2010 RV buyers nightmare- please assist

[swhowardno1]

My mother recently purchased a used 2010 Winnebago sightseer 33c with only 2600 miles for $110,000 from XXXXXXX Tucson, the vehicle was paid for Jan 1, 2011. the delivery of the vehicle was scheduled for Jan 4,2011, but XXXXXX was unable to deliver the vehicle on time because the camera system was not operating correctly, and the support members for the front cap were not attached correctly. We finally got approval to receive the vehicle on Jan 11,2011. much to our surprise the vehicle was still not ready. They still had not attached the support members to the front cap, and the camera system was still not operational due to a short in the camera wire that ran to the backup camera. They hurried to secure the front cap, but the camera system would require ordering parts. We hesitated taking delivery of the vehicle with an unsafe condition, but the tech working on the vehicle directed us to “just have someone stand behind navigating while backing up”???? We drove the vehicle to the place of storage and proceeded to load it for a trip to Quartzsite, Az on Jan 16,2011. the whole trip to Quartzsite was fighting to keep the vehicle in the road, it was totally uncontrollable and rocked violently and swayed uncontrollable even at as little as 58mph. Upon arriving in Quartzsite we joined the rest of the WIT(Winnebago Itasca travelers) group. We described our problems with the vehicle on the way, and the rest of the group was astonished and embarrassed at how bad this vehicle was performing. They encouraged us to get it repaired or refunded as soon as possible. We made an appointment to have it serviced in Yuma Jan 21,2011 thinking they would have a larger facility to perform repairs. We cut our trip short and drove to Yuma about 90 miles from Quartzsite to have the RV repaired Jan 21,2011. Only to find out Yuma wouldn't be able to perform the necessary repairs. We braced ourselves for the trying journey back to Tucson and again the vehicle was totally uncontrollable at even a fraction of highway speeds. We received an appointment from XXXXXX Tucson for the following week, so my mother tried to give it one more attempt thinking it could have been weather or road conditions the previous driving days, so she and a friend drove the vehicle to Benson, Az about 60 miles away, the vehicle was still uncontrollable and almost impossible to keep in its lane. The vehicle was brought back to Tucson the next day very disappointed. we drove the vehicle cautiously back to XXXXXX Tucson putting it back into the repair facility Jan 28,2011, and handed the tech a written list of problems including the driving issues, on Feb 3, 2011 with our vehicle still in the repair facility the manager of XXXXXX appeared sympathetic to our problems and suggested a trade into a more drivable vehicle, his suggestion was a trade straight across for a 2003 allegro bus valued at about $79,000 and of coarse we would have to purchase a second extended warranty about $2700 and repay all associated taxes and lot fee's again another $3600. while there we asked about our 2010 sightseer, it had still not been road tested, it seems the 5-10mph winds that day were preventing him from even attempting a road test??? They claim the rest of the issues have been repaired, but sense the vehicle is still in the repair facility as of the writing of this letter Feb 5,2011, its difficult to know for sure. So far the vehicle has been in the repair facility for 19 of the 35 days owned. The repair facility called Feb 7,2011.The sum of the call was there is nothing wrong with the suspension and not being able to control the vehicle at a fraction of highway speeds is perfectly normal for lightweight high profile gas coaches. Updated Feb 8,2011 XXXXXX Tucson offered to purchase the vehicle back for $75,000 about $35,000 below the purchase price, and the vehicle is still in the repair facility.



we're getting nowhere with the dealer, and Winnebago's answer was to take it back to Ford (the chassis manufacturer) and see what they could do, because it isn't their problem.



What sort of legal action can be pursued to remedy this sort of situation, we have discussed contacting a lemon law attorney, but that in itself is risky, it could take years to force a corrective solution.

Has anyone else sought legal action to correct a similar situation. Right now we just want the company to refund the purchase price minus acceptable use(about 400 miles) so we can buy one that is drivable.

[safari1]

My situation was kind of similar, as I drove our 22ft. Safari off the lot and onto the freeway what a surprise! At 55mph bad vibration on front end, literally shaking me in the seat, and leaning swaying as every vehicle drove by. It was new/used meaning I had no warranty from dealer, some left on Ford chassis.

First was tire shop where front wheels were spun on the vehicle, bad tire was found. I purchased air helper springs and installed them for the swaying and leaning, also had front end aligned for which camber/caster bushings had to be replaced. After about $800 it drives good, I can go 75 if I need to. Usually drive 63-65 and only complaint is in wind gust, which I expect is normal on high profile vehicles. Should have test drove it first, my mistake and I paid for it.

Keep on the dealership to fix, also contact Better Business Bureau

Good Luck

[offthewall]

Originally Posted by swhowardno1

My mother recently purchased a used 2010 Winnebago sightseer 33c with only 2600 miles for $110,000 from XXXXXXX Tucson, the vehicle was paid for Jan 1, 2011. the delivery of the vehicle was scheduled for Jan 4,2011, but XXXXXX was unable to deliver the vehicle on time because the camera system was not operating correctly, and the support members for the front cap were not attached correctly. We finally got approval to receive the vehicle on Jan 11,2011. much to our surprise the vehicle was still not ready. They still had not attached the support members to the front cap, and the camera system was still not operational due to a short in the camera wire that ran to the backup camera. They hurried to secure the front cap, but the camera system would require ordering parts. We hesitated taking delivery of the vehicle with an unsafe condition, but the tech working on the vehicle directed us to “just have someone stand behind navigating while backing up”???? We drove the vehicle to the place of storage and proceeded to load it for a trip to Quartzsite, Az on Jan 16,2011. the whole trip to Quartzsite was fighting to keep the vehicle in the road, it was totally uncontrollable and rocked violently and swayed uncontrollable even at as little as 58mph. Upon arriving in Quartzsite we joined the rest of the WIT(Winnebago Itasca travelers) group. We described our problems with the vehicle on the way, and the rest of the group was astonished and embarrassed at how bad this vehicle was performing. They encouraged us to get it repaired or refunded as soon as possible. We made an appointment to have it serviced in Yuma Jan 21,2011 thinking they would have a larger facility to perform repairs. We cut our trip short and drove to Yuma about 90 miles from Quartzsite to have the RV repaired Jan 21,2011. Only to find out Yuma wouldn't be able to perform the necessary repairs. We braced ourselves for the trying journey back to Tucson and again the vehicle was totally uncontrollable at even a fraction of highway speeds. We received an appointment from XXXXXX Tucson for the following week, so my mother tried to give it one more attempt thinking it could have been weather or road conditions the previous driving days, so she and a friend drove the vehicle to Benson, Az about 60 miles away, the vehicle was still uncontrollable and almost impossible to keep in its lane. The vehicle was brought back to Tucson the next day very disappointed. we drove the vehicle cautiously back to XXXXXX Tucson putting it back into the repair facility Jan 28,2011, and handed the tech a written list of problems including the driving issues, on Feb 3, 2011 with our vehicle still in the repair facility the manager of XXXXXX appeared sympathetic to our problems and suggested a trade into a more drivable vehicle, his suggestion was a trade straight across for a 2003 allegro bus valued at about $79,000 and of coarse we would have to purchase a second extended warranty about $2700 and repay all associated taxes and lot fee's again another $3600. while there we asked about our 2010 sightseer, it had still not been road tested, it seems the 5-10mph winds that day were preventing him from even attempting a road test??? They claim the rest of the issues have been repaired, but sense the vehicle is still in the repair facility as of the writing of this letter Feb 5,2011, its difficult to know for sure. So far the vehicle has been in the repair facility for 19 of the 35 days owned. The repair facility called Feb 7,2011.The sum of the call was there is nothing wrong with the suspension and not being able to control the vehicle at a fraction of highway speeds is perfectly normal for lightweight high profile gas coaches. Updated Feb 8,2011 XXXXXX Tucson offered to purchase the vehicle back for $75,000 about $35,000 below the purchase price, and the vehicle is still in the repair facility.

we're getting nowhere with the dealer, and Winnebago's answer was to take it back to Ford (the chassis manufacturer) and see what they could do, because it isn't their problem.

What sort of legal action can be pursued to remedy this sort of situation, we have discussed contacting a lemon law attorney, but that in itself is risky, it could take years to force a corrective solution.

Has anyone else sought legal action to correct a similar situation. Right now we just want the company to refund the purchase price minus acceptable use(about 400 miles) so we can buy one that is drivable.

Did you test drive this vehicle before purchase? Have you test driven any similar class a gasoline Rvs? These would be the first steps in determining if your coach is at issue or it's your tolerance to the handling of a gas class a before considering legal action.

[swhowardno1]

yes, the vehicle was test driven. the sales person wouldn't let her take it on the highway, and insisted it only be test driven on back roads nothing over 50mph. that should have been the first sign to walk away.....

Do RV's have to pass the same highway safety tests cars and trucks do??? I'm pretty sure this one would have never had made it out of the factory if they do test them???

[SteveLevin]

First step is to road test it with a service manager from the dealership. And if he then says "that's how they all drive" then ask to go on a quick test drive in another coach.

If they drive entirely different and the service manager is unwilling to acknowledge that, ask to speak to the owner of the dealership (or, typically, a General Manager if it is corporately owned). Ask the owner to go for a quick drive with you to show him your issue.

If that's not getting anywhere (in other words, your coach drives much worse than a comparable one and no one will acknowledge it) I would spend the time and money to speak with an attorney and learn what your options really are. Because this is a used vehicle, your legal options may be limited to pursuing the warranty claims to fix it.

Steve

[swhowardno1]

we did drive one 2ft longer it handled perfectly, but it was a different chassis.

[offthewall]

Originally Posted by swhowardno1

yes, the vehicle was test driven. the sales person wouldn't let her take it on the highway, and insisted it only be test driven on back roads nothing over 50mph. that should have been the first sign to walk away.....

Do RV's have to pass the same highway safety tests cars and trucks do??? I'm pretty sure this one would have never had made it out of the factory if they do test them???

Large RVs are completely different animals over 55mph. Yes, you definitely should have driven at highway speeds during your test drive. New or used.

As a previous poster suggested, I would insist on test driving a similar coach or two on the dealer's lot. This will give you a baseline to evaluate the performance of your coach. If they are all scary under the same road and weather conditions, well that is just the way they are. If your coach handles worse than other similar coaches on the lot, there are a few things to check. Are the tires properly inflated? Are the tires properly balanced and round? Is the front end aligned properly? Those are the most common issues that could cause handling to be subpar for a given unit compared to other similar coaches.

If you do a search on this site, you will find many threads concerning handling of gas class a coaches. Depending on the rear overhand, they can be a handful under windy conditions at highway speeds. There are a number of mechanical enhancements that can mitigate some of that ill handling but most of it is inherent in the design.

We previously had a 31' class c that was a nightmare in wind at speed when new. Changing shocks, changing the steering stabilizer, adding front and rear stabilizer bars, getting the chassis aligned and tweaking air pressures turned it into a drivable vehicle. It was never a pleasure to drive but it finally felt safe. When we bought our new DP, highway handling was paramount to our purchase and we made sure we checked that out on every test drive we took when looking at new coaches.

You may have a real issue with your coach or you may just not have bought the right coach for you. What I and others have suggested will help you determine that. Just throwing lawyers at the issue without doing a little research first will probably not end well.

[LVJ58]

If your coach handles as bad as you say it may pose a safety hazard on the road, so ou may want to contact:National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)


Perhaps they can provide some assistance, Just a thought

Best of luck and hope you get the issue resolved soon

[txdutt]

since you bought it used it's doubtful that your states lemon law would apply but it can't hurt to check...lemon laws would only cover issues with the "motor vehicle" part of the RV but that is what sounds like the issues with it are..best bet may be to get an attorney specializing in consumer affairs involved

[Sammie]

Originally Posted by swhowardno1

My mother recently purchased a used 2010 Winnebago sightseer 33c with only 2600 miles for $110,000 from XXXXXXX Tucson, the vehicle was paid for Jan 1, 2011. the delivery of the vehicle was scheduled for Jan 4,2011, but XXXXXX was unable to deliver the vehicle on time because the camera system was not operating correctly, and the support members for the front cap were not attached correctly. We finally got approval to receive the vehicle on Jan 11,2011. much to our surprise the vehicle was still not ready. They still had not attached the support members to the front cap, and the camera system was still not operational due to a short in the camera wire that ran to the backup camera. They hurried to secure the front cap, but the camera system would require ordering parts. We hesitated taking delivery of the vehicle with an unsafe condition, but the tech working on the vehicle directed us to “just have someone stand behind navigating while backing up”???? We drove the vehicle to the place of storage and proceeded to load it for a trip to Quartzsite, Az on Jan 16,2011. the whole trip to Quartzsite was fighting to keep the vehicle in the road, it was totally uncontrollable and rocked violently and swayed uncontrollable even at as little as 58mph. Upon arriving in Quartzsite we joined the rest of the WIT(Winnebago Itasca travelers) group. We described our problems with the vehicle on the way, and the rest of the group was astonished and embarrassed at how bad this vehicle was performing. They encouraged us to get it repaired or refunded as soon as possible. We made an appointment to have it serviced in Yuma Jan 21,2011 thinking they would have a larger facility to perform repairs. We cut our trip short and drove to Yuma about 90 miles from Quartzsite to have the RV repaired Jan 21,2011. Only to find out Yuma wouldn't be able to perform the necessary repairs. We braced ourselves for the trying journey back to Tucson and again the vehicle was totally uncontrollable at even a fraction of highway speeds. We received an appointment from XXXXXX Tucson for the following week, so my mother tried to give it one more attempt thinking it could have been weather or road conditions the previous driving days, so she and a friend drove the vehicle to Benson, Az about 60 miles away, the vehicle was still uncontrollable and almost impossible to keep in its lane. The vehicle was brought back to Tucson the next day very disappointed. we drove the vehicle cautiously back to XXXXXX Tucson putting it back into the repair facility Jan 28,2011, and handed the tech a written list of problems including the driving issues, on Feb 3, 2011 with our vehicle still in the repair facility the manager of XXXXXX appeared sympathetic to our problems and suggested a trade into a more drivable vehicle, his suggestion was a trade straight across for a 2003 allegro bus valued at about $79,000 and of coarse we would have to purchase a second extended warranty about $2700 and repay all associated taxes and lot fee's again another $3600. while there we asked about our 2010 sightseer, it had still not been road tested, it seems the 5-10mph winds that day were preventing him from even attempting a road test??? They claim the rest of the issues have been repaired, but sense the vehicle is still in the repair facility as of the writing of this letter Feb 5,2011, its difficult to know for sure. So far the vehicle has been in the repair facility for 19 of the 35 days owned. The repair facility called Feb 7,2011.The sum of the call was there is nothing wrong with the suspension and not being able to control the vehicle at a fraction of highway speeds is perfectly normal for lightweight high profile gas coaches. Updated Feb 8,2011 XXXXXX Tucson offered to purchase the vehicle back for $75,000 about $35,000 below the purchase price, and the vehicle is still in the repair facility.



we're getting nowhere with the dealer, and Winnebago's answer was to take it back to Ford (the chassis manufacturer) and see what they could do, because it isn't their problem.



What sort of legal action can be pursued to remedy this sort of situation, we have discussed contacting a lemon law attorney, but that in itself is risky, it could take years to force a corrective solution.

Has anyone else sought legal action to correct a similar situation. Right now we just want the company to refund the purchase price minus acceptable use(about 400 miles) so we can buy one that is drivable.

One question and I'm not trying to be a smart Axx. Has your mother ever owned a Class A motorhome before this purchase? Some of these motorhomes need some aftermarket suspension add ons to get them to travel down the road in a straight line. They do not by any means drive like the family car. If you have anyone you know with a motorhome let them drive yours and see what they think about the way it handles.

Sincerely, Sammie

[Grimesy]

Seems to me that the corporate and dealership mentality is if we stonewall this long enough it may go away. Hang tough and push in every direction.

One suggestion is to contact 3 T's in Lake Havasu City, AZ. they are an authorized Winnebago repair facility and I have found them to be first rate 800-223-1779, they also build and install suspension systems.

Don, WIT 70041

[SuperMike]

We bought a new 2010 Sightseer 31E, last September, built on a Workhorse W22 Chassis. It does nothing as you describe. Ours drives like a dream, indeed at 55mph with the cruise control on, I could "almost" get up and make tea. Clearly something is seriously wrong with your rig. The first thing that springs to mind, as already meantioned, is a faulty tyre or are the front wheels out of balance.

Do not let the dealer get away with it and certainly do not trade it in and incure more charges. Over here in England, the person who sells it to you is responsible for providing something that is "fit for purpose". Over here, if I did not get satisfaction within a very few weeks then I would have the vehicle inspected by an independant qualified automotive engineer and then off to the Small Claims Court with the inspection report. The court fees would be very small and that usually gets unresponsive sellers out of their pram. Either they then do somthing bl**dy quick or the court orders them to give you back your money and if they don't, in goes the bailiff.

You paid good hard earned money for that unit, do not under any curcumstances let the dealer get away with fobbing you off. I wish you well in your efforts.

[1oleman]

I have a 30ft '81 Class A and it handles like a dream. I've done nothing other than put new tires on it. 28000 original miles and all original. Ed

[HD4Mark]

"the support members for the front cap were not attached correctly" sounds fishy to me. How is that possible? Think I would invest in a Carfax report if you have not already. Could it have been in an accident? Why would the original owner not have taken care of major problems like that under warranty.

I would definitely check for lemon laws in AZ. Some states require dealers to refund money if you can prove you where sold a lemon. Could also check with your state attorney generals office.

[GOLDWINGER2]

Originally Posted by swhowardno1

his suggestion was a trade straight across for a 2003 allegro bus valued at about $79,000 and of coarse we would have to purchase a second extended warranty about $2700 and repay all associated taxes and lot fee's again another $3600. while there we asked about our 2010 sightseer, it had still not been road tested, it seems the 5-10mph winds that day were preventing him from even attempting a road test???

What kind of trade is that and who is "XXXXX"? I won't tell anyone. You need to put him and his family in that coach and go for a 60 mile ride at 65 mph. Every time
that I go to an RV show all the salesmen do is brag about how much better any new coach is compared to my '88. If that's true, how is Steer-Safe, Roadmaster and the rest staying in business? I don't want to spend $100,000 and then pump in more money to drive comfy. You probably need to get RV Action Line involved.
J

[mikelm48]

I think I would be talking to Winnebago factory directly.

[mikron]

Originally Posted by swhowardno1

My mother recently purchased a used 2010 Winnebago sightseer 33c with only 2600 miles for $110,000 from XXXXXXX Tucson, the vehicle was paid for Jan 1, 2011. the delivery of the vehicle was scheduled for Jan 4,2011, but XXXXXX was unable to deliver the vehicle on time because the camera system was not operating correctly, and the support members for the front cap were not attached correctly. We finally got approval to receive the vehicle on Jan 11,2011. much to our surprise the vehicle was still not ready. They still had not attached the support members to the front cap, and the camera system was still not operational due to a short in the camera wire that ran to the backup camera. They hurried to secure the front cap, but the camera system would require ordering parts. We hesitated taking delivery of the vehicle with an unsafe condition, but the tech working on the vehicle directed us to “just have someone stand behind navigating while backing up”???? We drove the vehicle to the place of storage and proceeded to load it for a trip to Quartzsite, Az on Jan 16,2011. the whole trip to Quartzsite was fighting to keep the vehicle in the road, it was totally uncontrollable and rocked violently and swayed uncontrollable even at as little as 58mph. Upon arriving in Quartzsite we joined the rest of the WIT(Winnebago Itasca travelers) group. We described our problems with the vehicle on the way, and the rest of the group was astonished and embarrassed at how bad this vehicle was performing. They encouraged us to get it repaired or refunded as soon as possible. We made an appointment to have it serviced in Yuma Jan 21,2011 thinking they would have a larger facility to perform repairs. We cut our trip short and drove to Yuma about 90 miles from Quartzsite to have the RV repaired Jan 21,2011. Only to find out Yuma wouldn't be able to perform the necessary repairs. We braced ourselves for the trying journey back to Tucson and again the vehicle was totally uncontrollable at even a fraction of highway speeds. We received an appointment from XXXXXX Tucson for the following week, so my mother tried to give it one more attempt thinking it could have been weather or road conditions the previous driving days, so she and a friend drove the vehicle to Benson, Az about 60 miles away, the vehicle was still uncontrollable and almost impossible to keep in its lane. The vehicle was brought back to Tucson the next day very disappointed. we drove the vehicle cautiously back to XXXXXX Tucson putting it back into the repair facility Jan 28,2011, and handed the tech a written list of problems including the driving issues, on Feb 3, 2011 with our vehicle still in the repair facility the manager of XXXXXX appeared sympathetic to our problems and suggested a trade into a more drivable vehicle, his suggestion was a trade straight across for a 2003 allegro bus valued at about $79,000 and of coarse we would have to purchase a second extended warranty about $2700 and repay all associated taxes and lot fee's again another $3600. while there we asked about our 2010 sightseer, it had still not been road tested, it seems the 5-10mph winds that day were preventing him from even attempting a road test??? They claim the rest of the issues have been repaired, but sense the vehicle is still in the repair facility as of the writing of this letter Feb 5,2011, its difficult to know for sure. So far the vehicle has been in the repair facility for 19 of the 35 days owned. The repair facility called Feb 7,2011.The sum of the call was there is nothing wrong with the suspension and not being able to control the vehicle at a fraction of highway speeds is perfectly normal for lightweight high profile gas coaches. Updated Feb 8,2011 XXXXXX Tucson offered to purchase the vehicle back for $75,000 about $35,000 below the purchase price, and the vehicle is still in the repair facility.



we're getting nowhere with the dealer, and Winnebago's answer was to take it back to Ford (the chassis manufacturer) and see what they could do, because it isn't their problem.



What sort of legal action can be pursued to remedy this sort of situation, we have discussed contacting a lemon law attorney, but that in itself is risky, it could take years to force a corrective solution.

Has anyone else sought legal action to correct a similar situation. Right now we just want the company to refund the purchase price minus acceptable use(about 400 miles) so we can buy one that is drivable.

We had a 2000 33' Four Wind Windsport on a Ford F53 chassis and it drove like a cloud at 70 + MPH. For all the threads I have read about Winnebago's being a top grade coach this is not good news.

[Gary RVRoamer]

The AZ lemon law covers the chassis but not the "house", so only the handling problem are covered. Further, used vehicles are basically covered only insofar as they must be safe for the intended use. A claim on a used vehicle has to be made promptly, generally within 15 days and 500 miles, so get the chassis handling problem documented ASAP.

It certainly sounds as if there is a chassis steering or suspension problem. However, bad/unsafe handling is a very subjective thing and it is true that a large motorhome does not drive like the family car. Steve Levin and Offthewall have given good advice on how to proceed and I would encourage you to follow up in that manner. If that doesn't work, then maybe an attorney is your only alternative.

[JohnInAz]

The chassis should be under warranty, so I would take it to the chassis maker for an evaluation. I would be surprised if the dealer is equipped to deal with a suspension/steering issue. The fact that the dealer would buy the unit back (at a discount to them) makes me wonder if it had been wrecked previously, and then not fixed correctly. Any repairs at that point would be on them.

[offthewall]

Originally Posted by swhowardno1

the support members for the front cap were not attached correctly.

Please explain this further. I'm starting to think this unit may have had accident damage.