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changing motorhome brands

Yahoo Message Number: 73994
We're considering trading motorhomes. We have looked at many of the brands available today and are going to look at a Tiffin Zephyr tomorrow. Going to be stepping up 4 years if we like the deal and the rig. Anybody have any thoughts?

Tom R

2004 Allure 31026

Re: changing motorhome brands

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 73996
Have you thought about going to Junction City and seeing what Premiere RV has to offer. They have a couple of 08 Magnas and Affinities. Another choice is Foretravel. Zephers maybe the in thing; but, personally I don't like there fit and finish. I bet your Allure is better built. I also here with the demand and their desire, they are having troubles with fulling service issues. Sounds like CC in 07/ 08. TWI 2004 intrigue 11731

Re: changing motorhome brands

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 73997
I look at the comparable quality of your vintage Allure with other Tier 1 units. IMO, Tier 1 include: -Foretravel
-Travel Supreme

-Other CC's of newer vintage
-Some American Coach line

I consider Tier 2 units:

-Monoaco Dynasty or above, and equivalent Beaver/Holiday Rambler (Many place these in Tier 1, so this is personal thing.) -Mountain Aire from Newmar

-Alpines (depending on year, some cross to Tier 1)

Tier 3
Winnie

Fleetwood (LE Revolution is Tier 2) Tiffen

Rexhall (Probably one of the safest, and best bangs for the bucks.) Tripple E
Etc.

I left off the mega coaches of Newell, Prevost etc.
The attention to detail, and quality of materials, and engineering in general - do set the Tier 1's apart. I do like the older Beavers, but you moved the years up over where I consider the Beavers to be in the Tier 1. I also do feel Wanderlodge/Birds are a fine coach, in the Tier 1 group, but was not sure about years if new enough for your move up in to a newer coach.

All very subjective, and personal choices.

Have fun, and good luck!
Smitty

04 Allure 31017
04 Allure Sold to a nice new owner! Now enjoying a 07 Magna Rembrandt 45' ISX600 #6775
"We're ONDROAD for THEJRNY!" (Toad and Coach license plates, say Hi if you see us!)

Re: changing motorhome brands

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 73998
Tom,

We had an '01 Zephyr. It was a great coach. Had excellent factory support, but it's no CC. Other than possibly a Prevost, I've never driven a coach with better driveability and handling than my Intrigue. Interior appointments and finish are much better in the CC also.

Dave Trotter

01 Intrigue 11215

Re: changing motorhome brands

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 74002
We have a 2006 CC Intrigue. While we were in the Southeast this winter we were able to look at a new Zephyr. We were both disappointed in what was offered. It actually made our 5 year old coach look really good.

S. Brandt, 06 Intrigue, #11964

Re: changing motorhome brands

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 74003
Tom,

I, like you, have an '04 Allure that is well made and comfortable. I don't intend to part with mine for some time. However, in looking through the photos of the following '06 Zephyr that I pulled up just out of curiosity, I am pretty impressed - looks to be very well appointed. I don't think they have HydroHot systems, which for me would be a major drawback. Also, they are built on a Spartan chassis that I am unfamiliar with as a coach foundation - how they ride, steer, etc.

Good luck with your search.

Nate Richards
04 Allure 34043

http://www.rvonline.com/single-ad.asp?Recnumber=53710

Re: changing motorhome brands

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 74005
Tom,

Most people I've spoken with that have owned Tiffin busses have been very happy. I gather Tiffin himself is still involved with running the company and is sensitive to his customers. During the dark period of RV manufactures, he stayed the course. Keep in mind all these busses have issues from the cheap units right on up through $2M Prevosts. That said, honest and knowledgeable support from the factor is really huge. Tiffin is among the better providers according to those few I've spoken with.
I think what matters most is the real people that own, maintain and operate specific brands. News groups like this one are the best places to solicit their feedback. I'd guess there is a Tiffin oriented group out there somewhere. As good as a specific brand may be, coach builders rely on many other companies to complete their products. The quality of those "components" have a HUGE impact on an owner's experience. We know this from the Norcold meltdowns and Cummins ISL connecting rod failures. Some of these things are so subtle they slip through the hands of even the most honest of professionals. In other cases companies do the minimum necessary to make the bread. But it isn't if you take the hit it's when. And when it happens it's good to know your brand is well supported. Getting a live body on the phone that gives a damn isn't easy these days. Our economy is in a state of uncertainly which certainly doesn't help businesses with fulfillment tasks either.
Purchasing a bus is an emotional experience and it's a good idea to not let those emotions cloud the truth about what you are really buying. Professional salesmen are skilled at pandering to those behaviors that close a sale. Dealers and sales people should be treated with extreme caution! In my travels I've not met one honest one. Gallant's book throws the cards on the table regarding this situation. He also publishes ratings which present yet another side of the motor home experience.
How much you use the vehicle will influence how, what and when problems surface. We live in ours so repairs, breakdowns and interruptions in service take on a particular inconvenience. Although there is a charm associated with "newer" I can't say it correlates to better. Many factors come in to play to include the economy. Sadly money and a manufacture's tag line aren't guarantees of a good experience either. Back in 2007 Tiffin, Foretravel, Newmar and CC were given high marks. Now in 2011 that list would be different for different reasons. Just my 2 cents. I wish you both good luck with your transition and hope your eventual purchase meets or exceeds expectations for many years to come.

At 07:50 AM 8/26/2011, you wrote:

Re: changing motorhome brands

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 74007
Tom, it's human nature to think whatever you bought and just spent a bunch of money is the best. Especially in the short term. We've seen this on this forum when you ask what are the best shocks, tires. toad brakes, toad, tow bar, etc. People are highly biased to whatever they are using. Actually there is no way to know for sure unless the item has been compared to the other items with the same circumstances, parameters, testing, etc. You will probably get a better opinion from some one who has owned or used both, and there again they will be biased to whatever they presently have. Human nature again. I was in the motorcycle business at one time and when we would get in a new bike we would hop on it and tear down the street and usually coming back and say, boy it's fast. We called it "seat of the pants" testing. Nothing scientific about it at all.
Tiffin has two forums you can go to and ask for opinions. You will get a different answer there than you will here. . Again, human nature.

R. D. Vanderslice

SOB --- On Fri, 8/26/11, thomas w insall jr wrote: From: thomas w insall jr Subject: Re: [Country-Coach-Owners] changing motorhome brandsTo: Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.comDate: Friday, August 26, 2011, 10:24 AM
Have you thought about going to Junction City and seeing what Premiere RV has to offer. They have a couple of 08 Magnas and Affinities. Another choice is Foretravel. Zephers maybe the in thing; but, personally I don't like there fit and finish. I bet your Allure is better built. I also here with the demand and their desire, they are having troubles with fulling service issues. Sounds like CC in 07/ 08. TWI 2004 intrigue 11731

Re: changing motorhome brands

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 74013
If you ever watched a motorhome being made by assembly line, you would understand a big difference with CC custom made product. Only the most efficient motorhome mfg are in business today and the way they are made is fine but it doesn't compare, in my estimation, to the way CC are made.

Paul Cummings,

01' Intrigue, # 11309

Re: changing motorhome brands

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 74023
In psychology it is called "Confirmation Bias". Very common in the RV owners world.

Jim E

Re: changing motorhome brands

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 74092
We looked at tiffin two years ago when we were shopping for a motor home. The quality of their fit and finish was drastically bellow country coach. That does not mean in any way they are not a good maker, but they are not in the same class. Or at least were not when we looked then. We looked at a new zephyr about a year ago at a fmca rally. Nice coach but not in the same class as our 2002 affinity. When I knocked on the walls of the zephyr they were thin unlike the thick walls on our coach.

Bob. 2002 affinity 42'

Changing motorhome brands

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 74025
Tom,

We have friends who have an Alegro Bus, one level below the Zephyr, and love it. However, they schedule one week every year at the factory for repairs and maintenance. They also spend time in other locations getting service. A few years ago they were parked next to us and had their water pipes freeze (and he broke a part off trying to fix it) and we had no problems. Their rig is 6 or 7 years newer than ours. J. D Gallant of the RV rating service told me years ago that Tiffin had a good record of servicing their customers, but the customers needed a lot of service. It appears to me that the statement still holds true. I think Tiffin makes good rigs, but they don't begin to compare in overall quality to Country Coach. We recently toured the Newmar Plant in Indiana and noted upon careful inspection that their top two units (above the Mountainaire) were not finished as well as our 11 year old Allure. They don't come close to mid-priced Country Coaches made in the '04 to '07 years. I would like to upgrade my coach and get a second front slide, but would only consider another Country Coach. (We have lived full time in our coach since January, 2000.)
Gene and Martha Merryman 2000 Allure #30496 (currently cool at 8,600 feet in the Colorado mountains)