2008 Allegro Bus 42QRP Review

Introduction

Previously, I had written a review on a 2007 Allegro Bus 42QRP that I had inspected at King's Campers in Wausau, WI. There were a large number of TiffinRVNetwork members who have found this review helpful. Now that the 2008 Allegro Bus is available, there have been many questions about the changes in the 2008 Allegro Bus over the 2007 model. I recently had the privilege of inspecting a 2008 Allegro Bus 42QRP at Kings Campers recently so I decided to post a review, complete with pictures, on this coach.

Note that I have also uploaded larger 1024x768 (XGA) images in addition to the smaller ones shown in this review. If you want to view a larger picture simply click on the image in the review and a new window with a full screen image will appear.

Feel free to download or save any of this text or images if you want. If you repost any or part of it to any other website just be sure you don't change any of my wording and please mention where it came from.

Enjoy!

Mark Quasius - "Cruzer"

The Review

The 2008 model year brought 45 changes to the Allegro Bus. A complete listing of these changes as supplied by Tiffin Motorhomes can be accessed at This Link. The biggest topic of conversation this year was the change in diesel engines. With the new EPA emissions requirements all diesel engines are now designed to only run on ultra low sulfur diesel fuel (ULSD). Prior to the 2008 model run all engines were designed to run on low sulfur diesel fuel. This required significant changes to the engines and added a substantial price increase to the chassis supplied to every RV manufacturer.

The particular 42QRP that I reviewed was one of the first of the 2008s to roll off the line. For a 2 week period the first 2008 Allegro Busses did come equipped with the pre-ULSD engine so these are very desirable units. The pre-ULSD engines can run either LSD or ULSD fuel and have a price advantage over the newer ULSD engines that rolled off the line after that initial changeover. So, in effect, you get a 2008 motorhome on a 2007 chassis. This review is based on that interim chassis but when I get a chance to view a new ULSD chassis I'll add an addendum to this review. A price list for these interim chassis is available at the following link - 2008 Allegro Bus Interim Price List. Current pricing on all new Tiffin products can be viewed on my Tiffin Motorhomes Pricing page. The new Allegro Bus will have the newer ULSD chassis that will soon be the norm. The current 400 HP Cummins ISL will be replaced by a 425 HP ISL with a diesel particulate filter in the ULSD version chassis. The torque will remain at 1,200 ft-lbs so the only time you'll really see the extra 25 HP is in the last 350 RPM of the rev range. Under normal driving conditions you won't see any difference between the 400 ISL and the 425 ISL. The new emissions system will also add a fair amount of weight to the engine so the CCC will be reduced but on a tag axle coach that won't be an issue with in excess of 9,000 lbs Cargo Carrying Capacity. One more change to the chassis is that they will be running 295/80R22.5 tires instead of the 275s used on the earlier chassis. This will increase the front axle capacity from 14,320 lbs up to 14,600 lbs and will allow a reduction of 5-10 PSI of front tire pressure to carry that weight.

Rather than go into every feature on the 2008 42QRP I'll just concentrate on the changes from last year. For a more comprehensive review of the 2007 42QRP please view it at the following link - 2007 42QRP Review, or access it from the side menu.

Exterior

The 42QRP that I viewed at King's Campers was in the Sunlit Sand color scheme.

The above images show the changes made this year to the paint scheme. The 2008s show a heavy accent toward black on the front cap as well along the roofline area. and upper rear cap. No really radical changes have been made to the body overall and much of last year's features have been retained. The 2007 model year brought a number of significant design changes so there was no need to redo what already works well when the 2008 model year was introduced.

One of the biggest changes for 2008 is the wider entrance area. Both the entry door and inside step well has been increased in width to 30". The Kwikee powered exterior steps also are 30" wide. Reshaping of the interior trim gives the passenger another 5" of legroom over the 2007 Allegro Bus. All of the other amenities are retained, such as the slide-out computer workstation, illuminated grab handle, and power footrest for the passenger's seat.
 

The Oasis power entry door awning is the pretty much the same as last year although the control module has been changed. This year a new oval shaped amber porch light is used.

The Dometic WeatherPro automatic patio awning is standard this year but this coach has the optional drop-down shade. When the awning is fully extended, the black mesh shade will drop down out of the awning roller to provide additional protection from the sun. This feature can be used or left inside the roller just by operating the awning control switch. As can be seen in these pictures, there's a tree in the way so the drop-down awning could not be fully deployed. It can extend quite far if you want it to.

Interior - General

The Allegro Bus interior has a number of decor changes for the 2008 model year. There are 3 interiors available this year, Oasis, Summer Wind, and Monte Carlo. They vary considerably so there should be something for everyone's tastes.

This coach was equipped with the Oasis interior, which is the lightest of the three, and complemented with cherry woodwork. It was equipped with a Euro recliner  and Ottoman plus a computer desk. Other offerings, such as dual recliners or a second 83" sofa are also available.

The galley area is bright and cheery and is well lit by under counter fluorescent lights as well as halogen recessed ceiling light fixtures.

The hard surface backsplash is complemented by inlaid offsetting tiles and decorative metallic rails. The backsplash is cut and engraved to give it a tiled look.

The hutch now comes with decorative glass doors and it is also available in a black antique look as an option.

The kitchen sink is stainless steel, just as in the previous year. However, the left side tub has been deepened and the right side was enlarged quite a bit to make it much more useful.

Interior - Windows and Trim

The interior trim has been changed for 2008 but the biggest change was the replacement of the pleated day-night shades with a dual roller design by MCD systems. This design features sun blocking shades as well as privacy shades on dual rollers.

This view of the dinette window shows the opaque white roll-down privacy shade. This shade can be extended independent of the solar shade and is used for night time privacy.

This view shows the solar shade. This shade is a black mesh, similar to the pull-down shade used on the cockpit side windows in the past. It is in a separate roller than the privacy shade and is located outboard of the privacy shade. When this shade is closed it shields the interior from the sun's rays and keeps the coach cooler while still allowing the occupant to look out. It's difficult to see into the coach during the day with these on but not impossible if the light is just right.

The lambrequin window trim features a hardwood inset this year. These insets are not found on the narrow windows but are found on the larger windows in the main salon.

The sconces in the main salon have been redesigned with a taller handle that tends to crowd the light switch.

Interior - Cockpit Area

The Allegro Bus has a new upgraded entertainment system in 2008. A routing system converts all signals to component video, then distributes them to the various TVs, ensuring optimum quality. The control and distribution units are located in the basement.

The 32" Panasonic LCD TV is standard. Located directly overhead it also has a remote infrared sensor that accepts signals from your remote control and sends it to the DVD player and satellite receiver in a side cabinet.

The DVD cabinet has been remodeled this year. The main shelf has been lowered and adequate area has been given to install the deeper TIVO based DVRs used for satellite TV. In the 2007 model year there was only enough depth for the DVD player and extensive modifications were required by the end user to work around this.

The dash remains pretty much the same this year except that the gauge cluster was raised to the top of the dash while the LCD display system was relocated to the bottom. Just the exact opposite of last year's dash.

To the left of the driver, an overhead cabinet holds the control panels for the HydroHot system, the front slide-out controls, the tank monitoring panel, the KingDome control, and the inverter control panels. This coach was equipped with the Xantrex RS3000 true sine wave inverter and also an Automatic Generator Start module. The AGS and inverter are controlled by the same Xantrex remote control panel, shown at the bottom right.

Interior - Bath Area

There have been a few changes in the bath area this year. The shower was replaced and a backsplash added to the vanity in the toilet room.

The shower in the 2008 Allegro Bus now uses a curved sliding door design. This design offers more room than the previous shower and the sliding doors prevent water from running off the door and onto the floor when exiting the shower. It has a very solid feel and is a major upgrade.

The bathroom vanity is largely unaffected by the new shower and the size of the vanity top remains the same.

In the 2007 model year there was cherry paneling behind the sink in the toilet room. This year a solid surface backsplash was installed to eliminate water spotting.

The large closet in the bath area can be fitted with shelves, a combo washer-dryer, or a pair of stackables. This coach was set up with a pair of 120 volt front loading Whirlpool stackables. The shelf space in the middle can be used to store laundry essentials and also provides access to the shutoff valves.

Interior - Bedroom Area

Minor changes in decor this year. A new LCD TV has been added that is fed component video from the central distribution system and the closet has been reworked.

This view of the passenger's side shows the new sculpted casing on the slideout trim. The hardwood inserts on the window trim is also visible as is the 26" LCD TV.

This view shows the driver's side of the bedroom. No major changes here.

The bedroom closet has been reworked. Interestingly enough, they have followed my layout which I designed in August of 2006 and incorporated into my 2007 42QRP when it arrived in October. It makes better use of the closet space by providing a continuous length clothes pole, in effect making an additional shirt closet. The two separate Square D breaker panels are now replaced by an single Iota panel with a built-in sub-panel section for the inverter fed outlets.

The bedroom TV is no longer a heavy CRT. It now is a lighter weight 26" Panasonic LCD TV that is recessed deeper into the cabinet rather than sticking out. AN infrared eye is placed into the neighboring cabinet to allow remote control of the DVD player and satellite receiver or DVR from the bedroom.

Basement Storage and Utilities

The basement storage area remains pretty much the same. The biggest change is in the location of various components.

Prior to the 2008 model year the inverter was located in the second large pass-through curbside storage bay. This meant that only short items could be placed there because the inverter hung down to the bottom of the frame rails. In 2008 the inverter was removed from this area and large cargo can now be placed there.

The inverter was then relocated to the driver's side cargo area, directly opposite last year's location. Because of the flat floor slideout mechanism this was an ideal spot for the inverter because it can tuck up into the cavity that is normally inaccessible to cargo. The inverter shown is an Xantrex RS3000.

In the forward-most driver side compartment, just aft of the propane tank bay, is a similar storage area that is hard to get to. This image shows the slide-out motor and gear drive and it also shows an electronic board just behind it. This board is the TripleVision HDMI module which integrates all of the video signals for the entertainment system and then distributes them via a component video and audio distribution amplifier.

The electrical service bay is located ahead of the rear axle. In past years this bay held the electrical cord reel as well as the central vacuum system and access to the Aqua-Hot controller. This year the electrical cord reel was removed to provide additional accessibility and storage capability.

The electrical cord reel still exists but has been relocated to the left rear of the coach. A small hatch door, similar to a fresh water tank fill cover, has been installed to provide an access point. Reaching inside, the cord can be manually reeled out to connect to the shore power pedestal. When it's time to rewind a rocker switch is placed inside the cavity to rewind the cord via the electric motor. A small flapper can be swiveled out of the way to allow the hatch to close once the cord is connected to the pedestal.

Summary

The 2008 Allegro Bus line does offer quite a few improvements. The list of 45 changes leaned toward minor upgrades this year and nothing major or radical was changed other than the upcoming ULSD engine and larger tire size. Some changes definitely added value to the coach. The new curved shower is a bit hit with anyone while the new component video distribution system brings the entertainment system up to current technology and is a great fit with the high definition TV systems being rolled out in every area of the television and entertainment industry. Dumping the old modified sine wave inverter and going to a true sine wave is a big benefit to providing clean, utility grade power to today's sophisticated electrical systems. The wider door and entry area is also a great touch. The rest is basically trim and decor changes.

As previously mentioned, this coach was built on the older pre-ULSD Chassis so it' didn't have the new 425HP engine that requires ULSD fuel. Because of this, the tires were still the 275/80R22.5 tires, rather than the 295s that will be on the new chassis. The word on the street is that the new emissions spec engines are quite a bit heavier once all of the emissions gear is added. This particular coach still had in excess of 9,000 lbs cargo carrying capacity. Once I get my hands on a new chassis I'll report back with any changes. Overall, it looks like the 2008 Allegro Bus is going to be a winner.