TIFFIN Complaints

IN 2008 FULL LOSS OF BRAKE FUNCTIONING IN OUR 2003 ALLEGRO MOTORHOME WITH A WORKHORSE CHASSIS GOING UP HILL. WE HAD MOTORHOME TOWED TO SERVICE CENTER. WORKHORSE REFUSED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY CLAIMING IT WAS MY HUSBAND WHO HELD THE BRAKES ON TO LONG. HE IS A PROFESSIONAL CEMENT TRUCK DRIVER AND THIS IS NOT THE CASE. THE BRAKE PADS SHOW NO WEAR THEY WERE JUST BURNED WHEN THE BRAKE SYSTEM FAILED. WE PAID TO HAVE ALL BRAKE SYSTEMS REPLACED, BUT NOW ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE THE COACH BECAUSE AFTER RECEIVING THE RECALL NOTICE IT MAY HAPPEN AGAIN AND WE ARE IN FEAR OF OUR FAMILIES SAFETY. WE CONTINUE TO MAKE PAYMENTS ON A MOTORHOME WE ARE UNABLE TO USE DUE TO SAFETY ISSUES WORKHORSE IS UNABLE TO REPAIR. *TR

MY PROBLEM DEALS WITH THE RECALL ON THE DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR THAT IS INSTALLED IN MY RV. MY REFRIG. FALLS IN THE GROUP OF AFFECTED UNITS. THE RECALL ADDRESSES REPLACING A SHIELD OVER THE GAS (FLAME) TO PROTECT AGAINST FIRE IF THE TUBE, ON THE REFRIG. CRACKS, AND LEAKS ONTO THE FLAME THEREFORE CAUSING A FIRE. I UNDERSTAND THIS, HOWEVER THIS IS NOT THE PROBLEM THE TUBE BREAKING IS THE PROBLEM AND THAT CAUSES THE FLUID TO LEAK DOWN ONTO THE GAS/FLAME. THE COMPANY TELLS ME THAT THEY ARE NOT REPAIRING THE DEFECTIVE/ CRACKED TUBES. THIS SEEMS COMPLETELY ABSURD TO ME. THEY ARE NOT FIXING THE PROBLEM ONLY THE POSSIBILITY OF A FIRE AFTER THEIR DEFECTIVE PRODUCT BRAKES CAUSING THE LEAK. *TR

TL*CONTACT OWNS A 2005 ALLEGRO BAY MOTOR HOME. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH AND STOPPING AT A REST AREA, THE CONTACT SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. HE ATTEMPTED TO FIND THE LOCATION OF THE BURNING ODOR AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL; HOWEVER, AFTER RE-ENTERING THE VEHICLE THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THEY EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR. HE WAS ABLE TO DRIVE TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE ROTORS WERE CRACKED AND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE ABS SENSOR LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED AFTER THE ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS WERE REPLACED. ANOTHER INDEPENDENT MECHANIC STATED THAT THE SENSORS WERE MELTING TO THE FRAME WHICH CAUSED THE ABS LIGHT TO STAY ON. THE ABS SENSOR AND CALIPERS WERE REPLACED. THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER REGARDING REIMBURSEMENT AND THE CLAIM WAS DENIED SINCE THE CALIPERS WERE BEING REPLACED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 0 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 34,795.

2005 ALLEGRO (TIFFIN) PHAETON ON FREIGHTLINER XC CHASSIS WITH CATAPILLAR C7 ENGINE: TRAVELING FROM SARASOTA, FL TO SAN DIEGO, CA STARTING AUGUST 18, 2009 THE ENGINE BEGAN OVERHEATING ON AN EVER MORE FREQUENT BASIS UNTIL AUGUST 27, 2009, WHEN TRAVERSING THE MOUNTAINS WEST OF SAN DIEGO ON INTERSTATE 8 WE WERE FORCED TO STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY EVERY ONE HALF TO ONE MILE TO COOL DOWN THE ENGINE TO A WORKABLE LEVEL. THESE FREQUENT STOPS CREATED A HAZARD FOR EVERYONE ELSE TRAVELING THAT STRETCH OF HIGHWAY AND CREATED A RISK OF ENGINE FAILURE AND/OR FIRE IN A GENERALLY REMOTE AREA. DURING ONE SUCH STOP WE DID SCRAPE THE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE ON A GUARD RAIL UNDER A RAILROAD TRESTLE. THE DAMAGE HAS NOT YET BEEN ESTIMATED BUT I EXPECT IT TO BE APPROXIMATELY $3,000. THE PROBLEM WAS EVENTUALLY TRACED BY FREIGHTLINER SAN DIEGO TO A TOO SHORT CRANKCASE BLOWBY VENT ON THE ENGINE THAT ALLOWED CRANKCASE OIL MIST TO BE SPRAYED ON THE FORWARD SIDE OF THE RADIATOR BY THE COOLING FAN. SUBSEQUENTLY, DUST AND DIRT THROWN UP DURING DRIVING WAS ABSORBED BY THE OIL AND ESSENTIALLY BLOCKED THE AIR FLOW OVER THE RADIATOR. AFTER SOME MILES (OURS WAS AT ABOUT 49000+ MILES) THE BLOCKAGE BECOMES GREAT ENOUGH TO CAUSE ALMOST TOTAL FAILURE. GIVEN ITS LOCATION THE SIDE OF THE RADIATOR AFFECTED IS NOT VISIBLE TO INSPECTION WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT EFFORT. THE SOLUTION WAS TO REMOVE THE RADIATOR AND THE AIR CHARGE COOLER, CLEAN THEM AND REINSTALL THEM. IN ADDITION, FREIGHTLINER PROVIDED A REPLACEMENT FOR THE CRANKCASE BLOWBY TUBE THAT IS LONGER AND SENDS THE OIL BELOW THE RADIATOR (I.E., THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM AT FREIGHTLINER). I DO NOT HAVE THE ORIGINAL TUBE. THE COST FOR THE CLEANING WAS $2,403.78 AND THE PART WAS $256.58 (DONE AT SEPARATE FACILITIES).*TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 TIFFIN ALLEGRO BAY MOTOR HOME. HE RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE #09V110000( COMPONENT: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) STATING THAT THE DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE NECESSARY COMPONENTS OF THE ABS SYSTEM; HOWEVER, THE REMEDY WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE OWNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED BY MAIL WHEN PARTS ARE AVAILABLE, AND THEY CAN CONTACT WORKHORSE FOR ASSISTANCE. HE CALLED WORKHORSE AT LEAST SIX TIMES AND WAS REPEATEDLY ADVISED BY A REPRESENTATIVE THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PARTS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 ALLEGRO RV TIFFIN MODEL EQUIPPED WITH AN NORCOLD COOLING UNIT THAT EXPLODED TWO DAYS AFTER SHE RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE 09E027000 EQUIPMENT. SHE WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WITHOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. A REPORT WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT HER SERIAL NUMBER WAS OUT OF THE RECALL RANGE; HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER GAVE HER A NEW COOLING UNIT THAT IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN ICING UNIT OR DOOR. UPDATED 10/23/09 *CN THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY THE DIFFERENCE OF WHAT A NEW COOLING UNIT WOULD COST. UPDATED 10/27/09.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TIFFIN ALLEGRO RECREATIONAL VEHICLE. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 60 MPH, THE BRAKES FAILED. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND IT EXTENDED TO THE FLOOR. HE WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AND CONTINUED TO PUMP THE BRAKES. THE BRAKES FINALLY BECAME OPERABLE AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. HE LATER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE STATING THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON HIS UNIT. THE REMEDY OFFERED A NEW DESIGN ON THE BRAKING UNIT; HOWEVER, THE PARTS WOULD NOT BE IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 10,000. UPDATED 06/23/09. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKES ON THE RV HAVE FAILED TWICE. UPDATED 06/23/09.*JB

BRAKE LOCKUP AFTER HARD STOP BEING REQUIRED. BRAKES WORKED CORRECTLY AND SMOOTHLY FOR OVER 100 MILES, BUT I HAD A SITUATION WHERE HAD I TRIED AND FINISH MY LEFT TURN (TWO LANE HIGHWAY) I WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT IN THE SIDE BY A SEMI-TRUCK THAT DECIDED TO PASS. I HAD THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL ON AND WAS DRIVING SLOW IN ORDER TO MAKE MY TURN WHEN I SAW THE SEMI, AT WHICH TIME I PULLED OVER TO THE RIGHT AND HIT MY BRAKES. I THEN DROVE APPROX. 2-3 MILES TO MY DESTINATION AND THAT IS WHEN THE BRAKES HEATED UP, AS YOU COULD SMELL THEM. *TR

WE HAD ONE OF THE ABS SENSORS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY THE FIRST YEAR WE OWNED OUR MOTORHOME.. NOW WHEN WE ARE OUT OF WARRANTY(2004 ALLEGRO BAY, 32,000 MILES) WE FIND OUT THAT OUR CALIPERS WERE FROZEN SO THEY WOULDN'T RELEASE, THUS CREATING A HUGE DRAG ON THE MOTORHOME. ONE OF THE CALIPERS ACTUALLY CAUGHT ON FIREON THE RIGHT REAR, ALSO THE AXLE SEAL BLEW WHILE WE WERE GOING DOWN THE ROAD. IT IS A WELL DOCUMENTED FACT THAT WORKHORSE WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM. WE HAD TO HAVE ALL OF OUR CALIPERS, PADS AND A COUPLE SENSORS REPLACED AT A COST OF $2442.02. THIS CAUSED OUR TRANSMISSION FLUID TO OVERHEATED, THEREFORE HAD TO BE CHANGED AT A COST OF $199.63. *TR

OUR RV REFRIGERATOR IGNITED CAUSING A FIRE IN THE BACK OF THE UNIT. IF WE HAD NOT BEEN HOME, OUR RV WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY DESTROYED. TWO DAYS FOLLOWING THIS INCIDENT WE RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FROM DOMETIC WARNING OF A POSSIBLE FIRE DANGER. HOWEVER, THE UNIT THAT WE HAVE WAS NOT LISTED IN THE RECALL, BUT THE FIRE OCCURRED EXACTLY AS DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL LETTER. OUR ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT DOMETIC HAVE GONE UNANSWERED FOR TWO WEEKS. ( IE EMAIL AND TELEPHONE.) THIS INCIDENT REQUIRED THAT WE TURN OFF THE PROPANE USED TO HEAT OUR RV. THEREFORE NOT ONLY DO WE NOT HAVE A REFRIGERATOR, WE ARE UNABLE TO USE THE GAS HEATER. INFORMATION SHOULD BE FORTHCOMING FROM THE COMPANY AND IT IS NOT. *TR