Community Forums

Hogmike · 08-02-2014, 11:10 AM

We recently took ownership of a '14 Bus, our first Tiffin and we would do again in a nanosecond. This is our third MH, the other two being Fleetwood-American Coach products ('05 Expedition 38'; '08 Revolution 42'). We have been to Red Bay 3 times--1 for build, 2 for service. We have had good experiences each visit with service, helpful technicians, quality work and friendliness. Tiffin is the only mfg. I know that let's you be involved and on site with almost every step of the process. In visiting the repair facility, you can be in your coach or outside with the technicians while they work, ask questions, and get a lot of understanding about your coaches' systems.
IMHO, all coaches are going to have a break in period with some problems. In several experiences with dealers, MOST have been unfavorable and work has not always been satisfactory....why not choose a mfg. that gives the owners quite a bit of open access to their repair facility and technicians? Best wishes on your decision and safe travels.

J. C. R. · 08-04-2014, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al S.

We have a 2012 40' Phaeton and we love it. Again, there were a few problems, but Tiffin was great at resolving them. We were going to order a 2015 43' Alegro Bus, as the floor plan was perfect for us, but it has been discontinued and the 45' doesn't have a pantry. We ordered a 45' Entegra Anthem instead for the floor plan and the large pantry. We only hope we enjoy it as much as we did the Phaeton. I'm sure you will be happy with your Phaeton. You get a lot for your money.

Let us know how that works out for y'all.

rmilewsk · 08-13-2014, 10:45 PM

We have a 2014 Phaeton 40 QBH and love it. We have had some problems. Many of the problems we experienced were due to our lack of knowledge. These coaches have so many systems and options and it takes a while to understand all of them. Like our Exhaust Brake not working, but finding out that it was due to our lack of understanding about how it functioned on this coach. And, let's face it, every coach, new or old will have some issues. They are just like owning a house. Always something to tinker with...new or old.

I believe that if you find a good dealer they will handle your issues. It certainly helps to be handy yourself. We purchased from General RV and they have been very responsive. We have not gone to Red Bay and suspect we never will, but it is nice to know that if you experience any serious or ongoing problems you can take it to the factory and they will fix it.

We have done a lot of research. We we very interested in Newmar who makes a great coach. But, we believe we made the right move. For the money, we don't believe that you can find a better coach than a Phaeton. That's why they sell so many.

Bob & Nancy M
Tiffin Phaeton 40 QBH
2014 GMC Acadia w/ Blue Ox & Patriot brake

DeWat · 08-14-2014, 01:31 PM

I have heard that there are Newmar and Entegra boards that have their share of complaints as well, but I've never visited those boards... no need to. I agree with those who tell you that any motorhome can have its share of problems. Our 40QBH is our third class A, all bought brand new, and we are very happy with it! I am planning a trip to Red Bay in a week or two to get my punch list items repaired, but of all the things that I have found for repair, I wouldn't say that any of them would stop me from buying another Tiffin product. There are also those who say that you shouldn't have to go all the way to Red Bay just to get repairs, but after knowing what I do about the quality of service at the RV dealer (sells many different brands) where I bought my previous two class A's, I'm more than happy to head to Red Bay.

No matter what your choice, wishing you the best and a very happy future!!!

**pasdad1** · 08-14-2014, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmcquinn

We hope to have our house sold in the next few months.
Our long-awaited plan for over five years has been to sell our house this year, purchase our Tiffin Phaeton 40qbh, and be full-timers ... but ... after reading your comments regarding the numerous issues caused by the lessening quality of your Tiffin units as well as disappointing and frustrating service experiences at Red Bay, we are for the first time reconsidering ...is a Tiffin unit really the right choice.
We are so disappointed in what we have read here because while we knew we would be faced with issues in the unit, we felt that the outstanding customer service from Red Bay (that we have been reading about for years) would still make Tiffin by far the best choice for us. The QBH looked like the perfect floor plan for us and thought the Tiffin over-all quality was outstanding.
We don't want to purchase our long-awaited dream and have it turn out to be an on-going nightmare.
If you had it do over again, would you buy your Tiffin unit?

One way to avoid many of these problems is to buy used - one or two years old. This way the previous owner has done all the hard work of getting the defective items fixed for you. If they have good maintenance records, etc, you could walk in and purchase a coach "almost perfect". Find out why they are selling.....many poor souls are forced to sell for health reasons, NOT because they want to unload a lemon.

dezolen · 08-14-2014, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pasdad1

One way to avoid many of these problems is to buy used - one or two years old. This way the previous owner has done all the hard work of getting the defective items fixed for you. If they have good maintenance records, etc, you could walk in and purchase a coach "almost perfect". Find out why they are selling.....many poor souls are forced to sell for health reasons, NOT because they want to unload a lemon.

Sorry I disagree. No one is going to tell you they have a lemon and can easily say it's for health reasons. As used they may have given up on dealer trying to get faults fixed and easier to just unload it. It's buyer beware and a keen eye. Too many people who have absolutely no mechanical aptitude or knowledge to fix anything get into this recreation and run into problems. I personally can't imagine owning a vehicle like this and not being able to troubleshoot or fix things that crop up and they always will. I guarantee that..

1943D18 · 08-18-2014, 07:14 PM

In answer to your original question, while we are not current owners of a Tiffin, we WOULD purchase a Tiffin product. I say this after having toured ALL of the major manufacturing facilities and perused forums for years. Whenever the debate over "which brand is the best" circles around again, Tiffin will *always* be in the conversation. Not saying they are necessarily the best - as with anything, there are different ways to measure "best", but they will certainly always be in the conversation.

HHg · 08-19-2014, 04:58 PM

Buy another Tiffin......in a heartbeat!! We picked up our 2013 Phaeton 40QBH in October of 2012 and have been very pleased with the quality of the coach.

Hhg

Corncob · 08-19-2014, 06:50 PM

This past weekend we viewed a new Tiffin Red 33AA and some cosmetic issues were very noticeable. The biggest being that the paneling as you enter the bedroom had no glue or very little and was hanging loose. Another was a cable run under the steering column that was laying on the floor where the driver would place their feet. It appeared to be a cable run that should have been up in the dash. This was on a coach that was recently built. These type of issues makes one wonder about what careless quality issues are hidden and could bubble up at anytime.

rmilewsk · 08-20-2014, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corncob

This past weekend we viewed a new Tiffin Red 33AA and some cosmetic issues were very noticeable. The biggest being that the paneling as you enter the bedroom had no glue or very little and was hanging loose. Another was a cable run under the steering column that was laying on the floor where the driver would place their feet. It appeared to be a cable run that should have been up in the dash. This was on a coach that was recently built. These type of issues makes one wonder about what careless quality issues are hidden and could bubble up at anytime.

There are NUMEROUS cables under the dash near the drivers feet. This is one of the electrical nerve center areas of the coach. Many cables in the bundles go unused because they are for options which may not be on a particular coach. One cable falling on the floor does not constitute a quality issue IMHO. Tuck it back in! As to the paneling issue. I would be shocked if you can find any new Class A without a single cosmetic finish issue.

These coaches are literally houses on wheels these days. I agree with a previous comment on this string that if you are not handy and able to deal with minor issues you will not be happy in this recreation. If you have owned a house, you know that there are constant maintenance issues. Place that house on wheels with an engine bumping down a road with pot holes and the need for maintenance increases logarithmically.

Bob & Nancy M
2014 Phaeton 40QBH
Cummins Diesel, Allison Tranny & Freightliner Chassis
2014 GMC Acadia toad with Blue Ox and Patriot Brake

1943D18 · 08-20-2014, 09:19 AM

These coaches are literally houses on wheels these days. I agree with a previous comment on this string that if you are not handy and able to deal with minor issues you will not be happy in this recreation. If you have owned a house, you know that there are constant maintenance issues. Place that house on wheels with an engine bumping down a road with pot holes and the need for maintenance increases logarithmically.

Hat's off to "Bob & Nancy" for using the term "logarithmically" in this thread! Love it. Anyway, x2 what he said. I've come to some conclusions after researching for (literally) years for various RV purchases, that if you look long enough, you'll find the entire gamut of reviews, both positive and negative, for every single brand, and every single manufacturer. Just when you think you found THE model, or THE brand that you're going to settle on, you find a post where something proclaims "I'll never buy another X brand RV the rest of my life". And chances are, moments before reading that post, you read one that touted "brand X is the best coach out there and I'll never buy anything else". What to believe?

The beauty of the internet is that it gives everyone a megaphone. One of the downers of the internet is that it gives everyone a megaphone. You have sift through the myriad of reviews and draw your own conclusions. Personally, I treat it like I do for reviews I see on RV Park reviews - I toss out the extremely good and the extremely bad reviews and look at the trend. If I've seen positive reviews for a coach trending in the 90-plus percentage range, then come across one that starts with "Brand X is a piece of junk, never buy it, yadda, yadda", I generally don't even read the rest of the post.

RV'ing is a fantastic hobby / lifestyle. But it's not for everyone.

-Mike

rmilewsk · 08-21-2014, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1943D18

These coaches are literally houses on wheels these days. I agree with a previous comment on this string that if you are not handy and able to deal with minor issues you will not be happy in this recreation. If you have owned a house, you know that there are constant maintenance issues. Place that house on wheels with an engine bumping down a road with pot holes and the need for maintenance increases logarithmically.

Hat's off to "Bob & Nancy" for using the term "logarithmically" in this thread! Love it. Anyway, x2 what he said. I've come to some conclusions after researching for (literally) years for various RV purchases, that if you look long enough, you'll find the entire gamut of reviews, both positive and negative, for every single brand, and every single manufacturer. Just when you think you found THE model, or THE brand that you're going to settle on, you find a post where something proclaims "I'll never buy another X brand RV the rest of my life". And chances are, moments before reading that post, you read one that touted "brand X is the best coach out there and I'll never buy anything else". What to believe?

The beauty of the internet is that it gives everyone a megaphone. One of the downers of the internet is that it gives everyone a megaphone. You have sift through the myriad of reviews and draw your own conclusions. Personally, I treat it like I do for reviews I see on RV Park reviews - I toss out the extremely good and the extremely bad reviews and look at the trend. If I've seen positive reviews for a coach trending in the 90-plus percentage range, then come across one that starts with "Brand X is a piece of junk, never buy it, yadda, yadda", I generally don't even read the rest of the post.

RV'ing is a fantastic hobby / lifestyle. But it's not for everyone.

-Mike

Mike, well said. I believe that the post that says reviews of best coaches will always include Tiffin is probably one of the most significant posts relative to this issue. Thanks Mike!

Tractor16 · 08-24-2014, 08:00 PM

We have a 2012 Tiffin and we sure do love her. We just came home with over 6500 miles all the way to NY and Vermont and down the east coast and back to Arizona. If we would ever buy again it would Still be a Tiffin. We had NO issues at all on the Road

StuartS · 08-25-2014, 04:56 AM

For what it’s worth coming from someone buying our first RV ever & about to miss all the fun shopping for a coach & reading something somewhere on the internet telling us why not to buy it… we are 98% sure we will be ordering a new Tiffin Allegro Bus 45. I think there will always be that couple % playing in your head even after you own it. Nothing is perfect.
Only reason we are waiting to place the order is that the Hershey RV show is only a couple weeks away & we want to see a few of the Allegro Bus options in person before we place the order. Yes we will be looking at other manufactures at the show, but we will be ordering a Tiffin.