Looking to buy Allegro 36LA Opinions Please

[JayDePA10]

We are looking to purchase a 2017 Allegro 36LA. Wondering if anyone has had any major problems and also if they are happy with their purchase. Also, debating whether or not to get the residential frig. Opened to any suggestions..........

[AllegroD]

Fresh water is 70 + WH. We can do more than 4 days on that and we are only slightly conservative. Black 50. Grey 66.

[wolfe10]

RVER wrote:
IF you like to run the fridge while driving, you will be using the battery to run the fridge so may not be as cold etc. IF you dry camp at all more than overnight, you want the fridge with Elec/Propane, if never dry camp, then household fridge is ok as long as you know about the battery usage while driving down the road, if battery goes bad, food will too if not fixed immediately.

A little more detail.

While driving, your absorption refrigerator will either be on propane (more common), or if you have an inverter AND the refrigerator is plugged into an inverter powered outlet, your engine can power the alternator to power to inverter to power the electric heat element in the refrigerator (less common).

It would be an unusual alternator/charging system that would not keep up with the power needs of a residential refrigerator while driving (from the alternator). Not suggesting that a residential refrigerator is the way to go, but amount of dry camping is more critical for the decision than what happens while driving.

[Viewfinder]

While driving, the engine charges engine and house batts. Refer cold, batts fully charged when I pull into camp. Fresh water is 70 gals, not 90.

jim

[RVER]

IF you like to run the fridge while driving, you will be using the battery to run the fridge so may not be as cold etc. IF you dry camp at all more than overnight, you want the fridge with Elec/Propane, if never dry camp, then household fridge is ok as long as you know about the battery usage while driving down the road, if battery goes bad, food will too if not fixed immediately.

[Mile_High]

Is that a trick question- are you assuming the propane fridge is operating in AC mode?

[cwit]

What takes more electricity a residential or propane fridge? Don't forget a propane frig won't run without a battery power.

[Mile_High]

Mines on only 90 + HW. Seems to be fine as I'm ready to dump gray before I run out of FW.

[hanko]

Lwiddis wrote:
Provided you won't try to camp in most federal, state and county campsites, this unit seems ok. A little short on fresh water capacity.

90 Gal? i wouldn't consider that short.

[Lwiddis]

Provided you won't try to camp in most federal, state and county campsites, this unit seems ok. A little short on fresh water capacity.

[AllegroD]

I will throw in one more note on the fridge. We have a Dometic RM1350. Very good fridge. We do not use the ice makes, as we do not consume a bin of ice, which we bring from home and we do not wish to winterize. The thermal tape on the solenoid was not enough to keep it from freezing. We store at the house and it is always plugged in or we are driving it, except a few nights on the road. An RR would get us hard ice cream and we like ice cream.

[Mile_High]

Nice coach!

I always had good luck with the gas fridge for years both Dometic and Norcold. We now have the residential and it is a super fridge, but right away I noticed limitations on run time. What used to be it could sit out in front of the house for 3-4 days waiting for us, can't happen anymore unless I'm plugged in.

[Viewfinder]

Like most are saying, it depends on your use. We snowbird, road trip, and long road trip. Got the RR in our 2014 36LA when we ordered and hve been very happy. Some fulltime in a 36LA and add solar. So it depends on your use. Floorplan is king as far as I'm concerned. That's where most time is spent. It needs to work for YOU.

Jim

Me,Her, and the two 30# fur kids.

[Bill_Satellite]

Are you a member of the Tiffin Forum? If not, go there NOW! There is great information from Tiffin owners about all to the Tiffin products. If you only spend a couple of months per year in your RV then a HH fridge or an RV fridge will likely not have any effect on your enjoyment of this life style. However, if you like to have "all the comforts of home" then you MUST get the HH fridge. OK, if you plan to go to Quartzsite with some of the other "preppers" who think they need to live off the grid for months at a time then please ignore this post! You MUST have a propane fridge.

[AllegroD]

p.s. The handling is OK. You should look at the Sumo springs. I have heard that many really like them. We have also have Blue Ox True Center.

You will hear that gassers have a lot of noise and heat in front seats. There is more than a DP but the 36LA has sound and heat dampening, so we can hold a normal conversation, including over the blue tooth radio, connected to the in dash system, unless the climbing a steep grade and the RPMs go up.

We also added the 5 Star Tune, after market to improve shifting points in mountains.

I think you should also make a visit to the TiffinRVNetwork as suggested above.