Community Forums

Triker56 · 02-03-2014, 12:42 PM

With the Discovery you can get a lot of owners support & help when needed HERE.

RTinVa · 02-03-2014, 01:55 PM

My wife and I recently traded our 5th wheel that sleeps 4 for the Fleetwood 38b that sleeps 6. We found it difficult to bring the grandkids with us and are looking forward to many trips with them. The 4th grandchild is only weeks away! Looking forward to many trips with my children and their children. My mother and father had 5 of us kids on our east coast to west coast trip in 1973. That is what I want to do for my children so the legacy of camping continues in the family. I believe my bunk house model coach will do just that!
Safe travels!

Clayobx · 02-03-2014, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craigls2

I'm in the same situation as Herman. 2 adults and 2 kids and love the bunkhouse. But the question was about which to choose, Tiffin or Fleetwood. Never owned a Tiffin so my experience is only with Fleetwood. We are on our second Fleetwood, a 2013 Discovery 40G we purchased new last March. We love it and the way it lives. My opinion is that Fleetwood needs to improve their quality control before shipping the units out. We had a long list of items that needed fixing and had a lot of back and forth to the dealer and a trip to the factory too. I know many people consider a long punch list as standard for a new MH but many of the problems were obvious had someone only gone through and tried everything to make sure it worked. We really do like the Discovery 40G, just not the time we wasted getting it working properly. Hopefully Fleetwood pays better attention to QC than they did last year.

You are correct, manufactures, ALL including the top production coaches and custom coaches ie, Newell, Foretravel have "new coach" issues. Yes, it's a PITA to get these overlooked items corrected, it takes time and money. However, you'll find this issue in boats, air planes, s/b homes etc. you get my point. The bottom line how many issues? How were these problems broken down, house, chassis, vendor related items? Was your warranty questioned or was the worked performed in a timely manner? My dealer wasn't the greatest, told FW about it, they took notice and directed my complaint to the proper management and I was personally notified. This matters, to me a lot! I believe Bob Tiffin is a fine outstanding retailer. However, spending weeks or a month in Red Bay waiting for service is not my cup of tea. Don't misinterpret my personal observations Tiffin backs their product. However, unlike a previous post, I would never trash another's choice of purchase. JMO but well thought out!

Craigls2 · 02-03-2014, 05:15 PM

The punch list for our Discovery was long (in my opinion), and included both exterior and interior items but no chassis items I can remember. Many of them were obvious and should never have made it out the door such as doors that were so tight they wouldn't shut and seatbelts that were too short for adults to buckle. My comments were in response to the OPs question and were not a condemnation of Fleetwood, just our experience. All items were handled under warranty and most at the factory. We still have one item, the windshield, that needs replaced but that won't happen till spring. Found out in a heavy rain that the seal leaks. We really like our Discovery and are very happy with it. Fleetwood was very responsive and helpful. It was just a major PITA.

Gary1965 · 02-03-2014, 07:06 PM

This will always be a heated debate !

I originally had a deposit on a Phaeton 40ft, and bought a Discovery 40G, based only on floor plan. I really do not believe that quality is really that much different as I researched both pretty extensively. I am impressed with the Tiffin reputation of service, but I have to say that Fleetwood service has been outstanding. Personally, I would be comfortable buying either manufacturer and my decision would be based on floor plan.

mojoracing · 02-05-2014, 01:16 AM

I am considering moving up to a dp this year even though our coach is is only months old. We love the quality and responsiveness of fleetwood. I have looked very closely at the discovery and have found the fit and finish excellent. Tiffin also seems to do well in all these departments. This thread made me go back and look a little closer at tiffins website. Im going to have to put them on the short list. That 42lh has a great floor plan.

Clayobx · 02-06-2014, 05:48 PM

Just as a suggestion have you looked into the FW Providence line? IMHO the Providence is equal in a majority of all amenities to FW Rev. I looked thoroughly at Tiffin and FW. Just say'in, I continue to research coaches. Providence standard equipment,! give it a look. Best of luck in your search it's fun!

94-Newmar · 02-07-2014, 03:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deucenut

Hello All, we have decided to trade in our 2005 Winnebago Journey 39k. We have come across the above two different motorhomes. I don't have any experience with either Fleetwood or Tiffin so I am wondering what the thoughts of the forum are? Both units are brand new. The fleetwood is approx. $30000 less. What the build quality of each? Is Tiffin better than Fleetwood? Both have the same engine, transmission and chassis: the 380hp cummins in a freightliner chassis. Obviously one is longer.

Regardless of the manufacturer you'll find the same brand of equipment such as water pumps, heating, cooling, leveling, charging/inverting, lighting, slide room drives, etc etc etc. In most cases there are only 2 or 3 different major players found across all brands of coaches. The same can be said for the Chassis that they are built from too.

Fortunately all the manufacturers are building much better wall and roof systems (exterior) than what they did many many years ago.

Where you'll find huge differences amongst manufacturers is in the interior construction materials used and it's fit and finish. Wander through some different coaches and really pay attention to paneling; flooring; cabinetry materials and construction; moldings (type of materials used as some are using a hard styrofoam for corner moldings instead of wood!!); handles and latches; interior door hinges; interior door materials and hardware; drawer slides; slide room fascias; window valance construction and mounting; ceiling panels; shower/tub surround at the bottom and top for fit/finish; push on some interior dividing walls in various places. Some lower end builders use woodgrain coverings over MDF wood to "resemble" real wood on cabinet doors, trims, moldings, etc. These coverings do not fair well in the humidity extremes of an RV, nor do they fair well with normal wear and tear usage. MDF cabinetry found in many models is often a large complaint amongst customers; I've seen them delaminate and warp in as little as one season of use. When it's used near foot traffic, I find it always damaged and the covering coming loose at the bottom edges from feet hitting it. Hard Foam based moldings do not take any normal wear/tear abuse and are quickly damaged.

For some more fun on your comparison shopping remove some drawers from various places inside and set them on the dining table and bed, grab a flashlight peek in and have a look behind the scenes.

I'm sure everybody could add 100 more items to this list, but you get the idea. Set aside all the shiny glitz and glamor and really investigate construction and materials. Have fun shopping!

nbargolf · 02-07-2014, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clayobx

Just as a suggestion have you looked into the FW Providence line? IMHO the Providence is equal in a majority of all amenities to FW Rev. I looked thoroughly at Tiffin and FW. Just say'in, I continue to research coaches. Providence standard equipment,! give it a look. Best of luck in your search it's fun!

Second that, we own a 2008 Providence and love it. The fit and finish is top of the line. The providence is the top of FW line in model.

darcan · 02-07-2014, 06:49 AM

Just have to throw my two cents in also. We have a 2008 Providence 40X. We love it and especially love the floor plan. We still dream about our next MH and what will it be. We've looked at Tiffins because we hear so much about them; and also other brands but in my opinion, I haven't found a floor plan that can beat the 40X and so at some point, we would probably buy it again. We bought it used so can't really comment on warranty or factory service as we really haven't needed anything in the two years we've owned it. Good luck with your decision.

6wheels · 02-25-2015, 08:28 AM

The floor plan on the Tiffin 36G is awkward, look at it when the slides are closed. This is how it is when traveling - can you get to the back easily? No. However, if you were comparing a 40 ft. Phaeton vs. Fleetwood Discovery here are my observations:
Fleetwood has more glitz, electronics, the bays are not lined with material that can mildew.
Tiffin seems to think of the "little" things, like little convenience items already installed, and well thought out. Better storage. I did notice a decline in workmanship in 2014 over 2013, and then that was corrected in 2015.

We have a Discovery 40G and bought it so the grandkids can travel with us, now that I have had it a while wish we had gone with the Phaeton QBH with the computer workstation and king bed. The price was about $7,000 more (with dishwasher) but I feel it is worth the extra cash. Another factor here is that we can access the factory service from Atlanta as we are within 300 miles to Red Bay AL vs 600 miles to ARG in Decatur IN