View & Navion owners - Would you buy again? - Page 8

BlueGekko · 06-22-2021, 06:58 PM

I miss the years when we could buy a radio, a CD player, a computer and a clock, all individual pieces. When one broke you put only that item in the shop to be fixed but you could still use all the other gear. RV builders seem to not be able to leave a good thing alone (like MS Windows). I have a ‘19 Navion D and the only thing I’ve had trouble with is the %#@&$* Rand McNally/Xcite gps. The radio and SiriusXM work great. So I’ll continue to use my trusty Garmin until it dies and then buy a new one. It seems that WGO has tried to improve on the ‘19 version and in doing so has created problems. Maybe it’s true: the best ones are the older ones. Somebody should put a bug in WGO’s ear to start a post for what we like, don’t like, need, don’t need instead of guessing what the market wants in the next iteration. Could be a long post but it could be less expensive than paying for market research and for all this warranty work.

rprochnow · 06-22-2021, 07:15 PM

When we lost our cruise control on the last trip - it would go off in the middle of a drive - and after parking overnight, take an hour or longer before it would reactivate.

It's possible that only the radar is deactivated, that it has to go through another calibration phase before it will go back online.

If that's the case, it would be extremely helpful if the MBUX system would indicate calibration is in progress, so that the driver knows the radar is in the process of coming back - rather than what we have now - no indication on if or when the system might come back.

Since we were driving lightly travelled, mostly two lane highways in east New Mexico and west Texas, if calibration requires following vehicles ahead (to synchronize the camera images to the radar measurements) and there aren't many vehicles on the road, then calibration could take a long time to complete...

Still - this seems like a major flaw in the Mercedes/Sprinter assist system - haven't experienced this issue with our Toyota, Lexus or Tesla driver assist systems...

crah · 06-22-2021, 08:11 PM

I talked to my local Sprinter shop and he stated there is a new service campaign that is coming out for the 2019 and 2020 chassis for new wheel sensors (joining the previous generation chassis). It will happen once parts are available. He suspects this is the issue. Who knows what's true but this isn't new technology to Benz. All their other cars have the adaptive cruise. Just the Sprinter Van got the option in 2019 chassis. It should be a simple fix and I'm guessing Benz knows what needs to be done. There are plenty of complaints online. Too bad it's taking this long for a repair.

Mine happened in the middle of traffic.

Fedexflyer · 07-16-2021, 07:40 PM

Just got back from a 4000+ mile trip NC to Texas to Montana and back to NC with my 2020 Vita towing my Wrangler. Went up and down the Appalachians and the Rockies with little effort. On some of the longer uphills it maybe slowed to 45-50mph but the Mercedes performance was a pleasant surprise. Coming from a Class A DP I was prepared to be disappointed, but she did great.

tkogrady · 08-22-2022, 06:48 PM

We have a 2019 View 24G and are going to sell it. We’ve had issues with the speed sensors - supposedly repaired but are now acting up again. A bulge developed in the sidewall of the rear tire near the bead. Found out when we tried to put the spare on that they don’t provide you with all the tools needed to do the job. Called Good Sam for help. The first shop they dispatched couldn’t get the lug nuts loose so we had to wait overnight in order to get another service to do the tire change. Had the 1st scheduled maintenance done and the bill was $1,700 for oil change, new battery and some other minor stuff. After the maintenance, the view leaked oil constantly on our driveway. Mercedes response was “that happens with diesel oil changes “(I kid you not). Well, it turns out it was a leak and we had to take it back.

Anyway, trips have just become stressful waiting for the next thing to go wrong. It’s taken the fun out of it so we going to sell it and move on.

paisleydale · 08-22-2022, 11:58 PM

So sorry for your problems. Sounds like you need a different Dealer to service your vehicle. 1700$ for oil change and a new battery is outrageous, battery was not covered by warranty? I change my own oil and it has never leaked and ours just turned overy 99,500 miles and original battery too.

Dale
2014 vp 24v
OR

**creativepart** · 08-23-2022, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tkogrady

Anyway, trips have just become stressful waiting for the next thing to go wrong. It’s taken the fun out of it so we going to sell it and move on.

None of the issues you’ve encountered were problems with your View RV. All are part of the reality of RV ownership. Just like everything else in life things go wrong and it can be a real hassle. Not everyone is cut out for the RV lifestyle. I wouldn’t consider buying a boat either, if I were you.

tkogrady · 08-23-2022, 08:04 AM

Re: the $1,700 maintenance, that was at a Mercedes dealership that we took it too when the ABS sensors and traction control went bonkers and the vehicle started to shudder and swerve.. We were traveling and about 120 miles from our home, so we just got off the highway and went to the nearest dealership (about 6 miles from where we were). Trust me, if we’d known how much they’d charge we would have gone elsewhere. But they had the vehicle anyway while waiting on parts, so we just told them to do the maintenance never imagining the t would be so much.

tkogrady · 08-23-2022, 08:07 AM

Faulty speed and traction control sensors that have failed twice is not a fault with the vehicle? Not picking a fight, but yes, that is a Mercedes problem.

**creativepart** · 08-23-2022, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tkogrady

Faulty speed and traction control sensors that have failed twice is not a fault with the vehicle? Not picking a fight, but yes, that is a Mercedes problem.

Sorry, what I mean is not a Winnebago View/Navion issue. Winnebago didn't make the Chassis. Anyone that buys a Mercedes Sprinter for any purpose, a business, or personal use can suffer these issues.

RVs, in general, never come with any tire changing tools. Travel trailers don't and motorhomes don't. A bulge in a tire is again, not a Winnebago issue and anyone that owns a vehicle can have this issue.

Lastly, all Mercedes (and BMW and Audi, etc) service is very expensive. So if you purchase a RV on a Mercedes chassis that really is something that you will need to take into consideration.

All I'm saying is that the Winnebago View/Navion RV isn't in and of itself the cause of the problems you've encountered.

But you are not wrong, owning an RV - any RV - can be an exercise in frustration. There will be problems. There will be breakdowns. There will be things that don't work. There will be maintenance and expense. Sometimes large expense. So, anyone buying an RV needs to go into to this with their eyes open and their expectations based in reality.

RVs can take you to great places, bring you great experiences and be ten times more fun than frustration. But, it's not for everyone.

tkogrady · 08-23-2022, 09:58 AM

To be clear, we have had no issues with the Winnebago part. Our regret is strictly the Mercedes part. We debated Ford platform vs Mercedes when we bought it. We opted for the Sprinter as the mileage was better and people raved about the sprinter chassis and Diesel engine. Our thought is switching to an RV on a platform that may be a little easier to maintain. Ford dealerships are everywhere. So anticipating problems, at least perhaps roadside assistance would be better able to help or towing to a dealership may not be quite a journey. We recognize we are probably the exception. Maybe we were dealt a bad hand, maybe our expectations were too high. We have camped all our lives and don’t plan to give it up. Just exploring other options.

**creativepart** · 08-23-2022, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tkogrady

Ford dealerships are everywhere.

Think again, Ford dealerships that will work on Class C or Class A motorhomes are few and far between.

The main convenience is the availability of Ford techs and Ford parts. Finding a dealer is another story.

Actually, it seems that more Mercedes dealers will work on Sprinter-Based motorhomes than Ford dealers will work on Ford chassis based motorhomes.

rprochnow · 08-24-2022, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by creativepart

RVs, in general, never come with any tire changing tools.

Our 2021 View came with tire changing tools. They were located on the passenger side of the cab. When our HWH leveling system was installed in some of that area, I moved some of the tools into a storage compartment.

We had a flat tire and called CoachNet for assistance - so we didn't need the tools.

However, the truck that CoachNet called was unable to change out our tire that was leaking air because the bolt holding the spare tire rack was stripped - and they could get the rack down to access the spare tire.

Fortunately, we were able to get enough air into the tire to make it to the closest Discount Tire - who was able to get the spare tire rack down - and I ordered a replacement bolt.

Based on our experience, I would recommend owners verify that they can get the spare tire down under their Views - to avoid what happened to us.

And, as has been pointed out above, this is not a Winnebago issue - it's an issue that could happen to anyone owning a Sprinter (or other) chassis.

ianSPM · 09-06-2022, 11:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elkman

To get the most out of the solar panels I also switched out the factory lead acid batteries for 125 Ah lithium ones....

...The main reason though why I would not recommend the Navion to anyone is the very low OCCC of 886 lbs

Just grabbed a 2022 Navion myself but without the lithium battery upgrade. was it as simple as a swap or did you upgrade any of the electrical components?

I'm also looking into aftermarket springs, shocks and sway bars... wouldn't that increase the weight load?

rprochnow · 09-07-2022, 04:12 AM

We purchased our 2021 View 24D from Lichtsinn with the factory standard batteries.

Licthsinn installed lithium batteries using the same parts the factory uses - which included a different battery box. Not sure what differences there are between the non-lithium and lithium battery boxes.

Other than wiring changes inside the battery compartment, settings have to be changed on anything involved with the batteries - which for us was the AMP-L-START, inverter and solar controller.

MuleTrainWm · 04-22-2023, 03:48 PM

This is our second Winnebago, first was a 2020 Travato 59KL. We loved the Travato KL due to the large lithium Volta Pure 3 system and no noisy/fussy generator. But, we needed more room, especially in the bed area. Also, the Ram 3500 chassis driving amenities were not quite up to the Mercedes Sprinter standard. As we now have almost 10 days ownership; approximately 1200 miles and 5 nights in the 24V, we can say we love somethings (the beds and the driver comfort) and not so love some things (Onan QD3200). We opted for the twin recliner instead of the couch and wonder if we should have taken the standard couch instead. The recliner leg platform doesn't stay up very well, especially when our 10 lb dog decides to lay on my legs. As this is our first diesel and first Mercedes Sprinter, there were a few things that were definate mysteries. Such as why the Distronic cruise control suddenly decited to quit and wouldn't re-start no mater what we did. Nothing in the book, dealer had no clue.. thanks to a View user posting we discovered that if the computer doesn't see a car in a long while, it decides it must be broken and throws up an error message and turns itself off. Takes finding a vehicle on the road and following it for 20-30 minutes to get it back on.

Onan gen has decided to spit oil every time we run it and that will go into the shop soon. Other that that, we are happy campers!

MuleTrainWm · 04-24-2023, 11:45 AM

We traded our Travato for the View in Rockwall, TX, near Dallas on our way from Florida to Arizona. Were going to deal with the nice folks at Lichtsinn RV "One mile from Winnebago", but could not work out the timing and logistics. After extensive internet searching, found the base model that we wanted in the View 24V at McClain's RV Superstore. Got connected to Steve Cathey who has worked there for over 17 years and is the perfect southern gentleman and salesman rolled into one. We wanted everthing ready when we arrived as we needed to continue traveling to AZ so my wife could get back to work. Steve assured us everything would be ready when we got there. This was a bit complicated as we asked for a few modifications: Sumo springs; torsion bar on rear; TPMS with stainless steel extension tubes and all checked out ready to roll. As you can guess, it did not happen as planned. The TPMS was installed as was the other items requested, but the inside rear tire did not have the SS extensions on the air stem. When quizzed as to why, they said it could not be done. When I pointed our that Lichtsinn could do it, they went back to the drawing board and made it happen. Second issue was the Onan QD3200. Cranked right up at the dealership, when checked back at the campsite, wouldn't crank. Went back to the dealership the next day. McClain's couldn't get it to crank either. Daylight is burning, we gotta go. Steve and Nathan (Mgr of Service) called Winnebago and got permission to swap the Onan from another new View so we could hit the road. 3 hours later we could hit the road, but it was late so we overnighted at Rockwall RV park again. Next day we continued our journey in our new Winnebago View 24V, Next stop Sweetwater, TX then Roswell, NM. Upon arrival in Roswell we decided to go for dinner to a recommended steak place. Left the Onan running in the parking lot as our furry kids would not enjoy the heat otherwise. Upon returning to the RV about an hour later, found a circle of oil spatter on the parking lot just under the Onan. Not a good sign. After a cooling period, we checked the oil and it did not even show on the dip stick. Not a good sign. Days later after returning to the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, still can't figure out where the oil is coming from. Called Winnebago customer service and after explaining the course of events, was advised to take the RV back to McClain's for service. I told Winnebago that was not going to happen and where else could I take it. Was advised to try LaMesa RV in Mesa or Phoenix. Told Winnebago that was not going to happen either. Service is non-existent at LaMesa RV as experienced by us on our 3 year ownership of the Travato. Next we got an appointment in Prescott, AZ, about 1.5 hours from our home in June, 2 months away. Still like our View, would purchase again from McClain's.

lenore · 04-26-2023, 09:13 AM

Wow what a story, Sorry the generator has been so bad, We have the Vita which is on the older 2018 chassis Mercedes and has LP generator. Have not experienced your issues. Winnebago needs to step up to their vender accessories like generators. I have looked at the View/Navions, nice rigs but seems all newer RV's are plagued with issues. Ours is a 2020 and my refrigerator died two weeks after purchasing and my inverter died 4 weeks later. Service is hit or miss, I am blessed that I can fix everything, just give me the parts. Not that I want to. Went thru the factory tour last summer during the GNR and saw the production line. Seems to me that as great as it looks there is still a need for quality assurance and feedback from us to a data base to fix these issues, even if Winnebage has to give Onan some strong feedback. I am afraid the AMerican manufacturor has become lost when it comes to quality.

MuleTrainWm · 04-26-2023, 10:14 AM

Lenore, fully agree that Winnebago need to push Cummins/Onan but the writting is on the wall regarding generators. If Winnebago would put the Volta Pure Lithium system in the Navion/View, we would be customers for life. I loved the Travato 59KL because of the Volta system but needed more room. Now that Mercedes has released the eSprinter that is fully electric, that combined with a system like the Volta Pure 3 would be a knockout; as soon as they add a little more range. The eSprinter is already 100% longer range than the Ford eTransit that Winnebago is experimenting with.

lenore · 04-28-2023, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MuleTrainWm

Lenore, fully agree that Winnebago need to push Cummins/Onan but the writting is on the wall regarding generators. If Winnebago would put the Volta Pure Lithium system in the Navion/View, we would be customers for life. I loved the Travato 59KL because of the Volta system but needed more room. Now that Mercedes has released the eSprinter that is fully electric, that combined with a system like the Volta Pure 3 would be a knockout; as soon as they add a little more range. The eSprinter is already 100% longer range than the Ford eTransit that Winnebago is experimenting with.

Love the solar and Lithium upgrades. But I am not sold on E vehicles. I have put 34k miles in last three years and would be nervous to travel any real distances on battery. Especially when boondocking or no hookup stays.