Hi all!I'm hoping for some advice on which Allegro 35QBA model you seasoned Class A-ers think would fit our needs most.I think it would be helpful for you to know how we plan on using it. For the first year +/- we'd be weekend campers close to home with maybe a week-long trip thrown in for a family vacation. In about a year, we plan on selling our home and going on the road with our kiddos full time. We'd like to commit to a one year "tour du USA" experience, but if we love it we'll stay out longer. Once we settle back down and buy another home, we'll likely sell it and go back to something small. So, with that kind of usage in mind, here are our two options...1. 2008 Tiffin Allegro 35 QBA - on Ford Chassis with 6.8L, V-10 Triton Engine. 19,000-ish miles. All new tires (19s--less than 500 miles on them). 7000kw genny. Addabrake system included. Heat pump. 2. 2008 Tiffin Allegro Open Road 35QBA, 43,900 miles, Freightliner front engine diesel chassis, Cummins 300HP. Original tires still--takes 22s. 6000kw gen. No heat pump. Obviously the Ford V10 vs. FRED is the BIG difference. Having new tires on the gasser are awfully nice. Don't know much about the Addabrake. We do intend on towing our C-Max 4-down. The gasser is about $61,000 and we think the FRED will be around $63,000. Not a HUGE difference, but this is a BIG deal for us financially (tho we'd pay off the RV loan with the sale of our house). Any and all thoughts welcome!!!

The Ford only has a 5000lb towing Capacity. 5000 lbs works that engine pretty hard on hills, I have one. I would go with the diesel if you like them.

The Fred will give you much better MPG and the fuel won't go bad sitting for long periods like the gas will.

You can't go wrong with a Tiffin..blah blah blah blah blah.....there! I've said it for everyone else....That said, you don't say how many kiddos you have or whether they're regular kids, fur kids or a combination of both. IMHO, 35' is a bit small for what you're planning. You don't mention any slides. New tires will set you back about 4-5K so consider that. You mention new tires on the one...look at the date codes on ALL the tires, both coaches and decide when they will need to be replaced. Personally, I'd opt for the diesel. It's a heavier coach and will ride more comfortably than the gasser. If you look closely, you'll notice subtle differences which may sway you one way of the other. Assuming you'll be homeschooling so take that into consideration when you're looking at the floor plans. To pick the best one for YOU, drive them both and decide for yourself. After you do that, ask the wife which one SHE liked best....Dennis

Executive wrote:You can't go wrong with a Tiffin..blah blah blah blah blah.....there! I've said it for everyone else LOLOL...cracking up at this. So, at least I know we picked the brand well, eh? Good points from all. Thank you! We have 2 boys that we'd homeschool, ages 5 and 7 and a 90 pound black lab. One reason we love this floor plan is the hall bunks and FOUR slides. Also, we really prefer state parks to RV resorts. I know even 35' is pushing it there, but a 40'+ would put us out of many state parks (I think). So, the FRED gets better mpgs, but the fuel is more expensive (about $0.45 more around here)...maybe it's a wash?And also, I AM the wife and I still can't decide. I lean towards the FRED, but those new tires are gonna be PAINFUL. Since one is 6 hours away (the FRED is only 2 hours away) it would be tough to drive them both. Thanks for the input...keep it coming!

I don't know where Dennis buys his tires, but a very good 22.5" tire from Hankook, Bridgestone or any other decent tire company will NOT cost you $4K or $5K. I bought Hankook AH-12 tires for our MH last fall and they were $400/ea mounted, out the door. The 19" tires would be less money than the 22½" tires. IMO, the so called RV tires from either Michelin or Goodyear are junk and many RVers will tell you the same thing. That said, check the FRED suspension system, as I don't think it was air, but basically the same type leaf spring truck chassis as the Ford.

Purchasing a used Tiffin--torn between 2 models!

Magua
Explorer
Aug 10, 2014
Oh boy…drove the FRED. Hubby drove his dad's Ford V10 the day before. He could REALLY tell the difference and preferred the FRED. He also said it handled MUCH tighter and didn't have the same loose-feeling undulations the Georgetown Ford V10 had. Is that a product of a Tiffin vs. Forest River or a Ford V10 vs. a FRED or both?? Either way, we do like the FRED.

BUT!

This owner trashed it. My hubs and I are meticulous and pretty anal about the condition of our vehicles, home, etc. This Tiffin was NOT loved. I would have been embarrassed showing it to potential buyers! Sooooo…this is NOT the one, but we're thinking the FRED is the way to go. Hubs said it wasn't any louder than the new Ford V10 he drove the day before.
Magua
Explorer
Aug 08, 2014
Gjac wrote:
DownTheAvenue wrote:
Gjac wrote:
The second thing that I would look at assuming you will be teaching while your husband is driving is do I have enough room to work with all the 4 slides in( a full wall slide maybe better.

I can't believe I am actually reading this and it was posted as a serious thought!
Some MH's layouts are tight with all the slides in.

I'm thinking drive time will just be reading time…but who knows till we get to that point…will most definitely be a work in progress subject to change at any second! :)
Gjac
Explorer III
Aug 08, 2014
DownTheAvenue wrote:
Gjac wrote:
The second thing that I would look at assuming you will be teaching while your husband is driving is do I have enough room to work with all the 4 slides in( a full wall slide maybe better.

I can't believe I am actually reading this and it was posted as a serious thought!
Some MH's layouts are tight with all the slides in.
DownTheAvenue
Explorer
Aug 08, 2014
Gjac wrote:
The second thing that I would look at assuming you will be teaching while your husband is driving is do I have enough room to work with all the 4 slides in( a full wall slide maybe better.

I can't believe I am actually reading this and it was posted as a serious thought!
The_Texan
Explorer
Aug 08, 2014
Another person that has no knowledge what HP and torque represent on a vehicle. I'll take the FRED every day over the Ford V-10, anywhere, flats or mountains.
Gjac
Explorer III
Aug 08, 2014
If you plan to home school and stay at SP's NP's etc. many do not have full hookups. You only have 53 gals of FW, that will go very quickly with 2 adults and 2 small children. I would look for one with 80-100 gals FW. The second thing that I would look at assuming you will be teaching while your husband is driving is do I have enough room to work with all the 4 slides in( a full wall slide maybe better. The eng should be secondary in you thinking both will get you to where you want to go. The Fred is heavier with less HP so I would test both from 40 - 60 mph and see which is quicker with less eng noise. The faster one on the flat will pull the hills better. My guess is that the Fred will be nosier at idle, quieter at WOT climbing a hill because of lower rpm that the Ford. Only you can decide on the power and noise level is acceptable to you. You can live with that for a year but the water and layout may be harder to live with.
Dale_Traveling
Explorer II
Aug 07, 2014
Triker33 wrote:
Clickable PDF for the 2008 35QBA with bunk beds
My mistake. I was looking at the Allegro Bay line only. Good luck with the test drive.
Z71_4x4
Explorer
Aug 07, 2014
Find the biggest hill you can and bring the V10 into all it's glory!

Seriously, the V10 is great but a little more noisy on the steep hills. All in all not bad and we deal with the few moments of noise. I also "chipped" my V10 and have a little extra power and much better shifting.

Have fun!
Magua
Explorer
Aug 07, 2014
Z71 4x4 wrote:
One more thought...

You can test drive a V10 almost anywhere. Find one for sale close by, offer the person $20-$30 for fuel and drive it before you drive the FRED. If you like the V10 better then you can make the trip to NY and look at that unit.

(Open palm smack to forehead!) My in-laws down the road have a Georgetown with the Ford V10!!! We could drive theirs for the feel!
okgc
Explorer
Aug 07, 2014
FRED wins out over Ford almost every time.

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