We are thinking of going from our 34rlb to the Ambition for a toy hauler. Has anyone any experience with this unit? I have heard of sidewall issues in the rear. Any help would be appreciated, TIA, JOe
I am not sure how many Ambition owners we have in this group as you are aware that was a fairly new model for Vanleigh selling in 22 and 23. I am a 34RLB owner but know several Ambition owners and have met those folks at the Tiffin Service center (not a bad thing) so of course I have heard about some of the problems. I dont think they have been any more problematic than a Beacon or any other RV. I would recommend getting a third party inspector once you find the one you want.
Vanleigh had shared the planned floor plans with us for upcoming Ambition models and we were considering making that change. Unfortunately they didnt get to that point. We came from a Grand Design toy hauler and moved to Vanleigh as we wanted a higher quality unit with that “motorhome DNA”.
I reached out to a friend who owns an Ambition so hopefully he or another owner jumps in and gives you some feedback.
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Thanks for the feedback Ryan! We love our 2020 34RLB but want the versatility of the toy hauler IF we can find a comparable feel of the Vanleigh’s. Not easy to do with TH’s. The Ambition, Luxe, and DRV are the only ones that come close to it. I have read some people talk about sidewall flexing in the Ambition and my fear would be to give up a perfectly good Beacon for a lemon. Thanks for responding and if you hear from your friend please send him my way.
Happy trails,
Joe
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When you said flex - if you are referencing the issue that has unfortunately become more standard in the newer units with internal wall welds breaking due to flex usually referred as Frame Flex - I think every Ambition owner I know (4) has had it and repaired. The repairs for that being done now seem solid. There is another issue in Ambitions where they get a crack mid side wall around the fridge area but to my knowledge it is superficial and is usually addressed with an expansion joint. Although not pleasant to go through both issues are easily corrected.
I am a fan of Luxe and we have continued to look at them as a viable option as we move forward. We almost purchased one in 21 instead of our Beacon however we had a 6 month production line wait and the Beacon had been built and in transit to the lot. I have done 3 tours at the RV Factory as we work through that possibility.
Brinkley is another to look at. They have done some innovative things on their 5th wheels my favorite being no external sealant. I was especially thinking about them as I re worked all of my seals a few months ago.
I sent him a text and a link so hopefully he pops in.
Said friend here. We have a '22 Ambition bought in Apr '22 and have been fulltimers in it for a little over 2 years & 28,000 miles. (still on the original Westlakes 
)
We did have several issues with the new unit that involved 3 trips to Red Bay to correct, but we always had trips to the E coast planned and fit the visits in during those, so not a huge deal for us. On a side note, our last visit in May of this year was much more streamlined & effecient than the previous ones. They have definitely improved their efficiency & throughput in the last couple years.
We had all the smaller, niggling quality issues that most people have it seems. Tiffin has addressed them all. Besides small, annoying stuff, we had:
The front overhang frame flex.
The crack in outside wall over galley slide.
The front overhang was flexing before I pulled it off the dealer lot. It was repaired in Red Bay in '22. It was one of the first they’d seen and they didn’t have a firm handle on the problem. It started flexing again about a year later, but not nearly as bad as orginally. Last May of '24, they did the full monty fix they’re doing now and it’s be solid since. That’s been just shy of 10,000 miles ago now.
The crack on the outside wall above the galley slide is cosmetic. The frame and structure over 43’ flexes, but the sidewalls don’t so much it seems. There was no frame damage there, just flexing over the length of the RV at the narrow spot above the galley slide. They put in an expansion joint to address it. It’s well paint matched so doesn’t look out of place.
I have just recently seen a vid somewhere of someone with the entire rear of their RV broken loose to where they could just push on the outside back corner and the whole back end would move back and forth. This is not something the Amibtion has, or even could have I don’t believe. Being a toy hauler, the whole rear is not just a AL frame and skin like the walls and non toy haulers. It has a complete steel structure and re-enforcements and presumable stronger attachements to the floor and frame in order to house the door / ramp / patio and handle the weight of vehicles on it.
To do over, the only reason I’d consider a Brinkley or DRV over this is for floor plan or interior setups. I really like the small, opposing front bedroom slide in the DRV that is just enough to push the dresser out of the way to walk in. You’ll be buying used for an Ambition most likely. Maybe not. Just make sure the frame and outter wall cracks have been addressed, our you’ll most likely have to make a trip to Red Bay afterwards. I think they’ve arranged for units to be brought to them and returned for the fixes. That’s maybe something that could be arranged for before delivery if buying from a dealer.
Also consider the benefits of having triple axles. This is not Ambition specific, but big toy hauler specific. A big tandem 5th seems to run suspension / wheels / tires at near max capacities all the time, and requires pin weight to keep within suspension capacity. With a triple, regardless of spring weight, you’re getting 50% more suspension components, wheels, tires, etc, carrying maybe 15% - 30% more weight depending on setup. That makes the stress on individual components: springs, hangars, tires, etc a good bit less overall.
It is harder on things if you have to do a pivot turn, but in general, I don’t think you get the suspension & tire issues with a triple that you see a lot of in tandems. A bad pothole at speed is gonna be handled by a spring loaded to ~70% capacity a LOT better than one that’s loaded to very near max capacity.
Ambition is 21k
4500lb on hitch
At max weight, leaves about 16,500 lbs carried by 6 wheels/tires & axle/suspension rated for 21k or 24k. (we have 8k axles)
Typical large fifth is… 18k?
3500 on hitch
At max weight, leaves 14,500lbs carried by 4 wheels/tires & axle/suspension rated for 14k or 16k
–Dan