2014 Vista 35B - looking to buy, any suggestions?

Lloyd ODell · 07-21-2019, 09:47 AM

Hello all! We found a 2014 Winnebago Vista 35B that we are strongly looking to buy. We are moving up from a 36' bunkhouse trailer that we bought new 4 years ago, this will be the first motor home for us. Are there any known issues or problems with this coach that we should be looking for or aware of? The second owner is selling it, he owned it for 2 years and took two bucket list trips with his family. They bought it from the original owner in Texas. The coach only has 20,000 miles and appears to be in excellent condition. The biggest issue I see is that the Texas sun has been pretty rough on the exterior with some oxidation and fading. The generator has 280 hours. Any help and tips you could give would be highly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

**creativepart** · 07-21-2019, 11:17 AM

Welcome Lloyd, obviously the usual things for a motorized vehicle. See that maintenance has been performed on the chassis and on the generator.

Slide issues are probably the top concern, too. Leveling too, but slides on used coaches are a constant concern. Make sure they run in and out multiple times without any issues.

Not that the Vista is prone to them, but water leaks can occur on any RV so look very closely at the ceilings and walls for any sign of a water leak. Check the caulking on the roof to be sure it's intact, too.

The most important thing is to RUN EVERYTHING and try everything to be sure everything works.

You say the outside is showing issues. Oxidation can be easily handled, but serious fading or clear coat peeling, especially where the sides meet the roof is more irreversable. If it will effect the value at a later date when you sell the coach then you need to negotiate a lower price at this stage when buying it.

Pretty much all the usual things. Good Luck!

SLOweather · 07-21-2019, 11:44 AM

Check the clearance lights for signs of leaking, especially if they have been replaced. We have a 2014 Sunstar 31 KE. The front lights should be oval, if the area molded into the fiberglass for them is oval.

Check the roof for anything that looks like a P.O. had it installed after purchase. Everything our P.O. did up there had to be redone because the screws were not installed correctly, and were wicking water into the roof foam and corroding the screw shanks..

**creativepart** · 07-21-2019, 02:15 PM

P.O. = Previous Owner, in case you were wondering. It had me puzzled initially but I finally figured it out.

Phil-T · 07-21-2019, 02:19 PM

Testing all systems is very important, check tire date codes. If you can arrange to "use" the coach for a night or two, even at the current owner's location, it would be an excellent chance to check things out. Drive it, be sure you are comfortable with the handling.

al1florida · 07-21-2019, 02:53 PM

Check the date codes on the tires. Internet search for "tire date codes". With a 2014 model rig, the tires are probably make in 2013 which makes them 6 years old and time to replace them.

No matter what they look like, once the tires get over 5 years old it is time to have them inspected, that is the tires taken off the wheels(rims) and inspected on the inside for damage and any possible problems.

You probably have 22.5" wheels which about $3000-$4000 for a set of 6 installed.

al1florida · 07-21-2019, 03:04 PM

Be sure to inspect the edge of the roof where it meets the side wall. There is a seam just above the small gutter, that is prone to have the sealant pull away from the roof material which bends down to meet the gutter.

The really big problem with resealing this area, is Winnebago uses silicone sealant here. All the old sealant MUST be removed and new sealant installed. It is a real time consuming chore to remove ALL the old sealant before installing new. Nothing sticks to silicone which has cured. Here is a video of the roof to sidewall joint:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJz7...ature=youtu.be

The windshield. The black rubber molding going around the windshield is not built to be water tight. (That is not a bad thing that it is not water tight. It is designed that way.) So using your fingers, gently pull the molding out about 1/4-1/2 inch, in 3 or 4 places, and look for rust on the steel frame behind the molding.

It common to find rust in this area. If left alone it will rust out the steel frame, and the rust WILL crack the windshield. It may take 2-6 more years for this to happen, but if rust has started it will happen.

haiduan · 07-29-2019, 07:55 AM

I have that exact model that I purchased new - now with 40,000 miles on it. I just had Winnebago replace sealant on the roof, so it's probably due on this coach.

Take a close look at the vertical molding on edge of the slideouts. I have full body paint 11 of 12 vertical exterior moldings on slides and adjacent coach body had moved up or down anywhere from 1/8 inch to 1 inch which causes the body paint to be out of alignment. I had Winnebago fix and secure the strips to not move in the future.

The Schwintech slide motors have been problematic - with many faiulures. I had one replaced under warranty. They are no longer used. Make sure you fully extend or retract slides with no pauses part way through.

Have had a number of other issues over the 5 years I've owned it, but Just what I deem "normal" RV failures that come with the territory.

Good luck!

Morich · 07-29-2019, 09:18 AM

With the current increase of flooding there is also a current increase in the hazards of buying used! Many, many RV were left to flood and they are now hitting the market in bunches so extra effort has to be used to be aware of the potential.
We often think of flooding as doing a total loss on RV but that is not true. Many units are sold as salvage or simply damaged if they only got the lower portion flooded. Think of those who were setting and got maybe three feet of flooding around them? That leaves them to be sold at near scrap prices even though it was only the storage underneath that were flooded. So a new layer of carpet/padding in the compartment and a washdown may make it ready to go through the auction to be resold in a totally different part of the country where folks are not thinking of flooding.
Look carefully inside the storage and check the plywood around the doors as it may show water damage like delamination, even though it has been cleaned.
The problem is that any joint where metal meets metal is still prone to having salt water and likely to corrode over time. Just because the Rv is in Colorado, doesn't mean it wasn't flooded in South Texas!