NHTSA Complaint #10451009 — 2008 TIFFIN PHAETON

THE WET BAY FLOOR HOLDING THE FRESH WATER, GRAY WATER, AND BLACK WATER TANKS HAS ROTTED UNDERNEATH THE MOTORCOACH DUE TO THE POOR DESIGN/ENGINEERING BY TIFFIN MOTOR HOMES, AS WELL AS VERY POOR QUALITY MATERIALS USED. THERE IS VERY LITTLE STRUCTURAL SUPPORT FOR THE TANKS UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. ALL OF THE TANKS AND WET BAY AREA HAVE TO BE REMOVED IN ORDER TO EVALUATE THE FULL EXTENT OF THE ROTTING AND MOLD IN THIS AREA. THE INTERIOR FLOOR OF THE MOTOR HOME HAS ALSO BEGUN TO DROP LIKELY DUE TO THIS ROTTING. TIFFIN MOTOR HOMES IS FULLY AWARE OF THIS MAJOR DEFECT IN VEHICLES DATING BACK TO 2006 OR BEFORE ON MOST DIESEL PUSHER MODELS INVOLVING HUNDREDS TO SEVERAL THOUSAND VEHICLES. BASED ON REPORTS FROM OTHER TIFFIN OWNERS THERE HAS BEEN MINIMAL OR NO ENGINEERING OR MATERIAL CHANGES MADE TO SUBSEQUENT MODEL YEARS. THE COMPANY IS "REPLACING OR REPAIRING" THIS MAJOR DEFECT, BUT ONLY IF THE MOTOR HOME IS BROUGHT TO THEIR RED BAY, AL, SERVICE FACILITY AND SERVICE APPOINTMENTS ARE CURRENTLY 12 TO 18 MONTHS OUT. THIS REQUIRES AN ALMOST 2000 MILE DRIVE FOR US TO HAVE A MAJOR SAFETY DEFECT REPAIRED. BUT WE MUST GET TO THE REPAIR FACILITY WITHOUT OUR TANKS FALLING OFF THE MOTOR HOME ONTO THE ROADWAY CAUSING A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM FOR US AND OTHER DRIVERS AS WELL AS A POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE BECAUSE THESE TANKS ARE HOLDING TANKS FOR SEWAGE AND HAVE BEEN TREATED WITH CHEMICALS. OTHER OWNERS HAVE REPORTED HAVING TO WELD ADDITIONAL SUPPORT BEAMS UNDER THEIR RV THEMSELVES IN ORDER TO DRIVE AND GET IT IN FOR REPAIR. A ROTTING UNDERCARRIAGE OF AN RV IS DANGEROUS ON HIGHWAYS AND TIFFIN SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY, AT QUALIFIED SERVICE FACILITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, AT THEIR COST. THERE SHOULD BE A FULL INVESTIGATION INTO WHY TIFFIN HAS KNOWINGLY FAILED TO CORRECT THIS DEFECT FOR YEARS CREATING SAFETY ISSUES AND EXPENSE FOR OWNERS. *TR