The following is an opinion piece by JD Gallant.
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For sure,Tiffin brands will never be the same after Thor Industries has owned it for a few years. I know this because history tells all. The changes that Thor made to Dutchmen, Crossroads, K-Z, Venture RV, Keystone, Cruiser RV, DRV, Entegra, Heartland, Redwood, Starcraft, Venture RV, and Jayco for the most part, were not good—and now Tiffin is next in line. All of these were a mix of good and bad RV manufacturers when Thor Industries bought them hook, line, and sinker within the last ten years. According to RVCG database, as of January 1, 2021 Thor will own approximately 20 RV manufacturers and 187 RV brands—which is about one-third of the RV industry.
Whether you do or do not agree, if you look at some facts taken directly from our database on which we have recorded your opinions and ratings, you’ll get some very important numbers that will tell you why Thor might kill Tiffin not so very slowly. And if you read all the comments as I do when we are getting the ratings ready for the next year, you’ll get the real picture—be it good or bad.
Over the last 5 years, Thor’s average score for all of their 187 brands has been 70.34—with many brands getting a 2-star rating. On the other hand, the rest of the RV industry combined gets an average of 78.6—which is a solid 3-star rating.
There are many reasons for the low opinion of Thor by RVCG members—and I’ve looked at them all. After extensive research into our own ratings and other consumer reviews, I’ve concluded that the primary reason is that Thor Industries is an investment company that cares not at all how a bad RV experience impacts the individual RV buyer.
If you want proof that Thor's decision-makers simply do not care, look at how Jayco has dropped 5 points in ratings since Thor purchased them in 2016. And then look at Thor Motor Coach and you’ll quickly see that no one should buy any of these motor homes without putting them through an extensive checkup. It’s all in the RV Ratings Guide
2000 Tiffin Allegro
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2021 Tiffin Allegro
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My opinion is not optimistic that Allegro and other Tiffin brands will continue to get the consumer satisfaction that it received from Bob Tiffin. I believe that in less than 5 years Tiffin motor homes will be no better than brands now sold under the manufacturer Thor Motor Coach.
It’s up to you! Your ratings and your comments tell it all. With numbers in the thousands, the history of RV manufacturers becomes factual – they can’t hide from it. When they cut quality, the consumers groan to us. We listen, we commiserate with you, then we publish your scores and judge accordingly.
Will your efforts and ours pay off in the end with better quality coming from Thor? We highly doubt it, but we can always hope.
JD Gallant
(Your comments are welcomed!)
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Patricia Jensen
April 20, 2023
I agree with Thor destroying the quality of Tiffin. We had a 2016 Phaeton and it was wonderful with the class and integrity of a high class RV. Unfortunately we sold it then a year later wanted another Tiffin but it was a joke after seeing how Thor had destroyed this beautiful coach. The new models had cabinets hanging off the wall, cheap floors, cabinet wood that looked and felt like plywood with magnetic latches, sofas were hard with cheap leather, the lighting was gone, and no external chrome on the doors outside. It was like a factory in China had mass produced these RV’s. I almost cried. Now the only thing you can do is look for a 2018 while the quality still existed. Bob Tiffin should be ashamed to put his name on these coaches now.