Headhunter
RVF Supporter
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2021
- Messages
- 633
- Location
- Northeast PA
- RV Year
- 2026
- RV Make
- Tiffin
- RV Model
- Phaeton
- RV Length
- 38ft
- Chassis
- Powerglide
- Engine
- Cummins 450
- TOW/TOAD
- 2017 Jeep Sahara
- Fulltimer
- No
Hi Guys: Last October I purchased a new 2026 Phaeton 35 CH. The total length is 37 ft 9 inches. I knew darn well it was going to be a challenge to get it up my long STEEP driveway. Coming off the road it starts going uphill at a 12% grade.
My 2019 Tiffin Open Road 32 SA made it up no problem. I do believe it was 34 ft total length. My 2021 Tiffin Red 33 AA at 35 ft. made it up. But when I got home from a 350 mile ride from New York and tried to get up the driveway, no way. It bottomed out before I could get it halfway off the road. I tried left hand turn going in, then right turn going in, even tried backing it up the driveway, no go.
It was going into a heated storage facility the next day for its long winter nap. I called the township fire company about a mile from me and asked them if I could park it there overnight and said yes.
Now I would have 6 months to ponder what the heck am I going to do. I have 10 acres of my property. One solution was to put a concrete pad off the main road coming in. But there would be no power or water, not to mention an expensive motor home 20 ft off the street, and the coach over 250 yards away from the house.
My other thought and possible solution was to put in a secondary entrance road to the right, coming in from a different angle, about 50 ft long to get the coach higher on grade to make the climb. I would have to remove some trees, put two 12 ft steel drainage pipes in, and tons of gravel. And after all this work the coach may STILL bottom out. The cost of the heavy machinery, gravel, pipes, and labor would be a complete financial loss. The gamble was huge.
At the beginning of May I got my coach out of storage. MY buddy owns a farm with 8 acres about 6 miles away. He let me keep the coach there while I was trying to sort this out. I had four different contractors, excavators, engineers, look at it and they all said it was crap shoot. So what to do? I do know having the coach 6 miles away was a real PIA. Every time I needed something it was just 6 miles away. After about 25 trips to the coach, back and fourth, to get ready for our first camping trip, I said the hell with it. I am going for it. I know this is going to be an expensive solution.
Well the pipes were laid in the drainage ditch, about 10 loads of gravel was trucked in, and by trial and error, I finally got my coach up the driveway. It's not paved yet, but I had to see if it was going to make it up or not. Thank GOD it is home. When I built the Gun Shop in 2017 I put in a paved section along the side that was 45 ft long about 18 ft wide with water and 50 amp service.
If this didn't work I would have been screwed, blued, and tattooed!!!!!! GOD is good, said a lot of prayers......
HH
My 2019 Tiffin Open Road 32 SA made it up no problem. I do believe it was 34 ft total length. My 2021 Tiffin Red 33 AA at 35 ft. made it up. But when I got home from a 350 mile ride from New York and tried to get up the driveway, no way. It bottomed out before I could get it halfway off the road. I tried left hand turn going in, then right turn going in, even tried backing it up the driveway, no go.
It was going into a heated storage facility the next day for its long winter nap. I called the township fire company about a mile from me and asked them if I could park it there overnight and said yes.
Now I would have 6 months to ponder what the heck am I going to do. I have 10 acres of my property. One solution was to put a concrete pad off the main road coming in. But there would be no power or water, not to mention an expensive motor home 20 ft off the street, and the coach over 250 yards away from the house.
My other thought and possible solution was to put in a secondary entrance road to the right, coming in from a different angle, about 50 ft long to get the coach higher on grade to make the climb. I would have to remove some trees, put two 12 ft steel drainage pipes in, and tons of gravel. And after all this work the coach may STILL bottom out. The cost of the heavy machinery, gravel, pipes, and labor would be a complete financial loss. The gamble was huge.
At the beginning of May I got my coach out of storage. MY buddy owns a farm with 8 acres about 6 miles away. He let me keep the coach there while I was trying to sort this out. I had four different contractors, excavators, engineers, look at it and they all said it was crap shoot. So what to do? I do know having the coach 6 miles away was a real PIA. Every time I needed something it was just 6 miles away. After about 25 trips to the coach, back and fourth, to get ready for our first camping trip, I said the hell with it. I am going for it. I know this is going to be an expensive solution.
Well the pipes were laid in the drainage ditch, about 10 loads of gravel was trucked in, and by trial and error, I finally got my coach up the driveway. It's not paved yet, but I had to see if it was going to make it up or not. Thank GOD it is home. When I built the Gun Shop in 2017 I put in a paved section along the side that was 45 ft long about 18 ft wide with water and 50 amp service.
If this didn't work I would have been screwed, blued, and tattooed!!!!!! GOD is good, said a lot of prayers......
HH
