A couple of weeks ago I reached out here for some help with a broken spring on our RW. Returning home after a what I can say was a trip that I do not want to ever have again in my lifetime. On the second to the last day home broke the other spring (same Axle) shutting me down for another half of a day. Not going with my initial gut feeling and just replacing all the springs was a major mistake. I chose to try to get it home where I will be putting the 8000 pound axles or equivalent over the next month.

Big big mistake!! I should have replace all 4 springs period. So if anyone has any question about this situation if it happens to you just bite the bullet spend the extra money and replace every spring account it failed for a reason probably because of our great failing infrastructure we drive on every day depending on what what state you are driving through.

Needless to say I would like to thank the RV industry for their concern for safety of the product they put out and how they pay some sift a great big bonus to cut corners to the point that catastrophic failures are the norm. I certainly would love to be spending my time enjoying a big fat cigar just like you instead of laying on my back in th rain and snow fixing your extremely under engineered crap product.

Thor industries this post is directed at you since you seem to be the major player behind all of the failures we all endure because a dime is more important then making a product that can stand the test of time and our crap roads. I certainly hope you choke on your holiday cheer and bonus at all of our expense.

After having the priviledge of meeting and havng a long conversation with Bob Tiffen founder of Tiffen Motor Coaches a couple Dallas, TX RV shows ago. He told me that he took the company back from his kids because they were running his company into the ground with corner cutting. He also said he could not stand to watch it happen while he was alive.

This explained a lot to me about where this industry and all of industry has come to. See getting a college education gives you entitlement to a job you probably should not have at the expense of those directly effected by their inability because of greed in screwing over whom ever they can to justify their existence.

For everyone on the ROG sight I hope and wish that your upcoming year brings you all the safety and good luck that my trip did not afford my wife and I. As we go into the new year I am under 10 months until we retire and am hopefully done weeding out all the issues that our RW is hiding waiting to hit us with in surprise. I still know that we have one of the top of the line beautiful and homey 5th wheels out there. It just frustrates me to no end how the new generation of management in corporate America gets away with what they do.

Merry Christmas!!

Going to 8,000 lbs springs is not going to change your dilemna. The design and poor quality material is the problem. We had the 8,000 lb axles/springs on our Redwood from the factory and our problems started on the trip home from the Dealer with our first broken spring. Get away from the cheesy spring hangers and leaf springs and put a real suspension under there. We had tentative appts at MorRyde before trading off all together. In other words, remove the Lippert element between you and the pavement.

x

Tom, I totally agree about our wonderful highway system. What puzzles me is that you can't drive 100 miles in any direction on any highway without running into construction & they don't seem to be getting any better.
Also agree that Lippert is the major defect in these & most rvs today. We we've been fortunate that the greasy brakes has been our only suspension related issue.
I did install the MorRyde heavy shackles & wet bolts after 6-8k miles & glad I did as the original shackles bolt holes were already elongated.
Hope you get the kinks worked out before your pending retirement so you can enjoy the fulltime experience.

Back in 08, I swapped out the Lippert springs for the Morryde IS on my last fiver... last June I swapped out the Lippert springs fo the Morryde IS on my RW... I will do that same on my nest fifth wheel also..

Well now I am wondering is it possible to use my 7000 pound disk brakes I just changed out with the Morryde IS?

Tom, I would have to say yes.
We had a 2012 36RL that was ordered with the Factory OEM Disc Brakes on 7K axles. After a year it went into Mor/ryde for the IS upgrade and they switched the Factory Disc over to their 8K IS, They just asked if it was acceptable to re-route some of the Brake lines since the Factory did such a poor job.

Yes it is... I had RTon and his crew add discs to my RW, then the following summer I switched to the IS... Morryde just had to add a spacer is all...

Joe

After having the priviledge of meeting and havng a long conversation with Bob Tiffen founder of Tiffen Motor Coaches a couple Dallas, TX RV shows ago. He told me that he took the company back from his kids because they were running his company into the ground with corner cutting. He also said he could not stand to watch it happen while he was alive.

I have seen the Vilano and I van honestly say it is one of the worst built RV's that I have ever seen. The inside materials used on this trailer would be what I would expect to find on an entry level travel trailer, not what one would expect from Vanleigh a Tiffin company. I can't speak for the New Beacon Product since I have not seen one, but from reading the specs it is a Redwood based on the materials and components being used. Would I buy one based on the 5 or 6 units I looked at, my answer would be a resounding NO.

As for the ownership of Vanleigh, it still states that Van and Leigh along with Bob Tiffin are co-owners. I have heard from owners who say that they do stand behind the product, but having to take it back to the dealer to get annoying things fixed could be a pain in the behind.

Well now I am wondering is it possible to use my 7000 pound disk brakes I just changed out with the Morryde IS?[.

You can use your current disc brake set up with the Mor/Ryde IS Suspension. After having broken spring issues on both axles of our RW, we invested in the IS Suspension two years, 30k miles ago. I had an alignment issue on one wheel, and Mor/Ryde paid for the alignment. The IS Suspension,and disc brake upgrades were the best investments made to our RW. Safety and peace of mind...priceless!

Bob

 

I put the IS and disc brakes on our RL almost 4 years and over 34,000 trouble free miles ago. Would I have both on every fifth wheel I will ever own ? The answer is a resounding yes unless something better is ever made.
Now that I double tow, it means even more. Just did 320 miles with the Focus behind and the only way to know its there is look in camera. I have to think the IS is part if this easytowing.

Thank You, everyone, for your kind words and recommendations After talking to GipC last night it is very disturbing that the RV industry can get away with lying about the real weight of these rigs off the build line. I will try to go with the new springs and keep the extras if I have any issues until I can go with the IS system. I pick up my new to us HDT next week and having one more year of work 362 days but who's counting..... I will definitely make room in the budget to do this change up. We will be going full time and still love our RW. The company officials that make the design decisions not so much....... Again a big shout out of thanks to everyone that has contributed to this post you guys rock!!:) 🙂

I understand Tony remember Bob Tiffen is in his 80's and he is slowing down very much. Hoping to save his legacy he is only concerned with his line of motorhomes anything new he may have financial interest but not any more than that. It is like anything in this country built today we have to much management that do not produce one dime of productivity cashing in on huge undeserved wage packages at the expense of the customer. The customer does not matter which brings up a whole other subject of where this country is really going. Just hope I can enjoy the years ahead of us in retirement before all hell breaks loose with the entitlement generation.