Community Forums

V3600 · 03-18-2020, 04:58 PM

I've driven a Tiffin FRED and it was a noisy beast.

RTC1 · 03-18-2020, 06:27 PM

Not for nothing , but FRED sounds much nicer than DP.

n2zon · 03-18-2020, 06:46 PM

We were tired of our gasser not only because of noise (and power) but because the living area of the coach is very warm after parking, for hours, unless you park where you have power so you can run the A/C. That's not the case for us all the time, or even most of the time. A DP gets that heat in the bedroom, where there's plenty of time for it to cool before bedtime. We outright rejected anything with an engine in the front. Of course, the genset is in the front on a DP, but it's a lot smaller than the chassis engine, so it doesn't heat up the coach as much, or for as long.

Just my two cents.

geordi · 03-18-2020, 06:51 PM

I believe Workhorse refers to their option as the "UFO" or Universal Fuel Option.

But UFO might fit anyway b/c it seems that they are just about as rare as the ones that aliens float around in!

The tradeoff on a FRED or UFO versus a diesel pusher is that you will have a mid-door and lose part of the living room area to the stairwell... Where with a DP, you have a completely flat floor all the way forward and have a front door, so your effective living room space is larger.

Jacjetlag · 03-18-2020, 07:31 PM

Isata 5 ?

+++++

It's like a big Ram SD pickup. 4WD too, if you want. I'm gonna try one out this week.

ElvistheKing · 03-18-2020, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RTC1

Not for nothing , but FRED sounds much nicer than DP.

Lets not kink shame. ;-)

edgray · 03-19-2020, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by geordi

I believe Workhorse refers to their option as the "UFO" or Universal Fuel Option........

NOPE.

The WCC "UFO" was a pusher chassis, never a front engine.

You are correct about the marketing claim, but the "universal FUEL option" never came to market because the UFO never had anything other than the 8.1L gasoline engine.

When WCC couldn't make any diesel engine a viable option, the marketing was change to "Universal FLOORPLAN Option" because the chassis offered a totally flat floor from front to rear (no rear engine step up).

You are also correct about the UFO being rare, as only a few hundred were made, and "most" were used by WBGO, none by Tiffin, but I still think it is the best riding and handling gasser ever built because of its unique suspension system. With its gas engine in the rear, it also the quietest gasser, too.

Jacjetlag · 03-19-2020, 04:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jacjetlag

Isata 5 ?

+++++

It's like a big Ram SD pickup. 4WD too, if you want. I'm gonna try one out this week.

+++++

Went to MHSRV today. Next to the Isata 5s were the Thor Magnitudes. Thor uses the Ford 6.7 FRED. Seeing them side by side....have to say, Thor looked better. would not have guessed that.

Monacoach · 03-19-2020, 04:28 PM

If i had a front end diesel i would reverse into rv parks and tell everyone i have a pusher....

deprived · 03-19-2020, 06:34 PM

We have a 2008 Tiffin Allegro Open Road 35QBA with the 300HP 6.7 ISB. I re-insulated the doghouse and it is much quieter but the turbo can be pretty noisy when using the exhaust brake.

We also did extensive upgrades to the suspension including a trac-bar, Koni shocks, upgraded sway bars and Sumo springs. It drives great. I added a Scangage D to monitor the engine and my mileage fully loaded with Honda toad is usually between 9 and 11 MPG.

My ONLY complaint is its limited cargo capacity for our particular model, the main limiting factor being the transmission. But the rig is fun to drive and easy to work on.

rockriver · 04-01-2020, 06:47 AM

this thread was interesting... i learned a lot.

so i'll add a little info.
newmar talking about a fred in their canyon star per a youtube i saw.

(i got into a little trouble, correctly, for posting the truth. but i didn't have a supporting link. i couldn't find the youtube, but did find a link)

https://www.rvnews.com/newmar-debuts...l-canyon-star/

Shutterbug57 · 04-01-2020, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockriver

this thread was interesting... i learned a lot.

so i'll add a little info.
newmar talking about a fred in their canyon star per a youtube i saw.

(i got into a little trouble, correctly, for posting the truth. but i didn't have a supporting link. i couldn't find the youtube, but did find a link)

https://www.rvnews.com/newmar-debuts...l-canyon-star/

The 2021 model is a front end diesel.

JpalmerCass · 04-02-2020, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RTC1

Not for nothing , but FRED sounds much nicer than DP.

When I was a kid growing up in Chicago we called immigrants "DPs". Except for the Irish ones. The term was a holdover from WW II--displaced person.

edgray · 04-02-2020, 06:36 PM

The FRED that Newnar is using under their 2021 Canyon Star is an updated version of the FRED Tiffin used under their Allegro and Allegro Bay models back in 2006-2009 "ish" model years. It is still being called the MC chassis by FCCC, but the "new" FRED Newmar will be using includes air brakes and an air bag suspension on the rear axle (only). The original MC chassis was hydraulic brakes and steel springs. Back then, the engines were more noisey than what Cummins is providing now.
The Canyon Star is Newmar's most expensive class A front engine coach, and the new FRED will make it even more expensive than the F53 V-10 gasser models preceeding it.