Looking to buy...

[bmike41]

I have my eyes on a 2016 Tiffin Allegro Red 33AA, it has less than 20,000 miles on it for $190,000. I have never been in the market for a motorhome and I'm looking for some guidance. Any tips on where I should start my offer/what I need to be looking for in purchasing?

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

Welcome to RVF, @bmike41; glad to have you here.

My recommendation is that you find an RVIA-certified inspector and have him/her check the coach out for you. It will cost you $300-$500 for the inspection, but it will be the best money you ever spent, whether or not you finally buy the coach. Tiffin makes a quality coach, but there can always be some hidden issues in a five-year-old coach. Do a search for "RVIA-certified inspector" to find one in your area.

With a 2016 coach, you are getting close to needing tires and batteries; both relative expensive items. Both have 5-6 year average life spans. And, tires can be up to a year older than the coach they are on, so don't just go by the model year of the coach. Check the DOT date codes for when the tire was manufactured. Here's how:

How Old Are My RV Tires?

The tire date code always starts with the letters DOT and ends with a 3 or 4 digit number. The first two numbers indicate the week of the year. 52 weeks in a year so that is the max.

www.allstays.com

Batteries usually have a sticker indicating their date of installation. If not you can assume on a 2016 coach that they are likely the original batteries. And, chances are they will be the standard lead-acid batteries, so five years is about when you'd need to think about replacing them.

I recommend that you get some prices for tires and batteries from a reliable shop and use them as part of your negotiation. I believe the Tiffin RED is a two-axle chassis, so you'll need six tires and that could easily run $4K-$5K. You will probably have five batteries (one starting and four chassis). That could run as much as another $1K. My point is that when buying a 2016 coach, you will likely face those expenses soon. Might as well build them into your price negotiation now and start fresh.

Be sure to ask if service records are available for the coach. They can be very useful.

Good luck.

TJ

 

[bmike41]

Good info TJ! Thanks a bunch.

 

[Rich-MLsRV]

@bmike41

Welcome to the forum. I'll 2nd what @TJ&LadyDi said. This was our first Class A and there is a lot to learn. Overwhelming for both of us. On the RV inspection we also had the fluids tested (oil, coolant & generator oil) which was an additional cost. We found out someone put in the wrong coolant so we ended up doing a coolant flush.

Ask if the RV has a build sheet. This will tell you options on the RV.

We got an appraisal from RV Pricing and Appraisals which helped me determine if what I was paying was reasonable. The appraisal did not take into account options on the RV but I had a good base from which to negotiate.

​

 

["EZ"]

https://rvpricingandappraisals.com/

You can get a buyers appraisal here. These guys are the Pros. They may save you THOUSANDS of dollars!! I highly recommend them.

 

[jaswiderski]

I have my eyes on a 2016 Tiffin Allegro Red 33AA, it has less than 20,000 miles on it for $190,000. I have never been in the market for a motorhome and I'm looking for some guidance. Any tips on where I should start my offer/what I need to be looking for in purchasing?

I have owned and sold Tiffins. 2018 RED 33AA, 2019 Phaeton 37BH and 2021 RED 33AA. As everyone mentions, buying a 4-5 year old coach has risks, especially if not maintained properly. For a 2016, you should be able to get more of a discount than the $190k. We just purchased our 2021 for $220k and it has the newer 2020 Freightliner chasis which features many upgrades and improvements such as the digital dashboard/ifo display and built in TPMS. The TPMS is a big deal to me since i would not drive a coach without it and having it part of the FCC chassis is big for me.