Drew Callahan · March 15, 2026
Skip this repair and your Tiffin Allegro Bus AC won’t just underperform—it’ll trap you in a rig that either won’t cool at all or keeps nuking your breaker every time you fire it up. A weakening capacitor or dragging fan motor is the kind of failure that sneaks up: one week the AC is sluggish … Read more
Drew Callahan · March 14, 2026
I’ve got a capacitor sitting on my bench right now—pulled it off a Dutch Star that rolled through last week. The casing is bulged on one side, and if you look at the solder joints where it connects to the fan motor circuit board, they’re cracked and discolored from heat cycling. That’s what a dead … Read more
Drew Callahan · March 14, 2026
“Drew, my Allegro Bus furnace clicks three or four times before it finally catches, and half the time it just blows cold air. Is this an igniter thing, or am I looking at something bigger?” I get that question more than I’d expect, and the answer’s usually yes to both. The Tiffin Allegro Bus furnace … Read more
Drew Callahan · March 13, 2026
Most Newmar Dutch Star owners don’t realize their furnace’s igniter and control board are on borrowed time until the moment they fail—usually at night, usually in cold weather, usually when the nearest service bay is three hours away. The blower will spin and push air, but no spark, no flame, no heat. I’ve watched owners … Read more
Drew Callahan · January 9, 2026
Air Brake System Maintenance and Air Dryer Cartridge Replacement for NEWMAR DUTCH STAR Most Dutch Star owners don’t realize their air brake system is slowly filling with water until the brakes feel like they’re working through wet concrete on a mountain pass. A shop quoted me $1,200 in labor to swap the air dryer cartridge … Read more
Drew Callahan · January 8, 2026
Slide-Out Room Hydraulic System Service for NEWMAR DUTCH STAR Most Dutch Star owners ignore their slide-out hydraulic system until it stops moving — and by then, you’re either pinned in place or facing a repair bill that could’ve been prevented with basic maintenance. The thing is, hydraulics aren’t complicated once you understand what you’re looking … Read more
Drew Callahan · January 8, 2026
Diesel Engine Oil and Filter Service for NEWMAR DUTCH STAR I’m underneath the Dutch Star, oil drain pan positioned, socket fitted to the plug, and I can already tell by the color of what’s about to drain that the previous owner ignored the service schedule entirely. The oil that starts flowing is nearly black—darker than … Read more
Drew Callahan · January 7, 2026
Diesel Engine Oil Service for TIFFIN ZEPHYR I was three weeks into a stretch through the high desert when the oil pressure gauge started creeping lower than it should on flat ground. Nothing dramatic—just enough that I knew something had shifted. Pulled into a dusty BLM lot outside Moab, popped the engine hatch, and realized … Read more
Drew Callahan · January 7, 2026
Air Brake System Maintenance for TIFFIN ZEPHYR You’ll get two completely different stories about Zephyr air brake maintenance depending on who you ask. Dealers will tell you that factory intervals are fine and that moisture in your lines is normal wear. The forums full of owners who’ve actually owned these rigs will tell you that’s … Read more
Drew Callahan · January 7, 2026
Diesel Engine Cooling System Service for TIFFIN ALLEGRO BUS Tiffin Allegro Bus owners living in the Southwest or running extended boondocking seasons hit a wall around 70,000–90,000 miles when the cooling system decides to leak. Not dramatically — just a slow, persistent weep from the lower radiator tank or a water pump that’s crying a … Read more
