RV Search – 2009 Tiffin Allegro Bay. I mentioned in this post that we had begun our quest for the perfect RV with a trip to Margate, Florida to look at one of my favorites the Tiffin Allegro Bay. Yes. I know I have posted a few RV possibilities before but now we are really serious. Plus we have finally decided once and for all that a Class A is what we really want.
2009 Tiffin Allegro Bay
2009 Tiffin Allegro Bay showing the two slides outs on the drivers side
RV Search – 2009 Tiffin Allegro Bay
We have gone back and forth between a Class A, which we have had before, and a Fifth Wheel which is roomier. Although a Fifth Wheel feels more like a condo when you are parked and your slides are out there are many disadvantages for us. After traveling the eastern 23 states in our first RV, a Class A 2005 35-foot Damon Intruder with 2 slides, we know that the journey is a big part of the joy of RVing. The experience in a Fifth Wheel would be very different. I would no longer be able to just get out of my seat and use the restroom while Steve is driving. Or get him a bottle of water. Or lunch. In a Fifth Wheel we would have to pull off the road at a rest stop and use the facilities there because a Fifth Wheel is towed in the bed of a big diesel pick-up truck. So in order to enter your RV you need to pull down the entry steps and put out a slide or two because you can’t walk through to get to anything until you do that. And there’s that big truck. Diesel fuel is running over $1 or more higher that regular gasoline, of course that changes daily. But that is not really the issue. We are not truck people! It would mean driving around in a truck all of the time. Nope. Not gonna happen. So since we already have the perfect vehicle to flat tow behind a Class A (We have a 2015 Honda CRV.) we are going that route. Final answer.
Living room and dining area with rear TV.
Living room and dining area with rear TV.
As for a diesel coach vs. a gas coach the jury is out for deliberations. Gasoline is less expensive to fill up the tank BUT diesel fuel may get better miles per gallon. Gas fueled coaches are less expensive to buy but the engines don’t last as long. There are also other considerations. Most diesel pushers have more “basement” storage with compartments that go through from one side to the other. And they also perform better in mountainous regions. I remember one time when we were traveling through the Green Mountains in Vermont. We were driving uphill on a two lane highway. Steve had the pedal to the floor and we were barely doing 20/mph. He saw the long line of vehicles behind us and commented that it felt like we were sliding backwards. We weren’t but we also were not sure we would ever reach the summit. That would never happen in a diesel pusher. Another plus is that you have more wall space because you enter the coach in front of the passenger seat so there is no door in the living area interfering with potential storage/wall space. So we are leaving our options open as to whether we will be buying a gas or diesel coach.
The dinette is one of the areas we would modify. We would prefer a free standing table and buffet!
Brand new residential French door fridge is so new the owner hasn’t even had time to put on the kick plate at the bottom!
Steve and I have loved Tiffin RVs for years. They have a great reputation for customer service and quality. In fact some time ago I had torn out a magazine picture of a Tiffin Allegro Bay that looked exactly like the one we went to look at last weekend. It was on my wish board ever since. But floor plan is important because I need a place to work for both writing and recipe development and testing. With 4 slides this one would be quite workable with some clever modifications. Plus it had the residential refrigerator that I really want. It also had a separate bathroom which is a must. We hate have to walk through the bathroom to get to the bedroom. What it lacked was counter space but we know that is something we may have to work magic to create.
The kitchen with limited counter space. But that wood below the TV folds down to become a work space.
Full bathroom!
Another must have on out list is that the TV must be opposite the sofa. This one had a TV at the front and back of the living quarters; so not ideal. But Steve figured the rear TV could be moved to opposite the sofa by removing the doors on a cabinet and hanging the TV in a new spot. Of course that means giving up premium cabinet space. We really need to maximize storage for pots, pans, spices, pantry etc. After all we will be moving from 2000 square feet into about 500 and we have a lot of stuff that needs to come with us!
Bedroom with mirrored sliding doors to closet, dresser and TV.
Bedroom with Queen sized bed.
This was the first RV we have looked at that would would consider so the search continues. Winnebago makes some awesome RVs so hopefully someone local will have one for us to look at. I’ll keep you posted.
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