Ever since Thor bought out Tiffin, the quality of Tiffin motorhomes have deteriorated. I would never buy any motorhome from any of the companies owned or manufactured by Thor.
We wish we had a dollar for every time we've heard this, We were hoping that the Tiffin reliability would have survived the merger. We can say, that the tech support we received from Tiffin was top notch, though.
Can’t blame Thor. Tiffin was going down hill for a few years, why do you think tiffin was for sale. Flip side Airstreem doesn’t have serious issues and Thor has owned them for decades.
Haven’t heard a single good thing about Tiffin since Thor bought them!!! bob needs to come back and take control or buy it back. Thor is destroying Tiffin it seems
We certainly wouldn't mind if they decided to backtrack a bit. Hopefully Thor is listening to the many voices that are pleading with them to ensure the Tiffin quality is returned to where it once was.
Wow, thanks! Dan actually does the editing, but he says he is always walking a fine line between providing enough information, and boring the viewer. We are so glad you enjoyed it.
You seem like a sweet couple and I hate that your vacation was disrupted. Thankfully, whether you are moving forwards or backwards in life you have one another.
Unfortunately, brand new means nothing today...actually I think it means beware proceed with caution! I hope you have no more problems. I have not heard the greatest things about Tiffin in the last several years.
We were hoping not to have any more problems on the trip, but fate has other ideas as you will see in the next video. Despite the problems, we are still enjoying the RV. It's all part of the adventure.
Our 10-year-old Fleetwood Class A had exactly the same failure indicators. After watching a few TH-cam University videos, I purchased a new converter and installed it myself in less than an hour. For some reason, one side kept blowing the fuses located on the converter. The new converter solved the problem.
Sorry to hear about your issues, but it's a little more comforting knowing that we weren't the only ones with these problems. Dan did some research into the converter, and he thinks he could do the install himself, as long as he was certain the power was off. Rose would rather he not electrocute himself.
I appreciate you both having such a good attitude and not throwing in the towel on your new RV. I do admit I’m worried about newer Tiffin products due to things I have read and heard from other owners but I hope you get the appropriate service and answers that you deserve. This is quite the investment. Happy safe travels! ❤
We weren't hoping to serve as a cautionary tale to any prospective Tiffin buyers, but we are disappointed in the converter they are using on their RVs.
I don't preach about seat belts, that's personal choice. And I learned to drive before they were common. But having had the pleasure of crawling out of what was once a perfectly good car, I've become a great believer in them. Ask any highsay patrol officer about the "hamburger" they have found when someone unbelted was ejected from a vehicle, and those uncomfortable belts begin to look more attractive. FWIW.
I bought a higher quality tear drop camper recently. Before I went on any out of state trips I stayed the weekend at a local RV park just in case any gremlins reared their head. I have lithium and after a day I noticed my solar charge controller in the settings was set to AGM not lithium. Not a huge deal but anytime you get a new Camper, RV, etc I would highly recommend staying somewhere locally for a couple days before going on any longer trips.
You make a great point. It seems that we knew more about the systems than even the salesman did. Considering how many different units they deal with, this is not so surprising. We did do a local trip for three nights, but we wish we had actually done a longer shakedown. We could have avoided some grief.
@halffasttravelers2702 Yeah but to be honest, you buy a brand new RV it's not unreasonable to expect everything works properly lol. Many RV dealers suggest to new purchasers that they spend one night on their lot to insure everything is working properly. I think that's a great policy. At any rate love your videos.
This all happened for you to have more drama in your journey..It was Wayfarer's test of loyalty. So happy that you are now safely on the road to your destination. THANK YOU for sharing.
Now, that is a great way to look at the bright side of the situation. If only everyone had such a positive attitude the world would be a better place. Thanks for your post.
We live in West Columbia. Setting our jeep up this Sunday to tow behind our Vienna glad to hear y’all didn’t feel the need to unhook. We’ve been going up to the mountains every weekend since we got the Vienna. Drives like a car.
So glad to hear you love your Vienna. We like them very much. We hope your towing experience goes off without a hitch. (sorry about the pun) We recommend you take it very easy on the downhills to give the engine brake a chance to take away some of your momentum. Gotta save those brakes! We wish you the best of luck, and we hope you have an awesome trip.
My husband and I love your videos. You guys are very helpful with ideas and funny too! We are concerned about the videos being taken while driving though. Just because you appear too distracted to be towing and talking with your hands while driving. Hubby is an ex EMT on ambulance sercices in our area so we are extra concerned for people. Everything else in your is awesome and we think you guys are great! If you ever come to MT let us know! Would love to meet you😊
We appreciate your concern for our safety, and we will certainly do our best to limit the distractions while Dan is driving. We always try to choose a traffic free area to film, but we wanted to show the actual mountain climb as we went. As it was, traffic was very light. We hope to visit Montana next year. We have been trying to get to Glacier for some time now. Fingers crossed.
They really made us feel special, and there is no doubt they know their stuff. We couldn't have been happier with the repair. So glad your repair went well also. Safe Travels!
When plugged into a 15/20 amp plug you should not run the A/C. You should not have an issue with the battery running down when plugged into any power. You should not have your inverter on when plugged in. Also, are you using an EMS Surge Protector when plugging into any electric as well? Glad you were able to get in on such short notice.
Yes, we don't attempt to run the A/C on the 15/20 amp plug. In fact, we only run the refrigerator and a couple of lights on those nights when we don't have access to 30 amps. We do use a surge protector, and we consider that one of the most important pieces of RV gear. Thanks for the good wishes.
@@halffasttravelers2702 Oh Sorry, you said that you had an issue when you run the A/C when plugged into the 15/20 amp plug at your stay in South Carolina. 4:44 minute mark. I get it, I mis speak many times as well.
Ha ha, usually when Dan has one of his half fast moments like that we put the correction on the screen, but we totally missed that one. You are correct that he meant to say refrigerator. Thanks for letting us know. Now Dan has to go to the corner for 15 minutes.
When mooch docking plugged into a house on an extension cord. Find out the amp circuit that your plugged into and just your incoming voltage on your system to that amp rating Ie, 15 amp or 30 amp ? What have you. That way you don’t blow their breaker and your coach manages with what’s coming in. Brad 3019 tiffin 36LA And yes, when I converted to 4 12 volt lithium , I had to adjust my system in the control panel of the inverter. Happy camping
We are still learning the intricacies of the electrical systems in these coaches. We think we've got a pretty good handle on it now. Thanks for the information.
Your information from this share is very valuable especially for us as we will be, hopefully, new to camping in a trailer. We are tent campers traditionally, backpackers but looking forward to something new. We're just learning, as novices, about all this electrical stuff since our experience thus far as been lanterns and matches; hahahahahaha. Thanks for the details.
Thanks so much for the vote of confidence. We tread a fine line between being too detail oriented and boring people, and being to broad and missing important information. We are always working on a balance.
Just found your channel. New subscriber. We have a channel but have not posted any videos yet (we are almost finished with a channel trailer). You produce some great videos and we like learning from smaller channels like yours. Unfortunately, when Thor bought Tiffin, the quality just plummeted. There is a YT channel called "Liz Amazing" that just posted a new video profiling someone that bought a (New) $800,000 Tiffin motorhome and it has had a ton of problems and the owners are trying to get Tiffin to buy it back. I look forward to updates on your trip and hope you don't experience any more issues.
Thanks for the compliments, and we are happy our content has aided you in your RV journey of discovery. We are going to check out that channel. Thanks for providing the information.
At minimum, having a proper separate battery charger, and a GOOD multimeter, and knowing how to use it, and how your systems work, is an absolute necessity. Glad it was a fairly basic problem, and IMO, the converter was probably chinese origin so a good chance of sketchy quality, and the roll of the dice ended badly.
This is excellent advice we wish we would have followed from day 1. One of the things we enjoy most about Rving is that there is always something to learn, and lots of room for improvement. It's just too bad that some of the lessons need to be so painful. Thanks for your post.
Rose, you are amazing and you have a wonderful attitude. This is my second video that I watch and I saw the whole thing, and that’s amazing on my part. Your videos are easy to watch. You are talking about the journey and that’s what I’ve enjoyed. We bought our Thor Delano in March 2023 and after a few trips to dealership, we hired a RV mechanic. That was 9 months of “things” breaking or not functioning. I believe we finally got the kinks out and we will have a smooth sailing. My husband refuses to go any further than 4 states and we live in Miami. So I’m going to live vicariously through your journey. I hope to meet you in person someday as we journey in our little C. Looking 👀 forward to your next adventure. ❤😊
Thanks for the wonderful compliments. It's so funny that you have that Thor Tiburon, it made our top three at the Tampa RV show last year. Check out the video: th-cam.com/video/8Acps07u9G4/w-d-xo.html So sorry you had those troubles and we're glad you got them worked out. We thought we had a long drive to get out of the state, but you're another hour south of us. It makes for a long first day of the journey. It's a good thing there's so much to do in Florida. Happy travels!
Y'all are living the dream with your RV travels! I have enjoyed your videos and how real both of you are. Hope the Wayfarer has no more issues on your trip!
My wife says SUV and hotels beat RV travel. But, will follow your travels. In Maine go to Lewiston and eat several red snappers at Simeone's hot dog stand restaurant. Travel Tiffan safe👍👍👍
Thanks for the tips! We really considered the hotel route, but we wanted to amp up the adventure and try the RV life. Unfortunately, it can sometimes be a challenge. Never a dull moment though.
I’m shocked that you guys even bought this brand with the little bit of research and coming from someone who doesn’t RV at all just enjoy watching others do it
It was a very complicated decision, but it came down to the fact that we absolutely loved the floor plan, design, and finishes. It is an almost perfect match to our RV style. We are also convinced that nearly every RV you buy, regardless of the manufacturer is going to have quality issues. Yes, sometimes you are "rolling the dice," but we considered it an acceptable risk to get our "perfect RV." We may have been a bit overconfident after we had so few problems with our new Class B (American Coach Patriot) when we bought it new. Thanks for the post.
@halffasttravelers2702 no I know every millimeter of that road, 2 seconds of video and I knew exactly where you were. That's actually a very impressive pull for that highway. I have driven semi trucks up and down that highway many times at 80,000 lbs. So trust me I know that road, stay safe.
From my past career, wearing your seat belt not over your shoulder is potentially very bad. In case of an accident, your pivot point will be in the middle of your back. That can break your back there leaving you paralyzed. I have responded to many accidents, and some of them still haunt me to this day.
You drove right past my driveway going into Bear Den. Gate on the left with Bear across the top. When in Maine you have to go to Shore Hills Campground in Boothbay. It’s Bear Den on the ocean. The owners are awesome.
We subscribed and thank you for the video! Sorry you have had trouble with your new RV. We have had those kind of issues also. Hope you have a fun trip! Happy Travels!
I am a Navy veteran and retired Army 1SG. During my career, I drove across the US many times. First was after Navy “c” school in San Diego to Mayport/Jax, FL. drove that in my 1971 Plymouth Roadrunner and during that trip my body was subjected to tons of JOLT cola. So, during many subsequent TDY or Permanent Party relocations from Ft. Dix, NJ to Ft. Belvoir, VA. onto Ft. Hood, Tx. and two mor from Hood to Belvoir (Army NCO schools) or from Ft. Campbell, KY. to Ft. Lewis, WA., I always drank JOLT. I found that any taste of Red Bull makes me sick so, Cola it was. ⚡️⚡️⚡️
Thank you for your service. The '71 Roadrunner is one of Dan's favorite classic cars. He always wanted one, but had to settle for a '72 Skylark instead as his first ride. We remember Jolt Cola. Is it still around?
@@halffasttravelers2702 boy, I am long retired and haven’t needed the “JOLT” in some time. Sorry I don’t have a definitive answer. My car that I drove my senior year in HS was a 1970 Dodge Challenger 383 R/T. Bought that car for $800 in 1980. Traded it straight across for the Road Runner 440 six-pack. Changed the carbs to dual Holley 750 double-pumpers, removed the Air-Grabber for the tall two tall intakes. Added a Doug Nash competition series tranny and rebuilt the entire engine. Added ladder bars for better traction. Since I was raised on large ranch/farm and made a lot of money moving irrigation sprinkler pipe. From 12 to 19 I moved pipe from spring to fall. As I aged I added more 1/4 mile @ 32.5 sections @ 40’ long. During the 70’s and into the early 80’s I moved at least 10 1/4 mile longs lines. In HS it was 25 lines per day and $3.75 per line. I was swimming in $$$ and that is how I owned a 70 Dodge Dart Swinger w/340 and the other mentioned cars. Miss them all terribly but, at least I still own JEEPS! The Trackhawk is like a muscle car. 🤙🤙🤙 safe travels to you two and good luck with the RV.
I owned an rv back in the 90's to fulfill a lifelong dream. As the years went by I found that the pleasure component of owning it were far outweighed by the seemingly constant maintenance and breaking issues. As I see it, until the American RV industry gets its act together it makes no sense to invest so heavily in what inevitably turns into a gasoline guzzling money pit. These "toys" are meant to enhance the leisure component of our retirement but end up adding so much unnecessary complications and stress in one's life. Romantic notions of a freewheeling life enjoying the great outdoors soon butts up against reality.
Your story is a familiar one to us. Many people jump into the RV world with both feet only to realize that the lifestyle isn't for them. That's why we always recommend that potential RV buyers do their research not only about the RV they are trying to purchase, but also about the way they are going to use the RV once they have it. We rented first, and we saw immediately that it was something we would really enjoy. Thanks for posting your story. It's important for people to read these.
If your batteries are not getting a charge from shore power or generator it might be your transfer switch. Don't get a trickle you need a good 2/10/15 amp charger. You could have stayed at the campground with a good charger. Edit. Tony's RV is great.
The transfer switch was our first thought, but we could hear the automatic switch activating, and we were getting power to the panel. Yes, we could have used a charger as a band-aid, but we were a bit frustrated about our "new" RV having issues, and we wanted it repaired before we began a long road trip. We agree, Tony's treated us very well. Thanks for the post.
The victron can pull power from the batteries if your pulling a load and it detects a voltage drop, it will automatically add converted power from the batteries to boost the 110v
Sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, these problems seem to happen to models from every manufacturer. We hope you had a satisfactory resolution to your issue.
Yeah, we're getting many responses like this. Thor has such a bad reputation, and that's probably why their units seem to be at the low end of the price scale.
In this video we are just using the GoPro 11 with the creator package's microphone. When you see us wearing the lapel mics, those are from DJI, and we like the sound of those even better.
Watching your video and one thing that Tiffin highly cautions about is not to run your Wayfair off your 20 amp house current it can possibly damage the system.
Yes, we did speak with an awesome Tiffin tech. He told us that Tiffin issues that statement as kind of a "blanket disclaimer" to cover them if anything goes wrong. The tech didn't see any problem with using the lower voltage for "battery tending" or running the refrigerator overnight. We are very cautious with it though. We don't try to run anything else. We do recommend that everyone follow the dealer guidelines though. Thanks for your comment.
With owning an Allegro Bus I found that one needs to be an over all good mechanic/plumber/electrician or you will pay through the nose for repairs. Also, seatbelts save lives....just saying.
Looks like we are going to have to do some on the job training. Rose was wearing her belt under her arm for comfort reasons, but we're getting a belt adjuster so she can wear it correctly. Thanks.
All “new” means is “never ever worked” - shakedown cruises are always filled with surprises - comes with the territory (unfortunately…) - it’ll get better and you will learn things you had never even suspected existed! Rose, are you from out West (Utah/Arizona area)? It’s the way you pronounce “mountain”. Have fun in Maine (if you get a chance visit the Casco Bay region - God’s country!)!
You speak the truth about shakedown cruises. we thought a weekend would be enough, but boy were we wrong. Like you said, "a learning experience." Rose isn't from out west, but she must have picked up the accent when we were out there last year. Thanks for the post.
Liz Amazing has a few recent videos regarding Tiffin and Thor, not looking very good. In the past Tiffin was the brand to have. Apparently not any more....sad. That said in this case I cannot fault Thor as it appeared to be a component failure and that happens. We live out West in the Sierra Mountains I have to wonder how that rig would do out here or in Colorado (Wolf Creek Pass comes to mind). The Blue Ridge Parkway is awesome, we have been there but they are not "mountains" by our standards. One temporary solution might have been going into town and purchasing a battery charger (not a "trickle" charger), and plugging that into shore power and continuing to use your RV until the converter is repaired / replaced. LifePo4 batteries will not completely charge with a charger designed for lead acid but that will not will not harm them. They would continue to operate the coach. Educating yourself on RV systems will save you a lot of grief and give you much more confidence.
Yes, we've been watching her videos. From what we've seen, we should be OK on some of those steeper roads, but we'll find out when we get back out there later this year or early next year. We did purchase a battery charger (not a trickle charger) but we didn't want to limp along on the trip our first time out. In our opinion, we shouldn't have had to. Thanks for the post.
Brand new TWO HUNNID THOUSAND DOLLAZ rig?!! Kinda crazy how it already failed though, spending that much on an RV....... I would have gone through it with a fine-tooth comb to make sure everything is working 100% and then some! Perhaps having soo much money at one's disposal, one tends to skimp over things like that. Hehe.
Unfortunately, it appears the converter was functioning correctly during the walk-through inspection. It also was working for the break-in trip. We believe the failure occurred sometime after that. As far as the money goes, much like boat ownership an RV should never be seen as a monetary investment. You will almost always lose money in the end. We think the happiest RVers are those that treat it as an investment in fun and entertainment, and they take the bad with the good. Thanks for posting. All viewpoints are welcome here.
This just made me think twice about looking at purchasing a motor coach. If you had that much issue with just getting someone from Tiffin to look at your issue after only having it for a week, shame in them.
Actually, the Tiffin tech was extremely helpful and we spoke several times during the diagnostic process. We could have brought it right in if we were able to drive to Red Bay, Alabama, but that wasn't practical or realistic. Unfortunately, trying to get an emergency service call pretty much anywhere is extremely difficult no matter the manufacturer. We were very lucky to Find Tony's and happy they were able to resolve the issue promptly.
Seems like Tiffin is going to go out of business! So many problems!! Didn’t Thor buy them out? Thor is another product I wouldn’t touch. Hope things go better!!
New RVs and new large boats always have issues and always will no matter the price point. It’s not a reflection of the manufacturer unless they start balking on warranty coverage then run away.
how nice to see considerate driving - i was driving out in England this weekend at the end of the holiday season, with an abudence of campervans/caravans - in the west country (Devon/Dorset/Cornwall) we have very narrow A roads - it was very annoying that a *massive* queue of traffic formed behind this one caravan, who had several chances to pull over and just let the traffic by. People dont just hate caravans for no reason in the UK, its this type of 'f**k y**' attitude that these people have that make people hate caravans, unlike yourself, where you checking and seeing when you can allow people to pass.
Thank you for noticing. Dan prides himself on trying to be as considerate as possible when we're in the RV. We have also shared your experience behind a long line of vehicles, and we know how frustrating that can be. Most of the time it really isn't all that difficult to find a safe place to move off the road until traffic passes. Driving a large vehicle is very challenging, and it's only made that much more difficult when the drivers around you have lost their patience. Thanks for posting your experiences. We are always interested in these stories from across the pond. Happy Travels!
We had great success with the 2019 Mercedes chassis in our American Coach Patriot. We are hopeful that the new chassis with the new motor and transmission will turn out to be just as reliable, but only time will tell.
Hi Dan and Rose. My name is Tim. I’m in the process of purchasing a motor home. Can you please make a video about the equipment and the process on how to tow your Jeep? I have never owned a motor home before so I’ve been learning from your channel. Thanks!
We can certainly do that, and will get on it pronto. We hope you are also watching videos by more experienced RVers, as we are relatively new at this. You may have to view some of our experiences as cautionary tales rather than instructional videos. We wish you the best of luck in your RV search.
We're not sure this would have been caught in that inspection. It was working just fine during the walk-through. We always support an independent inspection especially for a pre-owned RV.
Please understand that we come from south Florida where there are no mountains, and the entire population is wedged between the Everglades and Atlantic Ocean. It's unusual for us to drive 30 minutes to get to a store or gas station. It's just a matter of perspective. For us, it seemed that we were in a very remote area. We certainly didn't mean to diminish the beauty or desirability of living off the beaten path. We're glad you got a laugh out of it though.
Unfortunately that’s what you get with a new coach. My Prevost bus has a switch so you can eliminate the inverter/charger on shore power or generator power. Another reason I bought a used Prevost. They go the extra mile so you can keep having fun until you can get home.
If we were in the market for a Class A, we would love to have a Prevost. The only problem as we see it, is the cost. We would definitely have to purchase a pre-owned unit. But that might not be such a bad thing.
@@halffasttravelers2702 When you buy a coach built to last 1,000,000 miles you can go back many years and still end up with a superior coach. I had 3 tiffins before I finally learned my lesson. That is things that are quality built last a long time. Kinda like a Rolls Royce keeps on running year after year.
You have to be insane to buy a brand new RV. That’s like setting a pile of cash on fire to light up a cigar. Haven’t you heard of all the nightmare tales from those before you!
Yes we have. We are aware that an RV is not an investment, and for some it is not a wise use of their hard earned dollars. But for those of us who love the RV life and want to adventure in our own rig, we don't see the money as being wasted. Thanks for your post.
@@halffasttravelers2702 I’m not talking about the lifestyle and the investment in this lifestyle, I’m talking about a common sense rule to never buy a brand new RV. It’s not even about the money, it’s about the time is going to take out of your enjoyment to chase the endless bugs and repairs. You buy a good quality used RV, that the previous owner already went to hell and back to fix, and he/she presents it for you to buy at a great discount. This is how you buy an RV.
If the Victron monitor is showing a draw when plugged in and charging. Then something is wired wrong. Might be the shunt. The side going to the battery should only have the battery attached to that side. Every other ground need to be on the other side of of the shunt. Have an RV election check.
Some of our commenters recommended a seat belt adjustment strap to ease the discomfort for Rose. We are looking into that presently. In the meantime, she is wearing it correctly now. We do appreciate your concerns.
The CCC has increased in the new Wayfarers. Ours is just over 1000 lbs. We are within our GCWR with the Jeep we purchased, but we would not recommend going with any larger toad. The new 9-speed transmission helps a lot too.
We did notice it is a bit louder than our Mercedes Class B. We attribute that to the fact that we have a large shell over our heads that wasn't there in the van.
Hi! I think this is your video that your going downhill and talking about engine revving or something? I've watched so many lol anyway, my hubby wants to know if you have brakes on the rig your towing to help hold you back and not push you. We saw this in a video receently and thought it was a great idea. (Blue Ox System maybe is what we saw?) We have always had trailers with brakes but we are trying to get a vehicle to flat tow so we are looking into that. Your info is very helpful.
Yes, we have the Blue Ox Patriot braking system. It is just a small box that sits on the driver's floor board with a piston that extends to activate the brake pedal. Once the system detects a change in G force when the tow vehicle brakes, it activates the toad brakes as well. It's tough to tell how much assistance it actually provides on the downhill sections, but we didn't have any issues with overheating brakes. Just a side note: It needs to be plugged in to a "cigarette lighter" type plug that is hot even with the Jeep turned off. We had one installed just under the dash on the far left side. Hope this helps.
It was never our intent to discourage anyone, but if you are going to enter the RV world you need to be ready for the possibility that all the days will not be sunny. We try to look at it like this: We were told that "all" RV's have issues right off the lot. Most of the time the issues are minor, but many times major failures can occur. It is at those times when you find out if you chose an RV from a good manufacturer or a bad one. So far, we are happy with the way Tiffin and La Mesa have assisted us through this 'event" and we are not prepared to write off either of them. We hope this helps. Thanks for your post.
We did not, but we suspect the failure came after we left the lot, so they probably wouldn't have spotted the issue. We do recommend an inspection though, especially with pre-owned units.
If there is, no one told us about it. You'd think that would be something that would be high on the notification list for dealers. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
@@halffasttravelers2702- Winnebago says no towing for the first 1,000 miles. They say it’s a crucial break in period. I really don’t know about anyone else.
I decided against buying a Thor product....figured I'd get a "Thor Thumb". Sounds like you two have some Thor-ny issues. Hahahaha. That's a real thigh slapper, but experience is not. Good luck. I hope the repair was covered by the warranty.
Very funny! We could have used that humor during the "incident." Overall, we are loving the RV, though. We'll let you know how the warranty claim works out.
At minute 27:19 while you were standing by driver side of the RV, The slide out doesn’t look like it was sitting evenly. The bottom of the slide out looks like out further than the top.
Another thing to check is, Hold the button until slide mechanism stops pulling in or sliding out completely. The bottom is usually the last thing gets pulled in.
Yes, that is one thing we were definitely told during the walk through. We were also advised by a viewer not to stop midway through the deployment of retraction process so the motors don't get out of sync. Thanks.
Good question. We are not against the Ford chassis, but we really preferred the floor plan in the RW. That said, Dan is in love with the driving position in the Mercedes, it makes those long drives much easier.
We asked the Tech about that, and we discovered that there is a switch on this model of converter so it can be used for both AGM and lithium batteries. We have considered upgrading to a larger unit if we experience any further failures. Thanks for the information.
Please keep in mind that usually an RV will have mileage on it prior to purchase for a number of reasons. We did not begin towing with the Mercedes until after it had reached 1000 miles pursuant to the owner's manual. On a side note; we have seen some recommend that diesel engines be broken in using a heavy load with varying RPMs. We would not recommend driving the mountain roads with a toad during break-in though.
Sorry about the new rig issues! I ended up replacing my converter when I upgraded my house batteries to two Battleborns as the factory converter didn't support lithiums. One thing to watch out for on Wayfarers is how the plastic wheel well / mudflap is attached. It's one long piece of plastic that attaches to the front of the wheel well with a single screw into the side of the storage bay near the bay bottom. It then wraps all the way around attaching to the side of the bay behind the well, leaving the extra hanging down as a mud flap. The problem is they use only one screw to attach the front near the outside bay door. As you drive at speed (55-65) the wind under the rig pushes on the front of the wheel well and it flexes and bends it backwards until the bottom touches the front of both tires. The tires then wear two upside down "U"s into the wheel well. It is noisy as you drive and it smells like melted tire/plastic. The fix? Simply add a 2nd screw to the bottom of the wheel well liner by the inside dual tire to the bottom of the storage bay. This will prevent the wind from under the coach bending it back towards the tire. They don't do this at the factory as putting this screw in is a PITA unless you have the right tool or pull the tires off to gain easier access. The other thing to watch out for (all Sprinter based Class Cs) is the rubber valve stems if you have factory steel wheels. These are only rated for 50 lbs yet you need to inflate to 70-80 based on weight. It isn't if the valve stem will blow, it is when. Either upgrade the valve stems or the wheels and ditch the under rated rubber stems. Enjoy the Wayfarer! I loved my 2018 BW until I upgraded to a 2023 Newmar New Aire. I loved pulling my Fiat 500 TOAD behind the Wayfarer. And finding parking? Easy peasy! Enjoy! Best, -Mark
The converter we have actually has a setting switch for AGM and Lithium batteries. It was set correctly, but failed anyway. So far so good on the new unit. Thanks for the information on the wheel wells and the valve stems. We will check it out.
You should have bought a pleasure way plateau TS. Excellent quality. What you bought is poor quality build. Sorry to say you’ll lose your ass on this. Hopefully your wealthy and can take the loss.
Yes, we really did like the Pleasure Way, but we do like the floor plan in the Wayfarer, and the XLTS was considerably more expensive than the Tiffin. Unfortunately life is risk, and we have to take the bad with the good. Much like with boat ownership, the purchase of an RV should not be viewed as an investment. You have to pay to play, and make your own decisions on how to spend your limited entertainment dollars. We do appreciate your take on this.
Actually, this video was shot before we started getting comments about it. Rose has begun wearing her belt correctly while we await the acquisition of the belt adjustment strap one of the viewers recommended. Rose does appreciate your concern for her safety, and so does Dan. Thanks.
If the battery is discharging when you are plugged in check your wiring schematic. It sounds like your battery charger is not working. The roof AC will never run on the batteries. They take about 15 amps to run ONE. and Factory Air con has NEVER been able to run off battery/solar so your charger wont be able to keep up because of the inverter loading. -- normally, when you plug in to land power, there should be a throw over to put the RV power on land power and off of RV power. Obviously, that is not working, or you dont have it. -- the current RV's that are successfully running AC off of battery/solar are using AC units that run at 3 to 5 amps MAX. FOLKS, STRONGLY suggest you try RAINX on the windshield. The drawers and cabinets will open, and in some cases SPILL out on the floor, things will break. Amazon sells some nice boat locks for the doors and drawers. or you can try tension bars or get some line and tie across them. it helps to keep the doors shut and may help keep the drawers shut. Not knowing how your system is supposed to be wired it is hard to offer suggestions. YOU NEED A WIRING DIAGRAM! If you keep this coach, I strongly suggest you get to know your electrical system so you can by pass the inverter with the land power cord. also, as long as your solar can charge the batteries, set up a 12v (or 24 if wired for that) for led lighing and minor power needs. Going through the inverter is taking a huge amount of power from the batteries, to make 120v AC where lower voltage is much much easier on the batteries and lasts much much longer. PREPARE your coach so you have alternate power choices in case of these types of issues.
Wow, what an awesome post. Thanks for providing a wealth of information for us and our viewers. Dan misspoke during the video, and we are aware we can't run the A/C on just batteries or even on 15-20 Amp shore power. Also, we added velcro strips to the drawers, and that seems to have done the trick. One last thing: Tiffin included a very detailed wiring diagram with our unit, but the problem is reading and understanding it. We are working on it though. Thanks again.
@@halffasttravelers2702 Actually, you should be able to run that watt buster roof AC with 15amp shore power. I do it at home. If you can't, you have a lot more load on the coach then you know of. Get to know your coach.
We are learning a lot from these experiences. Until then, we have to rely on the so-called experts. This is a great example, because we were told we could not run that unit on 15/20 amp shore power. We have had some commenters post that we shouldn't be using a 15/20 amp hookup at all with the Tiffin. Sometimes it's a challenge to sort through all this information to determine the facts. We are striving to shed the "half fast" moniker at some point. Until then please enjoy learning from our missteps and mistakes. We will be looking into this. Thanks.
We'll be happy to do that, but some of the comments from our trip last year were that we had too many "dash cam" videos mixed in. Consequently, we ditched the forward facing Go Pro for this trip. We wonder if you wouldn't mind checking out one or two of those videos from last year's western US trip and giving us your opinion. They are much shorter than these, so it shouldn't take up too much of your time, and you'd be helping us greatly. We recommend the Death Valley video or the one where we visited Sedona. We would be forever grateful for your assistance. Here are the links: th-cam.com/video/lXfX3yePB8w/w-d-xo.html and th-cam.com/video/wtovxyu-5pg/w-d-xo.html Thanks.
How very frustrating for you, so sorry! Hopefully the rest of your trip goes smoothly. I will be watching your videos closely as I would like to downsize eventually from our Tiffin Phaeton and I I have been considering the Wayfarer. Best of luck and safe travels.
If you're referring to the Liz Amazing video, we saw that as well. We feel very bad for those folks and the issues they are experiencing. We might stop by the plant on a future trip, and if we do we'll see if they will let us film so we can show our viewers.
We are in our 4th Tiffin Class A in 17 years. First 3 were new, this one 2020 IP used. We learned on the 1st coach not to get more than 500 miles from the manufacturer with new coaches until you got the first round of issues corrected. That is true of all RV manufacturers, we have friends on all types. Recommendation #1: Do not plan a long trip until you have cleared the 1st round of issues. The RV is in a continuous earthquake on most US roads. There will be issues. Love the way you go with the flow. Tiffin factory?- keep in mind that RVs are not built on a true assembly line with robots. They are put together by individuals who might have be having a bad day. The factory does not have efficient AC but, on our first coaches we were allowed to follow them through the manufacturing process - which is not allowed since Thor got into the picture. We found the personnel very accommodating and professional. Based on the complaints we have seen recently, we do wonder if the quality control is slipping.
Great information. Thanks for posting your experiences. We are learning a lot from all of you as well as our "on-the-job" experience as we continue our road trip. Thanks for your comment.
We purchased one immediately, but we were so frustrated that we didn't want a band-aid. We wanted it fixed before we continued a 6-week road trip. We do feel more comfortable carrying the charger though. Thanks.
My Tiffin allegro is now 26 yrs old. Thats when they knew how to build an RV . Still runs great and only 1 issue with a pulley
Very nice! Guess it's true; they don't make them like they used to. What a shame.
yup... me to. 1986 tiffin allegro 24.5' sure keep up on maintenance. they built it right back then. much safer also
Ever since Thor bought out Tiffin, the quality of Tiffin motorhomes have deteriorated. I would never buy any motorhome from any of the companies owned or manufactured by Thor.
We wish we had a dollar for every time we've heard this, We were hoping that the Tiffin reliability would have survived the merger. We can say, that the tech support we received from Tiffin was top notch, though.
It's new 😅. It's under warranty 😊. What could go wrong😮. Time to head back😢.
LOL
Tiffin, like the commercials here for Harris' campaign, are pure junk.
Can’t blame Thor. Tiffin was going down hill for a few years, why do you think tiffin was for sale.
Flip side Airstreem doesn’t have serious issues and Thor has owned them for decades.
Haven’t heard a single good thing about Tiffin since Thor bought them!!! bob needs to come back and take control or buy it back. Thor is destroying Tiffin it seems
We certainly wouldn't mind if they decided to backtrack a bit. Hopefully Thor is listening to the many voices that are pleading with them to ensure the Tiffin quality is returned to where it once was.
Kudos to Tony’s RV Parts & Service ❤️ just not enough trust worthy RV service places in America!
Yes, they are really good. Hopefully, the next time we break down will be in Lexington, SC. Just kidding...
I am saving Tony’s RV parts and service in my Google Maps in case I ever need them. Thank you!!!
Whoever is doing your editing… KUDOS❗️One of the easiest watching videos on motorhome quality and the general downturn of quality overall… 🙏
Wow, thanks! Dan actually does the editing, but he says he is always walking a fine line between providing enough information, and boring the viewer. We are so glad you enjoyed it.
You seem like a sweet couple and I hate that your vacation was disrupted. Thankfully, whether you are moving forwards or backwards in life you have one another.
What a great sentiment. Thanks for posting this, you made our day.
Unfortunately, brand new means nothing today...actually I think it means beware proceed with caution! I hope you have no more problems. I have not heard the greatest things about Tiffin in the last several years.
We were hoping not to have any more problems on the trip, but fate has other ideas as you will see in the next video. Despite the problems, we are still enjoying the RV. It's all part of the adventure.
Our 10-year-old Fleetwood Class A had exactly the same failure indicators. After watching a few TH-cam University videos, I purchased a new converter and installed it myself in less than an hour. For some reason, one side kept blowing the fuses located on the converter. The new converter solved the problem.
Sorry to hear about your issues, but it's a little more comforting knowing that we weren't the only ones with these problems. Dan did some research into the converter, and he thinks he could do the install himself, as long as he was certain the power was off. Rose would rather he not electrocute himself.
I appreciate you both having such a good attitude and not throwing in the towel on your new RV. I do admit I’m worried about newer Tiffin products due to things I have read and heard from other owners but I hope you get the appropriate service and answers that you deserve. This is quite the investment. Happy safe travels! ❤
We weren't hoping to serve as a cautionary tale to any prospective Tiffin buyers, but we are disappointed in the converter they are using on their RVs.
@@halffasttravelers2702 you two are such nice people and you deserve a WORKING beautiful RV you love! ❤️
Thank you so much.
Glad you were able to get the electrical issues sorted out and get back on the road. Loving the mountain views.
Us too! Those vistas are incredible. The parkway is one of our favorite drives.
You guys are champions, just know there are many busted knuckle repair people here too help❤
That's great to hear. Thanks.
I don't preach about seat belts, that's personal choice. And I learned to drive before they were common.
But having had the pleasure of crawling out of what was once a perfectly good car, I've become a great believer in them. Ask any highsay patrol officer about the "hamburger" they have found when someone unbelted was ejected from a vehicle, and those uncomfortable belts begin to look more attractive. FWIW.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Hopefully it serves as a cautionary tale for anyone who refuses to buckle up. Stubbornness can kill.
I bought a higher quality tear drop camper recently. Before I went on any out of state trips I stayed the weekend at a local RV park just in case any gremlins reared their head. I have lithium and after a day I noticed my solar charge controller in the settings was set to AGM not lithium. Not a huge deal but anytime you get a new Camper, RV, etc I would highly recommend staying somewhere locally for a couple days before going on any longer trips.
You make a great point. It seems that we knew more about the systems than even the salesman did. Considering how many different units they deal with, this is not so surprising. We did do a local trip for three nights, but we wish we had actually done a longer shakedown. We could have avoided some grief.
@halffasttravelers2702 Yeah but to be honest, you buy a brand new RV it's not unreasonable to expect everything works properly lol. Many RV dealers suggest to new purchasers that they spend one night on their lot to insure everything is working properly. I think that's a great policy. At any rate love your videos.
You make many great points. Thanks for posting.
This all happened for you to have more drama in your journey..It was Wayfarer's test of loyalty. So happy that you are now safely on the road to your destination. THANK YOU for sharing.
Now, that is a great way to look at the bright side of the situation. If only everyone had such a positive attitude the world would be a better place. Thanks for your post.
I love your joyful attitudes, I catch myself smiling anytime I watch your videos. Rose, your donkey is adorable 😂. Safe travels and God bless!
Thank you! You too!
We live in West Columbia. Setting our jeep up this Sunday to tow behind our Vienna glad to hear y’all didn’t feel the need to unhook. We’ve been going up to the mountains every weekend since we got the Vienna. Drives like a car.
So glad to hear you love your Vienna. We like them very much. We hope your towing experience goes off without a hitch. (sorry about the pun) We recommend you take it very easy on the downhills to give the engine brake a chance to take away some of your momentum. Gotta save those brakes! We wish you the best of luck, and we hope you have an awesome trip.
My husband and I love your videos. You guys are very helpful with ideas and funny too! We are concerned about the videos being taken while driving though. Just because you appear too distracted to be towing and talking with your hands while driving. Hubby is an ex EMT on ambulance sercices in our area so we are extra concerned for people. Everything else in your is awesome and we think you guys are great! If you ever come to MT let us know! Would love to meet you😊
We appreciate your concern for our safety, and we will certainly do our best to limit the distractions while Dan is driving. We always try to choose a traffic free area to film, but we wanted to show the actual mountain climb as we went. As it was, traffic was very light. We hope to visit Montana next year. We have been trying to get to Glacier for some time now. Fingers crossed.
@halffasttravelers2702 Glacier is worth the trip for sure!
Tony’s repaired some very extensive collision damage to my Allegro Open Road. They did great work!
They really made us feel special, and there is no doubt they know their stuff. We couldn't have been happier with the repair. So glad your repair went well also. Safe Travels!
When plugged into a 15/20 amp plug you should not run the A/C. You should not have an issue with the battery running down when plugged into any power. You should not have your inverter on when plugged in. Also, are you using an EMS Surge Protector when plugging into any electric as well? Glad you were able to get in on such short notice.
Yes, we don't attempt to run the A/C on the 15/20 amp plug. In fact, we only run the refrigerator and a couple of lights on those nights when we don't have access to 30 amps. We do use a surge protector, and we consider that one of the most important pieces of RV gear. Thanks for the good wishes.
@@halffasttravelers2702 Oh Sorry, you said that you had an issue when you run the A/C when plugged into the 15/20 amp plug at your stay in South Carolina. 4:44 minute mark. I get it, I mis speak many times as well.
@@TheAirForceGuy , don't feel bad, that is what I understood
as well.
I heard air conditioner as well. I am thinking he meant to say refrigerator.
Ha ha, usually when Dan has one of his half fast moments like that we put the correction on the screen, but we totally missed that one. You are correct that he meant to say refrigerator. Thanks for letting us know. Now Dan has to go to the corner for 15 minutes.
When mooch docking plugged into a house on an extension cord. Find out the amp circuit that your plugged into and just your incoming voltage on your system to that amp rating
Ie, 15 amp or 30 amp ? What have you. That way you don’t blow their breaker and your coach manages with what’s coming in.
Brad 3019 tiffin 36LA
And yes, when I converted to 4 12 volt lithium , I had to adjust my system in the control panel of the inverter.
Happy camping
We are still learning the intricacies of the electrical systems in these coaches. We think we've got a pretty good handle on it now. Thanks for the information.
Your information from this share is very valuable especially for us as we will be, hopefully, new to camping in a trailer. We are tent campers traditionally, backpackers but looking forward to something new. We're just learning, as novices, about all this electrical stuff since our experience thus far as been lanterns and matches; hahahahahaha. Thanks for the details.
Thanks so much for the vote of confidence. We tread a fine line between being too detail oriented and boring people, and being to broad and missing important information. We are always working on a balance.
Have seen too many problems with Tiffin RVs. Sorry for your issues
Thanks, we are enjoying it despite the issues we have been having. Happy Travels!
Just found your channel. New subscriber. We have a channel but have not posted any videos yet (we are almost finished with a channel trailer). You produce some great videos and we like learning from smaller channels like yours.
Unfortunately, when Thor bought Tiffin, the quality just plummeted. There is a YT channel called "Liz Amazing" that just posted a new video profiling someone that bought a (New) $800,000 Tiffin motorhome and it has had a ton of problems and the owners are trying to get Tiffin to buy it back. I look forward to updates on your trip and hope you don't experience any more issues.
Thanks for the compliments, and we are happy our content has aided you in your RV journey of discovery. We are going to check out that channel. Thanks for providing the information.
At minimum, having a proper separate battery charger, and a GOOD multimeter, and knowing how to use it, and how your systems work, is an absolute necessity. Glad it was a fairly basic problem, and IMO, the converter was probably chinese origin so a good chance of sketchy quality, and the roll of the dice ended badly.
This is excellent advice we wish we would have followed from day 1. One of the things we enjoy most about Rving is that there is always something to learn, and lots of room for improvement. It's just too bad that some of the lessons need to be so painful. Thanks for your post.
@@halffasttravelers2702 ❤🚐🗽
@@halffasttravelers2702 ❤🚐🗽
Rose, you are amazing and you have a wonderful attitude. This is my second video that I watch and I saw the whole thing, and that’s amazing on my part. Your videos are easy to watch. You are talking about the journey and that’s what I’ve enjoyed.
We bought our Thor Delano in March 2023 and after a few trips to dealership, we hired a RV mechanic. That was 9 months of “things” breaking or not functioning. I believe we finally got the kinks out and we will have a smooth sailing. My husband refuses to go any further than 4 states and we live in Miami. So I’m going to live vicariously through your journey. I hope to meet you in person someday as we journey in our little C. Looking 👀 forward to your next adventure. ❤😊
Thanks for the wonderful compliments. It's so funny that you have that Thor Tiburon, it made our top three at the Tampa RV show last year. Check out the video: th-cam.com/video/8Acps07u9G4/w-d-xo.html So sorry you had those troubles and we're glad you got them worked out. We thought we had a long drive to get out of the state, but you're another hour south of us. It makes for a long first day of the journey. It's a good thing there's so much to do in Florida. Happy travels!
Sorry about the confusion, it was of course, the Tiburon that we reviewed.
Y'all are living the dream with your RV travels! I have enjoyed your videos and how real both of you are. Hope the Wayfarer has no more issues on your trip!
Thanks so much!
IF IT'S OWNED BY THOR, LIFE IS GONNA BE A CHORE. AT LEAST IT DIDN'T EXPLODE AND BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN.
Very good rhyme, we have to remember that one. We have heard some fiery horror stories, and we're lucky we didn't star in our own.
My wife says SUV and hotels beat RV travel. But, will follow your travels. In Maine go to Lewiston and eat several red snappers at Simeone's hot dog stand restaurant. Travel Tiffan safe👍👍👍
Thanks for the tips! We really considered the hotel route, but we wanted to amp up the adventure and try the RV life. Unfortunately, it can sometimes be a challenge. Never a dull moment though.
My ex husband helped build the Dames Point Bridge. 35 years ago. Yes it is a pretty ❤bridge.
We didn't know the name of the bridge. Thanks. He did an excellent job on the construction and/or design whichever he was responsible for.
That’s funny we live right down the road from Tony’s they are a great family owned repair rv shop.
They really treated us well, and they have very comfortable recliners and couches in the waiting area. That never hurts.
I’m shocked that you guys even bought this brand with the little bit of research and coming from someone who doesn’t RV at all just enjoy watching others do it
It was a very complicated decision, but it came down to the fact that we absolutely loved the floor plan, design, and finishes. It is an almost perfect match to our RV style. We are also convinced that nearly every RV you buy, regardless of the manufacturer is going to have quality issues. Yes, sometimes you are "rolling the dice," but we considered it an acceptable risk to get our "perfect RV." We may have been a bit overconfident after we had so few problems with our new Class B (American Coach Patriot) when we bought it new. Thanks for the post.
Your video shows you driving up HWY 226 North. That is a 8% to 10% grade. You pulled that Mountain great.
You should have been a detective. Was it the GPS screen that gave us away?
@halffasttravelers2702 no I know every millimeter of that road, 2 seconds of video and I knew exactly where you were. That's actually a very impressive pull for that highway. I have driven semi trucks up and down that highway many times at 80,000 lbs. So trust me I know that road, stay safe.
Ah, that makes sense. Thanks for the well wishes.
From my past career, wearing your seat belt not over your shoulder is potentially very bad. In case of an accident, your pivot point will be in the middle of your back. That can break your back there leaving you paralyzed.
I have responded to many accidents, and some of them still haunt me to this day.
Good to know. We are going to get Rose and adjustment strap for the belt so she can wear it properly without discomfort. Thanks.
You drove right past my driveway going into Bear Den. Gate on the left with Bear across the top. When in Maine you have to go to Shore Hills Campground in Boothbay. It’s Bear Den on the ocean. The owners are awesome.
Oh wow! We remember passing your gate. We will definitely try out that campground the next time we're in Maine. Thanks.
We subscribed and thank you for the video! Sorry you have had trouble with your new RV. We have had those kind of issues also. Hope you have a fun trip! Happy Travels!
We really do appreciate your kind words, we're enjoying the RV immensely since the "incident." Thanks.
I am a Navy veteran and retired Army 1SG. During my career, I drove across the US many times. First was after Navy “c” school in San Diego to Mayport/Jax, FL. drove that in my 1971 Plymouth Roadrunner and during that trip my body was subjected to tons of JOLT cola. So, during many subsequent TDY or Permanent Party relocations from Ft. Dix, NJ to Ft. Belvoir, VA. onto Ft. Hood, Tx. and two mor from Hood to Belvoir (Army NCO schools) or from Ft. Campbell, KY. to Ft. Lewis, WA., I always drank JOLT. I found that any taste of Red Bull makes me sick so, Cola it was. ⚡️⚡️⚡️
Thank you for your service. The '71 Roadrunner is one of Dan's favorite classic cars. He always wanted one, but had to settle for a '72 Skylark instead as his first ride. We remember Jolt Cola. Is it still around?
@@halffasttravelers2702 boy, I am long retired and haven’t needed the “JOLT” in some time. Sorry I don’t have a definitive answer. My car that I drove my senior year in HS was a 1970 Dodge Challenger 383 R/T. Bought that car for $800 in 1980. Traded it straight across for the Road Runner 440 six-pack. Changed the carbs to dual Holley 750 double-pumpers, removed the Air-Grabber for the tall two tall intakes. Added a Doug Nash competition series tranny and rebuilt the entire engine. Added ladder bars for better traction.
Since I was raised on large ranch/farm and made a lot of money moving irrigation sprinkler pipe. From 12 to 19 I moved pipe from spring to fall. As I aged I added more 1/4 mile @ 32.5 sections @ 40’ long. During the 70’s and into the early 80’s I moved at least 10 1/4 mile longs lines. In HS it was 25 lines per day and $3.75 per line. I was swimming in $$$ and that is how I owned a 70 Dodge Dart Swinger w/340 and the other mentioned cars. Miss them all terribly but, at least I still own JEEPS! The Trackhawk is like a muscle car. 🤙🤙🤙 safe travels to you two and good luck with the RV.
Wow, you've owned some awesome rides. Dan is jealous about that Challenger too. Thanks for posting this info, and thanks for the well-wishes.
Glad everything seems fixed! Have a safe trip!
Thanks, will do!
I owned an rv back in the 90's to fulfill a lifelong dream. As the years went by I found that the pleasure component of owning it were far outweighed by the seemingly constant maintenance and breaking issues. As I see it, until the American RV industry gets its act together it makes no sense to invest so heavily in what inevitably turns into a gasoline guzzling money pit. These "toys" are meant to enhance the leisure component of our retirement but end up adding so much unnecessary complications and stress in one's life. Romantic notions of a freewheeling life enjoying the great outdoors soon butts up against reality.
Your story is a familiar one to us. Many people jump into the RV world with both feet only to realize that the lifestyle isn't for them. That's why we always recommend that potential RV buyers do their research not only about the RV they are trying to purchase, but also about the way they are going to use the RV once they have it. We rented first, and we saw immediately that it was something we would really enjoy. Thanks for posting your story. It's important for people to read these.
If your batteries are not getting a charge from shore power or generator it might be your transfer switch. Don't get a trickle you need a good 2/10/15 amp charger. You could have stayed at the campground with a good charger. Edit. Tony's RV is great.
The transfer switch was our first thought, but we could hear the automatic switch activating, and we were getting power to the panel. Yes, we could have used a charger as a band-aid, but we were a bit frustrated about our "new" RV having issues, and we wanted it repaired before we began a long road trip. We agree, Tony's treated us very well. Thanks for the post.
The victron can pull power from the batteries if your pulling a load and it detects a voltage drop, it will automatically add converted power from the batteries to boost the 110v
Thanks for the information. We are staring to get a handle on all this electrical mumbo-jumbo.
Sounds like a fun trip. I just subscribed and plan to follow along.
Thanks so much for the support. We hope you like the videos.
Red Bull is so hard on your heart it's like cocaine in a bottle. Just drink coffee or have a chocolate bar.
We can't argue with that. Luckily our consumption of Red Bull is extremely limited despite the last two videos.
Had very similar problem with Winnebago View....so disappointing.....I definitely feel you.
Sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, these problems seem to happen to models from every manufacturer. We hope you had a satisfactory resolution to your issue.
I wouldn’t expect anything more from a Thor owned company.
Yeah, we're getting many responses like this. Thor has such a bad reputation, and that's probably why their units seem to be at the low end of the price scale.
I appreciate your audio quality, especially inside the Jeep or Wayfarer. Can you share your microhone setup with us?
In this video we are just using the GoPro 11 with the creator package's microphone. When you see us wearing the lapel mics, those are from DJI, and we like the sound of those even better.
Adding some accessories to our RV so we can make it down to branson at Indian point COE campground at 11 bucks a night you can't beat that..
Wow, that's a good price. Is that full hookups?
Watching your video and one thing that Tiffin highly cautions about is not to run your Wayfair off your 20 amp house current it can possibly damage the system.
Yes, we did speak with an awesome Tiffin tech. He told us that Tiffin issues that statement as kind of a "blanket disclaimer" to cover them if anything goes wrong. The tech didn't see any problem with using the lower voltage for "battery tending" or running the refrigerator overnight. We are very cautious with it though. We don't try to run anything else. We do recommend that everyone follow the dealer guidelines though. Thanks for your comment.
Enjoy your trip guys
Thanks so much!
BTW, in federal parklands, the MINIMUM fine for speeding can be $1000. An incredible surprise.
Ouch! We tend to take our time in the parks, because we are always on the lookout for wildlife. It's amazing what you see when you slow the pace.
With owning an Allegro Bus I found that one needs to be an over all good mechanic/plumber/electrician or you will pay through the nose for repairs. Also, seatbelts save lives....just saying.
Looks like we are going to have to do some on the job training. Rose was wearing her belt under her arm for comfort reasons, but we're getting a belt adjuster so she can wear it correctly. Thanks.
All “new” means is “never ever worked” - shakedown cruises are always filled with surprises - comes with the territory (unfortunately…) - it’ll get better and you will learn things you had never even suspected existed! Rose, are you from out West (Utah/Arizona area)? It’s the way you pronounce “mountain”. Have fun in Maine (if you get a chance visit the Casco Bay region - God’s country!)!
You speak the truth about shakedown cruises. we thought a weekend would be enough, but boy were we wrong. Like you said, "a learning experience." Rose isn't from out west, but she must have picked up the accent when we were out there last year. Thanks for the post.
Liz Amazing has a few recent videos regarding Tiffin and Thor, not looking very good. In the past Tiffin was the brand to have. Apparently not any more....sad. That said in this case I cannot fault Thor as it appeared to be a component failure and that happens.
We live out West in the Sierra Mountains I have to wonder how that rig would do out here or in Colorado (Wolf Creek Pass comes to mind). The Blue Ridge Parkway is awesome, we have been there but they are not "mountains" by our standards.
One temporary solution might have been going into town and purchasing a battery charger (not a "trickle" charger), and plugging that into shore power and continuing to use your RV until the converter is repaired / replaced. LifePo4 batteries will not completely charge with a charger designed for lead acid but that will not will not harm them. They would continue to operate the coach. Educating yourself on RV systems will save you a lot of grief and give you much more confidence.
Yes, we've been watching her videos. From what we've seen, we should be OK on some of those steeper roads, but we'll find out when we get back out there later this year or early next year. We did purchase a battery charger (not a trickle charger) but we didn't want to limp along on the trip our first time out. In our opinion, we shouldn't have had to. Thanks for the post.
Brand new TWO HUNNID THOUSAND DOLLAZ rig?!! Kinda crazy how it already failed though, spending that much on an RV....... I would have gone through it with a fine-tooth comb to make sure everything is working 100% and then some! Perhaps having soo much money at one's disposal, one tends to skimp over things like that. Hehe.
Unfortunately, it appears the converter was functioning correctly during the walk-through inspection. It also was working for the break-in trip. We believe the failure occurred sometime after that. As far as the money goes, much like boat ownership an RV should never be seen as a monetary investment. You will almost always lose money in the end. We think the happiest RVers are those that treat it as an investment in fun and entertainment, and they take the bad with the good. Thanks for posting. All viewpoints are welcome here.
We like turning lemonade to lemons :-)
Very funny! Sometimes, the easiest things seem be the hardest. Staying positive through adversity is something we strive to accomplish.
This just made me think twice about looking at purchasing a motor coach. If you had that much issue with just getting someone from Tiffin to look at your issue after only having it for a week, shame in them.
Actually, the Tiffin tech was extremely helpful and we spoke several times during the diagnostic process. We could have brought it right in if we were able to drive to Red Bay, Alabama, but that wasn't practical or realistic. Unfortunately, trying to get an emergency service call pretty much anywhere is extremely difficult no matter the manufacturer. We were very lucky to Find Tony's and happy they were able to resolve the issue promptly.
Seems like Tiffin is going to go out of business! So many problems!! Didn’t Thor buy them out? Thor is another product I wouldn’t touch. Hope things go better!!
We're not quite ready to write them off. We're waiting to see what happens in the warranty repair phase after the trip. We'll keep you informed.
New RVs and new large boats always have issues and always will no matter the price point. It’s not a reflection of the manufacturer unless they start balking on warranty coverage then run away.
We totally agree. As former boat owners, we can definitely see the similarities. Thanks for sharing a different perspective.
how nice to see considerate driving - i was driving out in England this weekend at the end of the holiday season, with an abudence of campervans/caravans - in the west country (Devon/Dorset/Cornwall) we have very narrow A roads - it was very annoying that a *massive* queue of traffic formed behind this one caravan, who had several chances to pull over and just let the traffic by. People dont just hate caravans for no reason in the UK, its this type of 'f**k y**' attitude that these people have that make people hate caravans, unlike yourself, where you checking and seeing when you can allow people to pass.
Thank you for noticing. Dan prides himself on trying to be as considerate as possible when we're in the RV. We have also shared your experience behind a long line of vehicles, and we know how frustrating that can be. Most of the time it really isn't all that difficult to find a safe place to move off the road until traffic passes. Driving a large vehicle is very challenging, and it's only made that much more difficult when the drivers around you have lost their patience. Thanks for posting your experiences. We are always interested in these stories from across the pond. Happy Travels!
Well now we know why HalfFast Travelers, You got a rig that goes half fast.
Very good! We like it. Thanks for the laugh.
It’s me off Tiffin RVs for life!!🤬
We've heard this a bunch.
You just passed PalmBay where our familys vacation home is.
Palm Bay is a beautiful area. It seems to have retained a lot of it's "old Florida" charm in many places. Thanks for sharing.
Fun to watch you guys
We are so happy your are enjoying the videos. Despite the hardships, we are still having a great time.
Wait until ( until, not if) you have problems with the Mercedes chassis. Good luck finding anyone to service that😢.
We had great success with the 2019 Mercedes chassis in our American Coach Patriot. We are hopeful that the new chassis with the new motor and transmission will turn out to be just as reliable, but only time will tell.
@@halffasttravelers2702Mercedes are indisputably unreliable, period.
Hi Dan and Rose. My name is Tim. I’m in the process of purchasing a motor home. Can you please make a video about the equipment and the process on how to tow your Jeep? I have never owned a motor home before so I’ve been learning from your channel. Thanks!
We can certainly do that, and will get on it pronto. We hope you are also watching videos by more experienced RVers, as we are relatively new at this. You may have to view some of our experiences as cautionary tales rather than instructional videos. We wish you the best of luck in your RV search.
@@halffasttravelers2702 Thank you so much!
You spend that amount of money you expect the darn thing to work.
We couldn't agree more.
70? Are you crazy!!!!
We rarely got up to that, but that would be our maximum.
Did you have an RV inspection prior to purchase? Seems this should have been caught during PDI by dealer.
We're not sure this would have been caught in that inspection. It was working just fine during the walk-through. We always support an independent inspection especially for a pre-owned RV.
This dude turns off the Parkway goes a half mile down a gravel road and says we are in the middle of nowhere 😂😂😂
Please understand that we come from south Florida where there are no mountains, and the entire population is wedged between the Everglades and Atlantic Ocean. It's unusual for us to drive 30 minutes to get to a store or gas station. It's just a matter of perspective. For us, it seemed that we were in a very remote area. We certainly didn't mean to diminish the beauty or desirability of living off the beaten path. We're glad you got a laugh out of it though.
Parts of the blue ridge parkway are in the middle of nowhere. So, 1/2 mile off the parkway can seem like your in the middle of nowhere.
It was dark too. Scary...
Unfortunately that’s what you get with a new coach. My Prevost bus has a switch so you can eliminate the inverter/charger on shore power or generator power. Another reason I bought a used Prevost. They go the extra mile so you can keep having fun until you can get home.
If we were in the market for a Class A, we would love to have a Prevost. The only problem as we see it, is the cost. We would definitely have to purchase a pre-owned unit. But that might not be such a bad thing.
@@halffasttravelers2702 When you buy a coach built to last 1,000,000 miles you can go back many years and still end up with a superior coach. I had 3 tiffins before I finally learned my lesson. That is things that are quality built last a long time. Kinda like a Rolls Royce keeps on running year after year.
We never looked at it like that, but it makes a lot of sense. Thanks.
You have to be insane to buy a brand new RV. That’s like setting a pile of cash on fire to light up a cigar. Haven’t you heard of all the nightmare tales from those before you!
Yes we have. We are aware that an RV is not an investment, and for some it is not a wise use of their hard earned dollars. But for those of us who love the RV life and want to adventure in our own rig, we don't see the money as being wasted. Thanks for your post.
@@halffasttravelers2702 I’m not talking about the lifestyle and the investment in this lifestyle, I’m talking about a common sense rule to never buy a brand new RV. It’s not even about the money, it’s about the time is going to take out of your enjoyment to chase the endless bugs and repairs. You buy a good quality used RV, that the previous owner already went to hell and back to fix, and he/she presents it for you to buy at a great discount. This is how you buy an RV.
It is a great strategy as long as you can find a reliable owner who has taken care of all the issues prior to your purchase. That is the challenge.
If the Victron monitor is showing a draw when plugged in and charging. Then something is wired wrong. Might be the shunt. The side going to the battery should only have the battery attached to that side. Every other ground need to be on the other side of of the shunt. Have an RV election check.
Thanks for the information. We will definitely have them look at that during the first service.
If you do get to Mammoth sometime, it is worth it!
We hope to go later this year if we can. If you look at some of our travel videos you will see that we love spelunking. Thanks.
Why don’t you wear your shoulder strap on your seatbelt, Rose? You’ll be sorry if there’s a sudden stop or accident… just saying…
Some of our commenters recommended a seat belt adjustment strap to ease the discomfort for Rose. We are looking into that presently. In the meantime, she is wearing it correctly now. We do appreciate your concerns.
also a tiffin owner retro. your wayfarer has less then 800 lbs gcw. lite running gear. then to have a toad... not me
The CCC has increased in the new Wayfarers. Ours is just over 1000 lbs. We are within our GCWR with the Jeep we purchased, but we would not recommend going with any larger toad. The new 9-speed transmission helps a lot too.
It amazes me of the noisy cab.
We did notice it is a bit louder than our Mercedes Class B. We attribute that to the fact that we have a large shell over our heads that wasn't there in the van.
Hi! I think this is your video that your going downhill and talking about engine revving or something? I've watched so many lol anyway, my hubby wants to know if you have brakes on the rig your towing to help hold you back and not push you. We saw this in a video receently and thought it was a great idea. (Blue Ox System maybe is what we saw?) We have always had trailers with brakes but we are trying to get a vehicle to flat tow so we are looking into that. Your info is very helpful.
Yes, we have the Blue Ox Patriot braking system. It is just a small box that sits on the driver's floor board with a piston that extends to activate the brake pedal. Once the system detects a change in G force when the tow vehicle brakes, it activates the toad brakes as well. It's tough to tell how much assistance it actually provides on the downhill sections, but we didn't have any issues with overheating brakes. Just a side note: It needs to be plugged in to a "cigarette lighter" type plug that is hot even with the Jeep turned off. We had one installed just under the dash on the far left side. Hope this helps.
@@halffasttravelers2702 it does help!!! Thank you !
Well, at least you received a decent number of views.....
Way to look at the bright side! However, we would have gladly given up every view to have avoided those issues.
I’m really bummed with you mainly because I been dreaming of getting that rig. But now I have Hugh doubts.
It was never our intent to discourage anyone, but if you are going to enter the RV world you need to be ready for the possibility that all the days will not be sunny. We try to look at it like this: We were told that "all" RV's have issues right off the lot. Most of the time the issues are minor, but many times major failures can occur. It is at those times when you find out if you chose an RV from a good manufacturer or a bad one. So far, we are happy with the way Tiffin and La Mesa have assisted us through this 'event" and we are not prepared to write off either of them. We hope this helps. Thanks for your post.
It seems like the bad converter could have been caught with a quality control process.
It's very possible, but in talking to other RVers, converter failures seem to be fairly common even after years.
hmmmmm note to fans.... Get a 3rd party inspection even when buying brand new! I hope that's your last issue on this shake down cruise!
Unfortunately, it is not. Stay tuned...
Did you hire an RV inspector before you paid? I wonder if an inspector would identify the issue before you make the deal.
We did not, but we suspect the failure came after we left the lot, so they probably wouldn't have spotted the issue. We do recommend an inspection though, especially with pre-owned units.
@@halffasttravelers2702
Especially the latest one about the new tiffin - major electrical problems
We always say power to the load and the load won’t go change the component
We could have used you there that day. It would have been much less stressful. We will try to remember that saying.
Is there a break-in period on the new engine before towing?
If there is, no one told us about it. You'd think that would be something that would be high on the notification list for dealers. Anyone have any thoughts on this?
@@halffasttravelers2702- Winnebago says no towing for the first 1,000 miles. They say it’s a crucial break in period. I really don’t know about anyone else.
Hmm, that's the first we heard of that. I imagine it's the same for all Mercedes chassis. Wish they would have told us that.
I decided against buying a Thor product....figured I'd get a "Thor Thumb". Sounds like you two have some Thor-ny issues. Hahahaha. That's a real thigh slapper, but experience is not. Good luck. I hope the repair was covered by the warranty.
Very funny! We could have used that humor during the "incident." Overall, we are loving the RV, though. We'll let you know how the warranty claim works out.
At minute 27:19 while you were standing by driver side of the RV, The slide out doesn’t look like it was sitting evenly. The bottom of the slide out looks like out further than the top.
Good eye, we are going to have the slide adjusted when we get back. It could have contributed to the water pooling on top of the slide. Thank you.
Another thing to check is, Hold the button until slide mechanism stops pulling in or sliding out completely. The bottom is usually the last thing gets pulled in.
Yes, that is one thing we were definitely told during the walk through. We were also advised by a viewer not to stop midway through the deployment of retraction process so the motors don't get out of sync. Thanks.
15 amps??? Really??? You don't understand how under powered this is?????
We use the 15 amps basically as a battery tender. Should be plenty of power for the fridge.
Outside of being "mercedes", what made you go with this model as opposed to Midas ?
Good question. We are not against the Ford chassis, but we really preferred the floor plan in the RW. That said, Dan is in love with the driving position in the Mercedes, it makes those long drives much easier.
Your converter is not working. They have to upgrade the converter to a higher amperage if you changed to lithium batteries
We asked the Tech about that, and we discovered that there is a switch on this model of converter so it can be used for both AGM and lithium batteries. We have considered upgrading to a larger unit if we experience any further failures. Thanks for the information.
@halffasttravelers2702 Nice. I wasn't aware that that option was available in converters.
Did you do a pre trip inspection? Maybe a pre weekend trip?
We did a three day break-in at a local campground, and everything seemed to be working fine.
Let’s see, a week old, max load, flat towing a jeep, in the freaking mountains. Ever hear of breaking in an engine?
Please keep in mind that usually an RV will have mileage on it prior to purchase for a number of reasons. We did not begin towing with the Mercedes until after it had reached 1000 miles pursuant to the owner's manual. On a side note; we have seen some recommend that diesel engines be broken in using a heavy load with varying RPMs. We would not recommend driving the mountain roads with a toad during break-in though.
Sorry about the new rig issues! I ended up replacing my converter when I upgraded my house batteries to two Battleborns as the factory converter didn't support lithiums.
One thing to watch out for on Wayfarers is how the plastic wheel well / mudflap is attached. It's one long piece of plastic that attaches to the front of the wheel well with a single screw into the side of the storage bay near the bay bottom. It then wraps all the way around attaching to the side of the bay behind the well, leaving the extra hanging down as a mud flap. The problem is they use only one screw to attach the front near the outside bay door. As you drive at speed (55-65) the wind under the rig pushes on the front of the wheel well and it flexes and bends it backwards until the bottom touches the front of both tires. The tires then wear two upside down "U"s into the wheel well. It is noisy as you drive and it smells like melted tire/plastic. The fix? Simply add a 2nd screw to the bottom of the wheel well liner by the inside dual tire to the bottom of the storage bay. This will prevent the wind from under the coach bending it back towards the tire. They don't do this at the factory as putting this screw in is a PITA unless you have the right tool or pull the tires off to gain easier access.
The other thing to watch out for (all Sprinter based Class Cs) is the rubber valve stems if you have factory steel wheels. These are only rated for 50 lbs yet you need to inflate to 70-80 based on weight. It isn't if the valve stem will blow, it is when. Either upgrade the valve stems or the wheels and ditch the under rated rubber stems.
Enjoy the Wayfarer! I loved my 2018 BW until I upgraded to a 2023 Newmar New Aire. I loved pulling my Fiat 500 TOAD behind the Wayfarer. And finding parking? Easy peasy! Enjoy!
Best,
-Mark
The converter we have actually has a setting switch for AGM and Lithium batteries. It was set correctly, but failed anyway. So far so good on the new unit. Thanks for the information on the wheel wells and the valve stems. We will check it out.
You should have bought a pleasure way plateau TS. Excellent quality. What you bought is poor quality build. Sorry to say you’ll lose your ass on this. Hopefully your wealthy and can take the loss.
Yes, we really did like the Pleasure Way, but we do like the floor plan in the Wayfarer, and the XLTS was considerably more expensive than the Tiffin. Unfortunately life is risk, and we have to take the bad with the good. Much like with boat ownership, the purchase of an RV should not be viewed as an investment. You have to pay to play, and make your own decisions on how to spend your limited entertainment dollars. We do appreciate your take on this.
Curious on why she refuses to wear the shoulder belt properly?
Actually, this video was shot before we started getting comments about it. Rose has begun wearing her belt correctly while we await the acquisition of the belt adjustment strap one of the viewers recommended. Rose does appreciate your concern for her safety, and so does Dan. Thanks.
If the battery is discharging when you are plugged in check your wiring schematic.
It sounds like your battery charger is not working.
The roof AC will never run on the batteries. They take about 15 amps to run ONE. and Factory Air con has NEVER been able to run off battery/solar so your charger wont be able to keep up because of the inverter loading.
-- normally, when you plug in to land power, there should be a throw over to put the RV power on land power and off of RV power.
Obviously, that is not working, or you dont have it.
-- the current RV's that are successfully running AC off of battery/solar are using AC units that run at 3 to 5 amps MAX.
FOLKS, STRONGLY suggest you try RAINX on the windshield.
The drawers and cabinets will open, and in some cases SPILL out on the floor, things will break.
Amazon sells some nice boat locks for the doors and drawers.
or you can try tension bars or get some line and tie across them. it helps to keep the doors shut and may help keep the drawers shut.
Not knowing how your system is supposed to be wired it is hard to offer suggestions. YOU NEED A WIRING DIAGRAM!
If you keep this coach, I strongly suggest you get to know your electrical system so you can by pass the inverter with the land power cord.
also, as long as your solar can charge the batteries, set up a 12v (or 24 if wired for that) for led lighing and minor power needs.
Going through the inverter is taking a huge amount of power from the batteries, to make 120v AC where lower voltage is much much easier on the batteries and lasts much much longer.
PREPARE your coach so you have alternate power choices in case of these types of issues.
Wow, what an awesome post. Thanks for providing a wealth of information for us and our viewers. Dan misspoke during the video, and we are aware we can't run the A/C on just batteries or even on 15-20 Amp shore power. Also, we added velcro strips to the drawers, and that seems to have done the trick. One last thing: Tiffin included a very detailed wiring diagram with our unit, but the problem is reading and understanding it. We are working on it though. Thanks again.
@@halffasttravelers2702 Actually, you should be able to run that watt buster roof AC with 15amp shore power. I do it at home. If you can't, you have a lot more load on the coach then you know of. Get to know your coach.
We are learning a lot from these experiences. Until then, we have to rely on the so-called experts. This is a great example, because we were told we could not run that unit on 15/20 amp shore power. We have had some commenters post that we shouldn't be using a 15/20 amp hookup at all with the Tiffin. Sometimes it's a challenge to sort through all this information to determine the facts. We are striving to shed the "half fast" moniker at some point. Until then please enjoy learning from our missteps and mistakes. We will be looking into this. Thanks.
Please..... Show more of the road & scenery as you travel. Not talking heads.
We'll be happy to do that, but some of the comments from our trip last year were that we had too many "dash cam" videos mixed in. Consequently, we ditched the forward facing Go Pro for this trip. We wonder if you wouldn't mind checking out one or two of those videos from last year's western US trip and giving us your opinion. They are much shorter than these, so it shouldn't take up too much of your time, and you'd be helping us greatly. We recommend the Death Valley video or the one where we visited Sedona. We would be forever grateful for your assistance. Here are the links: th-cam.com/video/lXfX3yePB8w/w-d-xo.html and th-cam.com/video/wtovxyu-5pg/w-d-xo.html Thanks.
How very frustrating for you, so sorry! Hopefully the rest of your trip goes smoothly. I will be watching your videos closely as I would like to downsize eventually from our Tiffin Phaeton and I I have been considering the Wayfarer. Best of luck and safe travels.
Thank you so much! We will continue to provide our honest assessment of the coach as we continue our trip. Thanks for the post.
You did not know towing limitations?
Yup, we're just under our GCWR.
Have you been to Tiffins assembly plant? Someone who did said it's deplorable!
If you're referring to the Liz Amazing video, we saw that as well. We feel very bad for those folks and the issues they are experiencing. We might stop by the plant on a future trip, and if we do we'll see if they will let us film so we can show our viewers.
We are in our 4th Tiffin Class A in 17 years. First 3 were new, this one 2020 IP used. We learned on the 1st coach not to get more than 500 miles from the manufacturer with new coaches until you got the first round of issues corrected. That is true of all RV manufacturers, we have friends on all types. Recommendation #1: Do not plan a long trip until you have cleared the 1st round of issues. The RV is in a continuous earthquake on most US roads. There will be issues. Love the way you go with the flow. Tiffin factory?- keep in mind that RVs are not built on a true assembly line with robots. They are put together by individuals who might have be having a bad day. The factory does not have efficient AC but, on our first coaches we were allowed to follow them through the manufacturing process - which is not allowed since Thor got into the picture. We found the personnel very accommodating and professional. Based on the complaints we have seen recently, we do wonder if the quality control is slipping.
Great information. Thanks for posting your experiences. We are learning a lot from all of you as well as our "on-the-job" experience as we continue our road trip. Thanks for your comment.
I’m glad
Bummer. I would have borrowed a battery charger and do a direct charge.
We purchased one immediately, but we were so frustrated that we didn't want a band-aid. We wanted it fixed before we continued a 6-week road trip. We do feel more comfortable carrying the charger though. Thanks.