Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > THE OWNER'S CORNER FORUMS > Tiffin Owner's Forum
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on iRV2
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 08-30-2017, 09:48 AM   #1
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 73
38qra

Looking to purchase a 38qra with 65000 miles has a 340 with a 2500 trans is this a good combo heard bad things about the trans and that the motor does not have enough power anyone have one can use some advise have a 2004 newmar mountain air now with an 8.1 gas how will the tiffin match up to this in power and build quilty any inf will be greatly appreciated. This is a 2012 model.
kejy is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 08-30-2017, 09:55 AM   #2
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Posts: 99
What year model and type?
Trans. Cajun is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2017, 09:55 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
Mr_D's Avatar
 
Country Coach Owners Club
Solo Rvers Club
iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 37,725
That combo could be OK for some and not for others. MH would have to be very light and not towing much. I wouldn't buy one, but others would love it. Drive it and see.
__________________
2009 45' Magna 630 w/Cummins ISX 650 HP/1950 Lbs Ft, HWH Active Air
Charter Good Sam Lifetime Member, FMCA,
RV'ing since 1957, NRA Benefactor Life, towing '21 Jeep JLU Rubicon Ecodiesel
Mr_D is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-30-2017, 09:56 PM   #4
Community Administrator
 
Lt Dan's Avatar


 
Tiffin Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: DFW, Texas
Posts: 21,266
We had a 38QRA with that engine/transmission combination. It was a great coach and I found it was just adequate but had no problem with some of the Rocky Mountain passes. It would have to downshift to fifth then fourth on a lot of grades and it didn't break any speed records but it did make it up the hills. I will say that the engine and transmission are at the bottom of the power curve for the weight of the coach and you are limited to 5,000 lbs towing. The farther below that towing weight you can go the better off you will be. We were towing a 4,000 lb Jeep all of the time. We had an 8.1 Workhorse Itasca before that and found that the Tiffin was about equivalent in taking the hills, but did it much quieter! As for build quality, we had a few very minor issues with the coach, but nothing major at all.
__________________
2017 Phaeton 40IH XSH Maroon Coral - Power Glide Chassis with IFS
Previous '15 Tiffin Allegro RED 38QRA and '06 Itasca Sunrise 35A
'16 Jeep JKU Wrangler Sahara or '08 Honda Goldwing
Lt Dan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-03-2017, 02:12 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 228
I have a 2015 Allegro Red 38 QRA towing a 4000 pound Jeep Cherokee and I have traveled from Phoenix to Seattle, to Glacier National Park through Yellowstone and so on without any issues, like stated you will not win any races but she will do 45 MPH on a 7% to 8% incline without problems on the bright side on the way down she will go as fast as a unit with the 600 HP!!!

I have the 340 with the 2500, now there was a recall this year for an issue on this transmission according to the recall there was an issue with the software the transmission was changing gears at a higher RPM and they were right ever since I had my unit and brought it home for the first time I noticed that under load when dropping from 5 to 4th gear the MH would shake as it was making the change I was told that this was normal for this transmission NOT!!!!! Since the retuning of the software the unit shits like a Cadillac smooth and no more shaking, I just returned from a 3600 mile trip and no issues!!! Also I can tell you that after this trip I can say that the cooling system on this unit is outstanding we were climbing 6% grades with temperatures of 113'F and the temperature gauge was always in the middle or below. Good luck on your MH hunting!!!
Grandcanyon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2017, 10:08 AM   #6
Member
 
Old Folks's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: US
Posts: 32
Weight on 38QRA

Quote:
Originally Posted by Grandcanyon View Post
I have a 2015 Allegro Red 38 QRA towing a 4000 pound Jeep Cherokee and I have traveled from Phoenix to Seattle, to Glacier National Park through Yellowstone and so on without any issues, like stated you will not win any races but she will do 45 MPH on a 7% to 8% incline without problems on the bright side on the way down she will go as fast as a unit with the 600 HP!!!

I have the 340 with the 2500, now there was a recall this year for an issue on this transmission according to the recall there was an issue with the software the transmission was changing gears at a higher RPM and they were right ever since I had my unit and brought it home for the first time I noticed that under load when dropping from 5 to 4th gear the MH would shake as it was making the change I was told that this was normal for this transmission NOT!!!!! Since the retuning of the software the unit shits like a Cadillac smooth and no more shaking, I just returned from a 3600 mile trip and no issues!!! Also I can tell you that after this trip I can say that the cooling system on this unit is outstanding we were climbing 6% grades with temperatures of 113'F and the temperature gauge was always in the middle or below. Good luck on your MH hunting!!!
Grandcanyon - Are you a full-timer? Do you know what your rig weighs? We were looking at a 2013 38QRA but were afraid we would be right at the limit of the GCWR with all our stuff and towing a 4,000 pound pickup truck.
__________________
Shell & Addie
The Old Folks
Old Folks is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-30-2017, 03:22 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Tiffin Owners Club
Appalachian Campers
Mid Atlantic Campers
Coastal Campers
Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 1,622
Have a 2015 with that engine/tranny combo and it does just fine. Have almost 30K miles on it now. 3 major multi month trips out west thru the mountains, many up up and down the east coast and thru the appalachian mountain ranges all the time. On normal interstates it will run all day on cruise control, I normally run about 65. I run VMSPC to monitor all of the engine & transmission vital signs, and never overheats, the high speed fan kicks on @210 and drops it in less than a minute 10-15 degrees where the low speed fan resumes. Normal fairly level interstate travelling (as long as not sweltering heat), I never see the high speed fan kick on at all.

I've even taken it up and over the Grand Teton pass where it was crawling and I think the speed limit is like 15mph....and left it in 1st coming down.

It's just a really solid chassis as far as I'm concerned.

I do have a trip down to SC leaving tomorrow, and on the return leg have an appointment to have the transmission shifting recall done. I think twice I've noticed the problem they mentioned at max rpm, but getting it done anyhow since it's a free update and check.
__________________
DaveB, Raleigh, NC
2015 Tiffin RED 33AA, w/Honda CRV
VMSpc, Magnum BMK/ARC50
Kiawah is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-08-2017, 01:56 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 228
Hello! No we are not full timers, but we have been averaging close to 10,000 miles of use a year so far, I'm retired but also like to cruise and fly to locations that I cannot go in my MH. Like I mentioned so far so good with this unit we have been blessed that we have had not major issues. My unit weighs loaded close to 34,000 lbs plus the 4,000 lb Jeep that I tow behind it. Good Luck!
Grandcanyon is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
2012 Tiffin 38QRA Dan OBanion Tiffin Owner's Forum 6 05-03-2015 06:17 AM
Our New 2014 Allegro RED 38QRA dondar New Rig Show-Off! 7 11-22-2014 06:53 AM
Our New 2015 Allegro Red 38QRA jax1911 New Rig Show-Off! 15 10-24-2014 07:40 AM
Attention 38QRA Owners I need your help Rodneykrantz Tiffin Owner's Forum 6 08-18-2014 09:36 PM
2014 red 38qra GKU Tiffin Owner's Forum 8 06-21-2014 05:35 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:41 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.