Purchasing a used Tiffin--torn between 2 models!

[Magua]

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!!!

[Magua]

Yep...it's the Allegro Open Road 35 QBA. It's the silver sand full body paint with the medium alderwood and the sunset fabrics. Here's the spec sheet...

http://tiffinmotorhomes.com/pdfs/specs/2008allegroSpecs.pdf

Thank you all for your input! We're going for a test drive of the FRED this weekend. Depending on what we think of it will determine whether we'll head to NY to drive the Ford V10...or not. 🙂

[Dale_Traveling]

Go with the FRED. I would rather the coach have the old tires and use such to bargain the price down and then get tires I want and not the off market low cost brands the current owner may have installed to help make the sale.

Also as Triker33 shows it's not the price per gallon of fuel at the pump but the cost per mile. You only need a few miles to a gallon increase to make up for the cost difference fuel price.

Also for your budget planning keep a reserve of 10% beyond final sale price. Sometimes a used coach may need a bit of work or updates to get it to your personal standards of living and preventative maintenance routine. And a six hour drive to check the coach out is not unusual. I did it three times with my coach. Drove it home on the third trip.

(EDIT) Was wondering what the bunk bed layout would look like in the FRED model and looking at the model archeive on the Tiffin web site I couldn't find anything. No 35QBA in the Bay series and no bunk beds in any of the Bay series up to 2010 when the line was closed. Are you sure it's a FRED?

[Magua]

norwestie wrote:
Go a few years older and get a 36' or 40' Phaeton. Diesel pushers are so much quieter and because the Phaeton was higher priced originally, the quality of materials will be better.

Would love to, but on a quick online search the cheapest Phaeton WITH bunk beds is going for $190,000...about 3 times the cost of the Allegro. No dice. One day definitely...just not now with a young family and limited resources.

[DanTheRVMan]

You can add air ride even if just for the front axle relatively cheaply to either of these.

The main advantages to a DP is fueling with the trucks makes life easier, exhaust brake, air ride, and quieter ride

If you get that FRED you could spend a few bucks and get 3 out of 4 which would be great imo.

[norwestie]

Go a few years older and get a 36' or 40' Phaeton. Diesel pushers are so much quieter and because the Phaeton was higher priced originally, the quality of materials will be better.

[Triker33]

So, the FRED gets better mpgs, but the fuel is more expensive (about $0.45 more around here)...maybe it's a wash?

Today at B&P in Baltimore
Gas $3.39@ 7.5 mpg= 0.452¢ a mile
Diesel $3.59@ 10 mpg= 0.359¢ a mile

Even at 45¢ more then gas a gal.
Diesel $3.84@ 10 mpg= 0.384¢ a mile 🙂

I went from a 6 mpg gas MH to a 10 mpg DP.
Difference pays for all my maintenance on the Diesel.
This info is for all the ones that say Diesel maintenance is much more then gas. Oil, filters etc.

[The_Texan]

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.

[Magua]

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!

[Executive45]

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

[Triker33]

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

[Vet_Man]

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.