2012 Tioga Ranger 31M

[SarahW]

We are currently looking to buy a new MH and have done some "tire kicking" on the 2012 Tioga Ranger. Please post your Tioga and/or Fleetwood experience... both good and bad.

Can anyone comment on Fleetwood quality overall? Thanks for any input.

[The General]

Hi Sarah,

You are going to receive lots of opinions so I might as well be the first:
I have a 2008 Fleetwood Bounder and it has been a wonderful purchase and continues to be an excellent running and looking Class A.
Good build, materials, appliances and the service has been excellent.
I believe your warranty is one year so take advantage of any problems you may encounter within that time frame.
I'd say you are going to get the best bang for the buck with Fleetwood.

Steve

Quote:

Originally Posted by SarahW We are currently looking to buy a new MH and have done some "tire kicking" on the 2012 Tioga Ranger. Please post your Tioga and/or Fleetwood experience... both good and bad. Can anyone comment on Fleetwood quality overall? Thanks for any input.

[JLM]

I've had two Tioga's (1989 24 ft and 1991 27 ft), both were purchased new and was impressed with the quality of both units. Nothing major in the way of repairs for either one. Have moved up to a class A (2004 Southwind 32VS and am still a satisfied Fleetwood customer.

My only advice is to keep up with all the maintenance stuff and try to remember it's not a house.

[Roger G]

When I moved from a toy hauler to a MH, I really wanted a Tiffin because I live about 40 miles from the factory and most everybody I know has a Tiffin but ended up buying a Southwind 32 V from a seller with health issues. I previously had a Fleetwood gearbox with no problems but had concerns about Fleetwood due to the bankruptcy but called FW and asked ALOT of questions and was happy with the answers I received, so I purchased the Southwind. We tailgate and the lot we are in has 3 fleetwoods and about 20+ Tiffins, last game while sitting around the fire pit the conversation turned to MH problems. Without exception every Tiffin owner had praise for their customer service and how well they had been treated when they had warranty issues or problems, they asked about Fleetwoods customer service and none of the three of us could answer because none had seen a dealer or the factory since we owned them! May not be representative but I would not hesitate to buy another Fleetwood nor would I hesitate to buy a Tiffin, 3 out of 4 MH owners in this part of the country can't be wrong.

[NLOVNIT]

Every mfr has units that go out sub-par & Fleetwood is not immune to quality issues. I'm sure you'll hear from those members before too long. That said, like Steve, we too are very pleased with our Bounder & Fleetwood. We've not been disappointed in the choice we made to buy a FW product. Be sure you have a dealer that will support you after the sale. When you do have issues, you need a competent dealer service department that'll take care of you.

Lori-

P.S. Plus FW puts on pretty good regional & national rallies every year.

[SarahW]

Thanks everyone; I appreciate the feedback very much. We will also be looking at a Bounder (with the fireplace...yay!) We were trying really hard to find a nice coach for around $80k, but you all know how it is when you walk through the showroom.

We are in the Houston area and it seems that the local dealers don't want to do much haggling. Anyone have any negotiating tips for us?? I have read that a 25-30% discount off list price is possible...but have not found that to be the case around here.

Thanks again, and I appreciate the welcome. Hopefully I will be a Fleetwood owner in the near future.

[Camping4fun]

Our first motorhome was a 31ft Tioga and we loved it that's the reason we went back to a Bounder when we a newer one.

[NLOVNIT]

I have read on iRV2.com where members do get 25-30% discounts, but I haven't been that lucky. Some dealers will discount well, others will not. It depends on the competition. Have you shopped the same model at other dealers? Also, popular models, like Bounders, don't seem to have the haggle room less popular models would. Also, 2012's wouldn't be discounted as much as one that's been sitting on the lot for a while (i.e. 2011 or 2010).

Lori-

[TXiceman]

As for the discount, it is your money, offer the dealer a deal and leave your phone number. RVs are not exactly flying off the lot, so let them stew on it a while. On a New Tioga, I'd hang in there for 25% off MSRP.

Ken

[rrawood]

I recently purchased a 2012 Tioga Ranger. After the initial trip, we took it back for some minor warranty issues, all of which were repaired. The item that took the longest to fix was an issue with the black tank. The FULL sensor would not read full, even when the tank was full. Took the techs a while to diagnose, but to make a long story short, they had to put a shim under the black tank to get it to read right. Apparently it was installed at an angle that would not allow the tank to read full. From what I have been told, there are quite a few Rangers coming off of the line with this issue, so make sure you check it at your PDI. FWIW, the dealer new it had an issue, and informed us prior to delivery, but assured us Fleetwood would take care of it and they did.

So far we are very happy with our purchase and the warranty work has all been taken care of. The only complaint is that Fleetwood may be a bit on the slow side in approving some of the repairs and shipping replacement parts to my dealer.

Also, we paid 25% below invoice. Shop around, pit dealers against one another. The discounts are there, you just need to be proactive and willing to haggle. I had 2 dealers fighting for my business and it worked out better for me in the end. Come to think of it, I may have been a bit closer to 30%, but I would have to double check the paperwork.

Good luck with your search, and let us know how it goes.

[SarahW]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rrawood I recently purchased a 2012 Tioga Ranger. After the initial trip, we took it back for some minor warranty issues, all of which were repaired. The item that took the longest to fix was an issue with the black tank. The FULL sensor would not read full, even when the tank was full. Took the techs a while to diagnose, but to make a long story short, they had to put a shim under the black tank to get it to read right. Apparently it was installed at an angle that would not allow the tank to read full. From what I have been told, there are quite a few Rangers coming off of the line with this issue, so make sure you check it at your PDI. FWIW, the dealer new it had an issue, and informed us prior to delivery, but assured us Fleetwood would take care of it and they did. So far we are very happy with our purchase and the warranty work has all been taken care of. The only complaint is that Fleetwood may be a bit on the slow side in approving some of the repairs and shipping replacement parts to my dealer. Also, we paid 25% below invoice. Shop around, pit dealers against one another. The discounts are there, you just need to be proactive and willing to haggle. I had 2 dealers fighting for my business and it worked out better for me in the end. Come to think of it, I may have been a bit closer to 30%, but I would have to double check the paperwork. Good luck with your search, and let us know how it goes.

Wow, thanks SO MUCH for that information. I really like the Tioga Ranger, so that black tank issue might come in handy to know! May I ask where you bought your coach? I'm in the Houston area, and the dealers are not hurting enough to offer decent discounts.

[TXiceman]

Sarah, the dealers here are hungry enough. They could just see the stars in your eyes. So visit the dealer and leave him your offer and phone number and leave.

Ken

[rrawood]

I am in Florida. We have a good amount of dealers in state and basically I let both dealers know I was shopping them. I told one salesman what the other salesman was offering and just let them do their best to win my business. I am sure they hated it, but I was looking for the best deal possible.

I almost went with a 2011 at an even deeper discount, but decided on the 2012 in the end.

Good Luck!

[SarahW]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TXiceman Sarah, the dealers here are hungry enough. They could just see the stars in your eyes. So visit the dealer and leave him your offer and phone number and leave. Ken

Thanks, Ken. That's good advice, but it didn't work for me yet. So far I have been to both Holiday World locations, Camper World, and Demontrond on the Gulf Freeway. Are there any large MH dealers out 290 or in your area? We are considering a trip to the Dallas area if we can't get a deal around here.