TIFFIN Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TIFFIN ALLEGRO RV. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SLOW DOWN WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. SUDDENLY, AFTER PUMPING THE BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES, THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE ABS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND REMAINED LIT UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS BRAKE FAILURE. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE BRAKE SYSTEM; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V149000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC;SWITCHES:BRAKE WARNING), ALTHOUGH THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,800 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 9,600.UPDATED 01/09/09. *LJ UPDATED 01/12/09. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A DOMETIC REFRIGERATOR, MODEL RM2852. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE ON THE REFRIGERATOR, WHICH STATED THAT IT COULD POSSIBLY CATCH FIRE. HE BELIEVES THAT THE REMEDY FOR THIS RECALL WOULD NOT PREVENT A FIRE IN THE EVENT THAT THE BOILER TUBE IGNITES. INSTEAD, THE ACTUAL REPAIR WOULD ONLY CONTAIN THE FIRE, RATHER THAN PREVENT THE FIRE. THERE HAD BEEN NO FAILURE TO DATE. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER AND PART NUMBER WERE UNKNOWN. UPDATED 10-29-08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE REFRIGERATOR SHOWED SIGNS OF LEAKAGE AND THE REFRIGERATOR WAS NOT COOLING PROPERLY. THE POWER CONVERTER FAILED, THE FUEL PUMP FAILED AND A SWITCH ON THE FLUID RESERVOIR FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE BRAKE AND TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. UPDATED 10/30/08. *JB

WE PURCHASED AN ALLEGRO BUS WITH SPARTAN CHASSIS AND FACTORY INSTALLED PUTNAM HITCH. WE WERE HAULING OUR HORSE TRAILER HOME FROM A HORSE SHOW IN OKLAHOMA WHEN WE HAPPENED TO STOP AT A TRUCK STOP IN ST. LOUIS. THE TRAILER WAS WITHIN WEIGHT REQUIREMENTS FOR THE TRAILER AS WELL AS TONGUE WEIGHT. UPON STOPPING, WE NOTICED THAT THE PUTNAM HITCH WAS DETACHING FROM THE CHASSIS DUE TO THE FRACTURING OF THE METAL IN THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE MOTOR HOME. HAD WE TRAVELED MUCH FURTHER, WE WOULD HAVE CERTAINLY LOST THE TRAILER AS WELL AS THE 2 SHOW HORSES ON BOARD. AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE, WE HAD TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE TRANSPORT OF OUR HORSES BACK TO OUR FACILITY IN OHIO. IN ADDITION, WE HAD TO HAVE THE TRAILER TOWED TO A SECURE SITE AND A WELDER REPAIR THE HITCH THE NEXT DAY IN ORDER FOR THE TRAILER TO BE HAULED SAFELY BACK HOME. THE WELDER WHO RESPONDED TO OUR CALL, ACKNOWLEDGED THAT HE HAD REPAIRED ANOTHER BUS THE SAME EVENING WITH THE SAME OCCURRENCE ONLY THE TRAILER CAME OFF THAT MOTOR HOME. THE NEXT DAY I NOTIFIED THE CHASIS, MOTORHOME AND HITCH COMPANIES AND SENT PICTURES OF THE FAILURE. BOTH THE CHASIS AND MOTORHOME COMPANIES WERE RECEPTIVE TO MY CONCERN BUT THE HITCH COMPANY FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY EMAILS AND PHONE CALLS. FINALLY THEY RESPONDED, AFTER 2 MONTHS, BUT ARE REFUSING TO REIMBURSE US FOR THE REPAIRS TO THE HITCH. IT HAD BEEN CONFIRMED THAT THE PUTNAM HITCH WAS AWARE THAT MANY HITCHES WERE INSTALLED IMPROPERLY-NOT ONLY OURS BUT MANY OTHERS-A BRACE BAR WAS OMITTED-YET THEY ARE IGNORING MY REQUESTS FOR MY OUT OF POCKET REPAIR COSTS. WITHOUT REPAIRS IN ST. LOUIS, THE HITCH WAS UNUSABLE. THE ISSUE IS WITH THE HITCH COMPANY-PUTNAM HITCH AND THEIR LACK OF CONCERN FOR THE WELFARE OF THOSE WHO USE THEIR PRODUCTS AS APPLIED TO THE CHASSIS OF MOTOR HOMES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 TIFFIN ALLEGRO BAY. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. ALSO, THE REAR BRAKES LOCKED UP AND SMOKE APPEARED. THE FAILURES OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE FAILURES WERE RELATED TO THE CALIPERS STICKING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF FOUR CALIPERS. THE FAILURES WERE IDENTICAL TO THE ONES MENTIONED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 43,000. *UPDATED 10/20/08 *BF UPDATED 10/21/08. *JB

CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF RV TIRE CAUSING SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO VEHICLE AND NEARLY CAUSING A ROLLOVER INCIDENT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 TIFFIN ALLEGRO BAY RV. WHILE ON VACATION, THE REFRIGERATOR WOULD NOT KEEP THE FOOD COLD OR FROZEN. AFTER RETURNING HOME, A FRIEND INFORMED THE CONTACT ABOUT THE DOMETIC RECALL. HE INSPECTED HIS REFRIGERATOR AND CONFIRMED THAT THE SERIAL NUMBER MATCHED THOSE THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. DOMETIC ALSO CONFIRMED THAT HIS UNIT WAS AFFECTED; HOWEVER, THEY WILL ONLY INSTALL A HEAT SHIELD AND NOT REPLACE THE UNIT, EVEN AFTER IT RUPTURED AND LEAKED COOLANT FROM THE BURNER HOUSING. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 30,481. UPDATED 09/10/08 *BF UPDATED 09/16/08

WE TOOK DELIVERY ON A TIFFIN PHAETON 2008 MOTORHOME (VIN LAST DIGITS 8CZ81559)NOV. 9, 2007. WE FIRST DROVE IT ON THE ROAD NOV. 23, 2007 AND WITHIN 30 MILES HAD OVERHEATING, LOW COOLANT, ENGINE SHUTDOWN PROBLEMS. FREIGHTLINER SAID TO KEEP DRIVING AS LONG AS IT WOULD GO. WE HAD MULTIPLE INCIDENTS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND KEPT GETTING THE SAME ANSWERS. ON JUNE 25, 2008, WE COASTED TO THE SIDE OF A BUSY FOUR LANE 50 MILES SOUTH OF KANSAS CITY AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO CUMMINS SINCE FREIGHTLINER HAD 6 TECH'S OFF TO SCHOOL. WHEN DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM, CUMMINS SAID FREIGHTLINER HAD A FIELD SAFETY CAMPAIGN 388A-F ISSUE AND THE PROBLEM DESCRIBED HAD OCCURRED. THE HORTON FAN, FAN HUB, BELTS, WIRING, CAC, ETC. HAD ALL BEEN TORN OFF WITH THE SHEAR OF THE FAN BOLT AND WOBBLE AND FINAL BREAKAGE. IT TOOK 6 DAYS TO GET PARTS AND FIX. WE LEFT JULY 1ST AND MADE IT AS FAR AS DENVER WHEN ON JULY 4TH, IT OCCURRED AGAIN. DENVER FREIGHTLINER SAID IT WAS THE SAME PROBLEM AND ALL NEW PARTS HAD TO BE ORDERED AND REPLACED. IT TOOK 7 DAYS THIS TIME. WE HAD NO NOTICE TO THE RECALL AND HAD TO LOSE TIME AND MONEY TWICE WITHIN TWO WEEKS. *TR

ON MAY 19, 2008 WE PURCHASED 4 NEW TIRES FROM GANIN TIRE IN MIDDLETOWN, NY FOR OUR MOTORHOME. ON MAY 30 WE DROVE TO MASSACHUSETTS. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, MY HUSBAND NOTICED CRACKS IN ONE OF THE TIRES. UPON CHECKING WITH OUR TIRE INFORMATION BROCHURE THAT CAME WITH THE VEHICLE, MY HUSBAND DISCOVERED THAT THE TIRES MAY, IN FACT, BE 10 YEARS OLD, ALTHOUGH WE PURCHASED THEM 2 WEEKS AGO AND THE INVOICE ALSO NOTED THAT THEY WERE NEW. WHILE WE WERE IN MASSACHUSETTS. MY HUSBAND CALLED MICHELIN AND THEY ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THE DOT NUMBERS INDICATED THAT THE TIRES WERE BUILT IN 1998. AS WE WERE DRIVING TO GET BACK HOME TO GO BACK TO THE ORIGINATING DEALER FOR THE TIRES, THE BACK RIGHT TIRE BLEW OUT THE INNER SIDEWALL. WE GOT OFF THE ROAD AND CALLED FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. WE HAD TO PURCHASE ANOTHER TIRE WHICH WAS INSTALLED AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THEN WE DROVE TO THE NEAREST MICHELIN DEALER. WE WERE TOLD THAT ALL TIRES WE DRY-ROTTEN, THE BELT IN THE TIRE THAT FAILED WAS RUSTED AND THE DEALER IN MASSACHUSETTS INDICATED THAT ALL TIRES WERE USED AS THE TREAD DEPTH INDICATED THAT THE TIRES WERE WORN WAY BEYOND 300 MILES (APPROX 11/32 TREAD-DEPTH AND MICHELIN INDICATED THAT NEW TREAD DEPTH IS 16.4/32). WE REPLACED ALL TIRES AND WE KEPT ALL TIRES THAT WERE TAKEN OFF. WE ARE ALSO CONTACTING MICHELIN MANAGEMENT. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WAS NOT A FAILURE OF A MICHELIN TIRE, BUT A FAILURE OF THE DEALER BY SELLING OLD, USED TIRES AS NEW. *TR

THE REAR VIEW DRIVER'S SIDE MIRROR ON A 2008 ALLEGRO BUS RV MADE BY TIFFIN IS MOUNTED IN A MANNER/LOCATION THAT CAUSES A VERY LARGE BLIND SPOT MAKING IT UNSAFE TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. ON JUNE 4, 2007, I PURCHASED FROM AN RV DEALERSHIP IN KINGSTON, NEW YORK A NEW 2008 ALLEGRO BUS MADE BY TIFFIN. ON JUNE 5, 2007, I LEFT NEW YORK FOR HOME IN OHIO WITH THE NEW RV PURCHASED THE PREVIOUS DAY. DURING THE TRIP HOME, I REALIZED THE PROBLEM WITH THE MIRROR AND THE BLIND SPOT. TIFFIN PICKED UP THE RV IN OHIO AND TOOK TO THEIR FACTORY IN ALABAMA TO MOVE THE MIRROR, AND TO REPAIR OTHER DEFECTS WITH THE RV, AND RETURNED IT BACK TO ME IN OHIO. TIFFIN NEVER MOVED THE MIRROR WHICH STILL CAUSES A VERY LARGE BLIND SPOT MAKING IT UNSAFE TO MAKE A LEFT TURN. NEW RV'S FROM TIFFIN ARE STILL LIKE THIS EVEN THOUGH TIFFIN IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM FROM ME AND OTHER CUSTOMERS. *TR

THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL FAIL ON A 2008 ALLEGRO BUS RV MADE BY TIFFIN WITHIN A FEW MINUTES OF OPERATION. THE BRACKETS INSIDE BREAK OFF AND THE WIPERS FALL DOWN. ON JUNE 4, 2007, I PURCHASED FROM AN RV DEALERSHIP IN KINGSTON, NEW YORK A NEW 2008 ALLEGRO BUS MADE BY TIFFIN. WHILE TEST DRIVING THE NEW RV THAT DAY, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED AND STOPPED WORKING. THEY WERE REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP THAT SAME DAY. ONLY 8 HOURS LATER ON THE MORNING OF JUNE 5, 2007, I LEFT NEW YORK FOR HOME IN OHIO WITH THE NEW RV PURCHASED THE PREVIOUS DAY. DURING THE TRIP HOME, RAIN STARTED. THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS RAN ABOUT 7 MINUTES AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. TIFFIN PICKED UP THE RV IN OHIO AND TOOK TO THEIR FACTORY IN ALABAMA TO REPAIR THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS, ALONG WITH OTHER DEFECTS, AND RETURNED IT BACK TO ME IN OHIO. THE TIFFIN DRIVER SAID HE HAD SEVERAL FAIL. AFTER THE RV WAS RETURNED TO ME, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS RAN ABOUT 20 MINUTES BEFORE BREAKING AGAIN AND STILL DO NOT WORK. *TR