Winnebago Vista Rust - Page 2

bubbletruck · 03-15-2012, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wanabee FTer

Wow, It looks like it was pulled out of a lake!
My f53 chassis is 14 years old and looks nothing like that.
How do older cars look from your area?

We have an all original 1971 K5 chevy Blazer and it looks nothing like the coach. Check out the blazer pick on the website.

MntDriver · 03-16-2012, 06:34 AM

If Mag. Chloride or Salt is allowed to sit on exposed metal surfaces for months at a time, and along with with occasional moisture, the rust cancer will spread rapidly. It's VERY apparent this is the case with this Vista.

Up here in Colorado, we use our unit in the Winter and drive on Salty roads, but I spray my chassis down with Salt Terminator BEFORE we go as it "leaves a protective sheen, guarding against future salt corrosion". It is the only product that disolves salt/Mag Chloride, so when I get back home, I get under my motorhome and spray it down AFTER driving on these nasty roads up here.

I dont own any stock in the product or have any reason to promote it, as I was told about it many years ago and it works well for us. And yes, I do spray this stuff on my chassis in frigid temps.

Here is a link that has some pictures of Salt Terminator. You can also buy it at any boat store, Cabelas, Bass Pro Shops, etc.

Amazon.com: KWIK TEK SALT TERMINATOR W/MIXER SX-32M: Automotive

One last note. Our unit was delivered to the Denver area from Forest City Iowa in the dead of the Winter in 2006, and it came in to the dealer COVERED in salt. The dealer took the unit to "make ready", and only cleaned the outside fiberglass, and NOT the chassis. I wasn't really thrilled as it sat in the lot for a week or so with that salt on the chassis, and I asked them again to wash the chassis, they did a lousy "rinse" of the chassis, and not anything like I would like. I took delivery and went to a car wash, got on my rain coat and goggles, and went to town underneath this thing using the "mag buster" selection on the car wash wand unit. I then took it home and then sprayed the chassis good with the Salt Terminator.

So, the dealer is at fault for not cleaning the chassis on these units when they are delivered from the factory!!!

Davdeb1 · 03-16-2012, 06:45 AM

Thanks MntDriver for the tip. My unit is 12 years old, and I want to keep it in good condition. I will be sure to get this stuff and spray it. Does it come with a sprayer, or do you just use some type of garden sprayer?

MntDriver · 03-16-2012, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davdeb1

Thanks MntDriver for the tip. My unit is 12 years old, and I want to keep it in good condition. I will be sure to get this stuff and spray it. Does it come with a sprayer, or do you just use some type of garden sprayer?

I bought the crummy sprayer you see in the picture from the Salt Terminator company.....it goes on the end of your hose and you fill the reservour with the product and mixes with the water as you spray. I dont like it as you cant get a good hard stream. I think I am going with a tree sprayer soon (similar to a garden sprayer you screw on the end of your hose).

PatStab · 03-16-2012, 08:35 AM

Have you been able to get a replacement unit or refund yet?

I had a nice little Winnie made in 2005, even went to Forest City in 2010 I believe it was and got a windshield replaced. The service seemed so good and they were very interested in fixing it. Have you had it up there to the factory? Sounds like it may be the fault of both manufacturer and dealer. Just hope you get satisfaction.

bubbletruck · 03-16-2012, 05:17 PM

Thanks everyone for responding. I didn't buy this coach so i could come on a forum and complain about it. I just wan't to warn other buyers. I feel like one trip from the factory to a dealer should never end with this kind of result. The coach has only been driven on roads you would reasonably expect to drive one on. So what ever the reason, the condition it is in after 10 months proves that it is not fit for the purpose in which it was sold.
The company is not offering replacement or refund, but Georgia is granting us arbitration through our consumer lemon Laws. It is going to be way more hassle than I really feel like dealing with. After all, I purchased the motorhome to spend more time with my family, not you great folks on the forum..

Anyway, someone commented earlier that I had my big guns out and was hunting for bear... again call me crazy, but when I step in a gigantic pile of bear you-know-what; I tend to get a little annoyed.
I have owned three retail stores in my life and when my product was not up to par; I replaced, or refunded it. As simple as that. I expect no less.
thanks again everyone! Wish me luck.

toneumanns · 03-16-2012, 05:22 PM

The amount of rust that you have had to be caused by more than road salt. It almost looks like it was in or very close to sea water. I was under my motorhome today and i did see some corrosion but nothing like the photos.

Wayne M · 03-16-2012, 08:25 PM

Bubbletruck,
Please keep us posted on any results, or progress.

Thanks.

bluepill · 03-16-2012, 09:21 PM

A few thoughts.
1. It will cost you some up front money, but a good lawyer may be able to push things in your direction. You have three companies that you can name in a lawsuit. Winnebago, the Drive Away Company that drove the unit from the factory to the dealer, and the dealer. They will all point fingers at each other, but possibly a three way settlement can be reached.
2. In the automobile business it is common to have as a part of the dealer agreement contract between the manufacturer and its dealerships a statement of responsibility. It states that the vehicle must be inspected upon delivery to the dealer, and any defects must be noted and reported by the dealership at that time. Failure to report a defect shifts the burden to the dealership. In your case, it sounds like the dealer failed to identify and correct the potential problem.
3. Knowledge is your best weapon. Getting the name of the insurance companies for each of the companies mentioned above, and getting copies of the contracts assigning responsibility for each of the three is probably basic to proceeding successfully. This is probably best handled by a lawyer. To be clear, I am not a lawyer, nor do I love them. I have had a few good lawyers help me to get fair settlements in business and personal dealings in the past.
Best of luck in getting a fair settlement.

bachler · 03-17-2012, 06:19 AM

We need to look at all angles.BBW.. When We bought ours And i seen the rust on it. I said to my self. I should have done my homework;; Second I am responceable for what I buy.. No one had a gun to my head and said You buy this unit. From My past experiance You need to suck up and admit You made a Mistake;; Invalve Those blood sucking Layowers and you will get nothing... You will not like this . But you can never Get what the coach is worth at this time.And that is Low blue book On trade in.. You can/will never be made more then whole;;. It seems that the time spent taking pictures Could have been used much better If the under frame were brushed and painted. But I'm from the old school and the buck stops here.. It really sounds like Buyers remorse.

bachler · 03-17-2012, 07:53 AM

Hay Lets all get togather, Raise the low blue book money, Give it to the OP, take his motorhome From him. And have him Buy a brand X, as we really don't need ,-----

Horseshoe · 03-17-2012, 12:52 PM

Good luck. I'm glad you caught your rust before it got worse and became dangerous like mine did. Thank you for bringing it to the attention of other owners who might stop further corrosion on their motorhomes.

I understand cheerleaders and people who have a financial interest in the company trying to downplay problems, but a safety issue or one that has cost you thousands of dollars hurts you and not them. Not everyone here has retired with a golden parachute or has money to throw away every couple of years on a new vehicle. Some of us have saved for many years to be able to afford to retire and maybe live a little of the life we have always dreamed about. Belittling us may make them feel superior, but in reality they look petty.

Lault · 03-17-2012, 03:36 PM

I would trade the unit, like I did already with the same issue and move on.

bubbletruck · 03-17-2012, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lault

I would trade the unit, like I did already with the same issue and move on.

I really wish it were that easy.
Thanks again everyone for your thoughts and insight.

bubbletruck · 03-18-2012, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Horseshoe

Good luck. I'm glad you caught your rust before it got worse and became dangerous like mine did.

I was wondering how yours became dangerous? I can understand If you don't want to answer here so you can PM me if you feel like answering. I get pretty nervous riding in ours. Our jack alarm goes off while driving it, and we have to stop and pry it back up because one of them starts to retract on its own.

Horseshoe · 03-19-2012, 08:43 AM

Mine is totally different from your problems. I have a 2000 Adventurer that is like new with less than 16,000 miles on it, but the windshield frames are eaten away with rust and one side is loose and could simply fall out onto the road if I hit a big bump. I can't drive it until I have the complete frame replaced and new glasses installed.

I posted a few pictures of the driver's side glass in another thread.

My undercarriage is fine with little rust. I absolutely love this coach except for the cancer it has. I have upgraded a lot of things and would trade it in but I can't until I spend thousands of dollars to repair what I consider a factory design problem.

bubbletruck · 03-19-2012, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Horseshoe

Mine is totally different from your problems. I have a 2000 Adventurer that is like new with less than 16,000 miles on it, but the windshield frames are eaten away with rust and one side is loose and could simply fall out onto the road if I hit a big bump. I can't drive it until I have the complete frame replaced and new glasses installed.
.

The United States Code for Motor Vehicle Safety (Title 49, Chapter 301) defines motor vehicle safety as “the performance of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment in a way that protects the public against unreasonable risk of accidents occurring because of the design, construction, or performance of a motor vehicle, and against unreasonable risk of death or injury in an accident, and includes nonoperational safety of a motor vehicle.” A defect includes “any defect in performance, construction, a component, or material of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle equipment.” Generally, a safety defect is defined as a problem that exists in a motor vehicle or item of motor vehicle equipment that:

Critical vehicle components that break, fall apart, or separate from the vehicle, causing potential loss of vehicle control or injury to persons inside or outside the vehicle.

Examples of defects NOT considered safety-related:

Nonstructural or body panel rust. (notice it says NONstructural)

seems like since your is structural and dangerous with so many other complaints then something needs to be done to correct it.
Have you reported it?

It is the only way manufactures know if a product is failing. It seems since so many are having the same problem it still after years of production it should be addressed.

How can I report a safety problem to NHTSA?

If you think your vehicle or equipment may have a safety defect, reporting it to NHTSA is an important first step to take to get the situation remedied and make our roads safer. If the agency receives similar reports from a number of people about the same product, this could indicate that a safety-related defect may exist that would warrant the opening of an investigation.

NHTSA operates the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Vehicle Safety Hotline telephone service to collect accurate and timely information from consumers on vehicle safety problems. You can call 1-888-327-4236 or 1-800-424-9393 toll free from anywhere in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands to register complaints or receive recall information about a vehicle. The Hotline also has Spanish-speaking representatives and offers a dedicated number, 1-800-424-9153, for use by persons with hearing impairments.

Just doing my homework....

Davdeb1 · 03-19-2012, 08:14 PM

Bubble truck, I just posted this on another thread.

I, like MANY of us would NEVER have crawled underneath a NEW vehicle. Add to the mix it's 20 degrees and kids are with you, I doubt ANYONE would regardless of what they say on this site. This was a Winnebago. They have been around forever, and they have achieved great reputation.

I love this site, it's a great place to hang around. Yes I have a question, and yes I do a search first. After reding through 5 or 6 threads and not finding an answer, I will ask a dumb question. I don't care if someone tells me it's been discussed to death. I really appreciate the advice I get from many of the skilled and experienced do it your sellers on here.

I equally value someone who had a bad experience, and was willing to share it. If I am lucky enough to someday be able to afford a new MH, instead of just going through the equipment and features and taking the keys, I now know that I should do a more thorough inspection.

Thank you, and I hope everything works out as it should.

bubbletruck · 03-20-2012, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Davdeb1

Bubble truck, I just posted this on another thread.

I, like MANY of us would NEVER have crawled underneath a NEW vehicle. Add to the mix it's 20 degrees and kids are with you, I doubt ANYONE would regardless of what they say on this site. This was a Winnebago. They have been around forever, and they have achieved great reputation.

I love this site, it's a great place to hang around. Yes I have a question, and yes I do a search first. After reding through 5 or 6 threads and not finding an answer, I will ask a dumb question. I don't care if someone tells me it's been discussed to death. I really appreciate the advice I get from many of the skilled and experienced do it your sellers on here.

I equally value someone who had a bad experience, and was willing to share it. If I am lucky enough to someday be able to afford a new MH, instead of just going through the equipment and features and taking the keys, I now know that I should do a more thorough inspection.

Thank you, and I hope everything works out as it should.

Thank you for your concern and taking time to respond. It's good to know there are some sensible people still left in the world. Without thoughts or conversation nothing would change, and the world would never be the innovative cool place it is now. It's the people that care and stand up and demand industry standards that allow the ones who sit on their butts and say "oh well! I bought it so now I guess I just have to take it" to reap the rewards. I appreciate all of the opinions. Even the dumb ones. They help me decipher the BS from the real reality of the situation. "Most" all of you all are some pretty intelligent and funny folks. I am glad I posted here, I have appreciated ALL the feed back.
By the way I called cummins and asked what the red paint was they applied to my jacks when broke because it has really held up well with no corrosion for the last six months. It's battery terminal protective paint and can be bought at most auto part stores. The part is showing almost no signs of damage, you all may want to check into it and put it on whatever electrical wires are raw in the open elements.
Take care and thanks

bassmaster · 03-21-2012, 07:30 AM

I almost took delivery of a Winnebago Vista with very similar rust issues. We had half of our stuff moved into the coach and were just a few minutes from driving off when I started it up.

The lifter noise caused me to stick my head under the fender to listen better and I saw the ridiculous amount of rust on everything. This is not surface rust nor is it normal. I feel bad for whoever ended up buying the coach I passed up.

A Winnebago rep called me after my posting on IRV2 and assured me that it was fine, they had reviewed the pictures I had posted and it was perfectly normal and if it ever was a problem they would take care of it. I would not have to worry about a thing. I'm sorry that you folks are not getting that type of treatment.

I would suggest dealing directly with Winnebago. We have just started looking at Vista's again but this certainly puts me off on the brand. They assured me that if it was ever a problem down the road they would take care of it and it seems obvious to me that this is a very similar issue and the dates are very close together.

My Daybreak is 5 years old now and the frame still looks new. We have put over 29,000 miles on it in rain, sleet, snow, beachfront and more and the difference is drastic from the rust on the brand new Vista I almost bought. It's really hard to believe that you have to worry about a brand new chassis falling apart due to rust. Good luck