Community Forums

Putter1 · 09-06-2019, 06:47 AM

We are considering moving up to a shortish DP. 30 - 33 ft. Love our Renegade Vienna, 30,000 miles and 43 states in 3 years but would like a bit more room. Here is the catch. I don’t want to pull another vehicle. We have been very successful in using our Class C to get around when on trips. Pretty easy to use Google Maps to locate large surface parking lots, (grocery store, big box store, church, etc.) to park our rig and then walk to the attraction or destination.
Yes it is a bit of a hassle to “break camp” but it really doesn’t bother me to do so and i would much rather do that than pull a vehicle. We usually (almost never) stay in one spot for more than 3 nights.

So...please help us out with your experiences in the shorter DP’s and general accessibility.
Looking at the 31 ft Tiffin Allegro!
Thanks in advance.
Stan and Janice

cj_calva · 09-06-2019, 07:51 AM

Hi Janice, Hi Stan
Well there might be a difference between the Mercedes Sprinter Chassis and a diesel pusher.
Our "rv-career" was from a 24ft E-350 Chassis to some class A gas models and since a good while a 35ft DP, mid-entry coach. We do not towing and it's no problem to go "shopping" with our rv (ok I remember the first time at Safeway's at Half Moon Bay CA: those guys have installed anti-theft-brakes on their trolleys and those like us who parked a little further away due to space-availability suddenly found themselves confronted with a full shopping trolley that could no longer be moved... but the friendly staff helped us out...).
We would like to have a mid-entry coach because the bus-door style take the passenger's panoramic view, as well as a loft-bed installation gives the visitors a kind of a "own room" without transformig sofas or dinettes. So after a short "test-drive" on a 36ft Thor Palazzo (horrible story; see all the slide issues) we found the Winnebago Forza 34T which we drive now the 6th season without any problems.

We do often boondocking or visit local State Parks etc.. certainly you cannot park on a 25ft spot, but mostly there are several 35ft spots too. There is need of plannig ahead, because you have to reserve them at the right time. But for us, mostly no problem.

Our "trick" to avoid having to travel by RV in larger National Parks like Yellowstone with limited RV-parking spaces at the scenic hotspots: We have e-bikes aboard (back on the hitch) and sometimes we rent a car (Custer State Park etc.).
The Forza 34T is quite handy, clear and easy to use, in big cities as well as on small roads. We've even done the Cottonwood Canyon Road (Kane County UT) with it. Ok, a 4x4 truck-camper would do it faster an better, but it was feasible, als well as some nice roads in the Death Valley or on the Lost Coast CA.

Wish you that you'll find the right one!
CJ

Putter1 · 09-07-2019, 08:20 AM

CJ,
Thanks for your thoughts and insight. We are committed to the IDEA of a smaller Class A however we are also committed to the maneuverability and access that our 25 ft Renegade has afforded us. We have been to Grand Canyon and stayed IN the park. There were many large Class A’s in the campground. Been to Custer as well. Stayed at the Rafter J ( really nice, wide open park BTW) and used our Class C to tour the park, stop at the Welcome center, drive the Wildlife Loop Road, stop, park and take a hike, etc. we don’t want to give up that flexibility.
Parked downtown Custer and went to Mt. Rushmore Brewery....no trouble at all parking.
Drove to Devil’s Tower in WY...... again no trouble parking. We THINK the 30-33 ft range puts us right on the fringe of being limited in our ability to go just about anywhere like we have been able to do in our 25 footer.
Any other thoughts and comments would be much appreciated!

Stan and Janice.

Monkey Run · 09-07-2019, 08:05 PM

Ours is 39' and I could use it in many cases as our get around transportation, however, unhooking everything and picking up camp is the last thing I want to do! We don't tow either, rather, we rent an inexpensive vehicle and have it delivered to our site by the rental company. It's our vacation time, we desire simplicity and relaxation. A few bucks extra for the rental is worth it to us.

momdoc · 09-07-2019, 08:51 PM

We started off in a 24ft Class C (Dynamx3) and found we needed more living space and storage. So we ended up with 40ft DP. We do have a toad and actually had it with the C.

Glad to see you are looking at the Tiffins

Good luck.

John Jones · 09-07-2019, 10:18 PM

I was going to suggest the Tiffin, but it sounds like thats already on your radar.

Putter1 · 09-08-2019, 05:44 AM

It sounds like you are a Tiffin owner?? We like them if for no other reason they make the shortest DP. Length maybe an odd 1st criteria but for many reasons, primarily mobility, i.e. we want to be able to get the rig into cities, drive it to attractions, etc without using a toad. Don’t mind breaking camp at all. Do it right now with our 25 ft ClassC.
However....the layout....most importantly the position of the TV seems a bit if not a lot awkward. One person could sit at the dinette and the other in the passenger captains chair but that seems a bit odd.
Any Tiffin Allegro owners have an opinion on the 1) ability to take the shorter rig into “town”, and
2) the TV position. Also......has anybody done a mod to add a W/D in the Allegro Red 31 footer?
Thanks!
Stan and Janice

txcpl · 09-08-2019, 06:41 AM

We have a 35 ft class A. Our traveling friends have a 32 ft class C. The class C is much more maneuverable in town than the class A. The length is not the difference, it is the height that makes the difference. They like their class C, and we like our class A.

Monkey Run · 09-09-2019, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by txcpl

We have a 35 ft class A. Our traveling friends have a 32 ft class C. The class C is much more maneuverable in town than the class A. The length is not the difference, it is the height that makes the difference. They like their class C, and we like our class A.

This is what I was thinking also. I can park my 39 in most any town, it's the height or possibly the GVW which may present an issue. In fact, I drove my Allegro Bus straight through the middle of Washington DC. The 31' pusher sounds interesting, I've not seen that one.

Putter1 · 09-10-2019, 08:04 AM

This model is only 31 feet 6 inches long and 11 feet 8 inches tall so I don’t think the height will be too much of a problem. Our current 25 footer is 11 6 tall and we haven’t encountered too much trouble....except for one low train crossing in Asheville NC.
It sounds from some of the previous posts that this length would not present too much of an issue getting around towns, attractions, parks, golf courses, etc.
we have had such good luck with our shorter coach we don’t want to be limited by the length while using it for regular transportation on our RV trips. We usually don’t stay in one place for more than 3 nights and like very much to explore when we travel.
I really don’t want to pull a car so this length may fit the bill as far as giving us more interior space while also accommodating our desire to be fairly mobile.

HRRon · 09-10-2019, 08:49 AM

Last year we flew out to Salt Lake City from Michigan to buy our first Class A, a 30 foot gas RV, and drove it back home. Went through Yellowstone, Mount Rushmore, and the Badlands and had no issues finding spots for it. In October of last year we headed to West Virginia and for me that state isn't the most RV friendly. We got into numerous situations where the GPS sent us down those 1 lane roads that were on the scarey side for new RV owners. We don't tow a car yet and that's a future purchase.

This year we went to an RV show in February and fell in love with a 36 footer so upgraded for way more room and more livability when we go "more-timering". Last week we went on a 1 week vacation around Michigan and my wife followed me with a car and honestly we could have left the car at home because most of what we did we found there was ample big rig RV parking.

HighDesert · 09-10-2019, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Putter1

It sounds like you are a Tiffin owner?? We like them if for no other reason they make the shortest DP. Length maybe an odd 1st criteria but for many reasons, primarily mobility, i.e. we want to be able to get the rig into cities, drive it to attractions, etc without using a toad. Don’t mind breaking camp at all. Do it right now with our 25 ft ClassC.
However....the layout....most importantly the position of the TV seems a bit if not a lot awkward. One person could sit at the dinette and the other in the passenger captains chair but that seems a bit odd.
Any Tiffin Allegro owners have an opinion on the 1) ability to take the shorter rig into “town”, and
2) the TV position. Also......has anybody done a mod to add a W/D in the Allegro Red 31 footer?
Thanks!
Stan and Janice

I think you mean the Allegro Breeze, as that comes in at 31'. The Red is 35' and longer.

Putter1 · 09-11-2019, 04:47 AM

Thanks for the correction! Yes I meant the Allegro Breeze! On that note.....Allegro Breeze owners and Tiffin owners in general, how do you find the lay out as it relates to TV watching? It seems the searing is a bit awkward. There really isn’t seating directly in line with the mid coach TV nor the TV above the windshield.
Also....has anybody added a W/D to a Breeze? Possibly in the closet in the bedroom?
It is sounding like the length will not be too much of a mobility restriction in the 31ft coach.
Thanks,
Stan and Janice

cotton top · 09-11-2019, 08:24 AM

We have a 2004 Allegro 31da gas (3rd) owner. Couldn’t be happier. No toad , we have a Mazda Miata we want to take but haven’t found the right trailer yet. So 1 1/2 years we have either rented a car or drove one if less than an hour away. Only one time we couldn’t go we’re we wanted- was on a county road but couldn’t go under a train trestle . No problem parking anywhere with 2 end to end parking. I do drive fire trucks full time so pretty normal for me.