Tiffin factory service new RV age limit: is this true?

[Stripe34]

Is the article true? Shortest summary - no more Tiffin factory service on coaches older than four years?

Tiffin announces shift to RV service policy | RV Daily Report

[lllkrob]

Yes, this policy will go into effect on April 3, 2017. Currently Tiffin is completely filled to service capacity with coaches trying to beat the April 3rd cutoff and it will only get worse as more owners find out about the policy change.

[BobGed]

Not entirely correct. The four year restriction only applies to regular service bays. Coaches older than four years can still use the express bays, two techs for a maximum of three hours. That's six man hours, and in my experience if you stay with your coach and keep them moving, there's a lot that can be accomplished in that period of time.

Also the four year restriction does not apply to speciality bays like mechanical, windshield replacement, painting, etc.

The service staff will assess needed repairs and coaches as follows:
Regular service will be performed only on Tiffin motorhomes that are within four years of the original purchase date.

Any Tiffin motorhome may go through express bay service that require repair by two service technicians working a maximum of three hours.

If repairs exceed three hours, the staff will prioritize repairs for the first express bay visit, then owners can bring the unit back 60 days later to have additional work done.

The sky is not falling.

[CJ7365]

If you type "Tiffin Service" in the search bar, you will get numerous answers

[OldNavyGuy]

Bob Ged, I respectfully disagree. I do believe this change will damage Tiffin in the long run, and as a huge fan, I hate to see that. There are other options, and the "once every 60 days" aspect is onerous.
Amazing service is the defining difference of the brand anymore. This part "ain't broke," so don't fix it. Make the service center a bit more of a profit center if needed, so it's worth maintaining the brand identity and the loyalty of ALL their customers. In an industry full of poor quality and bad service, Tiffin has been the shining city on the hill. Don't throw that away.

[JimN]

I just read a three or four year old issue of Roughing It Smoothly and Bob discussed several changes they had and were making with scheduling. Seems that far too many people would travel to Red Bay for things that could easily have been taken care of locally and that was placing a considerable strain on resources. Initially they set up Quarterly scheduling, when that actually made it worse they instituted the First Come policy, obviously that must have reached a point where it was also no longer viable.

I think one way to look at this is to compare it to any other motor vehicle, You don't take your Ford to Dearborn, MI for service! Now that said I do understand that a MH is NOT a car, but there are many things that really do not require a factory trip for repairs. Perhaps had the owners thought a little more about the reality of there needs we might no have reached this situation. Then again I could be wrong.

[DWRichard]

Bottom-line, Tiffin makes a coach people want to keep. That means that more service will be needed as their motor homes age, and there are those who only want Tiffin to work on them. On one hand, I don't blame them given the hit-or-miss aspect of service providers out there.

On the other hand, for many things people need done, the new Tiffin policy likely won't be any different - Express bay service once every 60 days for the little things many people want Tiffin to handle. For the bigger issues, they'll just have to use some of the excellent third party repair places in and around Red Bay populated by current or former Tiffin workers who do just as good as Tiffin but at an equal or lower price.

Given Tiffin's previous policy and reputation regarding making things right for people who buy their coaches, they have no choice but to prioritize those newer models and their owners at the expense of long-time owners.

I would suggest that Tiffin look at establishing some regional service centers or add more authorized service centers across the country so that a pilgrimage to Red Bay isn't always required to get both warranty and out of warranty service done.

However, this isn't the end of the world for long-time Tiffin owners.

[OldNavyGuy]

Originally Posted by DWRichard

Bottom-line, Tiffin makes a coach people want to keep. That means that more service will be needed as their motor homes age, and there are those who only want Tiffin to work on them. On one hand, I don't blame them given the hit-or-miss aspect of service providers out there.

On the other hand, for many things people need done, the new Tiffin policy likely won't be any different - Express bay service once every 60 days for the little things many people want Tiffin to handle. For the bigger issues, they'll just have to use some of the excellent third party repair places in and around Red Bay populated by current or former Tiffin workers who do just as good as Tiffin but at an equal or lower price.

Given Tiffin's previous policy and reputation regarding making things right for people who buy their coaches, they have no choice but to prioritize those newer models and their owners at the expense of long-time owners.

I would suggest that Tiffin look at establishing some regional service centers or add more authorized service centers across the country so that a pilgrimage to Red Bay isn't always required to get both warranty and out of warranty service done.

However, this isn't the end of the world for long-time Tiffin owners.

I like the idea of regional service centers. They are beginning some training for dealers to better take care of some of the services needed, but that will be a slow process. If people stop bringing their coaches to Red Bay because Tiffin won't do major service, the other excellent businesses will suffer too. Another possibility might be to look at ways of making the service center a bit more profitable so it becomes even more of an asset to the company.
Tiffin service is the primary distinguishing thing about their brand. The shining city in the hill in an industry that struggles with providing good quality products and service. I remain convinced that this change will hurt them more than is believed because it impacts that primary aspect. I sincerely hope I am wrong.

[DWRichard]

See, that's the thing: I don't think people will stop bringing their coaches to Red Bay even if Tiffin won't be the one working on them, once they think this thing through.

Let's face it, if Tiffin isn't the one doing major service, who is? The local Red Bay shops that are run by former (and in some cases current) Tiffin employees. You won't find too many shops equipped to provide Tiffin-level service and ready access to Tiffin parts and supplies than the ones in and around Red Bay, plus, when your major work is done, you still get Tiffin Express bay attention for the little things if you want it.

It's a change, but it's a change Tiffin has no choice but to do in order to take care of newer coaches under warranty in a timely manner.

[Protech441]

Keep in mind, there are numerous ex- Tiffin employees, within the Red Bay Area. So, if problem is not a warranty issue, consider these businesses. I have used a custom wood worker, satellite installer/repair, and Bay Diesel. All of these people were outstanding in their field, of excellent character, and reasonable in price. There is a list on Internet, of probably 25 names, or more, and I think Tiffin might have this list as well.

[bsedor]

Where can one find this list?

[BobGed]

Originally Posted by bsedor

Where can one find this list?

Here you go.

[Protech441]

Do a search for "Red Bay after hours workers list" to find current and past Tiffin Motorhome employees available for various Tiffin repairs. I have used three on this list, and they were fantastic and reasonable!

[Protech441]

Search for Red Bay After Hours Workers List.