The Tiffin Owners Council

Article by Steve Blume, Tiffin Ambassador

Owners Helping Owners

The Tiffin Owners Council (TOC) and its purpose were introduced at the Tiffin Myrtle Beach rally in April 2025. The reaction from the crowd was immediate and enthusiastic, even catching Tiffin management by surprise. The applause said it all- people recognized this as something both needed and overdue. “It really is about owners helping owners,” said Greg Clarke, VP of Allegro Club & Events, the liaison between TOC and Tiffin.

At its heart, the Council was envisioned as a way for owners to connect more intentionally with one another and with Tiffin, using real ownership experience to strengthen an already strong community. Since that first introduction, the idea has continued to evolve, becoming more focused and more clearly defined with each gathering and conversation. TOC members participated in the 2025 rallies in Wyoming, New York, and Fort Myers, as well as the Hershey and Tampa RV shows. What began as a good idea and a pilot program has grown into an organized, purposeful one.

A Volunteer, Owner-First Group

The Tiffin Owners Council is composed of volunteer owners, not Tiffin employees or staff, in a variety of coaches, from Wayfarer to Zephyr. Council members attend rallies, RV shows, and industry events as fellow owners first—available to listen, share experiences, and help foster the sense of community that has long defined the Tiffin brand. TOC member Daryl Tolleson explained, “This isn’t a staff or sales role. We’re owners giving back to the community we care about.”

We did not apply, but were chosen based on our relationship and experience with Tiffin. Personally, I have been writing Roughing It Smoothly and newsletter articles for several years, including new coach introductions, and have had many interactions with Tiffin management. I am already considered a brand ambassador and was selected for TOC as a logical extension of that role. Several members had experienced difficult repair issues and demonstrated integrity and a willingness to work through them. Others have careers and life experiences that seemed to point to the “why,” but no one knows for sure.

The Council works in cooperation with Tiffin leadership, but its role is advisory and relational, not operational. Members are not responsible for running events, managing logistics, or representing corporate positions. Instead, we serve as a bridge—offering real-world owner perspectives and helping keep communication open, respectful, and grounded in actual ownership experience. Participation is driven by a simple motivation: giving back to our Tiffin community that has given so much to us. “Owners trust other owners differently, and that changes the conversation, said TOC member Steve Ragan.

We each commit to attending two rallies or shows per year, so we are not all running across the country to every one of them. Many of us travel together, attend rallies together, and naturally share the ownership experience as a team. That dynamic was especially evident at the Hershey RV Show, where we ended up with 8 TOC couples in attendance. Each gravitated toward the coaches they knew best, spending time answering questions and sharing firsthand experience.

Owner Credibility in Action

At Hershey, Colton RV was the sponsoring Tiffin dealer. Early on, their sales team was understandably cautious. They were concerned that we might get in the way of customer conversations or blur the line between sales and ownership. Our instructions as TOC members were very clear from the start: no sales discussions—only answers about the coaches and about RV life. That clarity changed everything. By the end of the show, salespeople were introducing us directly to prospective buyers. Colton RV has already asked for TOC participation again at the next Hershey show.

My wife Nancy and I own a Tiffin Allegro Red 38KA, so we naturally found ourselves among the Allegro Reds on display—sitting in the coaches, talking with curious owners and prospective buyers, and answering questions about how we actually live in ours. There was no script. No sales pitch. Just an honest owner-to-owner conversation. The questions we heard weren’t about pricing or options. Instead, they were the kinds of questions only owners can answer—how the washer and dryer really work in day-to-day use, whether the coach is difficult to drive, what we tow behind it, and what a ShowerMiser is and how it actually works in real life.

People wanted to talk with TOC members because we travel extensively in our coaches. We had no motive to convince anyone of anything—just real-world experience. That owner-to-owner credibility created comfort and trust, benefiting everyone involved. “Owners notice things that only show up after weeks on the road,” said TOC member Steve Hill.

New Zephyr owner Bill Guerriero shared his personal experience. “We have never owned an RV and had a lot of questions. Steve and Laura (TOC members) took almost two hours with us, going through how everything worked. Spending all that time with real owners boosted our confidence and sold us on Tiffin, so we bought one.”

The Hershey results were duplicated at the Florida Supershow in Tampa, with a 25% increase in coach sales over the previous year. TOC participation was not the only reason, but hopefully a contributing factor.

A Voice for Those Who Travel in These Coaches

 Another important role of the Tiffin Owners Council is providing real-world owner input to Tiffin’s engineering and design teams. For example, Brad Warner is the VP of Product Development. He brought in two interior designers with years of experience in motorhome design to meet with us at the Florida RV Supershow. They wanted owner input for the 2028 models. Tiffin’s engineers and designers are exceptional at what they do—but they also recognize a simple truth: most of them don’t live in these coaches the way owners do. They may test, inspect, or even travel in them briefly, but that’s different from owning one, traveling for weeks at a time, and being responsible for maintaining every system along the way. TOC member Greg Rickman added, “There’s a big difference between building a coach and living in one.”

I was once asked whether owners would like a garbage disposal in the kitchen sink. I laughed. Most RV owners do everything they can to keep solids out of the gray tank, not encourage adding them in. “How many of you use the bedding that came on your new coach?” I asked the group. The designers were stunned when no one raised their hand. All the beautiful custom bedding they created is stored in bags somewhere, waiting for the day the coach is being sold.

There may be a shared Tiffin coach somewhere for corporate use, but that experience isn’t the same as ownership. That’s why owner input is so valuable when discussing everyday decisions—like the kitchen sink. Do owners prefer a single large basin? A double sink? If it’s a double, should one side be larger? These aren’t abstract design questions; they’re daily-use questions best answered by people who actually live with them.

Why the Council Matters

 The Tiffin Owners Council isn’t about policy, complaints, or control. It’s about connection. It’s about listening. It’s about strengthening the ownership experience through shared knowledge and mutual respect. Owners trust other owners in a way that’s different—and that trust matters. When that trust is combined with open communication and a shared commitment to the brand, everyone benefits.

The Council continues to evolve, guided by experience rather than assumption, and shaped by people who care deeply about both their coaches and the community around them.

In the end, the goal is simple: owners helping owners, and helping Tiffin continue to build coaches that people don’t just admire—but truly live in.

Current Tiffin Owners Council Members

The Tiffin Owners Council is made up of experienced Tiffin owners who volunteer their time to support fellow owners and strengthen the Tiffin community. Members serve as peers and listeners, not representatives or staff.

• Bob and Susan Benz
• Steve and Nancy Blume
• Steve and Erika Conjerti
• Rob and Wendy Hayes
• Steve and Judi Hill
• Steve Ragan and Laura Reed
• Greg and Tina Rickman
• Jeff and Gloria Smith
• Darryl and Clay Tolleson
  

Membership may evolve as the Council continues to grow and refine its role.

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