Tour or Vectra or Tiffin

Mark Bento · 06-07-2006, 06:46 AM

Ok am going to open the can of dog dodo here. My wife and I have a 2000 Winne Adventurer 35U and are just comming up on tghe one year make of owning it. We love it but we are now looking down the road and have set a time line for us to purchase our 1 st really new RV and your last rv as this will be the one that we want to use after we stop working. we both have about 9 years left to work and feel if we buy the rv in the next two years while we are still working it woun't be as hard on us money wise.

We are looking at the tour and the vectra she likes the vectra and I like the tour they both have the same floor plans and she wants the fire place in the next unit. I think that puts us in the 40FD units.

My question is this if you were going to buy what one would you get? I know that the vectra is the flag ship right now but is it really worth the 50.000 dollars more than the tour as they both look great on the inside. the tour has the new styling on as like the new front and lights and the vectra still has those huge monstor lights. that really look out of place but I hope that might change.

We also looked at the tiffen Phaeton as a poss unit but keep coming back to winne when we talk about units.

so here we go do I spend in the area of 225.000 or do I spend 250.000 help.

Thanks
Mark and Joanne

Fixed title typo

Mark Bento · 06-07-2006, 06:46 AM

Ok am going to open the can of dog dodo here. My wife and I have a 2000 Winne Adventurer 35U and are just comming up on tghe one year make of owning it. We love it but we are now looking down the road and have set a time line for us to purchase our 1 st really new RV and your last rv as this will be the one that we want to use after we stop working. we both have about 9 years left to work and feel if we buy the rv in the next two years while we are still working it woun't be as hard on us money wise.

We are looking at the tour and the vectra she likes the vectra and I like the tour they both have the same floor plans and she wants the fire place in the next unit. I think that puts us in the 40FD units.

My question is this if you were going to buy what one would you get? I know that the vectra is the flag ship right now but is it really worth the 50.000 dollars more than the tour as they both look great on the inside. the tour has the new styling on as like the new front and lights and the vectra still has those huge monstor lights. that really look out of place but I hope that might change.

We also looked at the tiffen Phaeton as a poss unit but keep coming back to winne when we talk about units.

so here we go do I spend in the area of 225.000 or do I spend 250.000 help.

Thanks
Mark and Joanne

Fixed title typo

rebelsbeach · 06-07-2006, 07:01 AM

Mark, while Tiffin certainly makes a quality product there in Red Bay,AL for the sake of this being the Winnebago Owners Forum,I will restrict my thoughts to Winnebago.
If you would like, you could open a "similar" discussion in one of the Motor Home areas elsewhere found on the front page of iRV2. I can assist you in that if you like....

As far as the differences between the Tour and the Vectra, the first very BIG difference is in what's back there pushing the coach....In the Tour you have a 350HP CAT and in the Vectra you have the 400 HP Cummins....In the Tour you will find the Net Carrying Capacity is less than in the Vectra.
While the floorplans are indeed the same,I feel the "carrying capacity" is definitely something worth watching....Never underestimate the ability to carry "stuff", especially if you're looking for the long haul and possibly going to full time.

AdrianLee has the Ellipse,which is the Itasca version of the Tour and while his trim and fit and finish is going to undoubtedly be nicer in the Itasca,I hope he can "weigh in" with his thoughts.
He and Barbara joined the Class of 2006 fulltimers and he's been from west to east in that coach.

Mark Bento · 06-07-2006, 08:11 AM

Rebel
Thanks for the offer but as you can see we keep comming back to the winne's so its not needed just put all the ones that we were talking about out in open but kind of feel that we are going to end up with winne because when we start talking about things she tells me that the winne looks bigger inside after being with her for 25 years one thing I learned is if I want to injoy my trips I had better hear what she has to say because if she is happy thats all it takes to make thing better for me. Really she is a great girl and person just picking on her.

I really hate the front end on the vectra and hope they do something with it.what did you just purchase now I thought you just got the vectra you have and why are you dumping it?

Mark

FrontRangeRVer · 06-07-2006, 08:45 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mark Bento:
Rebel, now I thought you just got the vectra you have and why are you dumping it?

Mark </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Curious in Colorado

Tom N · 06-07-2006, 09:25 AM

FWIW, I would take a look at an Allegro Bus.

If I wanted something made by Winnebago Industries I would look at the Itasca line as opposed to the Winnebago line.

rebelsbeach · 06-07-2006, 09:42 AM

Oooops.....I bet I know someone that reads this board a lot who is laughing at me now....

Guess there's no time like the present,since it's like three weeks til I get the new coach.
Some of you have already "figured" it out,but it took your visits to the "other side" to do it...

Where do I start....

First of all....when the wife and I bought the Vectra,we bought it sight unseen as the local Winnebago dealer only stocks as high as the Tour.
After taking possession of the Vectra we found it wasn't "exactly" what we expected as far as interior trim and finish. Knowing that we were wanting to eventually move to at least a 42 footer and maybe even a 45 footer,we had some hard thinking to do....
While there's certainly NOTHING wrong with the Vectra,other than a few bugs that EVERY coach has to work out in the beginning, we decided to go ahead and "bite the bullet" and get what we really want, a few years early....Do I need my head examined? Just ask my wife....she'll agree with ya.
In my opinion,the Vectra in it's price range is one of,if not the FINEST coach there is for the money...Everyone that's been in it has said how much they like it and a lot of them WERE NOT Winnebago owners.....Even some of them "fiver people" have liked it...

We decided that we really wanted to have several things in a coach....more length,more storage,more PASS-THROUGH storage,a true washer and dryer and of course the "nicer appointed" wood trim throughout....Here's where I add that, to accomplish this I am spending another 200K!!

What we will end up with, WE HOPE, is a coach we can keep and enjoy for a good number of years, without having to take this step again....
We are gaining the Hydro-Hot furnace and water heat system,which I admit there are some folks that don't care for it....We're ALSO gaining the TRW "Comfort Drive" steering system",which is the competeitor to John Canfield's Howard Precision Center Steer.
We gain the two piece washer/dryer stacked unit as well as another slide out in the bedroom.
The pass through storage is a result of the coach being built on the Spartan K2 chassis....While I've never had an issue with Freightliner,it will be nice to have the pass through that slides out EITHER way.
We gain 5 more feet of living space and 100 more HP as well...

Regrets? You betcha.......But only ONE.
I can attest to the EXCELLENT treatment I have received from the FINE people in Forest City,most especially the greatest and nicest Service Lead in the business, Mister Bryan Funke. I do not consider him to be a Winnebago employee, I call him a dear friend.
As his friend,he was THE FIRST PERSON I contacted when I knew this was happening....
I have assured him that I intend to support this Winnebago Owners Forum, as well as I intend to visit Forest City this summer and stop and see him.(Bet I can't stay in the visitor's center lot.)

Many of you have NO idea the time that Bryan allots to read the messsages in this forum as he usually handles the issues through the Private Message system.
I can again personally attest to that,as he was the one that read my "initial concerns" over the delivery of my Vectra being delayed and he was instumental in having the person in charge of transportation contact not only me by email,but my dealer by telephone...

I can tell you that,if Winnebago made a 42'er with a tag and the things we wanted,we'd own one...

I encourage all of you to continue your support of this Owners forum and assure you that I'll be right here with you...

Now....if you've noticed an obvious absence of a signature pic when I posted in the Winnebago forum, NOW you know why.....THANKS to my web site partner for the added graphics, THEY ARE NOT on the "real thing"....

Here's the coach......a 2007 Newmar Essex Model 4502....she leaves Nappanee on the 27th.

John_Canfield · 06-07-2006, 01:12 PM

When I looked over the Tour and its Itasca counterpart, I was really impressed with everything I saw. I thought the quality of the materials and the fit/finish was every bit as nice as my "queen of the current fleet" Horizon.

Bob mentioned a huge difference in that on the Vectra/Horizon you get the Cummins ISL, but I don't think he mentioned the independant front suspension. On the Tour you get a straight axle, Vectra/Horizon is the IFS and the ~14,300 pound front end.

AdrianLee · 06-07-2006, 01:16 PM

Mark,

As rebelsbeach said - we are full timers and live in a 2006 Itasca Ellipse. We have the 40 FD - yes the same floor plan you are looking at and yes - we love it. Barbara wants the fire place but I keep telling her that if she can find a place for my desk top computer and printer, then we might have the fire place added but I really do not think that will happen.

We left Louisiana in mid December of last year and spent the winter in southern California and southern Nevada. We are currently on Lake Lanier, just north of Atlanta.

As far as fit and finish, I personally like the Itasca better than the Winnebago. Yes, it cost a little more but I think it is worth it. The Ellipse is the compliment to the Tour. The Horizon is the compliment to the Vectra. If I had it to do over again and know what I know now I would have bought the Horizon. From a fit and finish aspect, there is really no difference between the two. The Horizon has many more bells and whistles than the Ellipse. The same goes for the Tour vs. the Vectra. The major difference is as Bob pointed out - the engine. I really like the 350 CAT in my Ellipse but the 400 Cummins would be a lot nicer to have, especially when pulling up some of the long steep grades in the mountians. Plus I THINK the Cummins has a Jake Brake rather than a PacBrake. If it is a multi stage Jake Brake it will be a lot better on steep grades. Again, nothing really wrong with my CAT but the Cummins would be better for a loaded coach in the mountians. Having said that, I have a close friend who has a 300 CAT in a 2001 Dutch Star and he will not even talk about any other engine. He has about 60K on his coach so he should know by now.

Unless you plan to specifically stay on flat land all the time, which I think is impossible if you leave home, you will be in mountians.

Nothing wrong with the Tour or the Vectra. Both are really nice coaches.

CCC of the Horizon or Vectra is going to be a little more than the Ellipse or the Tour. I have not really had a problem with that so far but then we try to watch what we carry closely.

Goodluck on making a decision.It is a tough one.

John_Canfield · 06-07-2006, 01:46 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">...snip...I really like the 350 CAT in my Ellipse but the 400 Cummins would be a lot nicer to have, especially when pulling up some of the long steep grades in the mountians. Plus I THINK the Cummins has a Jake Brake rather than a PacBrake. If it is a multi stage Jake Brake it will be a lot better on steep grades. ...snip... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>The Jake brake is a two stage affair - low and high. We have gone up and down 10% grades on our way to Alaska. Sometimes we are only going 45 or 50 mph up a steep grade (our gross combined weight is almost 37,000 lbs) and in third gear but we ARE moving smartly up the grade. Coming down some of them would be really scary without the Jake - usually we NEVER have to apply the service brakes. With the Jake in high position on a steep grade we just regulate our downhill speed by applying and relaxing the throttle every few seconds. Its braking ability has to be experienced to be appreciated

Now when it is raining (or sleet/snow), Jake gets a holiday. We just had that experience on a scary part of the Alaska Highway. We were creeping down a 9% grade in 2nd gear at 30 mph. At this particular pass the rain turned to sleet, then to snow, then the temp/compass display started flashing "FREEZING"

Jane happened to have the driving duty for that particular pass (she does the first three or four hours every day) and she did great but I needed tranquilizers (seriously!)

rebelsbeach · 06-07-2006, 01:54 PM

Only one word can describe that...... WOW !!!

Ed Gardiser · 06-07-2006, 05:04 PM

Mark
Another couple items to consider is that the Vectra has Independant Front Suspension "IFS" Plus Disc Brakes and the upgraded engine and other standard goodies.The Tour still has a Solid Front Axle and Drum Brakes.
Ed Gardiser
Escondido,Ca.
04 Vectra
87 Nissan PickUp
FMCA

Tom N · 06-07-2006, 05:27 PM

When you go from the Tour to the Vectra it's mostly what you don't see that you're paying the additional $$$ for.

dengraham · 06-07-2006, 06:45 PM

Bob,
I really appreciate your post. I have been seeing you new rig for weeks but just didn't know how to ask the question. The photo looks awesome andI presume you are going to get us lots of photos. I do hope you stay close to this forum.
For anyone else wondering about Winnebago I need to note that my wife and I love our rig but it pals in comparison to the people at the Winnebago clubs and rallys. We have been in other clubs but the Winnebago clubs are the best.

Motorhome05 · 06-08-2006, 03:55 AM

Since you know about when you will be purchasing your rig, I suggest you think about ordering it the way you want it. We ordered our 2005 Vectra and saved a lot of money. Also, we were able to get the items we wanted and thus not have to pay for options that we did not want. For example, since we are fulltiming, we ordered the hose reels for the water and electric. In total, we added around ten thousand worth of options. I will be happy to let you know how we came up with a great price.

Mark Bento · 06-08-2006, 06:07 AM

Rebel

Sorry I did not know it was not to come out about the rig. If I had would not have asked the question.

Joanne and I look at the Essex but both felt that it was just a little to nice for us. We are really just laid back type thats peob why we like the Winne line no real flash just a down home feeling with a small hint of fun.

Thanks for all of the post here did not know about IFS or the Diskbrakes to be truthful I like the CAT over the Cumm. because the place that I get my GMC daily drivers from works on CATs but not comm.

So I do not have to drive the 200 miles to the dealer for general service on the motor.

Thats the closet winne dealer we have to us and we have no Itasca dealer around us.

we have MartysUSRV just up the road about 30 miles and Crossroards RV about 40 miles from us but if you check out there web sites you will see they are fleetwood (I will Never buy a Fleetwood) and the CC Tiffin TS way to much money for us to spend right know so again thanks for the post and I'll look over the units again and see if I can make my short list smaller.

Mark

rebelsbeach · 06-08-2006, 06:39 AM

Mark, I'm glad the forum members were able to give you some answers to your questions..

Don't worry about asking about my new coach, it was time for it to come out....

I'll still be hanging around the Winnebago forum, there are way too many good friends I've made here and they'd not LET me go anywhere.

With having owned a Journey and now a Vectra,who knows....maybe even I can answer a question or two.

jtharley · 06-09-2006, 02:23 AM

We too have been "looking" for our next coach. We absolutely love our Winnebago Journey but want to move up from a 36 to a 40 or 42' with the king bed as we begin to travel more in 2007.

The short list is the Allegro Bus and the Vectra. I first was leaning to the Allegro but when you own a coach that has had very, very few problems (Journey) you start to think about sticking with a Winnebago product. I too agree for the $$ it is hard to find a better coach than the Vectra in amenities, quality and serviceability for the price.

After our usual trip south this winter, we plan on selling the journey and making the move. The bus is about 40K more than the Vectra so I'm really gonna have to think about what I will get for that much more $$. I've read about the great service Tiffin gives its owners but I've experienced the same level of service from my local dealer (General RV) which is only about an hour and a half from my house. Service after the sale and a good dealer are every bit as important as the coach you choose so do some homework about the dealer you may be buying from as well as the coach you buy.

rebelsbeach · 06-09-2006, 03:29 AM

Jim, I would offer that service after the sale is VERY important and if you've found a good dealer and can make the 40'er work for you,it'd be worth your while to consider the Vectra...
Bob Tiffin and the folks in Red Bay make a nice product,but you've mentioned the extra travel time as an issue in having the Allegro Bus.

I would also strongly suggest ordering your next coach...you get what YOU want and not how a dealer ordered it for lot sale...

I'll miss the Winnebago dealer that's twenty minutes from my house....

Trek-Cyclist · 06-09-2006, 05:24 AM

Getting back to the original question:

The Allegro hands down. I feel the Vectra and Horizon are comparable with the Phaeton but I feel the Phaeton is a better fit and finish. The Allegro Bus however is the way to go. Nice floor plans, four slides, pass thorough basement storage accessible from either side of the coach and a raised rail frame which gives you much more storage height, Oh yeah you can get it with independent front suspension. Family owned company. I feel buying a coach and using a how close to a repair facility are you going to be says something for the workmanship of a Winnie.
Sorry I don't have a full page picture of A Allegro Bus to post..
The best would be a Newell or Provost custom made to order.(fit and finish) Oh yeah you can also tow an H2
I don't see a forum for either one at IRV2?, LOL