Allegro or Miramar? Anyone with an opinion?

[WhatDoIKnow]

Brenda:
Just plan on going to the "factory" to have your coach worked on during the warranty period.
Tiffin is in Alabama. Thor is in Indiana.
Make it part of your trip.

[MetalGator]

Originally Posted by SERGEANTROCK

MetalGator I am Dan Rodgers (SERGEANTROCK) I have a 2016 Thor Windsport that I don't like. I am thinking of trading it in. I read your comments on your Maramar. How is the quality? Do you think the Windsport and Miramar are made at different plants. Please, anyone out there tell me about their Miramar. I have a bunk model 34J. I will be buying one atleast that big.

Hello Dan. Not sure if the Windsport and Miramar are built in the same plant. I have been fairly pleased with the quality and fit and finish of the Miramar. We were just about to pull the trigger on a Newmar 3401 when we looked at the Miramar 35.3. I have had the Miramar back to the dealer several times for warranty issues. Some were quality issues and some were component failures. We looked at the Windsport and Hurricane models that had the same floorplan as the Miramar 35.1. The biggest difference for us was the underneath storage. The Windsport and Hurricane had small storage compartments while the Miramar has passthrough storage with tons of room. The cabinets, hinges and other parts used inside the Miramar seemed to be of higher quality vs the Hurricane and Windsport. I would definitely purchase again and I think the Miramar drives nice.


Burch

[f18sailor]

I guess I'll add my 10 cents since we are on motorhome #5. Currently own a 2012 Allegro 35QBA purchased used 3 years ago.
To date, we have had only a handful of issues, none related specifically to Tiffin. There is only a handful of suppliers for most RV systems and all motorhome manufacturers use them and that's what fails most of the time (i.e entry step, furnace, a/c, etc).
My view on Tiffin, and specifically the Open Road is that this is their "entry level" and they roll down many of the features found in their DPs to the gas line. Especially the woodwork, and all of it is solid wood, is all done in-house. Their basement and baggage doors are the most solid I have found. In our group of friends there are 5 Tiffin owners and all are happy with their choice. Getting things fixed at Red Bay seems to be the only good way though.

For all other manufacturers, a comparable gas coach it at the high end of their lineup. This means they add the more luxurious items, but to save cost, many lower end items also get rolled into these coaches, often not obvious to the customer.
I agree with others that said they would never buy another coach without a fiberglass roof and Tiffin's is molded vs. others where a fiberglass sheet is bent over the edges which can create stress cracks.
I would also recommend HWH for levelers and hydraulic slides. Friends with other systems have many issues and can't get spare parts for an 8 year old system.



Most importantly, really spending time in the target RV, including driving it, is key. Try it in "day" mode and "night" mode. For example, one friend never tried the sofa sleeper before purchase and found out that it extends all the way to the opposing wall which leads to the rear bedroom occupants having to climb over their guests to get out of the bedroom. Before we purchased the Tiffin, I also test drove a Bounder, but the front side windows are short and in my driving position, the side wall extended past my seat, so I was staring at a wall when trying to look left. That was a complete no-go for me. Same thing for some layouts, where the driver's seat travel is restricted by the slide-out wall. Make sure you can adjust the seat to a very comfortable position for you since you will spend a lot of long days driving. This also includes a clear view of all gauges and mirrors and key controls within comfortable reach.
Good luck finding the right RV for your needs.

[Brenda O]

Originally Posted by f18sailor

I guess I'll add my 10 cents since we are on motorhome #5. Currently own a 2012 Allegro 35QBA purchased used 3 years ago.
To date, we have had only a handful of issues, none related specifically to Tiffin. There is only a handful of suppliers for most RV systems and all motorhome manufacturers use them and that's what fails most of the time (i.e entry step, furnace, a/c, etc).
My view on Tiffin, and specifically the Open Road is that this is their "entry level" and they roll down many of the features found in their DPs to the gas line. Especially the woodwork, and all of it is solid wood, is all done in-house. Their basement and baggage doors are the most solid I have found. In our group of friends there are 5 Tiffin owners and all are happy with their choice. Getting things fixed at Red Bay seems to be the only good way though.

For all other manufacturers, a comparable gas coach it at the high end of their lineup. This means they add the more luxurious items, but to save cost, many lower end items also get rolled into these coaches, often not obvious to the customer.
I agree with others that said they would never buy another coach without a fiberglass roof and Tiffin's is molded vs. others where a fiberglass sheet is bent over the edges which can create stress cracks.
I would also recommend HWH for levelers and hydraulic slides. Friends with other systems have many issues and can't get spare parts for an 8 year old system.



Most importantly, really spending time in the target RV, including driving it, is key. Try it in "day" mode and "night" mode. For example, one friend never tried the sofa sleeper before purchase and found out that it extends all the way to the opposing wall which leads to the rear bedroom occupants having to climb over their guests to get out of the bedroom. Before we purchased the Tiffin, I also test drove a Bounder, but the front side windows are short and in my driving position, the side wall extended past my seat, so I was staring at a wall when trying to look left. That was a complete no-go for me. Same thing for some layouts, where the driver's seat travel is restricted by the slide-out wall. Make sure you can adjust the seat to a very comfortable position for you since you will spend a lot of long days driving. This also includes a clear view of all gauges and mirrors and key controls within comfortable reach.
Good luck finding the right RV for your needs.

Thank you for all of your excellent points. As I have been doing A LOT of online research I have heard many of you points. I am happy to see that I am on the right track. As I am a year or two out I should be an expert by the time I make my purchase.
Thanks again
Brenda

[Brenda O]

Originally Posted by Beachmama13

We are trying to decide between the same 2 coaches, it sounds like.

Yesterday we looked at both the Miramar 37.1 & Allegro OR 36UA.

My husband looks at the systems and I look more toward the family functionality.

My observations....

Laundry -- Miramar - Combo vs Allegro - Stackable

Bunkroom -- Miramar feels wider and is definitely longer, my 6' husband still had rooms to spare when laying in it vs the Allegro that his head and feet both touched. This is an important one for us as we have a 14yo son that is growing taller by the day.

Overhead Bunk - Miramar hands down. The power down bunk is a Q size, according to rep, plenty of room for our son to use this if he outgrows the bunk. The overhead on the Tiffin feels like an afterthought and is only a twin, doesn't feel as sturdy. It's a flip & fold type.

TV - Tiffin was our favorite here. The TV is across from the couch, plus the huge one up front. Salesman said that there are only 2 incoming cable lines for 4 TVs. Meaning 2 TVs each share the same signal. He thought that the LR TVs were on same line and the Bedroom & Outside were on same line. Whereas the Miramar has the TV next to the couch and you have to slide/pivot it out--which can block the walkway. This is a huge thing for my husband, he hates the TV location in the LR of the Miramar. Thankfully, he prefers to be outside whenever possible, so he will get over this, lol. I do like that the Miramar also has TVs installed in the bunks.

Galley - Countertop length seemed longer in the Miramar (I didn't measure either). The Convection micro also looked larger in the Miramar. I was eyeballing the size to see if I can put a muffin pan in there or a 13x9 casserole.

Shades - Tiffin has 2, a daytime one that you can even bring down while driving--which we neither felt we would use while driving but it would be nice when parked so you can see outside. Both had the blackout type screens, too.

Bed - I liked that the king bed was on the door side, you can look out the window and see if someone is at your door. Miramar has it on the opposite side.

Baths - Miramar, as you know, has 2 full baths while the Allegro is 1.5 bath.

Fit & Finish - the Allegro here, the plumbing lines are all hidden--in the miramar, you can see the water line going to the back of the toilet. The Allegro also has fully ducted vents. You don't have that square AC thing in the ceiling---Miramar has 2 of these.

Heat - Allegro has the option to add a heat pump to the AC, Miramar does not. That's something we really wanted so we don't have to rely on propane heat.

Length, Miramar is a little longer than the Allegro.

I do wish the bath/bunks were on opposite sides on the Miramar and that it had the full wall slide like the Tiffin does. The Tiffin does feel more spacious along the center of the coach.

On the outside, the basement doors on the Tiffin felt more sturdy and they closed on their own. Miramar, you have to 'shut them'. I know that a few people have had problems with the basement doors coming open while driving. Bad glue batch is what's I've read.

In the end, while we love the Allegro, the Miramar is going to suit us better--for now. We don't want to constantly have to make a bed each day (using a fold out couch/dinette/etc) and the bunk size of the Miramar is going to fit our son's long legs. Plus, if he outgrows that we have the over cab bunk he can use. There is also a big price difference between the two, which is a consideration.

WOW! what a great review of both. I feel like you are reading my thoughts. I am also leaning to the Miramar for all of the same reasons. We will both just have to make sure that our own PDI is careful. I was planning on buying in Indiana and spending a few weeks in the area to work out any kinks in the coach. Best of luck to you. I hope you post and let us know how the purchase and first trips go. Thank you for the awesome summation.
B

[bigwillie]

Originally Posted by MetalGator

Brenda


We have a 2018 Miramar 35.3 and absolutely love it. It drives nice and we really like the floorplan and options. Yes, we did have to get the bugs out the first year and had to take it back to the dealership several times. Thor approved all repairs and even directly sent me parts one time to make a simple repair myself. If you read these forms enough you will see that every brand has their issues. We would definitely purchase the Miramar again.


I tow to different Jeeps behind our Miramar. Most of the time, I tow our 2015 Jeep wrangler JK (two door) but I also tow my wifes 2014 Wrangler JKU (4 door) sometimes. The Miramar tows both of them great.



Burch

Originally Posted by desertvince

Brenda O,
Your posts say you are willing to do the required research, so IMHO suggest looking at used, DP with 4 slides. You can do with a $130k budget. Gets you a much more comfortable living/kitchen area, needed carry capacity, and a better quality MH. Yes, takes a lot more research, hence time. For example, our '06 Tiffin Phaeton 40 ft DP with 55,000 miles is almost new and is probably worth $80,000. Not your floor plan, but I bet yours is out there in the used universe.

We purchased a 2017 Miramar 37.1 new in January of 2018. It drives really well with no suspension mods. Floor plan was what we needed.
Only issues were a slide issue that was screwed up at the factory and was finally fixed and an inverter problem. We also tow a 2018 Jeep Wrangler JKU Willys with no issues. Grandkids love the bunk beds and disabled son sleeps up front . Try to get a good local dealer or be close to the factory. Very good storage. Fit and finish seem to be good so far. Love the 2 full bathrooms. Do a real good PDI. Price was right at 40% off.