moving up to a MH but didn’t see a model that looked just right for us. Then we looked at a Phaeton 40AH and knew right away this is the one. It wasn’t just the floor plan but the entire package. In a few weeks we pick ours up. I am glad you are enjoying yours as we expect to be enjoying ours.

[Selah]

Congratulations, both on the Phaeton and for going full time. It's a wonderful life style. You made a wise choice on the all electric, it make the coach truly a home on wheels.

[lakefront5]

We just got our 2017 Phaeton 40 AH two days ago. Wow what a nice rig. Other than Tiffin changing the color combinations of the various exterior colors from 2016 to 2017, without telling the dealers, it was a surprise we got a different color than we "thought" we ordered. Instead of waiting another 10 weeks to choose another color we chose to keep it. The new colors are growing on us.

I know you will enjoy the AH.

[toothpick]

We also have a 2015 Phaeton 40AH , We love the coach !!!! The quality, colors, floor plan ,& all electric are what sold us on this coach. We are leaving tomorrow for a 3 month tour , from Florida to all over the mid-west.So looking forward to the trip.

[pdq_bc]

Originally Posted by Desertboyz

...Happy Campers so far!

CONGRATULATIONS!

we too are happy campers. this month marked the fifth year that we have been fun timing. great fun :-)

cheers,
pdq

[Desertboyz]

While we were 'wowed' with Entegra, one thing that never did feel quite right was the conservative interior design. It was a bit fussy, old fashioned feeling. Certainly not the quality, but the colors and more clean design of the Tiffin suits us better. We are in our mid 50's.

The Newar LondonAire on the other hand knocked our socks off!! Just was too much to consider now. We are comfortable and happy with our choice!

[Ohjoy50]

Hello to all you Tiffin Phaeton 40ah owners. My significant other and myself have been doing some heavy research on motorhomes because we are seriously thinking of also living full time on a motorhome and have fallin in love with the Phaeton 40ah. We are convinced that is the motorhome for us and if and when we sell our home spring of next year that is the motorhome that has our name on it. We have no reservation on the motorhome, it seems well built and built by what seems like a really good company. I have alot of questions but wont post it all at one time lol. Our concerns are living expenses, specifically rv resort fees, (nicer ones) and weather its smart to tow a vehicle or just rent one where ever we end up. I dont like the idea of dingy tow or really even dolly towing. Your thoughts ? Thanks Kevin & Cindy

[Melmoses]

Up front, we don't full time but I will tell you what we do. Re the towing or renting of a car, we chose to tow our Jeep. It did cost a pretty penny to get it all set up with base plate, tow bar and wiring kit but it was important to us to have ours right with us. Some places we stay it would be difficult to find a rental car. Also it is nice to have if there is ever a breakdown of your coach. That's just us.

Resort fees can be a big budget item depending on where you go. Being an accountant, I budget our travels each year. I highly recommend that you do the same because you can spend a lot quickly and you never want to tap out your funds. Tgere are many things besides resort fees that should be considered like eating out, entertainment, annual coach maintenance costs, repairs, fuel - just to name a few. Careful planning means you will enjoy yourself for a long time to come.

Happy travels to you!!!

[RVingGuy]

We spend about 9 or 10 months of the year in our RV. We have a toad and wouldn't be without one. We have observed that when we are traveling in our RV we spend less each month than we do when we are in out S&B.

Robert

[Ohjoy50]

That is our biggest concerns, I have a feeling the parking costs are going to be expensive. I don't see doing any boondocking so. I guess I just have to figure an average cost of nightly or weekly fees and go from there. I hate the idea of being limited to what cars you can dingy toe and having all 4 down so for me that's not an option. If I did it I would have to do a car triller but dealing with the trailer seems like a pain too. I just don't like any of the 3 options I guess.

[Trans. Cajun]

We got our first class A in January of 2013 and tried the rental car approach. That plan was very difficult especially if pickup or drop off was on a weekend. Rental takes a lot of extra time and is very restrictive when traveling from spot to spot with the Motorhome. In October of 2013 we decided on a four flat toad to simplify the work load for hookup and unhook. The dolly demands pull thru camps sites which are more costly unless you spend a lot of time on hook/unhook double duty at campground stops. We chose a used Jeep Liberty 4WD to have the luxury of the auxiliary transmission. Jeep 4WD models do not require any special Lube stops or driveshaft disconnects. The costs for the base plate, tow bar, and hookup connections are a one time cost with no regrets. Do it once and enjoy forever. The toad also provides for extra cargo space.

[Ziggy07]

While we are not full timers we do go south for 4 or 5 months each year. We tow a 2014 Honda CRV (the last towable year). We like the option in case we break down. There are many places you travel that are desolate for 4-6 hours. As mentioned before the initial hook up is expensive but much better than a dolly or trailer (in our humble opinion). The costs of staying in upscale RV parks can be mitigated by staying 30 days plus.
We own a Tiffin and have been very happy with our choice, we looked at both Entegra and Newmar and would be proud to own either of those brands.
Don't skimp on the ongoing maintenance....remember the old Fram commercial pay me now or pay me (a lot more) later. Things like servicing the Aqua Hot fuel filter and nozzle are necessary.

[Stang]

Congrats...we're full-timing it (for a year) in our Phaeton and love it too.