2009 Phaeton Pictures

Introduction

I've recently obtained some pictures of the very first 2009 Phaeton that was produced. This pilot is the 40QTH and will lead the way for the entire line, which should be hitting dealerships in May. In the meantime I've posted these pictures here so that you can get an idea of some of the changes that were made this year. EVentually I'll remove this page from my website because both literature and actual units will be readily available. So, I'm not adding this to my menu so if you want to return to this page be sure to bookmark it as a favorite for now.

So that my fellow members of the TiffinRVNetwork members can see these changes I'm also including a link to a text page entitled 2009 Phaeton Changes, which will list these changes in detail. In addition, current pricing is available on the pricing link - available from the left sidebar menu.

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.

If you would like to print this review it probably won't work that well. The pictures and text on the far right will probably get clipped. If you want to print this review, Click Here for a Print Ready Version.

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"

Exterior Images

The above image shows a profile of the unit in the Gold Coral color scheme. Note the subtle differences in color from the artist's renderings at the bottom of this page.

This is a frontal view of the same coach.

The frontmost driver's side bay door has been replaced. Previously this bay required the special key to open. It now has the same latch as the other bays.

This shot shows the new door in the open position and reveals all of the electrical gear in that compartment. Note that the door is side hinged but there is no wiring harness to the latch, therefore it's not an electric remote lock.

The engine batteries remain in the rear compartment of the coach. However, in an effort to transfer weight from the rear axle to the front of the coach, the coach batteries were removed and relocated to a forward compartment. The remaining space is now an open storage compartment.

The coach batteries are now in a driverside forward bay. Because of the residential refrigerator, this coach has 6 coach batteries rather than 4.

The propane tank was shifted to the forwardmost curbside compartment in another attempt at balancing the weight.

The patio light is now a new oval design. Next to this light you can see the vent for the microwave/convection oven, which is new this year. Previous microwaves were not vented and merely filtered and recirculated inside the coach.

This view shows the water service bay and it's features.

Interior Images

This is a view of the new bedroom ceiling fan, which is standard equipment.

The galley workstation is capable of extending out a few feet to provide additional workspace. Also notice that the heat registers are now wooden grills rather than mesh.

The freestanding legless dinette is attached to a buffet counter and extends when extra tyable space is needed.

This extreme close-up of the slideout galley worstation shows the details of the cabinet hardware used in 2009.

The refrigerator is now incorporated into the main slideout. Once extended, the slideout clears the way to the mid-ship location of the hutch, which includes a 32" LCD TV screen. This is a new residential refrigerator this year. It's a side by side door arangement but the freezer is now located in the bottom in a large pull-out drawer.

The various remote control panels are located in the driver's area in an overhead cabinet. This includes controls for the water heaters, front slideouts, inverter, and both the driver's and patio awnings, which are made by Carefree of Colorado. A new monitor panel is employed for 2009 but the tank sensors are still the internal style which foul easily.

This coach features the in-dash Panasonic stereo system with built-in GPS display screen.

The driver's side console has been laid out differently this year and the switches have been splayed at an angle.

This image shows the bed, shams, and headboard decor.

Some slide out drawers are now included in the overhead cabinets in the galley to make it easier to access the contents.

The Phaeton gets new window valence trim this year with a wrought iron ornament.

The interior shades have been replaced with Roll-Ease shades, which use a roller chain to raise or lower them. This was done to eliminate the broken strings common to the older style pleated shades.

The Roll Ease shades are dual roller design. In this view only the black meshed sun screen has been lowered.

In this view the privacy shade has been lowered halfway while the sun screen is completely lowered.

The Phaeton gets a circular sliding door on the shower rather than a hinged door. This eliminates water dripping on the floor from a door that is swung open into the bathroom hall area.

The skylight in the shower now has a sliding cover to help darken the area, which is a great feature if you are parked under a bright light and trying to get some sleep. It's recessed into the ceiling so it's very unobtrusive.

This view of the toilet room shows the vanity design and faucet chosen for 2009.

Artists Rendering of Exteriors

Quick Disclaimer - The artist's renderings of the paint schemnes never are 100% accurate. Whether or not you view them on the Tiffin Motorhomes website or in their printed literature, they don't reflect exactly how your coach will look. You need to see one in person for that. Just compare the first example with the phoitograph shown at the beginning of this page and you'll see what I mean. Still, it's a starting reference point so I'll include them here.

Gold Coral

Maroon Coral

Nasa

Silver Sand

Sunlit Sand

Mocha Gold Coral

Mocha Maroon Coral

Mocha Silver Sand

Mocha Sunlit Sand

Summary

The 2009 Phaetons have a number of changes and being the top selling diesel pusher for the last few years it's bound to continue in that spot. It's still one of the best values around and an excellent balance between price and features. Special thanks to Mark Didelot who took some of these pictures when in Red Bay and forwarded them to me.