Opinions wanted....


emoryallen

New Member
We're looking at buying our first RV, we're looking at a class A and have narrowed it down to a few manufacturers and models:

Fleetwood: Terra LX and Bounder

Tiffin: Allegro/Allegro Bay

Newmar: Bay Star/Canyon Star

Winnebago: Sightseer/Voyage

We have done a lot of research with material from the RV consumer group, discussions with a few people we know who own RVs, and reviewing dozens of brochures, floor plans and specs. We want as much "practical" first hand info and opinions as possible. We are interested in Gas vehicles because we have been told that this is the best choice for those who will not be putting a lot of "hard Miles" on their rig. We expect to be able to put between a bout 5,000 miles each year on the vehicle - at least for now. We also expect to keep it a number of years.

Does anyone have an opinion on these manufacturers? RV consumer group gives the Tiffin the highest rating of the four. Any Opinons on these particular models? We have seen some very nice Used Diesel Pushers and I know that Diesel engines have more torque and are more durable. Should we consider a Diesel?? :cool: :question:
 

Bush70

New Member
Re: Opinions wanted....

Tiffin all the way. Great company and product. Alot of bang for your buck.Good Luck
 

hertig

Senior Member
Re: Opinions wanted....

Diesel is pretty good when you are driving. Not so good when you are storing or maintaining. Unless you will be taking it out once a month, the gas may be less trouble and more economical. On the other hand, the diesel will likely go up hills better, tow better and carry more.
 

minky

New Member
Re: Opinions wanted....

Obviously, some people swear by motor homes, but you may want to reconsider some of the downsides: insurance, another motor and tranny to take care of, and the fact that you're stuck at the campsite after setting up unless you tow or rent a car. I'm not saying that there is an upside as well, I just want to point these things out. Of course, getting a trailer is the way to get around those problems. Good luck.
 

hertig

Senior Member
Re: Opinions wanted....

Yes, trailers have a lot of advantages when you are set up and staying in them. The motorhome can be better for travelling in and easier to set up to stay in.
 

Kirk

Senior Member
Re: Opinions wanted....

As an RV owner for more than thirty years and a student of motorhomes for perhpas twenty, I would give either Newmar products or those from Allegro the top billing. Winnebago is not so very far behind and Itasca is just a slightly different Winnebago with the same quality and support. Fleetwood is a company that gets very mixed reviews from owners.
 

Shadow

Senior Member
Re: Opinions wanted....

Sorry guys I probably should of started my own thread,but here goes. Been thinking when I retire in eighteen months,we may want to do our traveling in a motor home instead of a fifth wheel. We went to PPL in Houston this past weekend to look at a 2003 40' Phaeton by Tiffin. Been hearing a lot about Tiffin so was excited to check it out. When we got inside nothing really jumped out at us. Nice but no flash. We also checked out a 2005 39' Kountry Star, and a 2005 41'Scenic Crusier,and a 2002 39'Discovery. If we would have been ready to buy that day, the Phaeton would of been last on the list. Are we missing the boat on what we need to be looking at? All of these coaches were rated excellent to very good. They had a few Allegro buses and Allegro Bays but again they didn't do any thing for us. Been hearing so much about the Tiffin was just curious what we were missing. Thanks guys, never owned a motor home so not sure what we are looking for.
 
G

Guest

Guest
Re: Opinions wanted....

As stated before i own a Tiffin ,, Allegro bus ,, and i love it ,, but u don't need all the flashy stuff to have a well built ,, live in MH ,, sorry to tell u this but,, I was at the beach this last spring,, and a (IMO ,, 2 million dollar coach) pulled up beside us ,, they set up and all night everynight ,, they had the front of the coach open so eveyone could see the cristle wine galss display ,, i talked to the owner,, and asked why he does this ,, he said it was to impress the rest of the rver's ,, now i was thinking ,, why impress us ,, we love to go camping ,, and i know his payments were big bucks,, but maybe he could afford it ,, i myself have a RV paid for and like to use the money to go places ,,, i can afford it also ,,,
But here is another catch ,, i asked him what they did with all that crystal when they traveled ,, and he said ,, they have to pack it away in bubble sheets so it won't get broke,, now that IMO is not rving,, it's showing off ,, i myself use the MH ,, and if u don't like my plastic dishes ,, then so what ,,, i can do all the maint, on my rv and also fix ANYTHING that goes wrong with it (I fix rv's for a living) also i bet this guy can't even change a tire without road side help,, IMO please,, that is not rving ,, rving is being able to over come the stuff that will happen (and it will) I bet this guy has no clue where to ck the oil in the coach,,, but i bet he can go spend money on some one who will...
sorry,, i get kinda bent outtta shape about people who can not keep their rv up them selves :(
Also sorry to be outta the post here :(
 

Shadow

Senior Member
Re: Opinions wanted....

Sorry 730, didn't mean to get Ya riled up. It was not the intent of the post to bash Tiffin or the owners. We are far from millionaires so we want to make sure we pick the right motor home when the time comes. Well built and reliable are two points we were looking for. We mentioned the other coaches because they did seem to just draw you to them because of the flash. Lets just say we have champagne taste on a beer budget. That's kind of what drew us to our Montana. We feel we got all the Alabama flash, and it's been a real reliable fifth wheel.
Take care,
 

Shorty

Senior Member
Re: Opinions wanted....

Shadow
We've been lookin for a new MH as well for quite a while. I agree with 730 on the glimmer. You can spend $$ on wall mirrors, fancy lighting and other 'stuff' later. Find a floor plan or 2 that you like in a MH that has a good history. We all know that a DP chasis/motor should hold together for 350,000+ miles, but if the house isn't built to last more that 10 years of being over the road, what good is it?
A few years back I was lookin' to trade but ended up adding some 'RV Bling' to cure my RV NV and it worked...for a while. In my searches and test drives I have found that 1997-2000 Dutch Stars and Tiffin Buses are very solid. As with anything, much will depend on the previous owner(s) and how much time they spent on upkeep.
My 2 cents is to check out the RV Consumer Group at http://www.rv.org/ I did and the ratings CD was an eye opener.
 

Shadow

Senior Member
Re: Opinions wanted....

Thanks Shorty, Now if I can get Shirley to quit calling me flash. :)
 
G

Guest

Guest
Re: Opinions wanted....

sorry ,, to have posted like i was mad ,, i didn't mean anything towards u'r purchase of a MH ,, the fact is ,, u are the ones that have to pick it out and live in it ,, i have no problems with anytype of rv ,, be it a tent ,tent trailer ,, tt or FW ,, we all have to stay somewhere and we are all proud of what we have ,, i myself have thought about a new MH ,, but i don't want the payments again,,,
My coach is 7 years old and still like new inside (do have some gelcoat issues on the outside) but what the heck ,, pack up and lets go camping ,,,
Again ,, sorry for the bad post :( :(
 

Shorty

Senior Member
Re: Opinions wanted....

I didn't think it was bad at all...IMO you made some good points...esp for people that are lookin.
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
Re: Opinions wanted....

Hey 730, know what you meen by showing off. When we were in Maine this summer a big new Diesel Pusher MH pulled in and left his front curtain open so we could all see his BIG, BIG Screen HDTV. Oh well my 19" TV is paid for as well as the old 5er. It still goes down the highway and serves us well. :laugh: ;) :approve:
 

Shadow

Senior Member
Re: Opinions wanted....

It's all good 730. Actually it was a good post. You pointed out what we really needed to be looking for. Something reliable and well built. Was just thinking, for the price of some of these motor homes they should have gold counter tops. :eek: Take care and maybe see Ya at the beach some day.
 

Shadow

Senior Member
Re: Opinions wanted....

Forgot to ask earlier. DL, did you ever find your moose while you was in Maine?
 
G

Guest

Guest
Re: Opinions wanted....

Hey DL maybe u should show off u'r diesel smoke smelly stuff or maybe be even patiented it ,, i bet u could get alot of crowds around u'r rv with that stuff :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
I hope u know i'm just being funny :) :)
Bty all my stuff is paid for also ,, makes u feel good in a way ,, huh :)
 

emoryallen

New Member
Re: Opinions wanted....

I don't have nay personal experience yet with RVing. We are looking for out first RV as well. I used the ratings from the RV consumers group to help me narrow things down. I have been out looking too. I did not find much correlation between the level of glitz and the quality of the vehicle (as per the ratings).

One thing about the ratings is that they take into account things I never would have thought about. They look at reliability (calculated from owner input and expert assessment for the actual quality - as opposed to appearance-of cabinetry, hinges, carpet, fit and finish, etc; value - including expected value at resale; and road handling characteristics.

Now, there is no substitution for actual experience but it may be the case that some manufacturers use glitz - to cover for quality issues. In looking at various motor homes, I saw some Forest River RVs that looked good, but it seems I have read nothing but bad things about Forest River. Other brands that looked great had relatively low ratings (two or two and a half stars). Tiffin gas RV's had 3 1/2 or four stars. From my research the highest rated Diesels were made either by Country Coach or by Newmar. Used, it seems that these rv's more affordable, and since diesels are more durable buying a used one several years old and much less expensive would be - it seems to me- less of a problem.
 

DL Rupper

Senior Member
Re: Opinions wanted....

Hey Shadow, we didn't get to go up to the campground you recommended, because we had to leave Maine earlier than expected. The answer is no we didn't see any Moose. Maybe out West next year will be good. Thanks for the info on where to go. :)

730, I know everyone is jealous of how good my Dodge diesel smoke smells. :clown: ;)

emoryallen, unless you put a really large amount of miles on a motor home, the diesel may be an expensive option. We have been RVing for 12 1/2 years and have only put 90,000 miles on our 5er. The tow vehicle or towed vehicle is the one that chocks up the high miles. However, the diesel pusher is probably the only way to go if you expect to climb lots of hills.
 
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