Community Forums

capecodbob · 05-13-2014, 07:44 AM

We have reached the bottom line on this coach. I have gotton pre-qualified for finance thru Good Sam. I have done a walk thru and checked almost everything.
It has been recently serviced 10/13,
has new batteries 10/13,
It is in great shape and well taken care of.
Dealer says stored inside when not in use.
Has 39,800 miles logged on it.
Tires are original except RR is new LOL. BTDT
It has all the bells etc.
What kind of shape should the brake linings be in. I haven't checked or asked that yet. I guess that is hard to figure.
I know to check the roof radius and wet bay floor and slide floor etc.
I sent the vin to Tiff. and they have not seen the coach since build and know of no issues.

Question: we want to remove the carpet in the BR area and put down tile/laminate. The dealer has agreed .
Must the slides be removed or just tilted ?

TurtleKent · 05-13-2014, 08:10 AM

Suggest you join TRVN and ask your questions there, as it is exclusively Tiffin products. 10,000 mi/year suggests to me it has been driven longer distances than many DP, which means more interstate and less stop-and-go. That said, the AB has a two stage compression brake. If driven properly by the previous owner, the service brakes could show virtually no wear, and be good for another 5-10 years. Or if the owner didn't know how to use the compression brake effectively, the service brakes may be more worn. Can only speculate without a look-see.

The 'big 3' will quite likely need some attention, seems like most Tiffins do. From your name, I'm guessing you are located in the NE. I believe there is one service center in the NE that can perform 1-2 of the 'big 3', but not all 3. I would expect a trip to Red Bay sometime in the future for at least one of these, and might as well get them all done(if needed) while you are there.

My 2010, by my inspection, does not need any of the 'big 3' performed yet, but I have not had it to Red Bay yet for a factory inspection to verify. Again, TRVN will have much more information regarding all these questions. Enjoy your new AB.

tiffin43qrp · 05-13-2014, 09:52 PM

Kent on floor slide inspections for the big 3 what do/did you do to determine you were good?
As in floor slides?

Hayman · 05-14-2014, 06:41 AM

CapecodBob,

The service center is Ct. Motorcars & Coach located in Plainville, Ct. They CAN REPAIR all the Big 3 , wetbay, roof rails & slide out floor.

We have all our major work done at Ct Motorcars, Don & Maureen own an AB 43' and have a great group of employees . They have gone to Red Bay for training and have improved on some procedures.

Where are you located ? We are currently at Scusset on the canal !

If you want send me a PM with any questions.

Melmoses · 05-14-2014, 06:55 AM

Since it hasn't been seen by Tiffin since the build I would suggest that you check for the "big 3" yourself before committing to purchase. To check for the roof rail (which Tiffin will repair or authorize for 6 years after original purchase) you get on a tall ladder and look at the part of the roof which curves from roof to side. If you see any hairline cracks which start out looking like scratches then that will require repair now to prevent leaks. The second is the wet bay: to check this first bend down and look under the wet bay to look for sagging floor, if none is noticed then you take a screw driver and go under and push up on the bottom of the floor. If it is soft then that will need immediate addressing. The third problem of this vintage is the driver's side slide floor on the end toward the driver. Again, look at the bottom of the slide first and look for any loose rivets, screws or sagging. If you don't see anything then push up with the screw driver to see if it is soft. Those are the three things that you need to check on before purchase. They haven't been done obviously and somewhere down the line within the time frame for the fix you will have to have this fixed. Red Bay can fix it and are quick WHEN they get you in. The biggest problem is that Red Bay now stays busy most all the year so a three week wait is not uncommon, peak periods longer. The roof rails issue, from what I understand, must be done in Red Bay while the other two can be handled by authorized repair facilities (call Tiffin for recommendations).

Hayman · 05-14-2014, 11:06 AM

Our roof rails were replaced in Ct , no trip required to the motherland !

TurtleKent · 05-14-2014, 10:14 PM

To Melmoses very fine comments I would add:

The roof rail hairline cracks typically run side-to-side, not lengthwise. You'll find several photos of these on TRVN forum.

To verify the DS slide floor damage, somewhere I read to remove the small screws on the front bottom of the slide and examine the screws for any rust(water in the wood).

capecodbob · 05-15-2014, 07:48 PM

I have expressed my "Big Three" concerns to the salesman . Via e-mail. He got back to a short while later and had called the privious owner and was told that the coach was taken to Red bay and repaired before they became an issue.

Evidentaly the e-mail I recieved from Tiffin only concerned recall, bullitins on these coaches and never really looked up the vin.
So, all is good. . We have not signed yet.

TurtleKent · 05-16-2014, 01:13 PM

Suggest you actually call Tiffin to verify all three were actually completed, and the date completed. Make sure the coach was not merely 'inspected and told they don't need done at that time'. That seems to happen quite frequently, Tiffin does not automatically do the repairs, only as needed. Read on TRVN about the re-dos that a few coaches have required. Seems that Tiffin has changed the way they repair the roof rails a couple of times, and a few coaches are on their second repair. Not many, but a few. Not that any of the three not completed is a deal-breaker, or worthy of a reduced sale price. Minimize your after-purchase surprises by being well informed!

capecodbob · 06-26-2014, 07:36 PM

FYI We bought it and made sure the big three were done. I actually got ton call the PO and he assured me and explained what they did in RB.
It has been a learning experience and we still have minor issues to solve.

Air bags don't air up until we are actually moving no matter how long we wait. Have tried activating air brake release and foot brake in gear / out and moving a foot or so and no air up. However moving out by the time we hit the entrance we are aired up Strange.

Step cover bangs and I need to adjust. I know where.
No ac to norcold refer. power to recep is good and power board fuse is good. Ice maker has a thermister which feeds the power board and I well get to that. LP works.
Wondering if the backlights on the pass. door switches have to be on all the time or not
Love it .