Family Owned MH Manufacturers

dougrainer wrote:
As to Entegra, Jayco makes a great Minihome and Towable, but Jayco CANNOT build a quality Class A Gas or Diesel. The Entegra is NOT Jayco, but the old Travel Supreme which Jayco purchased after TS went under. The Entegra is now built under Jayco engineering and production workers, and IMO not the same as Travel Supreme. Doug

That's what I was nicely trying to say!

I believe Freight liner is using Comfort Drive on their chassis. So it is not limited to Newmar coaches only anymore. Last time I read an RV magazine, it showed Freight liner using it.

One feature that Newmar offers, not found on other mfr than Newell, is Newmar's Comfort Drive. Pretty amazing technology and now on all their Diesel Pusher line, not just the top end.

Also, like that Winnebago has weathered all economic downturns, and are able to provide repair parts even for really old WBGs. We think long term part / repair OEM capability is also worth considering.

We had considered an '11 Allegro Red but that year Tiffin was trying to make different mechanical and electrical chassis/coach parts more easily accessible from basement on theory it would cost less in labor time to service/repair. But, the net usable storage area seemed less in our opinion.

Also, be sure to check how much clear walking space you have inside when slides are retracted. Some floorplans had sofa ends, or other obstructions we thought were a tight squeeze, or not easy to open bathroom door, if you had to use the coach for rest stop mealtime with slides retracted.

So, as others have said... Lots of factors when considering which mfr.

Best wishes in your search and safe travels to all :- )

Texas Roadrunner wrote:
Thanks for all the great responses, these are what we need. We don't think private ownership means custom at all, just that if our name was on a product, we would want to build the best product we could, that was what I meant by flawed thinking, that is a bit " Pollyannaish", I'm sure. Years ago, we were looking at Motor homes and as we were stepping into the coach, the salesman asked, "Do you like to tinker?", having been into rving for lots of years we were quite aware. Knowing about the Tiffin roofs is good information, thanks. We used this forum extensively when researching our fifth wheel purchase, it is proving just as valuable in this instance. Thank you.

The person that posted about Tiffin roofs has NO CLUE as to what he is posting. Tiffin has built tens of thousands of motorhomes with those "roofs" and there are no complaints. As a Tiffin dealer Tech (35 years), I NEVER and have NEVER heard of any complaint on the type roof problem that poster stated. Yes, Tiffin DID have a problem with the roll wrap from roof to sidewall a few years ago on some Motorhomes, but fixes them regardless of when the warranty went out.
Tiffin does NOT have a female relative anywhere close to working at Tiffin. Where that poster got his info is strange. Bob has 3 Sons and THEY are/will be running the company when Bob retires. Newmar is run by former Fleetwood execs, not by the Miller family and has been that way for 10 years. Yes, it is family owned, but NOT run by the Millers. As to Entegra, Jayco makes a great Minihome and Towable, but Jayco CANNOT build a quality Class A Gas or Diesel. The Entegra is NOT Jayco, but the old Travel Supreme which Jayco purchased after TS went under. The Entegra is now built under Jayco engineering and production workers, and IMO not the same as Travel Supreme. Doug

Yep! I agree with mockturtle on the Foretravel coaches. They are built much better then any Tiffin or Newmar. I would have to say that Foretravel are right up there below the Prevost and Newell. And they are built right in your own home state of Texas.

Foretravel used to be a family-owned company. I've seen them building them one at a time and with great care. My late DH and I were very happy with our FT DP and with the terrific service at the factory. Don't know what they are like now.

Thanks so much for all the responses. We will look at Entegra and indeed are intrigued by their history. I do think we will take some factory tours as we did before buying our fiver. There have been so many changes in the industry, and many more to come I am sure, that it will warrant our best efforts to make an intelligent decision on our purchase. Your responses will go a long way in helping to make that decision. Thank you all.

I have owned and lived full time in the coach in the signature for just short of three years. About 80% of the problems I have had were self inflicted, can't blame Tiffin for lost keys or hitting a rock. The balance were mostly minor and two majors were noticed by Tiffin inspectors when we stopped by Red Bay and they got me in and out with no cost to me. There was a problem with a slide floor (known issue) and they removed the largest of my slideout rooms (DS LR) replaced the entire floor and put it all back together in under 2 hours. It was like watching a well choreographed dance. The other issue had to do with roof rails and once again the job was done swiftly and carefully. The one issue that went on and on was a dealer failure. They had the part but didn't want to install it under warranty so they "repaired" the shower door. I got it replaced over a year out of warranty at Red Bay, no cost.

Bob Tiffin is still running things and contrary to what someone posted there is no daughter to take over, Bob has three sons. They will be taking over soonish as Bob is 72 (that age has a familiar ring to it). We considered Winnebago but the salesman didn't get his act together in time to compete with the Phaeton.

Currently they seem to be having issues at Tiffin with the new databus electrical system and the Paramount awning available only on the Bus so far. I expect both will be resolved soon if they haven;t been already.

time_to_go_now wrote:

WyoTraveler wrote:
I agree with the post on Integra. I think I would go with Integra on an upgrade. Plus, going diesel it would be the Integra with a side radiator.

Isn't Integra the continuation of Travel Supreme bought by Jayco? I have owned a Jayco. Was not a fan. I understand Travel Supreme was a quality coach. But I would be concerned with Jayco in charge.

Jayco purchased the assets after Travel Supreme closed and formed a new division called Entegra to produce a mid to upper end coach. If you look at the Entegra closely you'll notice many similarities to the old TS's. They have been around a few years now and based on owners comments the quality appears to be pretty good and the customer service reports are excellent.

Lou
05 Travel Supreme Envoy

WyoTraveler wrote:
I agree with the post on Integra. I think I would go with Integra on an upgrade. Plus, going diesel it would be the Integra with a side radiator.

Isn't Integra the continuation of Travel Supreme bought by Jayco? I have owned a Jayco. Was not a fan. I understand Travel Supreme was a quality coach. But I would be concerned with Jayco in charge.