2021 Tiffin Wayfarer

The vehicle is a recreation vehicle with a door in the added cabin on a Mercedes chassis. There are automatic extended steps mounted under the door opening. They have failed several times during travel. Sometimes they extend while driving striking curbs and the like. Sometimes they fail to extend and lead to falls while opening the door to exit the vehicle. Tiffin knows of the problem, but it seems to be a design flaw that they cannot fix, and they continue to build units with the same-step problems. The problem seems to be poorly fitting doors that cut through control wires buried in the door jamb. To see similar documented events, visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/182126562363457 and search on "steps." Please help.

While driving down the road, the power door steps will spontaneously extend. This extends close to the ground and out to the side, and could catch on a curb, pothole, another vehicle, etc. This could cause an accident many different ways. It has been to the dealer for service multiple times, details below. The issue persists. I have learned from Facebook groups that this issue is quite widespread and they seem to have not yet determined a reliable fix. I c Service history that I have – Vogt RV in Fort Worth - 7/15/2021 WO A565812– issue first reported. says sensor was replaced and door hinges were adjusted 8/31/21 – WO A566136 - issue persists – says sensor was replaced and door hinges were replaced 12/6/21 – WO A566697 – issue persists – says sensor was replaced again. Note that the unit was at the dealer from 12/6/21 through 7/29/22. 2/24/23 – Again serviced at Vogt. I don’t have the WO number but believe Rich was the technician assigned. I don’t know what was done. We picked up the unit on 2/27 and the steps worked for a couple days and then started giving the issue again. 3/2/23 – issue persists ontacted the manufacturer yesterday and they were not helpful.

The Tiffin Wayfarer is built on a MB Sprinter 3500 chassis. Tiffin adds rear wheelwell liners made of plastic. These liners are held onto the chassis by 4 screws all on the outside of the liner. There is no inside support of the liner or reinforcement of the screws. My right side liner detached while traveling on I-81 in PA at 65 mph. It went under the wheels which caused the vehicle to bounce and it acted like a blow-out. I pulled over and could see no significant damage and there were no warning lights so we kept traveling. Luckily there were no vehicles behind us as they would have had plastic shooting at them. I removed the left side liner when I got home and found that it was being held on by a single screw as the other 3 points had failed. I have enclosed a PDF showing the left side liner damage. The mounting is totally insufficient. Other owners have stated that they also have had the liners come off and one owner said his rubbed to the point where it melted. I have attempted to contact Tiffin Wayfarer without success. No insurance or police were involved.