Tiffin Introduces 36' Allegro Entry Level Diesel Pusher

RED BAY, Alabama - Tiffin Motorhomes has introduced a 36-ft. diesel pusher in its entry-level Allegro model, providing the advantages of a rear-engine at a head-turning price point.

In addition to the Allegro 36QSA floorplan, Tiffin has unveiled a 43-ft. luxury tag-axle Allegro Bus floorplan with a combination of two popular features: front kitchen plus bath-and-a-half. The new quad-slide 36QSA joins five other Allegro floorplans featuring major improvements for 2009, including 6 inches of additional ceiling height to 7 feet, more spacious cabinetry above and below counters, improved placements for the LCD TVs, larger windows, 22-in. wheels and a windshield shade replacing curtains.

The base retail price of the 36QSA is $185,000, well below typical diesel pushers. The front-engine gas and diesel 2009 Allegros range from $97,300 to $134,050 in base retail prices depending on length, number of slides and chassis. Rear-engine diesel provides the durability, torque and longterm economical operation of diesel power with greater overall carrying capacity (GVWR), a quieter ride and the added security of air brakes. The 36QSA will be offered on three chassis: Tiffin's own PowerGlide plus Freightliner and Spartan.

"As we read the current Class A market, with value-driven baby boomers and 30-somethings interested in RVing, we expect an exciting reception for this coach when it reaches dealers beginning in January," says Jerry Williamson, Tiffin national sales manager.

The front-kitchen floorplan made its Tiffin debut five months ago in a 40-ft. Allegro Bus, as did bath-and-a-half floorplans for the Allegro Bay, Phaeton, Allegro Bus and Zephyr model lines. Both innovations proved quickly popular at Tiffin's more than 70 dealerships throughout the U.S. and Canada.

"The combination of the full bath at the rear of the coach plus the half-bath for guests feels even more like home," says General Manager Tim Tiffin. "We anticipated this new arrangement would be a tailgater's dream, but we soon learned that fulltimers, weekenders and others love it too. Add to that the shift forward of the kitchen creating separation for the living area and you have even more sense of home."

The 43QBP will begin appearing at dealerships in January. The base retail price has not been established. The base retail for other 2009 Allegro Bus floorplans ranges from $275,310 to $330,960 depending on length and chassis.

Tiffin led all motorhome brands in vehicle reliability/quality, competitive price/value, vehicle design and the five other criteria of dealer satisfaction in the Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association's most recent industry-wide annual survey. Tiffin was one of only five motorhome manufacturers to receive the RVDA's coveted Quality Circle Award for 2007. Tiffin has been honored with the Quality Circle nine of the 12 years it has been presented by the RVDA. A total of 527 RV dealers submitted 3,020 ratings in the 2007 satisfaction survey.

In addition to the quality, reliability, price and design categories, Tiffin exceeded the ratings of all manufacturers in parts support, dealership warranty support, overall dealership communications, sales support and sales territory. In the 2007 survey, the RVDA also asked dealers the "Ultimate Question:" How likely would you be to recommend this brand to a friend (in a different market) to handle at his/her dealership?" A total of 84.4% of dealers responded positively on Tiffin, while only 42.4 percent of dealers responded positively for all motorhome manufacturers.

When negative responses to the question were deleted to calculate "Net Promoter Scores," Tiffin's 81.3 percent mark was even more dramatic compared with the 12.2 percent for all motorhome manufacturers. The "Ultimate Question" and the "Net Promoter Score" were developed by Fred Reichheld, recognized by Consulting Magazine as one of the world's top 25 consultants.