Couple spent almost $1 million on RV but discovered a 'motorhome nightmare'
- US couple spent almost $1 million buying a new RV
- They believed it would be a dream home, but it became a nightmare
- Now they are resolving the issues and hope to help others
Published on Aug 16, 2024 at 4:45 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Aug 16, 2024 at 8:24 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
While a US couple thought spending almost $1 million turning their RV into their dream home, motorhome living quickly turned into a nightmare for them.
The pair were left surprised by the imperfect state of their new 2024 Tiffin Zephyr.
Now they want to help other RV-living couples solve their motorhome issues too.
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Initial RV issues
Paul and Dani drove their brand-new RV off the lot in April 2024 per YouTuber and RV-living expert, Liz Amazing.
They believed their $800,000 investment would iron out any issues they’d face buying a cheaper RV.
However, with so many problems faced, Paul explained that he was ’embarrassed’ to have purchased it.
They experienced problems from the very first night with hot and cold water lines reversed, a slippery shower, and a separate issue with the fridge.
After calling the factory, Paul and Dani were asked by the Tiffin team to return the unit to the dealer.
Tiffin engineers were unable to explain the water-line issue water since a technician checked every inch of the unit.
That’s not all – there were also electrical issues, including reversed wiring on the blinkers and a stress fracture in the Zephyr’s shell.
Allegedly Tiffin initially told Paul about the stress fracture: “Oh, don’t worry about that; it’s going to be okay.”
Because they were in a hurry to get to Florida, Paul and Dani waited for Tiffin to fix the hot and cold water issue in the kitchen.
However, they didn’t have time to wait for the shower floor to be replaced – or the wiring issues to be solved.
Adding to the nightmare
More issues appeared when they arrived in the Sunshine State of Florida.
Rain for five days saw a leak appearing in the ceiling before more appeared along the driver-side window, with a sizeable delamination apparently responsible.
A call to Tiffin and they were asked to bring the unit to the factory.
However, unable to make it back, they had to continue to live out of the Zephyr as it was.
While still in Florida, one of the slideouts seemed to malfunction.
As it moved out or in, a bolt caught on nearby furnishing eating away at the wood every time it was used.
One person who decided to DIY his RV, is this former coast guard pilot who turned a military chopper into a motorhome.
Tiffin Motorhomes’ response
Hounding the company with calls and e-mails, the owners managed to capture the attention of senior members of the Tiffin team.
They are said to be looking into all the issues in the factory.
However, while Tiffin offered to fix the issues, Paul and Dani doubt the patch jobs will last in the long term from their vast experience.
Word to the wise: while a manufacturer’s attention to the build and a better inspection are key, buyer’s should ask a professional third party to carry out a more serious inspection.
One RV that hasn’t experienced such issues, is this $1.7m luxury motorhome that’s like a 5-star hotel on wheels.
Likewise, Will Smith’s multimillion-dollar motorhome would never.
All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
