Alpha See Ya

[Tov61]

Looking at a 2007 Alpha See Ya 1014 model. this model features the super slide. Can't find a lot of info about this coach. Anyone have one? We currently have a Dolphin 6320 LX but want a larger coach for full time living. Have been looking at different used coaches of all coach manufacturers. So far I like the features of this Alpha. It feature the Mercedes diesel of which I am familiar . I drove a school bus after I retired. Drove busses with Cat, Cummins and Mercedes engines. Mercedes outperformed all others . More acceleration, better fuel mileage and by far the quietest engine.....any comments will be appreciated...Thanks for your help

Larry T
Albuquerque, NM
Proud Vietnam Vet

[Ivylog]

OH Boy, opinions range from good to terrible and so do the prices. Lots of complaints in the early years on lack of quality. Negatives are blistering on the fiberglass sides, hard to cool in hot weather, and partial board cabinets. Pluses are high ceilings (if you are both tall), big windows, Freightliner chassis, and some really cheap prices because of all the negative comments.

For FT the 29,500 GVW would concern me...would need the weight with full fuel and water at a minimum...not sure how much more you could put in it CCC?

The super (full wall) slide would concern me as even good manufactureds had problems with them. It does appear to have 2 large supports (hopefully made by HWH). Would have to be a heck of a deal (less than the $65K) as once you buy it, it will be hard to sell it. They have high hopes that “it’s going to go quick”. With new tires and batteries... maybe $65K.

[450Donn]

Alpha was not really famous for quality. Probably one of the reasons for their demise.

[mike brez]

I would keep on shopping

[HighDesert]

Most all the Alfa product line was midrange,or lower in quality. The SeeYah models was most well known in 5th wheel versions. I would shop around for something that I could still get parts for, if needed. When I was going to college, I worked part time at a RV dealership doing repair, etc. Alfa line looked nice, but once you got past the skin beauty, got rough pretty quick.

[Dutch Star Don]

People are trying to politely tell you to keep shopping. Your Dolphin was a well built coach and still in demand. I think you'll find the Alfa is just the opposite. It was gimmicky when it first showed up on the market and many bought them. They were flimsy and poorly built.

[RunningHard]

Next...

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by HighDesert

Most all the Alfa product line was midrange,or lower in quality. The SeeYah models was most well known in 5th wheel versions. I would shop around for something that I could still get parts for, if needed. When I was going to college, I worked part time at a RV dealership doing repair, etc. Alfa line looked nice, but once you got past the skin beauty, got rough pretty quick.

Yep, looking behind the facade told me the quality just wasn't there. Even the Gold was just not close to our '02 Dutch Star in quality.

[hewebb]

We shopped for about a year before we made a purchase. We had already decided it had to be a diesel pusher. During our shopping we looked at several coaches and talked to owners. We ended up limiting our selection to Newmar or Tiffin. Product support has been good from Newmar and I understand Tiffin owners are complementary of the factory support.
Out DS is older but is doing well for us.
Just my two cents worth.

[becks]

As stated above, there are many clean used diesels available, many better quality than Alfa. Good luck shopping.

[moisheh]

Originally Posted by becks

As stated above, there are many clean used diesels available, many better quality than Alfa. Good luck shopping.

There are some alfas thst have been redone by owners. They spend a lot of money snd are nice. But not something for the average guy to take on.

[oatmeal]

Originally Posted by Tov61

So far I like the features of this Alpha.

It's Alfa, not Alpha. That might make a difference in your searches for information.

You mentioned the engine--what other features do you like about the Alfa? If it's the big windows and tall ceilings, it's pretty much the only game in town. The big windows and tall ceilings, plus an enormous amount of storage, make Alfas popular among fulltimers, which you said you're gong to be.

But if you aren't interested in what's unique about an Alfa, there are plenty of others to choose from.

You can still get parts for an Alfa because some Alfa employees in Los Angeles bought what Alfa had when it went bankrupt and opened up a shop. They have little stuff like slide rollers, as well as the molds for things like the front cap.

There are three places that specialize in repairing Alfas: the one in Los Angeles, one near Salt Lake City, and one in Louisiana.

The main problems with getting an Alfa worked on are the basement air conditioner and the charging system. Alfa used a split house/inverter bank, which nobody seems to understand, leading to many botched battery replacement jobs and the like. It's easy to combine the battery banks, though--once you know you need to do it. I understand the theory behind what they did, but most people agree it wasn't a good idea.

On the basement air, many owners have taken the unit out themselves, and there's a wealth of information on how to do it (which would be good for doing it yourself, or guiding a repair place if you can't get to one of the experts). There are some people, in addition to the three who work on Alfas, who know their way specifically around Alfa air conditioners.

Because of the huge windows and the basement air, keeping an Alfa cool in direct sun is difficult. Many owners have added a roof air unit, and Alfa started installing wiring for them at some point. Of course they're noisy, so I think they're mostly used to jump-start the cooling, or when driving.

Alfas are also prone to blistering. The only cure is getting the thing completely resided in Indiana. It costs a fortune and takes months. People have done it, and if you buy a coach that's been resided, you'll be way ahead of the game. But I'm not sure very many owners of newer units, especially with the super-long slide, have done that.

Or you can live with the blisters. And if a particular coach doesn't have blisters, that doesn't mean it will never have them. There's a strong correlation between blisters and being in cold weather, and especially cold wet weather. The theory is that water gets in the siding and when it freezes, it pops out the filon.

The bottom line is there are some features in an Alfa that you just can't get in another coach. Those of us who like big windows and tall ceilings (even if you're not tall, it adds greatly to the livability), and quiet basement air, are glad that Alfas exist.

[Ucbyrickg]

I know two people that bought those for around $35000.

I have a friend that bought one new for $180,000. They still owed $100k years later and sank 50k into new side walls, paint, roof and tires, now only worth 86k but in fabulous shape. All I have seen have caterpillar. Very nice headroom but cheaper slam latch baggage doors and smaller wheels and tires.

[mike369]

We owned a 2008 Alfa seeya for 10 years. We never had any big issues with the coach except driving in crosswinds. The storage and livability of the coach are as good as any coach. We recently upgraded to a 2018 Tiffin allegro bus and I would be the first to admit that the quality and ride are a definite improvement but my wife really misses the storage of the Alfa ( we never had a problem with the sidewalls ) If you like what you see I think you would be happy for the money. P.S. most of the parts are generic and what isn't can be found online.