Community Forums

Sebim742 · 12-10-2016, 01:19 PM

Trying to compare the bunkhouse models of Tiffin and Entegra. Phaeton is 40'single axel and Aspire is 44' with tag. Would appreciate comments/advice on handling and any other advice between them.

vsheetz · 12-10-2016, 02:48 PM

Handling and carry capacity should be apples/oranges comparison. Tag wins.

markanddee · 12-10-2016, 06:20 PM

Aspire:

450 Cummins
Spartan Chassis
2 year warranty

Tiffin:

380 Cummins
Freightliner Chassis
1 Year warranty

bamaspiveys · 12-10-2016, 07:42 PM

I agree with the apples and oranges comments, even though the Aspire is an entry level Entegra model it compares closer to the Allegro Bus than the Phateon IMO.

Assuming they are similar year models you are looking at $20k to $30k difference in price. If that is not an issue then I suspect you may have a similar experience to ours.

We narrowed our choice down to a 40QDH Phateon and a 42DEQ Entegra. We drove them back to back. Literally walked off the Phateon to the Entegra already running and ready to hit the road, that was the last time we looked at Tiffin.

Ride comfort and handing were near the top of our list. The tag stability and comfort of the spartan chassis were VERY noticeable.

If you are ok with the ride and handling of the non-tag, it really gets down to personal preference and interpretations, fit and finish, layout, etc...

I will tell you the Entegra is better insulated and in my opinion has a few key design features that move it ahead of the Tiffin units even if the ride/comfort/tag/spartan/hp were not enough to sway you.

Good luck in your decision.

fsudelt · 12-10-2016, 08:08 PM

If your looking at bunks, take a look at Newmar as well. We just moved from our Tiffin Allegro Red bunk to a new 17 Newmar Dutch Star 4310 bunks & 2 full baths! We narrowed our search to Newmar & Entegra. Both are great companies & build high quality coaches in the end we liked the floor plan & interior of the Dutch Star better than the Aspire.

Good luck!

Cat320 · 12-13-2016, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vsheetz

Handling and carry capacity should be apples/oranges comparison. Tag wins.

Exactly, not a fair comparison.

dave&ginny · 12-18-2016, 07:43 PM

There's no perfect RV and there are pluses and minuses to everything. Personally I chose the Aspire after comparing both models but the Aspire might not fit your needs. I love the tag axle but it does reduce storage on most models. The stability is wonderful in my opinion. I've been on ice, in wind and on bad roads and it has always felt secure to me.

I drove a New Phaeton 45 and then the Aspire and there was quite a difference in the feel but I'm sure both are great units.

Cranemec · 12-18-2016, 08:52 PM

Tag axle always wins. The Phaeton never did it for us. Look into the Allegro bus for a more fair comparison.
Too bad American Coach doesn't have a bunkhouse, because then you really would have a fine coach.

Gary RVRoamer · 12-19-2016, 07:34 AM

Agree with the others. You are comparing a larger, heavier, and more upscale coach to a mid-level model, i.e. apples and ornages. Of course the Aspire "wins". The real question is whether you want a 44 ft coach with the amenities of the Aspire, and the budget to pay for it. If you do, forget the Phaeton and consider Allegro Bus or Newmar Dutchstar or Mountain Aire. I know Newmar has bunk models.

lllkrob · 12-19-2016, 08:21 AM

Buy the Entegra now before Thor has a chance to cheapen it.

DD788Snipe · 12-19-2016, 10:58 PM

Aspire hands down. Spartan Chassis ride and handle great and I agree with lllkrob.

jmuir26 · 12-20-2016, 06:05 AM

Entegra is,a far better coach that the tiffin. Tiffin never impressed me. I'd compare the tiffin to a winnebago tour and take the winnebago.

Tall Tex · 12-20-2016, 08:06 AM

I bought an Entegra, so of course I recommend my brand. I am in a Good Sam chapter that has 8 Tiffin owners in the chapter. All are great people and good friends. However, they all think it is perfectly OK and normal to make trips to Red Bay to get their coach worked on. They all feel like they have a personal relationship with Bob Tiffin and that makes them special. My thoughts are that if I have to take my vehicle back to the factory, camp in their lot for sometimes weeks to wait my turn to get in their shop to fix issues that can't be fixed at a dealer, then Tiffin has real quality issues and relies on "bring it to Red Bay and we'll take care of it" instead of having a philosophy of continuous improvement.

I was there in 2015 with friends that we we touring with that have an Alegro Bus that needed to go to Red Bay for repairs. Did the factory tour and decided then and there that Tiffin would not be on my list when shopping for my next coach.

The bottom line is you need to decide on your own what make and model fits your life style and budget. Hopefully when you pull the trigger you'll be happy with your new rig for years, like we are.

Gary RVRoamer · 12-20-2016, 08:19 AM

I think the Tiffin owners go to Red Bay because they know things will get fixed right, whereas RV dealers are often problematic, regardless of brand name.

That said, Tiffin builds as good (or poor) a coach as any other mid-tier manufacturer, but the Entegra aspires (pun intended) to be a more high end model. Thus the choice of a Spartan chassis and other top tier features.