Photo: Liz Amazing | YouTube Screenshot
Last time we talked about RV owners buying lemons and feeling like the industry doesn't care, our readers thought it was an opportunity to speak up. Well, this time, Liz Amazing is out helping another couple get the treatment they deserve after spending over $500,000 on a new RV.
Ladies and gentlemen, Liz Amazing is a YouTube channel that has been educating RV owners for years. However, Liz’s most recent endeavors include rallying forces to help abused RV owners get proper care for their units; often, the cases she handles involve “new” RVs that start falling apart right off the lot. This next one appears to be no different.
Today's story is about David and Ariana, newlyweds who wanted to create lasting memories on their honeymoon with a new camper. Instead, it seems they were taken for a ride by, wait for it, the management and technicians at Tiffin Red Bay.
Photo: Liz Amazing | YouTube Screenshot
Now, whenever Liz Amazing starts stirring things up, Tiffin usually pays attention. Heck, if you remember the case of Paul and Dani’s 2024 Zephyr, which had cracks and a plethora of other issues, Tiffin offered a full buyback of the unit, but only after phone call after phone call and email after email with Tiffin blasting; there may be hope for the RV industry after all.
Which brings us to David and Ariana’s RV, which reportedly had issues right off the lot. Maybe that’s why they were able to secure a nearly $700K unit for just $525K in cash. I mean, what dealer would shell out $175K for a unit if they weren’t just trying to get it off the lot? If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
This is just one aspect of the current RV industry, so be sure to do your research. After all, you are buying a home on wheels and likely spending your life savings. It doesn't hurt to check off all the boxes for potential risks.
After purchasing the Allegro Bus 45 OPP, within the first half hour of leaving the West Palm Bay dealership, rain hit the area and David began to notice water building up in the unit from the passenger side window; it was enough to overflow and spread across the electronic dashboard. Towels were the solution until David finally arrived in Red Bay.
Photo: Liz Amazing | YouTube Screenshot
Then, the water heater didn’t work, so these owners were bathing in lukewarm water. Then, a hole was discovered in the ceiling, and finally, well, almost, what many RV owners are familiar with, a slideout that kept sticking; requiring a manual closing sequence managed by a handful of helpful campers and bystanders. This had to be done multiple times during the life of this unit.
Then, other problems arose. The heat pumps and the air conditioning operation caused some parts of the unit to somehow push water into the unit, and finally, there were overheating issues in the back of the unit, which led to some melting of the product (yes, it was hot) and even problems with the motor overheating. And that's not even getting started on the self-leveling issues, which led to a twisted frame every few days.
What else could possibly go wrong? Well, the list goes on and on, and David tells us all about it in the video below. But the real icing on the cake for this RV owner was the promise of a week of maintenance for the issues this unit is having, and now it's been six weeks. Did I mention David is out there, away from his wife?
Photo: Liz Amazing | YouTube Screenshot
One piece of information I found quite interesting is that David says that there is only another week left on his unit's warranty, and with repairs underway, it doesn't look like the RV will be ready by the time the warranty expires. I wonder what will happen then. Feel free to chime in with your comments whenever you feel the old gray matter lighting up all over your synapses.
So where do we go from here? At this point, David is still in Red Bay, awaiting the completion of his extensively refurbished unit. When all is said and done, it clearly won’t look or function like new when it’s finished, and that’s where Liz comes in to work her magic.
Since her RV-related video material has amassed quite a following, Liz stepped in and contacted Bob Tiffin to ask him how this case could be a “opportunity“to create a”story that makes you feel good,” one in which Tiffin would ultimately turn out to be the hero of the story.
Tiffin's response? I guess you'll have to watch the video, but if you don't have time, Liz and viewers can rest assured that David and Ariana are in “good hands.” Don't miss another episode of Liz Amazing where we'll discover the results of this moment of unity.
