Vanleigh RV SHUTS down | EP41

Leigh Tiffin released a memo on January 9th, 2023 that showed up on Facebook announcing the shut down of the Vanleigh RV plant in Burnsville Mississippi. In the memo Leigh stated that they had to restructure the organization and discontinue operations at Vanleigh RV. This is a sad day for the RV industry as well as the employees and staff at VLRV.
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[@J.Cameron.Stuart.Adams.]

I'm so sorry you've had such a difficult time with your unit. You would think filming the majority of your build they would have ensured everything was done to perfection. A lot of Vanleigh owners I've talked with complain of the MDF roof decking. You can easily spot a Vanleigh that's suffered a leak by the swollen roof. One unit in particular I saw has a roof in terrible shape. Every sheet of decking is swollen. Perhaps the issue is more excess humidity inside that's being absorbed by the MDF. I don't think the owner realizes just how bad her roof is. If she has leaks I can only imagine what that unit smells like on the inside. All that moisture trapped and rotting the MDF. Yikes! I'm curious to know if other owners here are having issues with their MDF roof decking in humid climates. Or if the issue is lack of proper roof maintenance. Vanleigh made gorgeous units. When I purchased my new unit in 2019 I was choosing between Luxe, RiverStone, Beacon, and DRV. After viewing various models it was down to Beacon and DRV. Ultimately I choose a DRV Houston. The main factor for me was construction method and materials and floorplan. I don't have a single regret. I absolutely love my Houston. I'm sure I would have loved a Beacon 39FBB equally. However the Houston offered five more feet of space in the living area.

[@rickgriffith1]

That’s sad to hear, but not shocking considering the quality control issues with their fifth wheel line. We were considering their new toy hauler until we witnessed the problems you’ve had and another Vanleigh couple channel that we follow have had. We wish you the best of luck going forward with your rig. 👍🏼😎

[@MidlifeDetour]

We hope for the best as well. Can’t say we were shocked at the news but it’s so sad for all the employees. We met so many nice people.

[@uowebfoot]

Unfortunately that's the state of the entire industry right now. It's the worst it's been in history.

[@ghostpepperrides4805]

Sad for the employees and owners.

[@zmom62]

Wow didn’t see that coming. Sad for everyone involved. Hope your situation gets resolved soon! Good luck! 🥺

[@MidlifeDetour]

Very unfortunate for a lot of people but we feel the most for the employees…we met so many good people that were long term employees 😞

[@bobcalliekeating]

Just found your channel this morning, we have been following Scott & Tammy of TFN as we also have a new 2022 Vilano 320GK that we had ordered from the factory and just picked up a month ago. Like you guys, we have had problems and are in the process of getting them worked out but we were shocked and saddened with the news of the closure. We wish the best for the employees of Vanleigh and hope for the best for us owners of Vanleigh 5th wheels. Good luck! Bob & Callie

[@MidlifeDetour]

Absolutely so very sad! Especially for the employees! We are really hoping and trusting that VanLeigh will hold to their word and fix our many many issues! Good luck to both of us! Thanks for your comment! 🙂👍🏼

[@mnisland7955]

Unfortunately guys didn't do your research especially during The Cove at time these companies are all plagued with issues I'd run from anything that was new

[@derrekholland5207]

You guys have been super patient. I can’t imagine having to deal with that and now the uncertainty of the service with them closing. If I had that kind of issues with a new machine, mine would have mysteriously caught on fire in the middle of nowhere and burned to the ground!

[@chriscatron2978]

Time to trade in and start over. Hope everything works out for you both.

[@MidlifeDetour]

Thank you! We have some tough decisions and some of what we discussed in our last video. If not for putting so much into upgrades trading would be an easier hit to take. Thanks for the input. We will have to give an update on our Luxe visit.

[@joemiles6917]

I hope you guys get all of your issues taken care of now.

[@MidlifeDetour]

We are working on it and are hopeful we can get it all done! Thanks for watchin! 🙂

[@shelleywalker6225]

I hope that Tiffin fully supports the Vanleigh RV owners. Your home is beautiful. Once you get all the issues resolved, hopefully you enjoy your journey even more. Take care.

[@MidlifeDetour]

We are hoping so as well! We were told yesterday that we will so looking to get everything resolved as soon as possible, We have been very focused on enjoying our travels even with our issues...and it has been good! Thank you so much for your comment and for watchin! 🙂

[@karenf1604]

When I read that letter earlier today, one of my first thoughts was, I wonder what Ryan thinks about this. Low and behold, another well-spoken, aesthetically beautiful post. We also own a beautiful Beacon 5th wheel and it is our home.

[@MidlifeDetour]

Well, thank you so much 😊 Our hearts go out to the kind people we met at the factory. There were so many long term people and whole families that worked there. Not sure where this will take us but we hope we will get all of our outstanding warranty items fixed and hopefully have some uneventful travel soon! 👍 Even with the issues, we still feel at home when we are in the Beacon...so glad you do too! Thanks for your kind comments!

[@TheViewfromBethlehem]

The Beacon front bathroom 39FBB with a white interior has been my dream upgrade for some time. After reading RV forums for years, there are always folks who, with their own reasons, claim, "(insert brand here) is the worst RV manufacturer in the history of mankind.". Every brand has lemons... "outliers"??... wow, y'all are generous. I assumed that, unfortunately, y'all had received the exception. It seems like with VanLeigh towables, the exception made the rule. I cannot imagine how this final disappointment must feel and I admire your brave-face attitude. Not walking in your shoes, it's so easy to say that you still, for the most part, have an exceptional product and are living an exceptional lifestyle. I hope that you can maintain a glass-half-full, positive way of thinking. Remember that there are currently 4,350 of us - probably double that counting spouses - wishing you every success and happiness.

[@MidlifeDetour]

Wow, your comment means so much to us! Thank you so much! Yes, extreme disappointment on our end but we will not let it stop our desire to keep traveling and enjoying life! Thanks for supporting us and cheering us on! We love this rv community!!!!! 🤍👍🏼

[@OurRoadLessTraveled]

Just found your channel and love the upbeat content. Shocked about Vanleigh, but I imagine Thor will take care of any issues. We are still chasing repairs 17 months after purchasing our 5th wheel as well. Stay safe and maybe we will cross paths some day.

[@MidlifeDetour]

So glad you found us! We were told we will be taken care of so holding them to that! 😊 Hopefully you will get all of your issues worked out as well! We would love to meet on the road!! Keep in touch!

[@daddielonglegs7711]

Thanks for the heads up! Sorry for your troubles but luv your attitude, hang in there it WILL get better for ya!

[@MidlifeDetour]

Thank you! We are definitely looking up and moving forward! 🙂👍🏼

[@jimgiordano2576]

sad to hear how bad your were ripped off.i hope that you can resolve the problem issues.

[@CircuitRidinRV]

Wow, big news! Thanks for the quick update guys!

[@MidlifeDetour]

Big and sad for the employees we met! 😐 Thanks for watchin!

[@fuzion430journey3]

If you’re asking my opinion, there’s one reason for this, and that’s the fact that they went with Lippert frames and didn’t build their frames in the house, until the RV manufacturers grow some cojones, and stand up to Lippert, none of them are going to have any success going forward, just like a house. It all starts with a good foundation when you’re trying to build units on top of a frame that’s junk it’s going to be the downfall of your product and the downfall of your company,

[@N2it4Now]

A sobering statement for sure. Unfortunately, I think this is happening quietly all over but not to the point of complete shutdown. We're wishing you continued safe travels. On a lighter note, from us folks in Reno, stay South!! 🥶🥶Rock on MD!

[@MidlifeDetour]

Thanks so much! We always look forward to hearing from you! We are currently cold in Florida! Feels like winter! 🥶

[@seawolff33]

Wow - that sure came out of left field. You two are smart and resilient - you will work through this :)

[@MidlifeDetour]

Well, thank you! We are pretty determined 😉 and we are hopeful we will get everything resolved as soon as possible👍

[@tandsl9218]

They have/had a beautiful product and you both have always been fair in acknowledging the issues you’ve had were an outlier. This announcement caught me off guard and is disappointing for sure. Your subscribers have seen you two bounce back from so many things, I’m confident this will be no different. Thanks for sharing yet another “detour” you’ve hit and wishing you a better 2023.

[@MidlifeDetour]

Beautiful, indeed. Definitely caught us off guard as well...very sad for all the neat employees and their families. Thanks for your confidence in us! We are determined to get things fixed and keep moving forward no matter what! 2023 will be a good one! Thanks for watchin and for your encouragement! 🙂👍

[@paulgrimm]

With all the problems you’ve had? I would not buy one. You’ve had more patience than I would have .

[@MidlifeDetour]

Probably a good idea on your part! We’ve had our moments though!! 🤪 thanks for watchin!

[@jessepitre7095]

Well guys I really feel for y’all and other Van Leigh owners as well! Certainly feel so sad for all of those employees and their families! The reality is that Tiffin is not the company that everyone thinks of and remembers! Tiffin was bought out by Thor Industries a couple of years ago. Thor has always been known for very poor quality and that isn’t changing! We hear of more and more quality issues at Tiffin over the past two years since Thor acquisition! I would try to trade in what you have as soon as possible before the used Van Leigh market really tanks! Good luck to you in 2023 and hope you have a much better year!

[@MidlifeDetour]

We feel for the employees...we met so many neat people and whole families that worked at the plant. One lady we talked to was actually excited about Thor taking over and said she felt that her job was even more secure because of it. So sad. We will work to get our issues fixed and move forward with FULL anticipation of an amazing 2023! Thanks for watchin! 😊👍

[@Spoolingturbski]

This is sad… the same thing happened with a brand we previously owned. We considered Riverstone because of the luxury and build quality but service after sale is our number 1. We went with Arctic Fox from Northwood. They have taken extremely good care of us and aren’t owned by any of the big 3… Thor, Forrest R, or Winnebago.. Hope you guys are able to transition seamlessly.

[@MidlifeDetour]

Service should be number one! 👍🏼 It is good to hear that Arctic Fox has taken good care of you! We have heard they do! We will do just fine! Thank you so much for watchin and for your comment! 🙂

[@skyking4501]

Sad to see the closure, but it boils down to Tiffin being wise enough to see that they over extended and are willing to back track to refocus on what made their reputation. Still a good company.

[@alandugan9310]

That’s unfortunate. Even makes me a little apprehensive for all the Vanliegh owners and future owners. I guess on a good note, a person ought to be able to pick one up cheap now. Anyway, it’s good to see a video out from ya’all!

[@MidlifeDetour]

It definitely makes us feel that way too! Thanks so much for your comment and for watching! 😊

[@michaeldodd5793]

Wow you had a really tough first year. If your experience is anything like other buyers then it’s no surprise that this division of Tiffin has shut down. In 2016 I bought a 2012 Tiffin Breeze 32 RB in my hometown of Apex, NC. Most of my trips were to the Rockies and Pacific coast states so it was an easy stop into Red Bay heading out or returning and I always had something (mostly minor) to get taken care of at the Tiffin repair center or Bay Diesel. April 1, 2020 I set out with Jeep Cherokee in tow and moved to Birch Bay, WA so there won’t be anymore visits to Red Bay. I sure hope your rig gets sorted properly and you can get into more fun RVing.

[@MidlifeDetour]

When we purchased the Beacon the service approach you outlined was exactly our plan but flipped. With our “homebase” being Boise Idaho we planned on stopping at the Vanleigh SC in Mississippi or Redbay as needed as we traversed east and back west. That plan was adjusted in our first year and didn’t work like we had hoped. I like the size of the Breeze - seems it would be most of the same comforts and a much smaller size. We hope we get it ironed out as well. Thank you.

[@ouRVisionnomadicliving]

Wow, I do wonder with the current state of the economy if this is just the first of several RV industry companies to fold up. We may be in the beginning stages of what happened to the RV industries back in 2008/2009. As for warranty, wasn't Tiffin purchased by Thor several years ago? This may be their way of streamlining. In our case, Highland Ridge was purchased by Jayco in 2016. The last time we had warranty work done it was done in the "Jayco" (also owned by Thor) service center in Middlebury vs. previously it had been done at the Highlandridge shop in Shipshewanda as Thor had shut down the shop in Shipshwanda and consolidated service work being done. Of course going forward with no more VanLeigh rigs being built, its just a matter of a couple years and warranty issues will time out. Hope you two are doing well. Happy New Year!! 🍻 Sean

[@just4debsrvtransportadvent527]

As a transporter, I have transported several units out of Burnsville. I agree, what about the factory workers. I am going to miss picking up there.

[@MidlifeDetour]

So true. We met several and feel for them and their families! 🤍

[@hannahrose5924]

Oh dang/ I didn’t see this coming :( what the heck! I hope you still get everything fixed.

[@MidlifeDetour]

We are working to get everything fixed and VanLeigh assured us that they will honor all of our MANY warranty claims...😎

[@dontask8979]

With the issues you have had, I'm not suprised. The sad part is your resale value. 😖

[@MidlifeDetour]

Have to say I agree.

[@r.h.b.4980]

If they are jumping ship might be a big red flag

[@Stranded-N-Paradise]

“Well that’s a fine how do you do” 🙄, Hopefully the company is as committed as they say in dealing with and supporting owners with future issues involving the VL rigs already on the road.

[@MidlifeDetour]

It was a fine "Top of the mornin, to you!" 😉 We are hoping all will get resolved for us and trusting it will!

[@ourrvsunsets]

Ugh... You guys just can't catch a break with that RV. Might be the time to start negotiating with them about replacing your current RV with one of the remaining stock that's going to be be difficult to sell since the division is dissolving. Or maybe it's better to stay with the issues you already know with the current trailer rather than starting all over again. We really do feel fore you guys. I hope this all works out.

[@MidlifeDetour]

We have done the best we can up to this point and we are told they will honor all warranty work that needs done. We are trusting they will stand by their words and will get our Beacon fixed for us...trusting it will work out. Thanks so much for comment and for watchin! 😎👍

[@SHADOW848DUCATI]

@@MidlifeDetour Hopefully you were told that in writing.

[@seymourscagnetti1413]

This was unavoidable. An RV manufacturer (Van Leigh) that unashamedly charges top dollar for a not-so-top-dollar fifth wheel that is no less junky than it's competitors is simply an unsustainable business model. Maybe they are filing a chapter 11 reorganization to avoid paying extensive warranty claims?

[@stevedenoyer5956]

Wow that is a big deal. Hope the best for you and your list of repairs.

[@MidlifeDetour]

We hope for the best too 🤞🏼 feel so badly for the employees 😞

[@stevedenoyer5956]

@@MidlifeDetour well hopefully many will transition to the motor coaches. All the other manufacturers have been struggling fir help so maybe this will help everyone in the end.

[@smlink51]

Hi guys, I just watched an episode where y’all were talking about all the problems that you are having after doing all the upgrades and miles back and forth to get warranty work done. Y’all also talked about how much y’all spent on fuel, staying at campgrounds, etc. do y’all belong to any of the “clubs” like Thousand Trails and several others to get much cheaper campground rates?

[@MidlifeDetour]

We are Harvest Hosts members, Good Sam, Passport America and KOA. We have considered and ran numbers a several times on Thousand Trails memberships vs locations we would stay and it hadn’t worked out for us yet. We may reconsider in the future as we continually adapt our preference for stays. We are aiming to for much more boondocking this next year but that could change depending on which portion of the US we traverse which could lead us back to running those numbers against TT. Thanks for hanging out with us!

[@TheRoadSMITHS]

Hope they continue to take care of you. Tiffin has such a good name in the industry. This seems more like a Thor move than a Tiffin Move.

[@MidlifeDetour]

We definitely hope we can get it all taken care of and soon! 🤞🏼🙂

[@mnisland7955]

You have to understand your society's quality control doesn't exist anymore the quality control guy retired about 30 years ago I don't care if you buy a bicycle or a refrigerator anything that's new is garbage that's the world we live in isn't that beautiful

[@mattbfarmer]

With Thor acquiring Tiffin at the end of 2020, it was only time before they killed the Vanleigh line. Sad that the Tiffin's sold the company...

[@leekimm6826]

Kind of have to agree with the guy who is slamming Lippert. Vanleigh isn't the only one with frames cracking. DRV seems to be having the same issue with their frames. I know from renovating Historical buildings. The first thing we fix are the footings. Nothing more nerve wracking than a 4 or 5 story building sitting on cribbing, and a bunch of people running around underneath. It fixes a whole bunch of problems immediately though. Electrical for one and framing issues for another. I figured you were with family for Christmas. Hope you were warmer than we were in MT. Probably not. It was challenging being there after 40+ years in AZ. Hope you have a wonderful New Year and hope our paths cross. We are headed to Tampa. All these years on the road and never had time to see that show

[@jonathantaylor6926]

Expensive fuel, high interest rates and a slowing economy don't bode well for the RV industry so this isn't surprising. Hopefully they honor warranty claims that will depended how the subsidiary was legally structured. I wouldn't want to count on just "good will". Keeping in contact with other Vanleigh owners would be wise in case you need to sue. I forget which city it was but they bought millions of dollars worth of LED street lighting from a now defunct company and they are having extremely high failure rates with zero recourse.. there's literally no company to warranty or sue.. It's a rough situation- it's impossible to know the future of a non-listed company.

[@gorvlivin]

Bummer

[@TheHungryCubanAdventures]

Sad news

[@MidlifeDetour]

Definitely so very sad. On many levels 😕

[@grayfox9911]

That is sad...

[@MidlifeDetour]

We completely agree. On my levels! 😞

[@chrishodapp1962]

Yes sad to see the jobs go away….. but, and don’t take this wrong, we are the owner of a new Jayco Eagle 5er that we are having some “issues” with. Spending the money on these rigs is all relative to how much one can afford, what you get and the problems that come with from the factory. It seems the higher end rv’s are not immune to similar headaches

[@MidlifeDetour]

Absolutely, you are right on that! It doesn’t matter how much you pay…you are not immune to these issues and that is something we have learned through this journey. the loss of jobs really is the unfortunate part of them closing. We met so many nice people with extended family all working there 😕 Thanks for your comment and for watchin!

[@silaslongshot941]

Well, that's just the cherry on top of all the stuff you've had to deal with in this RV.

[@MidlifeDetour]

Thanks for giving us a laugh in the midst of it all! 🙃👍🏼definitely feeling like a cherry on top type of night. 🍒

[@earlhunt2815]

Every acquisition analyst knows the leverage of the acquisition requires streamlining... A euphemism for shutdowns and layoffs. One should expect more shut downs and layoffs at tiffin... How many more years until Tiffin moves to Indiana. Remember Pan am, Eastern, Sears,

[@josephalberta1145]

If a company makes 50 000 dollars profit selling a trailer and spends 55000 in fixing many of the problems they have then I see why they would make that decision. Seems like part of this is a victim of poor fabrication and quality control. They may be saving potential customers a lot of problems in the future.

[@Millard-vo3ds]

See if you can find a certified mobile RV tech. I have one that does all my work and inspections. I worked with him at a local dealership and he left to do his own thing. He’s great and not only fixes the problem but looks to see what caused the issue. Many times the manufacturer will repay you for having someone else do repair work. Most mobile repair people don’t do warranty work, but if you send the estimate to Tiffin, they may reimburse you. I did something like this with Lippert on a suspension issue and got their OK and was reimbursed 100%. Just an idea. All the best.

[@andycommonsincanada]

Yes, very sad indeed. The basic problem is this, IF ITS MADE IN NORTH AMERICA it’s crap. That’s why people buy foreign made cars etc etc. Because they are built better, Trump asked Angela Markel the German Chancellor “ why can’t we sell more cars in Germany?” Her answer was “ BUILD BETTER CARS MR PRESIDENT”

[@glenncoon6639]

Too bad we had purchased a 2008 Carraige Camwo and like toy it came with its share of issues. We thought we had been careful in choosing the Carraige because of their quality and reputation in the industry. Sadly we were wrong shortly after taking delivery Carriage went out of business and we were left holding the bag. It is a shame the consumer isn’t protected against this kind of business we don’t know how we are going to get repairs made when stuff goes wrong with our until. They made the money off of us and they left us holding the bag. If the business was in such bad shape they should have Stopped manufacturing and selling the rigs to unsuspecting consumers . Instead they sold units up to them they closed the doors.

[@jasongillingham8830]

HAPPY NEW YEAAR 2023

[@MidlifeDetour]

Happy New Year to you as well! 🙂👍🏼

[@twbelieves]

When the warranty runs out the support may run out also

[@MidlifeDetour]

Our many warranty items got carried over and we were told they will all be taken care of so we are very hopeful they will stand by their commitment. 😎👍

[@TheMinnow101]

@@MidlifeDetour That'll all depend on Thor. Their calling the shots now and it's all about profit and losses.

[@TheMinnow101]

You guys are in a real pickle. With all the issues you've had this could be a time to trade but, the economic downturn has RV prices dropping on a weekly basis with no end in sight. Then add onto this you'd be trading in a orphan brand, the dealer will really hit you on trade value because he knows its gonna be a tough sell to the next customer. I guess the thing to do is get all those issues fixed ASAP through the warranty and hope for the best. Me personally, life's too short to deal with ongoing/never ending issues in the RV and I'd probably dump it, take the hit and move on.

[@MidlifeDetour]

Carl - Ah…the pickle Sarah and I discuss daily. Outside of the issues you mention we have put a lot into the rig with upgrades (solar and IS). At the Tampa show this week we heard “deals” being worked several times where the sales rep asked about issues with the trade or water damage. We laughed thinking how we would answer those questions. I appreciate the advice. We have service appointments made in the coming months but they will not be addressing all issues. We are trying to avoid service centers in 23 but the reality is with owning this rig we risk repeating the last year. Life is too short. Appreciate your perspective.

[@kadencampbell7720]

Just pick up my vanleigh toy hauler hopefully it a good one

[@MidlifeDetour]

I am sure yours will be fine. We always say ours is a bit of an outlier. Love the Girard awnings on those Ambitions.

[@stevehunt9703]

Sad to see for sure. We have a Thore Infinty which we love but is no longer available so your brand on the surface would have been a good potential replacement. Unfortunatly if a brand needs a service center that big and need and they keep units for weeks to fix them then there is no profit to be had. That is without compensating for hotels and out of pocket costs like the 10,000 miles of travel for warrenty work. I would push for a refund even if it means taking them to court. These units are marketed and sold based on quality and they have not delivered. When we got our infinity we had quite a few issues to be fixed under warrenty and it did not go well and ended with the dealer closing the doors. I dont think any company will produce a quality product when labor is paid on a piecework system. How can quality be achieved when workers are paid not to care. Part of my business is working on RV's and some of the workmanship is just plain terrible. The average owner is better of learning basic skills and fixing things them selves. Key areas for improvment on all brands appears to be electrical, plumbing (plastic fittings for something going down the road at 70 miles an hour is a non starter with me) caulking everywhere on the RV, but roof and windows in particular and sealing entrypoints for insects and rodents. Slide alignment to insure seals keep the weather out is another big one. Sad but in this case in everyones best interest in this case.

[@donparsons1237]

Yes,,, Vanly quality dropped off and folks normally stay clear of junk... Let us know what you think of it in 10 or 20 years from now after the walls fall off,,, the roof tiles and floor cracks along with lots of other issues that follow... Yha could of saved the headache had you followed the Wingman... Its no wounder that lots of folks are departing the rv life style as their dreams get crushed by poor quality workmanship ... Sorry that your unit is junk but you can always sell it for next too nothing and start again... Got too run,,, next spot is lined up and a go,,, travel all over the America's is super fun with next to fix on my chunk of junk camper unit... 30 + years with next too nill for repairs as the old unit keeps on going... Good times for sure

[@MidlifeDetour]

Enjoy your travels! Maybe we will meet you on the road someday. Safe travels and thanks for hanging out with us!

[@wenmoon448]

nice, ill gobble up a cheap Beacon next year then

[@gsolo328]

Looks can be deceiving... I have seen several of these units with similar issues.

[@MidlifeDetour]

Vanleigh has / had some nice quality touches. It’s unfortunate that they didn’t slow down to make the best or even a marketable sustainable product instead of chasing the dollar. While at their Service Center we were told that their philosophy is to press them off the line and deal with the exceptions post purchase - likely just a small piece for the unfortunate closure of the product line.

[@fuzion430journey3]

I feel bad for you guys and all owners now , this is going to be a nightmare. Trying to get repairs done now trust me.and who’s paying for it , and warranty work

[@MidlifeDetour]

Definitely something we have been thinking about all day. We hope they will follow through and take care of our many issues…🥴👍🏼

[@tg9388]

So sorry to hear this news, oh well guess I'm not buying 2024 beacon

[@MidlifeDetour]

We believe that had the potential to be really great. It is very sad and especially for all the really neat people we met who worked there...❤ We hope you find a great rig!!

[@jamesb1955]

I just could not see this happening if “Thor” was not in the name now. Plus the plant is not in Alabama or Indiana. Maybe I’m still sad to see Tiffin move to Thor, Vanleigh to shut down. And probably not too far off will be Wayfarer shut down. Sad.

[@MidlifeDetour]

We don’t know if it was Thor or not. When we were at the plant, we met some employees that were actually happy Thor was taking over and even got a pay increase. Very sad for all of them. We have heard Wayfarers are next but it’s just a rumor…🤔 thanks for watchin!

[@loualiberti4781]

Sell Quick !

[@MidlifeDetour]

Definitely working to get all our issues resolved! 👍

[@SolomonGoldschmidt]

its like nesting dolls of debt...a bigger company owns a smaller one and then an even bigger company owns those ..its shell companies...they dont even care about the products they are selling, all they care about is how much debt they can extract from the company and funnel into their priivate accounts before it tanks and sinks...the RV products are just a front to allow the business to borrow more....its like wolf of RV street stuff, the victims are the unknowing customers that buy the expensive RV offerings they had

[@johnhelems721]

Warranty would do most of them in if they actually warranty what they sell.

[@mikemiura1289]

wow…..😮

[@MidlifeDetour]

Thats what we have said many times....well, for a long time now! 😎

[@mikemiura1289]

@@MidlifeDetour Noooo doubt. A bit of an understatement, all things considered. Keep on keeping on!

[@dukelane3954]

I have never heard The name vanleigh & Quality product used in the same statement... They were junk from day one... No one that I know of who has had 1 what's satisfied leaks cracked frames devolcanization of the walls the list goes on and on... Poor craftsmanship poor quality not worth the price of a loaf of bread.... Sorry you all got stuck with this junk 😒😒😒

[@MidlifeDetour]

We had high hopes for our VanLeigh and for the company and we are really disappointed. BUT we will get things fixed and move on...whatever that looks like! 😬 We know several people who have had great luck with their VanLeighs, it just wasn't meant to be for us! Thanks for watching and for your comment! 👍

[@jmenter1]

Should have bought a forest river cardinal IMHO

[@skoffco]

Forest River, now that’s a doozy of a company. Don’t get me started on there QC issues these days!

[@jmenter1]

@scoffco I bet you are correct. I guess there was a big shakeup in manufacturers and brands. A new rig is probably worse than a coin flip. I am just remembering my 2006 cardinal. Not too big. Not too heavy. Comfortable enough. But it was really well built. How much of the problems are due to how much they try to build into them now. More system to go wrong. Still though, if I was buying a unit I'd choose a model that is established by forest river, like cardinal. I mean if they even have that model

[@vinniegillotti9347]

LUX

[@blacklabeltools2249]

When you mention "all the problems we've had", and "the list of unresolved issues", might I inquire as to if this was your first RV? How experienced with RVs were you when you bought this model?

[@MidlifeDetour]

You must be new to our channel so welcome! This is our third 5th wheel that we have on our journeys. This rig has had several larger issues including roof replacement due to bad membrane with failed decking, our pantry was also built too tall suspending the roof inches above the walls and had to be trimmed down once was the roof was removed, broken welds due to frame flex which were re- welded and have since broke again, bedroom slide construction failure, water intrusion that had led to the conclusion from the factory that the galley slide we need rebuilt and our wiring in our underbelly will all need to be replaced. We have shared about 1/3 of our issues on the channel leaving out the less significant issues. Many issues I address during our travels however we have been told by the manufacturer that we will need to return to the plant for some of our repairs. We have been to the manufacturer in Mississippi three times for repairs and working on our return visit now. Hope that helps - thanks for watching!

[@blacklabeltools2249]

@@MidlifeDetour thanks for the detailed feedback.

[@MidlifeDetour]

@@blacklabeltools2249 for sure! Thanks for hanging out with us!

[@usmcrtr]

I'm supose to pick up a 390LK this Saturday. Hmmmmmm.

[@MidlifeDetour]

You will have to let us know if VL closing changed your decision. I am curious. You can shoot me an email if you like. [e-mail]

[@stevetaylor9770]

Website is still up...I can build one right now. WTF?

[@MidlifeDetour]

I do know the last unit rolled off production line last week. I guess Tiffin / Vanleigh RV are likely slow at taking the site down.

[@texasproud3332]

Unfortunately translation is vanleigh just can’t build a quality rv just look at the internet

[@MidlifeDetour]

It really is a sad and unfortunate outcome.

[@chucknorris5405]

Sell it if you can. trust me

[@stephenpolos1689]

Good video 😀 are you going to keep your rig 🫢 there are better rig's luxe new horizon but cost more but better built 😃

[@MidlifeDetour]

Hard to say - Still determining our path with the Beacon. We have been to the Luxe plant and toured our first New Horizon today at the Tampa show.

[@wendymarie5383]

How about DRV? Get one that was built before 2015 that’s when Thor took them over.

[@jefflynch9559]

Well with all the problems you folks have had, word may be out that there manufacturing has issues. Word of mouth or word of you tube in this case can be devastating. Sadly it is all documented proof.

[@HSTWXMAN]

I know that Tiffian is supposed to be higher quality but this makes me think that they weren't able to transition that to Trailers and maybe you are as much of an outlier as you think you are. Sorry for your troubles but always glad to see your smiling faces.

[@MidlifeDetour]

You could be right in both of those statements! 🤔 We are always glad you are still hangin out with us...through it all! 😎👍

[@lonniepruitt5487]

Good luck..company or not.. they are junk

[@jamesglenn520]

Sounds like you better call Extreme Rv in Eden Idaho and order an Alliance Valor 😲👍🤣

[@MidlifeDetour]

Hahaha! Well…🤔

[@krice24]

They will be next! Stick with the tried and true Montana, alpine, big horns, big country, landmark, cedar creek, or Riverstone. All these new manufacturers dont have the knowledge, or support. Grand design I feel has just now became decent and they have been around since 2014. Look at build quality on a 2014 a 2017 and a 2022. Each year quality has increased, due to learning knowledge through those short years. My parents got a 2011 montana. Only issue in 12 years is yellowing storage compartment doors, bad refrigerator, and a dey rotted hydraulic line hose. Dont know if they were built better back then, or if they are just far superior units due to 25 years of in the making, and experience of what works and what doesn't.

[@jamesglenn520]

@@krice24 I don't believe Alliance is going away anytime soon.

[@krice24]

@@jamesglenn520 nobody thought vanleigh was either....but they did. These new startups are hard to make it, once they surpass the 10+ year mark they will be considered a good brand and safe. Like grand design is a brand I am just now starting to trust. They have so much on the road now, I dont think they are going anywhere and have tons of dealers. For alliance. Hardly any dealers, support is small and scattered, don't see hardly any, which is hard to overcome especially in a recession, or upcoming. It will take about 10 years for them to get big like grand design or keystone. Grand design got in the right time at the start of the bell curve on a graph in 2014 when rvs where starting to take off. Now we are at the top, which isn't when you want to enter a market and then sell a startup for more or equal to its competitors, that's also why I feel vanleigh beacon failed. 115+ for a new brand, I could get a landmark or a mobile suites, I looked at them, but that is why I wouldnt buy one. Also, what scares me about alliance not making it is their prices. They are more expensive then a Montana, alpine, cedar creek, and landmark, just to name a few big boys in the industry. Which makes me more worried becuase they are not competitive. I would buy one of the brands mentioned above because they have been around longer and have more issues fixed that say vanleigh has and alliance, like thier video mentioned improper rubber roof install, cabinets to large rubbing the slide, the frame welds with braces other manufacturers have and later on beacon added, etc. Now if they were 15-20k cheaper then the brands mentioned above I would buy an alliance or new brand rv and risk it as I am getting an upscale rv like the montana for cheaper. But you will not make it in the industry selling for the same price as a montana or more, and sadly alot of people view it like I do, so to get the name out their advertise hard like grand design did and have a low price. Grand design solitude is still way over priced by 30k for what it is. Look at an alpine and its features compared to a solitude and its price and tell me you wouldn't rather have the alpine over the solitude or alliance! One last thing back in 2006 a brand named glacier bay started, just like alliance. Guys from another manufacturer started it off. In 2009 they closed up just like vanleigh. When that happend you couldnt get any dealer support, warranty work was a long pain, they were using another manufactuer to pretty much buy out their warranty work...well it didnt go good at all, and owning one of those was a disaster. Dealers couldn't even sell used ones for much. Huge discounts on them, so people would take risks becuase they were actually very well built high end models. You can Google it. Glacier bay by glacier bay. I been around the rv industry since 2007. I hope the people who made this video that own the beacon see this and make sure they dont buy a new company again.

[@leehensley7711]

C4yt

[@MidlifeDetour]

Thanks for watchin! 👍🏼

[@realasscracka]

Quality control was bad from the Gate... Go LUXE

[@fuzion430journey3]

What ? No way

[@MidlifeDetour]

Unfortunately! 🥴 we feel so bad for the long term employees we met along the way! So sad.

[@fitfogey]

Will never own a 5th wheel or RV. Too much stuff goes wrong.

[@greghall9006]

Tiffin should have never entered into the 5th wheel market. JD of Big Truck, Big RV had a new Vanleigh on loan and to try out when Tiffin rolled off the first 5th wheels. JD had more problems with the trailer than you’d expect from it being brand new. I made a comment on his review of the trailer and said Tiffin should stick to what they do best, and that is to build only motorhomes. I’m glad to see Tiffin shut down the Vanleigh RV line and stop selling their overpriced junk trailers. Thanks Tiffin for righting your wrong.

[@marybourgeois5235]

Heartwrenching for the employees, as well as, Owners!!!

[@MidlifeDetour]

Absolutely! We met some of the employees and they were a close knit community!

[@rickhodges1731]

Wow! Just had something similar happen with the company that installed our solar system on our home. Panel manufacturer is still around and solid, but should anything go wrong, I'd pay the labor for and repairs. When we purchased our new Teton, a year later, they closed their doors. Fortunately, I had gotten all the after delivery issues resolved while under warranty before they shut down. Had that rig for 7 years. Other than maintaining it, we were good. My advice to anyone considering buying one of those 5th wheels now is to pass. Parts will likely become an issue, and warranty claims are likely to be challenging. It's not great when the company is still in business. I would get everything corrected as soon as possible on your coach, just in case Tiffin changes their mind. Good luck!