We sold our 2020 Phaeton 40-IH and became truly HOMELESS, BUT...

Someone once told us that we don’t let the grass grow under our feet. Someone else said that "Time is fleeting and waits for no man (or woman), so why should we, at our age. After hearing about this last change of our plans, you might be inclined to agree.

After buying a lot in Star Valley Ranch RV Resort, two years ago, we fell in love with BOTH this place and State. It seemed that we made so many more friends here, than we did in Arizona, so despite the fact that it is a far different climate and it gets really cold here in winter, we purchased a lot in the RV Resort. However, they close the resort between around October and May the following year, to avoid frozen water lines, as these with RVs will freeze. After just one year, wanting to stay longer than October and possibly returning before May, we opted to sell our SVR RV Resort lot, and since Bill is experienced in Real Estate, due to savvy marketing we ended up making $9,100 in the transaction. Not bad for a 1-year investment, eh?

Then, our next plan was to buy a golf front lot in the Town of Star Valley Ranch, where we could build a small (1200 sf living area minimum by subdivision requirements) with a 2-car garage plus an RV garage to keep the 41 ft motorhome safe from the elements. Well, the plans to that end took longer and longer, and as the time flew by the prices of building materials grew exponentially as well, so we opted to wait until we returned to SVR before committing to build.

In the interim, given all the problems we had with the Tiffin (that are supposed to be sooo gooood) Phaeton XSH 40-IH we had gone to the Tiffin Service Center for more warranty work in Red Bay AL, but again had to leave before they were able or willing to complete all the work. During that time we also drove down to Florida in the truck, to vote and for Mary to talk to her Medicare advisor. But then, after leaving Red Bay with our as yet unfixed motor home,  we went on down to Central Florida to visit our good friends, Karen Burk, Mike and Magda Miley, Eric and AJ Haugg, Sandra O’lear and Steve, and others. During that time we also (on December  19^th) did our volunteer work for Wreaths Across America at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell and a few days later took a wreath to Sebastian Inlet to float a wreath in honor of Mary’s dad, Howard Thrunson. During this time, until March 1, we styed at Clermont Golf and RV Resort (twice) and at the Thousand Trails Orlando Resort (twice) and for a month at Southern Oaks, before heading back to the Tiffin Service Center for more warranty work in Red Bay AL, but after2 more weeks there and seeing that they were still not going to finish all the repairs; and worse, that Bob Tiffin, who everyone says is so reachable, STILL would not meet with US, Bill started investigating the possibility of selling the motor home with minimal loss. As it turned out, partly because he used to sell cars too and knows how to negotiate, aided by the fact that RVs are hard to come by due to the pandemic, he was able to sell it back to LaMesa corporate (the same company that we had bought it from 10 months earlier, in Tucson) for the same price that we had paid for it NEW. One can’t pass up on an opportunity like that, so we didn’t… We sold it.  Now we were truly homeless!!

While in Red Bay and while still unsure what to do about building, with construction costs rising as quickly as they have been and out of just plain curiousity about the prices of lots, Mary had kept looking at the For Sale ads on Realtor.com and Zilliow.com, to see how the value on our lot had escalated (already about $20K higher than what we bought it for)... when suddenly she came up on a new listing which had just come up that day, for a big and beautiful log-styled house, for a not too bad asking price.   It is a Golf Course lot on Cedar Creek, over-sized 3 car garage (32’X36’), 173 sq. foot gazebo just waiting for a hot tub. Fully landscaped yard including mature aspen and pine trees and sprinkler system. Charming log accents all around, including banisters, gas stove in the kitchen, a full walk-in pantry, balconies from the master bedroom, looking east for canyon breezes all night. Dining and living room decks wrap around for mountain views and golf course views. A propane fireplace for warming up. The walk-out basement has a family room including built in serving area, 2 bedrooms, bath and laundry room. 2 gorgeous designer log beds (about $7K each) were included with the home, and they offered the almost brand new Troy-Bilt 48” 4-wheeled snowblower for just $800 ($2,400 NEW). It sits on a quiet cul de sac lot. This home is spacious and inviting.  So we contacted our Realtor to go check it out (with a contract in hand) and offering $6,000 more than they were asking to beat any competition and get a quick reply. There was one other offer with ours, but they were looking for a short-term rental house and these owners who have taken such good care of the house wanted someone who would live it permanently… so WE GOT IT. See the photos to see what a beautiful and inviting home this is.

Then the issue was that we had to empty out the entire motor home into a 6’x12’ U-Haul trailer and move it in the middle of winter to SVR in Wyoming. Roxy was having a bout with her IBD, so we couldn’t stay in a hotel, in case she had a sudden attack of diarrhea, so we decided to drive straight through. Had that been the case, bad as it would have been, it actually got worse. We were going to take the shortest route, heading west on I40.  But past Little Rock AR, we noticed that a major storm headed our way had intensified and it would not have been a safe trip, so we had to deviate and head back South to go down to I-10, go across the bottom and then straight North to SVR. All in all the trip was 2,600 miles… non-stop (except to sleep here and there) with Roxy in the back seat on her hammock.  What a trooper she is!! She never complained.

Well, we did make it. Being truly homeless our full-service realtor Ed Koontz of Continental Realty, offered that we could stay at his house in the basement, as his wife is currently attending to an ill son in Maryland. So we arrived in SVR about 10pm and spent the first night at Ed’s house. Unfortunately they have recently moved to that house from a much bigger house and there was not too much free space left for us and Roxy to be able to move around, so the next day we opted to look for alternate accommodations and were able to find a log cabin motel, called Wolf’s Den (for the owner Cory & Pam Wolfley) which was about 20’ x 30’, for just $1,200/ month, so we took it as we needed a place to put all the freezable items inside, from the back of the truck…. You know, the 3 cases of rum, 6 cases of wine, 12 boxes of wine, 1 case of Dripping Spring vodka and 4 bottles of Pusser’s rum, that we picked up in Texas for our friends Cliff and Venise Mee, since they can only get it in Texas, at a good price.

Closing is on or before April 19, 2021. Because it is a 3-story house (including the walk-out basement) we will be getting some help to move with at least 2 strong men with a truck, to help carry the furniture that we have, primarily to the second floor and some things to the third (master bedroom) floor. Except for minor repairs that Bill can do on his own, the only more involved work that it needs (given our own particular taste) is to repaint the second full bathroom in the basement and the ceiling of the garage, which by the way has a bigger footprint than the house.

For the time being we will hold onto our other golf-front building lot (22 Ridgecrest Circle) which is already valued at around $70,000, having paid $50,000 for it 6 months ago. Property values are going up in leaps and bounds. The word is that all the conservative Billionaires moving from California and other purple and blue states, to Jackson (Hole), where even a 1/1 condo cannot be touched for under $1Million, is pushing the Millionaires down to Star Valley Ranch, where  EVERY road in/out to/from here is a SCENIC BYWAY.

Following are photos of the house in the Summer....

Doesn't it look like a Swiss chalet?

Above and below, two of the best views of the house (in our opinion).

These are photos of the house in winter...

Snow gets to about 12" - 24"; higher on the banks from snowblower.

Rear deck on 2nd Floor with fireplace.

Eastern side w/walk through balcony and walk-through below, next to driveway.

Eastern view of mountains up close, from Covered Balcony

Northern view from Rear Deck, view of Golf Course and Valley

South and eastern view of canyon from front deck (partially covered by master balcony

Eastern View of Canyon from 2nd floor deck

Garage in rear at end of driveway.

First floor under Rear Deck, facing Gazebo and Garage

View to the Rear (Cedar Creek GC) in winter used for cross-country skiing.

These are photos of the inside of the house...

Living Room, Family Room, Master Brm in Loft and 1/2 Bath behind antique door.

Great Room at rear of house (2nd floor)

Kitchen, off of Family Room 

Credenza (on left) is on wheels makes into Island

Large Pantry through bar doors beyond it. 

Upstairs (3rd Floor) in Loft is Master bedroom with Custom Log Bed

Master bedroom Bath

Partial view of Great Room w/antique fireplace mantle.

Partial view of Master Bdrm (facing front to private balcony facing South)

Another view of the Kitchen

Opposite view of the Great Room with antigue fireplace

Family Room viewing the Great Room (2nd floor)

Another view of the Master Bedroom (loft). The two doors lead to the upper private balcony

View of the log staircase from Great Room to Loft and Family Room in rear

Family Room toward Great Roomm w/log staircase between them

Great Room has wooden floor. Family room has tile with rugs. 

This is the Queen-size log bed in 2nd Bedroom in basement.

This is an antique door with a stained glass panel and a curtain behind it. The door is an authentique antique with no working handle, but inside it has a locking device for privacy.

View of the fireplace wall with huge windows above it that lets light and heat in. 

The glass spanels have electronic bilnds that move from the bottom, up 

and are operated with a remote control.

This used to be another covered balcony (like the opposite side) but for some reason a previous owner had it enclosed and is now just extra space. Not sure what we'll do with it. Each end has a built-in cabinet like the one shown that has huge storage shelving... may serve for added pantry. Because of winter, it may be a few weeks or longer before one can got to Costco, so it is good to have a good supply of goods. At the end of the summer season (late fall) the supermatrket (Broulim's) has a "case sale" where one can buy anything by the case. Many people go in to share a case (as needed) and store food away in large pantries and spaces like this. It is not uncommon to have 2-3 freezers, too, especially during and after hunting season, for the meat. 

2nd bedroom in basement, with door to the outside. Gazebo seen in background.

Mud room and entry to the basement just before this seat, 

and stairs that go to the 2nd floor Great Room.

Bedroom #3 in basement. Here we will put a Murphy Bed (Queen) 

and make it into a studio that can be used for additionall guests. 

From the Mud Rm one comes into this open area of the basement, which has ample seating, a TV and a small kitchenette with refrigerator and microwave, which gives visitors some privacy.

Another view of Great Room w/overhead sun windows.

In the kitchen, looking at the large pantry and rolling island credenza.

Another view of Master Bedroom looking overhead sun windows above the fireplace in GR.

Another virew ofFamily Room with Kitchen in background.

The open part of the basement family room (where sofas and TV will go) with 

desk to the left (where red/black chairs are) and kitchenette just beyond that.

Flipping back a bit, this is view of the master bathroom and closet, from the Master bedroom.

And opposite above photos is the master bedroom log bed

One of the two sliding doors from GR to outside deck...

From the master bedroom, looking down at GR and out through the sun-windows.

Another view of the central staircase to the loft... the central point.

View of the Garage. Left side will be for Edith2 as there is a propane heater on that side. The other two car garage will be for toys, golf cart, snowblower, etc plus there is room enough even for guests' car(s) as the garage is 32' wide and 36' deep.

Family Room

Kitchenette in the basement.

Family room in the basement. TV will go where the m/c picture is.Sliding glass door goes to outside (West) as does the main basement doorway at the Mud Room in back. All glass is double paned. 

Also in the basement is the Washer & Dryer, a porcelain 

laundry tub and the 50 gal hot water heater.

Another view of the Family Room in 2nd floor.

Guest (1/2) Bath under staircasee to loft.

Extra space on 2nd floor w/extra cabinet on other end.

2nd Bedroom w/closet and bath and entry door

Garage (heater just above truck cab)

This is the only main room that we will be painting, 

as it has that 1990's Harvest Gold color, still.

March 3, 2021 - Back to the TIFFIN Service Center AGAIN... for a THIRD TIME in Year 1.

Well, we are unfortunately having to return to the TIFFIN Service Center in Red Bay Alabama for a THIRD TIME. They say that "the third time is the charm", right? Well, apparently in legal terms the Breach of Warranty Laws also require that a manufacturer fail on THREE (3) attempts to fix a customer's reports of non-working as designed or implied products. The LEMON LAW does not apply here here because the Lemon Law is only as to a 'motorized vehicle', which in a motorhome means the chassis and motor. In our case there is absolutely nothing wrong with these parts of the overall motorhome. ALL the problems are with the manufacture of the parts that make up the rest of the motorhome. Thus the only recourse to the consumer is a Breach of Warranty of the manufacturer, IF after three attempts they still can't correct ALL the reported issues. Then, a consumer can sue for Breach of Warranty and the manufacturer would have to refund the consumer all his expenses in getting their product and take back the RV.... OR replace it. Though if the manufacturer lets the matter go to such lengths, all at the disruption and expense to the consumer, WHY on earth would a consumer take a chance of being subjected to such lengths again with another of the same product.

On this THIRD TRIP to the SERVICE CENTER, this is our list of warranty issues that need to be addressed. As you can see from the items thereon, when compared to previous issues posted on previous visits to the Service Center, MANY are repeated from the first visit... and MANY are even repeated from the second visit, but MANY are also brand NEW.  One even popped up on the trip from Florida to Red Bay.  There does not seem to be an end to the breakdowns on THIS RV, the standard of the Tiffin lineup (not the most expensive, but in many people's opinions, the most popular and most distinctive). 

Through our email for this website (roughingitgently@gmail.com) we continually hear from and communicate with other RVers (many even Tiffin owners, and those who are considering buying one), as to the RV that we currently own. In the last six (6) years we have had the benefit of having had and evaluated four (4)... a 2012 Coachman Encounter, and a 2016 Thor Challenger, both gassers; and a 2015 Fleetwood Discovery 40E and this 2020 Tiffin Phaeton XSH 40IH. As such we generally hear good comments about the Tiffin product from past and present owners; however consistently we also note that the most problems reported on TIFFIN coaches are pertinent to the latest models, say from 2017 to present. And now that it is official that Bob Tiffin sold his company to THOR, of all possible competitiors (though perhaps one of the largest representative of the overall RV market, also consistently the lowest ranked as to performance and quality) in every poll, it may be evident that perhaps he is no longer interested in maintaining a high quality reputation.... and judging from our coach, it shows.

Apart from the PAST reputation of Tiffin Motorhomes for building a good product and standing behind their product, and the fact that we have continually heard from every dealer and past, as well as present, owners that "BOB...will ALWAYS talk to anyone that seeks him out and is always willing to make his customers Happy", we felt motivated and eager to buy a Tiffin last year. Unfortunately, having tried to seek Bob out to visit with or talk to him, he has continually given us the cold shoulder. We have visited his office and been turned away... "No one can see Bob Tiffin, without going through Tim Massey, the Service Manager first" was Security's posture. So we met with Tim Massey, the Service Center Manager and previous factory manager, as well as a friend of Bob Tiffin, and asked him to visit with or be able to talk to Bob Tiffin. You got it... turned down again. We called the 256-356-8661 phone and were told (3x) that he was "not available". Slammed again! It seems that he no longer cares about his customers... or maybe it is just us. In any case we have given up in trying to communicate with him. 

So, we are here for the LAST TIME with THIS RV. We are hoping that IF all the continuing issues we suffer with this RV are particular to THIS RV, that Tiffin will be willing to swap us out of this motorhome, which to us is not just a recreational vehicle, but is actually our only HOME. IF they are, we will continue with another Tiffin, which we pray will change our mind of the Tiffin product, by presenting no issues and making us proud of our ownership, like most all those other Tiffin owners we talk/chat/write to. OTHERWISE, we have managed to obtain a dealer who will buy us out of our Phaeton, and we will trade it for a 2021 or 2022 Fleetwood Discovery LXE 40D, or similar. Let's see where Tiffin stands on standing behind their product and further inconveniencing their customers with an obviously deficient coach. 

Here is the List of ALL the WARRANTY WORK ITEMS for the THIRD VISIT on March, 2021. Note that from our first visit there were over 200 paint issues, which even the Paint Manager admitted that it should never have left the factory is that condition. It spent 15 days in Paint during our 2 previous visits and still there are over 30 places where the paint is deficient, but we have finally just had to give up on their ever getting it all done, as there are too many other more pressing issues to attend to. 

2020 Phaeton  XSH  40IH (VIN:  5VBPA57A1LA120726)

SPYDER ELECTRONIC Screens issues:

- Ongoing issues with 5” screen inside door, sometimes the “button” lights up indicating that the item is on and sometimes it does not.  For example, if the button does not light up when the Road light is turned on, we do not know if it is on unless we walk around to the Driver’s side of the Coach.  Other buttons on this screen have the same issue.  As of the last communication with Christian, they had not seen this issue before and had no idea what might be causing it.

 - On January 31 we found it necessary to reset the clock on the Spyder system, but not due to a Time Zone change.  We had been in the Eastern Time Zone since November 25th, at which point we changed it from Central to Eastern, but at the same time had to adjust the minutes.  On January 31, we had to set the time forward 7 minutes in order to have the correct time showing.  So, in slightly over 2 months Spyder “lost” 7 minutes.  As of February 22, it has “lost” over 2 minutes since being reset.

 - Tank level displays are an ongoing issue.  On December 30 the Spyder display indicated that the Propane tank was empty.  The gauge on the tank itself also indicated nearly empty.  However, when we filled it, it only took 22.2 gallons to fill a 35.9 gallon tank, it should have taken slightly more than 28 gallons to fill the tank if it were truly empty.  How can we be assured of the tank level readings are valid? Also, on February 22, 2021 while flushing the black tank, using the flush hose to refill it a bit with water, it read 20%, so in waiting for it to get to 25%, it suddenly jumped from 20% to 100% and it started hissing out of the toilet. OBVIOUSLY on this coach Spyder has no concept of percentages or good quality.

 - We’re not really sure if this is a Spyder issue or a Tiffin issue, however, we have noted a discrepancy with temperature readings reported on the  touch screens.  For example, the touch screen will read 75 degrees, but we are freezing.  We bought a thermometer to double check the sensor data and yesterday morning when the Spyder system reported 75 degrees, the thermometer read 69.9 degrees.  However, the discrepancy does not seem to be consistent number of degrees, nor is the sensor always higher than the thermometer.

ELECTRICAL ISSUES

• Right Turn Signal (arrow) does not function (light/click) on Dash Instrument Panel, nor does the FRONT turn signal lamp blink.  HOWEVER, ALL the REAR signal lamps on the coach and the turn signal lamps on the tow vehicle DO function properly, despite no signal at the dash.  According to Tech Support (Corbett Davis), they have never seen this issue before.  That’s the second issue that is apparently UNIQUE to this coach.
•  Tail Lights on Tow Vehicle do not work.  Both the Dealer that sold us the Coach and Tiffin Service have taken the attitude that they “do NOT have anything to do with wiring for the Tow Vehicle” and that we would have to take it to a Trailer place that installs tow bars to have the Tow fixed.  During all that time TIFFIN has left us in danger of not being seen at night, due to their laziness and disregard for their customers. We took it to a place that specializes in all types of RV Service and Repair.  They actually TESTED the motorhome before they decided what needed to be done.  Well, there was NOTHING they could do because there was no power being sent to the 7 PIN plug on the motorhome to power the lights on the Tow.  So, IT IS a Tiffin issue.
•  Closet lights turn on for no reason.  This is the third time around for this issue.  The righthand light comes on for no reason.  The fixture was replaced during our first trip to Red Bay in May-June, 2020.  That did not correct the issue so the Techs checked around for other issues and determined that a flap on a storage container on the top shelf of the closet was likely moving when the air came on and that was what was causing the light to turn on at random. However, after correcting the wayward flap (and even removing it later) we determined that that was NOT the issue as the light has continued to turn on randomly.  So, we tried turning the motion sensor off on that light.  That caused a whole new issue to surface… the left-hand light started coming on at random, like the other had done.  We had never seen this light come on randomly before turning the motion sensor off on the righthand light.  We then turned the motion sensor on the righthand light back on; and the righthand light continues to turn on randomly and the new issue we have noted since then is that on at least one occasion BOTH closet lights came on together, for no reason.  And we say NO REASON,  because there were no other systems in the coach on at the time (A/C, Heat Pump, Furnace, Generator were ALL OFF) or turning on or off to generate movement, and there was no wind that caused movement in the motorhome.  In short, there was NO motion to cause it.  We even noted that the closet rod bounces up and down during the washing machine’s spin cycle.  At 1200 RPMs, there is quite a bit of bounce, but it doesn’t cause the lights to come on.  The concern now is that the lights coming on randomly is a symptom of a potentially greater issue… an systemic electrical problem somewhere in the coach.
• On Feb. 3, P/S Bay light (3rd door from front) stopped working. It is a strip light with no On/Off switch. We waved our hand under it to no avail.  Several days later, however,  it began working again when the door was opened. Coach had not been moved or had any interruption in power to cause this situation.
• Main Cabin lights  (hockey puck lights) flicker when they have been on for a while.  We have video of this.
• On March 2, while traveling to Red Bay from Central Florida it rained.  About halfway through the trip, we noted an intermittent problem.  The colors displayed on the dash would change when the wipers were turned off or on.  This is an intermittent issue that does not happen every time, but does occur.  We have video of this realtime as it is happening. 

 ALL SLIDE ISSUES

• The slides are notably off kilter… tighter at top, more open at bottom; more closed on one end than the other. This is probably WHY there is so much light/cold air coming in around the slides.  We have brought the slide issues up to Warranty Service and the “Solution” has been to place bulkier weather stripping around the slide so that it appears tighter, but that falls off 3 weeks later and does NOT resolve the issue of improper slide alignment and the gaps around the slide when it is open for some slides and closed for others.  We have visually inspected other Phaeton RVs and have photo evidence of a correctly installed slide, pressed tight against the sidewall all the way around with no greater gap on any side, which is contrary to photos of our Phaeton.  Tiffin has refused to properly correct the issue with the slides, choosing to utilize weather stripping, rather than to do the job right.  This is just NOT ACCEPTABLE, Bob!!
• D/S Rear:  As has been noted on prior visits to Red Bay, when the rear left slide is open, there is substantial daylight evident at the bottom corners of the slide and across under the bed.  There is also daylight visible down the left side of the slide.  It seems that the slide is   not aligned correctly as the edge of the slide opening on the left side of the slide is quite visible while on the right, it is not, indicating that it is shifted to the right of center of the opening.
• On the Oct./Nov. 2020 visit to Red Bay, we reported that, while the top of this slide on the outside was tight with the outer coach wall, the bottom was not.  The “solution” was to add a thick weather strip to the bottom of the slide, to hold it tightly against the wall of the coach.  Glad we didn’t pay for this work to be done, as in less than 3 weeks we found the weatherstripping laying on the ground under the slide.
• Alignment would appear to be off with a gap on the left side when the slide is open and at the bottom when the slide is closed.
• P/S Rear:  This slide suffers the same issues as the D/S Rear, alignment and daylight
• There are several areas across the bottom of the slide that display daylight when the slide is open.  This has also been reported on our two previous visits, but with no action taken to correct.
• There is daylight down the left side of this slide when it is closed.
• This slides have several alignment issues.  When open it is higher on the forward end of the slide than the rear (next to the W/D compartment).  When closed one end is further out than the other.  As with the D/S Rear, the top is tight to the side of the coach when closed, but the bottom displays a gap to the side of the coach.
• Though this would represent a great deal of inconvenience to us, we would suggest that ALL the slides be completely removed and then re-aligned in to insure a correct alignment when closed. They should ALL fit firmly all around when closed, as we have photo evidence of the same result in other Phaeton motorhomes.

 FRONT DOOR

• Door latch will not release properly.  This has been addressed on two prior occasions.  However, since the last report the door latch has failed twice.  First time it “broke” it nearly locked us out of the motorhome.  The door was not locked and when Bill attempted to enter, it would partially release the outer and screen doors, but not open, because the screen door was still attached to the frame.  The screen door refused to let go, despite pulling on it hard.  Luckily, Mary was inside and released the latch on the screen door.  The next morning, there was no problem with the screen door latch releasing.  However, at Tim Massey’s suggestion, we removed a piece from the latch system, so we are now required to release the main door and screen door independently of each other, which is VERY inconvenient and sometimes the doors still stick and act like they won’t open, even when we have to release them individually.  The other behavior change we have made it to leave a window unlocked and the ladder readily accessible so that Mary can crawl through a window if necessary.  Since this will be round 3 on this door latch, even though Tim has committed to replacing the door if necessary, we have little confidence in our ability to easily enter or exit the coach as the latch will have been repaired three times and while it worked well for a short time after the first two repairs, it broke yet again, all in the space of 7 months.  Tim also seemed to indicate that our description of the issue was one that he had not encountered before… making this the THIRD issue with this motorhome that is UNIQUE.  Lucky us, to have had the fortune to get the LEMON of the Tiffin line.
• On February 24th, we left the motorhome at 8:30 am, locking the door with the remote.  When we returned home at 8:30 pm, we found that we were locked out.  Neither of the remotes would unlock the door and neither would the key pad.  Fortunately, we keep an entire set of keys to the motorhome in our tow and we finally were able to enter the coach by using the key.  At least I didn’t have to crawl through a window.  So now we have a new issue with the locks to resolve, which will require that the door, locks, and the entire locking mechanism/system be replaced.  Or more responsibly the entire coach should be replaced given the magnitude of the issues we have encountered.  The reliability of this coach is totally in question.  We have spoken to other Tiffin owners in person and in forums and no one else seems to have the type of ongoing, significant issues that we have encountered and have had to return for additional service, to no avail.  The same issues return and new ones constantly appear.

Tim Massey, Service Manager has offerred to completely replace the front door entirely, with new hardware and inside screen door, to avoid further issues of anyone getting locked out again. We believe that such sould be the minimum action required; though for our money the our best ioption would be to simply replace the coach with one that works overall.

MAIN BATH

• Flooring: The engine cover in the master bath is warping and coming up around the edges.  The edges are no longer flush with the floor and catch the vacuum head during cleaning.
• Shower Wall:
• The righthand side of the shower frame is pulling away from the wall.
• Shower glass spline is coming out of the track, front of glass enclosure next to toilet.
• Bedroom Paneling behind the sliding bathroom door is pulling away from wall. Very poor-quality materials.

  MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

• Two Satellite (Traveler and In Motion) came with this coach. However, the TVs only work with the Traveler; why won’t they work with In Motion when it came with the coach?
•  Hinge on left hand door under dinette is loose, which is odd because this door is not frequently used. Poor workmanship.
• Of all the paint issues we are willing to forego, two we want fixed.  One is a piece of molding under the P/S Front slide that needs to be secured to the side of the coach and the other is in the crown on the P/S.  Warranty and Belmont Paint have failed to successfully address these during either of the two previous visits, during 15 days in the paint shop, as we have given up in trying to get Tiffin to repair all their individual paint screwups.
• Patio Awning fails to retract at a consistent wind speed, sometimes with gusts as high as 16 MPH it does not retract.  Others it retracts at 10 MPH. Also, it does not close entirely on one end.

PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED - STILL NOT FULLY FIXED

• Theater seating was replaced in Nov.  However, the right seat (facing the unit) still leans to the left…concern that it too will break?  Not requesting replacement at this time, just reporting that this one has similar issues to the one that broke and had to be replaced.
• Shower head still has a substantial leak when the water is shut off at the shower head itself.  (Replaced May/June) No replacement requested; we will purchase a higher-quality shower head that better meets our needs.
• P/S Mirror still leaves a blind spot.  We understand that this is a design defect, but one that is truly a safety issue.  There should have been a solution identified by now.  The response "that is just the way it is made and there is no fix for it”, is not acceptable to a driver who cannot see if there is someone on his right side except to take his eyes off of the road to check the camera, which is not that clear either.

This motorhome continues to have significant issues, several of which have already been addressed, but the “solution” was not a resolution of the issue.  In the above issue descriptions, there are at least 3 items outlined which are NEW to either Tiffin Warranty Service or Spyder.  These items generate significant concerns in our minds regarding the reliability of this coach.  These concerns fall into the following categories:

1.     Are the closet lights, dash instrument panel, and lack of tail light signal symptoms of a larger electrical issue?  One that could cause us to be stranded or worse yet, a fire?

2.     On the surface the Spyder issues seem to be nothing more than an annoyance, however, are they potentially related to an underlying electrical issue?  Or does the system installed in this coach just not work?  We have previously reported anomalies with the reporting of the tank levels, only to have the functionality of the “sonar” system explained to us again.  The repeated explanation does not help when we are trying to determine what is going on with the tank levels in the coach.  Does the addition of the observation that the Spyder System’s clock is losing time provide any helpful background?

3.     The repeated issue with the entry door is really not acceptable.  In the nearly 10 months we have had this coach, the door has only worked properly  about 2 months.  This too is a safety issue and an embarrassing situation for the owner of a brand-new Tiffin.

We  will be happy to discuss or clarify any of the above items in greater detail with anyone, but on the advice of our lawyer, who has recommended that we try to resolve this with the manufacturer amicably before legal action is called for, we are back in Red Bay to see what Tiffin Motorhomes is willing to do to bring this nightmare to an end?  Since we live in this motorhome full-time, we need home that is reliable and that we can depend on.  Driving 1,700 miles one way for repairs is not acceptable and fully half of the current mileage is due to travels to and from Red Bay.  We are seeking a real and final solution and will not accept being “patted on the head and given platitudes” any more. Should you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact us on it, at:

roughingitgently@gmail.com