2016 Vista LX list of issues

[CRandJW4rv]

Anyone having trouble with the 2016 Vista? Ours has a almost too many to list and we are full time. Exhausted with dealer/service not knowing what to do. Can't seem to get parts according to the service manager. This dealership has been selling Winnebagos for 28 years. We only have 2500 miles on the thing!
1. out of 17 LED lights we have 10 go out
2. check valves breaking for fresh tank intake
3. Dashboard Bluetooth/Radio/Camera has gone out
4. Front tire valve broken, slow leak
5. Prewired satellite cable will not work
6. so many little things to list here but fixed ourselves

What to do? Lemon laws for RV?

[powercat_ras]

I have a 2015 Vista 27N which was one of the Vistas that became Vista LX for 2016. Other than the name change, the change to 2016 F53 chassis, and the fixed window by the passenger seat virtually identical in every other way. Have owned for 6 months and have logged 7,500 miles. Very happy with the unit and its build quality, that said it had a few issues like every new RV does.

-- I would call Winnebago customer care - just because your dealership has been selling them for 28 years does not mean that the current service people you are dealing with are top notch - them telling you they can't get parts is a big red flag as to their competence on working on Winnebagos and their sub-systems.

- I suggest you post a new thread on your Sat system problem - there are numerous things that could be preventing what you are trying to do to view Sat TV from working besides it being a bad cable / on the ends connector termination problem inside the RV. I'll bet a $1 that its something else wrong besides your conclusion its a bad factory cable.

So far as my Winnebago Vista Experience:

- No electrical system issues of any kind

- No issues with radio / cameras / bluetooth. That said the system Winnebago use in the Vista is very non-intuitve and I took me a while to get familiar with how to use it. Just have to take the time to figure it all out while parked and its safe to fiddle around with it.

- Water system, one issue - had one defective winterization valve to drain the fresh tank that was stuck in the closed position due to a glob of adhesive that dropped down into it somehow (at the factory?) - that had to be replaced

- Shower leaked onto the bathroom floor and into the basement, this was due to lack of shower wall caulking, I ran a bead of caulk down the sidewall to shower enclosure joints and this eliminated the leaking.

- Refrigerator would not light all the time on propane, minor Norcold manufacturing defect (bent bracket holding the spark ignitor) that had to be fixed.

[Ohio Snake]

I have a 2015 Vista 35F. Very pleased with it so far. I few bumps at first and were covered under warranty.Scratch in wall, defect in outside fiberglass, tv speaker issues ( replaced tv's), painted front trim pieces due to unusual fading and bin hinge rust. The hinges were a bit trickier since the rust showed on the paint. Winnebago changed each bin hinge at our request and we chose the leave the new hinges powder black which looks better and resists rusting of the rod better.

I will say, it takes the factory a long period of time to get parts sent to the dealer.

[Mr_D]

Originally Posted by CRandJW4rv

Anyone having trouble with the 2016 Vista? Ours has a almost too many to list and we are full time. Exhausted with dealer/service not knowing what to do. Can't seem to get parts according to the service manager. This dealership has been selling Winnebagos for 28 years. We only have 2500 miles on the thing!
1. out of 17 LED lights we have 10 go out
2. check valves breaking for fresh tank intake
3. Dashboard Bluetooth/Radio/Camera has gone out
4. Front tire valve broken, slow leak
5. Prewired satellite cable will not work
6. so many little things to list here but fixed ourselves

What to do? Lemon laws for RV?

Very few states have lemon laws for RV's and then it's usually only for the chassis portion for safety issues. None of the above are those type.

[rob27n]

The Defective LED lights are a known problem with a batch of LED lights that had defective solder. I lost all of mine. Winnebago sent me all the replacements and I changed my own as I didn't want to take to the dealer. Changing them requires removing the old fixture and rewiring. Not just a bulb change out. Dealer should change them out for you.

Also had my radio/monitor go out but having that addressed in a few weeks.

[Arkie_ENT]

I tried to send you a private message that was quite lengthy but it wouldn't submit? If you want to call me (479) 806-1515 I'd be glad to discuss repairs I had done in Iowa and my thoughts on how that may help you. Thanks. Eric Turnquist

[Yellowboat]

I have a 2016 Sightseer 33C. My satellite cable is bad. l ran a second cable that I connected to the vacant AUX 2 connection at the switchbox. After running the second cable I had a good picture.

I just discovered that I don't have a AUX 2 selection for the outside TV. I replaced both ends of the factory cable and it still has a very snowy picture. I will move my cable to the AUX 1 port and my problem should be solved.

My dealer asked if I wanted them to tear into my overhead to fix the cable and I elected to fix it myself.

Safe travels. JD

[CRandJW4rv]

Thank so much for all the information and advice. We continue to have a long list of more issues. Today the panel for all of our levels is going out, several outlet not working ....but don't even get me started on the Ford F-53 suspension. We had extra stabilzers installed at a pretty penny but had minimum improvment in handling and safety when driving. We can only go about 45 mph and that is NOT safe on any interstate. We are going to hire a professional truck driver to test our MH. I know several owners of trucking co in our area and they should be able to help us.
Thanks for listening...my DH and I are at our wit end some days.

[moechester]

I had a very similar list on my new 15 Forza 36G. I also had an equal amount of headaches from the original dealer. I learned several lessons during this process. I more than likely delayed some of the process since I am new to the RV world. I had no idea how different the service dept worked in the RV world vs. any other type of service dept? IMO the RV industry is short on qualified technicians. Therefore, most decent RV shops are backed up for months. If you find an RV shop that is slow beware. Learned this lesson the hard way as well. Keep pushing the dealer. If you do not like the answer or results go to another Winnebago dealer. I ended up driving 2 hours away to get warranty work done correctly. It was a pain but well worth it as I would still be having trouble and seeing no result with my original dealer/service dept. I assure you all of your problems can be fixed with ease and very fast once you find a qualified competent service dept..

[Yellowboat]

I have done some of the following to improve the drivability of my 2016, and 2005 Winnebago Sightseers.


Some people will tell you to get a diesel coach because they handle better than a gas coach. That may be true but not everyone can see the economic benefit of a diesel pusher. I had my previous coach for ten years and I put 40K miles on it. To offset the expense of a diesel, in my mind, I would need to drive it a lot more miles than 40K. Plus I've only had gas rigs so I cannot compare to a diesel coach.


I have attempted to arrange items that can affect handling, starting with the least costly.



Test drive after each change to see if your coach is driving better.


Make sure that your tire pressure is set at factory specifications. You can look at the factory tire pressure posted next to the driver’s seat or you can weight your coach, if your coach is loaded for travel, and get tire pressure from the tire manufactures load charts. I would not use the tire pressure found on the tire except to make sure that I’m within the lower and upper limits of tire pressure.

If you elect to weigh you coach weigh each of the four corners. Check your weight results against the carrying capacity of your axles. If you are overweight you need to carry less weight. Unfortunately some manufactures do not leave much carrying capacity. You can find carrying capacity data posted on the wall next to the driver or in the operator's manual.

If you are not over weight then find the web site of your tire manufacture and from their tire pressure weight tables determine your tire pressure based upon the weight your axle is actually carrying. Too much tire pressure can cause a coach to track and wander.


Some people prefer to try the CHF (Cheep Handling Fix) because it can be done in the driveway at no (or very little) expense. I had a cracked washer that I had to replace.

If you have not had your coach aligned do this next. Chassis are aligned when they leave the Ford plant but not after the coach builder adds thousands of pounds to the chassis. The operator's manual for my new coach says to get an alignment.

If you are still not happy I would try a trac bar next. If you are handy there are instructions on this web site on how to build your own trac bar. Or you can buy a trac bar from a dealer and install it yourself or have it installed.

The next least expensive mod would be a steering damper. Again, if you are handy you can buy the damper and install it yourself.

Lastly, if the previous changes have not made your coach drivable I would try a rear sway bar. Some people add air suspension to their rigs. I’m not familiar with air suspension so I cannot comment.


Again, test drive your coach after each change. If you are happy at any point you can stop there. That said each step deals with different issues.

I hope this helps.

[Bobgray]

Why don't you call Winnebago at Forest City and make an appointment. Not that many problems with our 2011, but had good luck getting our "list" fixed. Regarding handling, steering, ride Etc. I would call Henderson Line-Up, Grants Pass, OR. They made a different coach out of ours. Costs some $$$, but they do it right. I would not have kept our coach if they had not corrected the suspension problems. You can make an appointment with them or they will direct you to one of their dealers. Good luck getting everything fixed. Ours has been a good coach to travel in.

[dezrtracr]

I have a 2015 Vista 30T and so far only had minor issues, many that I took care of myself. The coach handles well even without the CHF.

[wildtoad]

Plenty of helpful information about the F53 on the Ford Chassis form if you haven't perused it.

[SuperGewl]

Originally Posted by Yellowboat

I have done some of the following to improve the drivability of my 2016, and 2005 Winnebago Sightseers.


Some people will tell you to get a diesel coach because they handle better than a gas coach. That may be true but not everyone can see the economic benefit of a diesel pusher. I had my previous coach for ten years and I put 40K miles on it. To offset the expense of a diesel, in my mind, I would need to drive it a lot more miles than 40K. Plus I've only had gas rigs so I cannot compare to a diesel coach.


I have attempted to arrange items that can affect handling, starting with the least costly.



Test drive after each change to see if your coach is driving better.


Make sure that your tire pressure is set at factory specifications. You can look at the factory tire pressure posted next to the driver’s seat or you can weight your coach, if your coach is loaded for travel, and get tire pressure from the tire manufactures load charts. I would not use the tire pressure found on the tire except to make sure that I’m within the lower and upper limits of tire pressure.

If you elect to weigh you coach weigh each of the four corners. Check your weight results against the carrying capacity of your axles. If you are overweight you need to carry less weight. Unfortunately some manufactures do not leave much carrying capacity. You can find carrying capacity data posted on the wall next to the driver or in the operator's manual.

If you are not over weight then find the web site of your tire manufacture and from their tire pressure weight tables determine your tire pressure based upon the weight your axle is actually carrying. Too much tire pressure can cause a coach to track and wander.


Some people prefer to try the CHF (Cheep Handling Fix) because it can be done in the driveway at no (or very little) expense. I had a cracked washer that I had to replace.

If you have not had your coach aligned do this next. Chassis are aligned when they leave the Ford plant but not after the coach builder adds thousands of pounds to the chassis. The operator's manual for my new coach says to get an alignment.

If you are still not happy I would try a trac bar next. If you are handy there are instructions on this web site on how to build your own trac bar. Or you can buy a trac bar from a dealer and install it yourself or have it installed.

The next least expensive mod would be a steering damper. Again, if you are handy you can buy the damper and install it yourself.

Lastly, if the previous changes have not made your coach drivable I would try a rear sway bar. Some people add air suspension to their rigs. I’m not familiar with air suspension so I cannot comment.


Again, test drive your coach after each change. If you are happy at any point you can stop there. That said each step deals with different issues.

I hope this helps.

All of these things make perfect sense and I agree. However I would add one thing to the list that I would do no matter what and maybe even right after getting your MH aligned. That is to have a set of Centramatic Wheel balancers installed on all four wheels. Then take a test ride and see how it feels. They will make a world of difference on the feel of the steering wheel and get rid of most of the bone jarring ride. I can actually drive one handed and not get bounced around due to the whole suspension being kept in balance. Air pressure is very critical also.