Tiffin Storage

[Redapple]

Good Morning Folks,

I have a question regarding Tiffin Storage both interior and basement.

While at the Pomona RV show last year and after viewing multiple videos, it seems to me that Tiffin uses basement storage for things like levelers, electrical boxes batteries etc. While I am sure this is a common approach, it seems that many of these systems could be relocated to provide more basement storage. I loved the Open Road 36la gas model. I also noticed the interior storage has like a beam or something structural going through many of them. I did also notice similar theme in the Breeze 33br, only 79 cubic feet if storage, Open Road, 112 cubic feet. Compared to the Winnebago which is like 223 cubic feet for the Forza. Not trying to make a debate on which is a better mh. Purely interested in how Tiffin owners work with available storage.

I have a few years before I purchase, so this is part of my research.

Thanks,
Bill

[curtsr]

The 36la you mentioned has 203 cuft of basement storage.

[Redapple]

Originally Posted by curtsr

The 36la you mentioned has 203 cuft of basement storage.

Correct you are. Not sure which one I was looking at. but it showed substantially less. May have been the diesel model. Thanks for the clarification.


I think they were the Allegro Red and Allegro Red 340.

Open Road is definitely comparable to the Forza for basement storage.

[Brianb131]

What you see in the 36la basement, is not a beam, it is the drive shaft which goes from the front gasoline engine to the rear drive wheels.

[Ddjay]

I guess it all depends on your perspective. Had a Class C for 14 years. Just picked up our 32SA and it swallowed up everything from that rig plus another tool box, inflatable boat, ladder, creeper, solar suitcase panel and on and on and there’s still room outside and the inside has almost nothing in it. The 32SA has 140 cf storage in the bays.

YMMV.

[StaRVGazer]

I have the 2018 36LA gasser......three of the large bays and two (or is it one) of the small bays on each side have an elevated pass though shelf. I get a tremendous amount of items on that shelf....folding chairs, table, surf boards, tarps, mats, bottled water, etc., in addition to the actual storage bays. But, I'm not a full timer. I have space left over.

If you step up to rear engine diesel the drive train cover/shelf goes away and you get larger pass through and slideout tray options.

Good luck!

Paul

[luvlabs]

Six years ago we went from an Allegro 32SA to a Phaeton 36GH. We actually had more basement storage in our 32SA. However, we had much more interior storage in our Phaeton.

You really need to think about what you actually need to store in your motorhome - both basement and upstairs. Think about how much "stuff" that you don't use in your current motorhome. I really think a bunch of us are just pack rats.

[HighDesert]

We recently moved from a Sprinter class C to a Tiffin class A 32SA. I have more space than I know what to do with and gave everything I need to travel comfortably. Interior also has a log of storage for our needs. I do wish that there was an option for the slideout workspace, but having that you do lose the 3 drawers for storage. Everything in an RV is a trade off.

[NLOVNIT]

Originally Posted by luvlabs

...You really need to think about what you actually need to store in your motorhome - both basement and upstairs. Think about how much "stuff" that you don't use in your current motorhome. I really think a bunch of us are just pack rats.

We're going through this right now. We hauled stuff in our Bounder for 13 years "just in case" . Some of that was was stuff from the 5-r we had in the mid-2000's & some of that was stuff from our TT we had in the early 2000's. I decided I was NOT going to let any of that "we might need it" stuff in the Phaeton & have slowly been going through 12 boxes of items we took out. I'm, maybe, returning 1/3 of the stuff to the Phaeton. The rest is going to Goodwill.

As to the OP's question about available storage, a vast number of our Phaeton's bays are taken up by systems, batteries, electronics...etc. However, the ones that are empty are HUGE & with the PowerGlide chassis, we have more vertical storage in them than we had in our Bounder. The interior cabinets are over twice as deep as the cabinets in Bounder too so I get more stuff in them. Although, right now, I'll bet I've only filled 1/2 of them.

Lori-

[Redapple]

Thanks all. Kind of difficult to talk by photos or video, and we have had limited direct experience except for one rv show last Sept. I appreciate the insight, and I have to agree we too are most likely carrying stuff we don't need. I have a pretty good size trip coming up in Aug, will evaluate my stuff per to that trip. As I get closer to my purchase (I am still at least a couple years out) I plan and increasing my research which includes text drives and looking at models directly.

I do appreciate the perspective of your collective experiences.

[Roger G]

When we traded our 36LA for a Phaeton 40 QBH, I pulled the 36 LA in my work warehouse and just set everything out of the basement on the floor on each side. After swapping MHs I pulled the Phaeton in between the piles of stuff and started loading everything. It wouldn’t fit and I thought something is wrong. After checking sure enough the 36LA had just over 200 cubic feet and the Phaeton had just over 160. With the slide out trays in the Phaeton, some of that space is unusable due to having to keep stuff below the frame rails so the drawers would slide in and out unobstructed. I eliminated a lot of just in case stuff and pack a lot of stuff seasonally.

[NLOVNIT]

Originally Posted by Roger G

... After checking sure enough the 36LA had just over 200 cubic feet and the Phaeton had just over 160. ....

That's where the PowerGlide on the 40 IH comes in as a benefit. It's 232 ct ft. Go up to the 44 OH & you'll get 253 cu ft.

Lori-