Quality of ride/drive in different Tiffin models

[RivLbCA]

I currently have a 2014 35 ft Tiffin Allegro RED. We travel appx 5-6 months out of the year so we are driving quite a bit. I'm considering upgrading to a Phaeton or Tiffin Bus but want to stay 36-38 ft length. I am actually very happy with our RED but I feel the wind and bumps or holes in the road quite a bit. I have 2 questions from other Tiffin drivers:

1. Is the ride significantly different (bette) when upgrading from a RED to a Phaeton or Bus?

2. For those who have driven the power glide chassis - is there a significant difference from that to the Freightliner?

Any feedback you can provide would be appreciated.

[NevadaNick]

We had a 2014 Red 38QRA and now have a Phaeton 36GH. Its not apples to apples because the Phaeton is shorter but it drives much nicer than the Red did.

[RivLbCA]

NevadaNick, Can you tell me what differences you notice with the drive? Do you notice a difference in re: to wind or passing semi's - ruts in the road, etc.?

[NevadaNick]

Its better in the wind than the Red was, potholes are same, the chair and the petals/steering wheel are nicer but a New Red might have the new controls as well. We have put 18k mi on it since Feb. The power of the ISL, the floorplan and the better furniture is why we went to the Phaeton. We looked at other brands as well but for the money this was the best way for us to go. Our Red was 40ft long so this one at 38ft just seems more nimble and handles everything better.

[luvlabs]

The Phaeton might ride a little better than a Red but the chassis are pretty much the same. The Phaeton will be quieter, however, due to the dual pane windows. The Bus is on a PowerGlide (Tiffin Built) chassis that has an independent front suspension. Active Air ride is an option on the Bus as well which will further smooth out the ride.

Tiffin has expanded the PowerGlide line and you will be able to order Phaetons on the PowerGlide chassis again - most likely within the next year.

Based on your want list, the Bus 37AP would be your best choice.

[NevadaNick]

Our Phaeton has a 24k rear axle and associated bags and i would imagine shocks. This probably has something to do with the dif in ride.

[ekim]

If your only issue is the ride quality you **might** get an improvement if you get the HWH Active Air installed. It's basically the same air ride system that's used in the Bus (different manufacturer).

It costs $10K to install and takes about 1 week.

They will weigh the coach and won't install if it's overloaded.

You probably won't recover much of the 10K at resale, but if you intend to keep it for a long time that's not that big a deal.

You might be able to call HWH and discuss with them exactly what you want to improve to see if their system should help.

[vsheetz]

Posting the question on the Tiffin owners forum woukd likely get several responses from folks that have upgrade experiences to share.

[Rzani]

Originally Posted by luvlabs

The Phaeton might ride a little better than a Red but the chassis are pretty much the same. The Phaeton will be quieter, however, due to the dual pane windows. The Bus is on a PowerGlide (Tiffin Built) chassis that has an independent front suspension. Active Air ride is an option on the Bus as well which will further smooth out the ride.

Tiffin has expanded the PowerGlide line and you will be able to order Phaetons on the PowerGlide chassis again - most likely within the next year.

Based on your want list, the Bus 37AP would be your best choice.

I just ordered an Allegro Bus 40SP which has the Powerglide chassis. They didn't mention that Active Air was an option and I didn't see it on the option list or the brochure? Is it included as a standard option on the Bus but an option on the Phaetons maybe?

[skeet4me]

We had a freightliner tag before we bought our Bus with the powerglide. I absolutely love the independent front suspension. Our single axle bus drives better than my tag did.

[garykk]

Originally Posted by Rzani

I just ordered an Allegro Bus 40SP which has the Powerglide chassis. They didn't mention that Active Air was an option and I didn't see it on the option list or the brochure? Is it included as a standard option on the Bus but an option on the Phaetons maybe?

A Part of the TiffinRVNetwork • Information

Look about 5 lines down from top.

[Rzani]

Originally Posted by garykk

A Part of the TiffinRVNetwork • Information

Look about 5 lines down from top.

"I am not authorized to download" whatever it is you were trying to show me. So, is it an option or included with the Powerglide? Anyone know?

[RivLbCA]

Thanks everyone for your feedback and input. We actually did go ahead and purchase a 2017 Phaeton. I have to say that driving this vs our previous Allegro RED is like night and day. We are really very, very happy.