How would you rate the quality of Tiffin and Newmar?

[Hpozzuoli]

My first coach was a Bluebird Wanderlodge which set the bar extremely high. I downsized to a Winnebago Aspect, then bought my Tiffin. Bluebird speaks for itself, the Winnebago surprised me. Solid wood cabinets, name brand electronics, well set up, and easy to use. Definetly a step below Tiffin, but not far. My Tiffin is built how I would imagine it should be. Solid wood, insulated everywhere I could see, things are labeled and in logical areas, they come well appointed and don’t make you buy extra options to get it equipped nicely. Full paint and no stickers outside. That was my main issue with the Winnebago. After a few years the graphics were peeling, flaking and generally looking ******. My Tiffin is a Breeze which is the smallest DP on the market. I think there was something like 5 or maybe 6 options available which we have. Tiffin as a company has been great. I have the flaking flex steel issue and they sent out new fabric and covers for all my furniture even though my rig is a 2012. They didn’t charge me a dime either.

Everyone has their favorites for various reasons. I think Tiffin is as good as you can get right now. Most of our perceived quality comes from the build process. If you get lazy or careless techs assembling your rig it doesn’t matter how good the materials are.

[HighDesert]

Tiffin and Newmar always seem to ring the bell on quality coaches. Entegra also has a good reputation. We are current on our 2nd Tiffin, and are. Ely pleased w it hit to date. If I was going to look at upgrading, it would be Tiffin first, them Newmar. Note however, I would not be looking at anything over 40’, max.

[Road Hogg]

When comparing high end production luxury coach’s like Newmar, Entegra, or Tiffin, my personal preference is Newmar for the following reasons:

1. The structural integrity and engineering design of the STAR foundation is a game changer. Next to quality chassis and drivetrain, the structural rigidity defines a luxury coach. It’s what sets Newmar apart from its peers.

2. The combination of foam bead, batten insulation, and 16” on center aluminum studs with hung fiberglass panels are preferable over pressed fiberglass sidewalls.

3. I’m not sold on Tiffin’s use of their in house bolt on chassis. I prefer the industry standard Freightliner or Spartan chassis with their commercially proven application.

4. The house battery compartment is clean and large enough to accommodate lithium batteries and solar components for future modifications.

5. When I look at the Newmar design, layout, and fit & finish on how it’s put together, the overall engineering quality shows it is well thought out and a step above its peers.

6. I prefer the Oasis Chinook hydronic system over the competition.

7. The combination of factory pickup and serviceability are a selling point.

8. They have the industry standard comfort drive.

I’ve looked at and considered all three production coaches before settling on a Newmar luxury coach line.

[arcaguy]

I will admit I don't own a class a, but I looked at them when I was shopping up until late last year. Frankly I wouldn't own a class A for safety reasons. It's not that I'm a bad or dangerous driver (I'm that guy in the right lane doing the speed limit in my truck or 65 in my rig). Class A's just don't have enough front end crash protection for my liking, your opinion may be different. That said, I went to 2 Class A factories, Thor and Tiffin, I wouldn't buy either, even if I was going to buy a Class A. I must admit that I was somewhat star struck by the whole process when I toured the Thor Factory but the biggest thing that hit home to me was the dearth of metal in the sidewalls. There was nothing but 1" square tubing framing the various openings, not a stick of steel anywhere for roll-over protection. As for Tiffin, they need to hire some better welders. Nearly every single weld I looked at had a hole in it from the welders starting the weld too hot and they didn't bother to go back and fill them in. Yep they put foam at the ends of the tubing to keep out water but the hole in the welds made that kind of useless, funny even. I mentioned both of these to Bob Tiffin and his answer to the sidewall issue is that coaches rarely rolled over, they usually just rolled on their sides, not a lot of comfort. No these tours were not in the last couple of years they were 3 or 4 years ago. My suggestion is that you look at floor plans you think you might like and then arrange a factory tour of the rigs you think you might want. I will also put forth the proposition that the coaches talked about in this thread are not the best by a long shot, they're simply the best that most folks can afford. If you really want the best to look at some of the coaches built on Prevost chassis, but you better have a really healthy bank account. Good luck in your search.

[Coldjensens]

We have spent a lot of time studying different brands, but we are mostly looking at older rigs when the quality was much better (ie pre- 2008). From what we have seen and learned, Newmar has the better quality by quite a bit. Tiffin has some obvious quality weaknesses and a reputation for a steady stream of repairs. Entegra we only looked at new ones. They are a cut above in design and technology but the Thor influence is readily apparent in cheap stuff that you do not normally see. We eliminated all three from our consideration: Newmar because they seem ugly and clunky compared to may others even though the quality is better and they are more expensive than they are more better. Tiffen because of quality concerns, and we jsut do nto like them as much inside as other marques; Entegra because they are crazy expensive, and due to cheap components mostly hidden where they are hard to find and see, but very important components, Entegra also has a reputation for problems with "porpoising" (certain years and models). We have heard that older Entegras (pre-Thor) are considerably better, but we have not seen one. nor met anyone who owns one. IT is sort of unfair to compare pre 2008 motor-homes to new Entegras because the older models have a huge quality advantage.



We have more or less settled on Monaco Signature or Prevost.Royale. A Newmar would not be out of the question, but I do not think we would be happy with it even if it held up well. It just lacks the design elements and the homey feel we are looking for. The quality difference in the Prevost is really obvious. When you get tothet other high end rigs, a quality difference can be found, but it takes some careful research and digging/inspection.



If you spend time digging through owner reported issues and complaints. The difference in quality between Newmar (considerably higher) and Tiffin becomes readily apparent. However many Tiffin owners remain loyal tot he brand despite known quality concerns.



We are going to steal a few ideas from the new Entegras however. One is the removable induction stovetop woth a 120v plug so you can take it outside to cook messy or stinky things if you wish. I think that is an awesome idea.

[Road Hogg]

After looking at both Newmar and Tiffin luxury line in more detail, the structural engineering and build quality on the Newmar is far superior to the Tiffin.

1. Newmar has the STAR platform that adds additional structural rigidity to the floor and overall rig. Tiffin builds the coach floor directly on top of the chassis. No comparison. The STAR is far superior in every way.

2. Newmar uses batten insulation with bead foam and hung fiberglass panels for their sidewalls. This is far superior to pressed fiberglass on styrofoam sidewall used by Tiffin.

3. Not sure if Tiffin uses hydraulic slide out to level plumb with the main floor like Newmar.

4. The overall design and layout on the Newmar is well thought out and engineered better than Tiffin.

5. As noted on an earlier post, Tiffin uses their own in house bolt on chassis. I’m not a big fan of this. My preference is for the industry standard Freightliner or Spartan chassis that has a commercially proven application.

6. Not sure if Tiffin has a passive steer tag axle like Newmar. They state “Tru-Track Steering Tag Axle” but I’m not sure what that is or if it steers.

Relative to the high end luxury line, it seems Newmar is a cut above Tiffin.

[paddler1954]

Over the last couple of years, all RV manufacturers have been pushing RV out the door as fast as possible. RV quality isn't that great during the best of times, it's way worse now. If I were looking to buy now, I'd look for a 2019 or early 2020 model or wait a couple more years then buy new. Thanks to Covid, Class A DP prices are up 30% compared to 2018 prices.

[robertlipp]

Originally Posted by dp7

Newmar quality seems to be better than some RVs -- but at a premium price. However, the RV industry quality bar is pretty low & Newmar has their share of quality issues also.

Examples:

Don't expect to leave with a full fresh water tank & arrive without loosing a lot of it out the overflow.

Don't expect to drive in the rain and arrive with dry basement compartments.

Don't expect that the slide motor bolts will remain tight without you modifying the as-built condition.

The fresh water tank issue is a design defect that can be fixed by looping the overflow line as high as possible.

I’ve had no issues with a wet basement in my Kountry Star.

Please explain the slide issue. You’ve got me worried.

[robertlipp]

Originally Posted by 153stars

Doesn't Newmar have Comfort Drive. I've heard some good things about that. Might tick a pro in Newmar column .

Love the Comfort Drive after driving a “boat” , a 2005 Monaco Monarch

[hikerjohn66]

Originally Posted by Crasher

From my experience, they are both pretty close. We are more than pleased with our 2013 Allegro Bus. My son had a 2016 Mountain Aire that was great. The Newmar was quieter inside during a thunderstorm and also better insulated as the AC's ran less than our Tiffin on a 90 degree day parked in the sun. My son wanted the flat floor of the 2018 MA and traded. It was a mistake. Over 45 items to correct back at the factory three times in the first year. I don't think that was indicative of Newmar quality, but just a bad job on that coach. We have had very few minor issues in eight years and 80,000 miles. I have a great dealer 40 miles from our WI home. If we were to look for a new coach, I would include Newmar but the closest dealer is 300 miles away. Newmar promotes their Comfort Drive, however, my Bus on a Powerglide chassis is two fingers 90% of the time up. 500 mile days are the norm when we travel. Find the floor plan you like in either brand and you will be happy.

How about the top brands' furnishings. How much do they use real wood in the cabinetry and does the upholstery hold up. I have a Jayco Precept and the cabinet drawer faces are real wood but the cabinet facings are very real looking fake wood. Also, I had to re-upholster my couch and dining area cushions after six years since they were not real vinyl (cloth with vinyl skim coat). As for my appliances, I suspect they are the same as the top brands.
I also have a macerator and an on-demand water heater.

[Kountry_star]

We have owned a number of different gassers and now a Neumar DP. Love the Neumar, quality far exceeds previous MHs. That being said compared to auto / trucks the build quality and attention to detail is in line with a Yugo. The MH market accepts problems, build quality and warranty issues that would run a auto manufacture out of business. Understand that they are complicated and a house on wheels. Wouldn't be without one. Would love to see a real quality build for less then $750,000.

[djbmsu]

We are on our third Tiffin. From the Red to the Phaeton and now the Bus. Having owned 8 RV's over the years and having toured the Holliday Rambler, Entegra and Tiffin factories I have concluded that Tiffin performed the best. Any and all items that have required attention have been with their vendor suppliers IE: poor design A/C plastic fan blades, Auto Shade motors, TV's etc. Tiffin's fit and finish has been above the others in our opinion. We will see what Thor does to this product as to whether we purchase a fourth.

[skippy67]

I think they are both great coaches. In our price range it came down to the Newmar Dutch Star and the Allegro Bus. We ended up with a Newmar. I really like the steerable tag axle, the emergency egress provided by the door at the back of the coach, and the comfort drive. Had the price been right, I would have probably bought Allegro Bus. They both float my boat.

[JimPeoria]

I did not read every post real close but you people all should know Newmar is now owned by Winnebago and Tiffen is now owned by Thor so the coach you bought last year will not be the same as next year. So if you had a good experience with Newmar before you will probably get close to the same now and if you did the same with Tiffen then I do not know what you will get now as there have been so many horror stories about Thor.

Good luck. We loved out Winnebago by the way it was not fancy and had a few problems but it was a good solid coach.