Just bought our First RV - 2000 Adventurer 35U

FrEaKnHoT · 12-14-2019, 10:13 AM

Hello everyone, my wife and I just bought our first RV, a 2000 Winnebago Adventurer 35U.
I don't have possession of it until next week but we are very excited about RVing and initially using it for weekend trips.

We would appreciate anyone's thoughts of the Adventurer and and tips, PROs and CONs would be greatly appreciated.

The coach has 65k miles and purchased for $17k.

Have a great RV day!

**creativepart** · 12-14-2019, 11:09 AM

Welcome.

Enjoy your new purchase.

PS. It looks like you tried to add a photo and didn't succeed. Here's instructions for this process: http://www.winnieowners.com/forums/f...ml#post3847963

rk911 · 12-14-2019, 11:15 AM

we had a 2000 35U with the Itasca nameplate...same floorplan but with different trim. we had the ford chassis. the only major issues we had...

- we blew a spark plug at approx 75,000 miles. this is a known problem. have your service shop examine or replace the plugs.

- we had to replace several of the hydraulic solonoid valves that control the slides and jacks.

about the only thing i didn’t like was the RV fridge. i prefer a residential fridge. the 35U is a super nice floorplan..we made a mistake trading it in for a ‘16 Suncruiser 38Q.

FrEaKnHoT · 12-14-2019, 12:38 PM

Ty RK11 so much for your reply, I will thoroughly look into those possible issues.

FrEaKnHoT · 12-14-2019, 12:41 PM

Yes ty. I was trying to add a pic. Appreciate your help

TJFogelberg · 12-15-2019, 06:02 AM

I like that floorplan. Lots of RV for the $. Mentally prepare to sink some $ into it as a unit of this age will begin to have things that need replacing and fixing. I'd recommend planning a visit to Forest City - they provide the best service since they built the unit. And Iowa is underrated, the Midwest in general, lots to do and see without the crowds of Florida. Although we love Florida too! Have fun, see you down the road.

FrEaKnHoT · 12-15-2019, 06:28 AM

Ty so much TjFogelberg, yes I understand it will need some TLC and I will check out Forest City. Ty again.

BobC · 12-15-2019, 10:00 AM

I have a 2002 Suncruiser 35U so, if you have any specific issues, feel free to PM me. Your number one priority should be taking care of any leaks, especially the dreaded windshield issue. In my case, a strip of Eternabond across the top of the windshield moulding (on the outside) took care of it. The most common sign will be moisture on your dash and/or drips running down the inside of your windshield when it rains.

In addition, HWH, the slide manufacturer had an issue with their hydraulic hoses in the early 2000s. Look for any signs of leakage. The issue had to do with leaking around the ferrules where the fittings are swaged on to the hoses. I had to replace most, if not all, of the hoses on my front slide.

Also, here's a link to a helpful "sticky" with a lot of good info:

http://www.winnieowners.com/forums/f...ams-19250.html

FrEaKnHoT · 12-15-2019, 10:44 AM

BobC ty very much. I will check. Also will contact you in near future for your input

Appreciate you.

BobC · 12-15-2019, 11:56 AM

You've picked one of the best floor plans ever devised by Winnebago. One other thing we did was to replace the convertible sofa with two leather recliners from Macy's. With just the two of us we didn't need the sleeping space and they're much more comfortable. You can search for my postings and get a laundry list of the things I've dealt with.

I also forgot to mention that, if your converter is the original, it's a good idea to upgrade it to a modern converter with a multi-stage charger. Your batteries will thank you. It's an easy project. Just remember to label all the wires as you remove them since the color codes on mine weren't what you'd expect and I blew a fuse when I applied power to it.

Is your's a Ford or Workhorse chassis? Mine is a Workhorse.

You should also consider setting up a signature like mine via the User CP tab so your rig is clearly identified every time you post.

Good luck and, hopefully you don't encounter some of the issues I did. Despite my issues, it's a great choice and, given what you paid, there's a lot of room for repairs.

FrEaKnHoT · 12-15-2019, 04:30 PM

Ty BobC. It's clear I have a lot to learn but I'm up for the task. I appreciate your reply and will continue to look for your input

Idiotasca · 12-22-2019, 05:31 PM

Make sure you check and reseal the edges of your fiberglass roof regularly. I didn’t know this was a problem and even though I cleaned and resealed the front and rear cap seams and all the other seams on top of the RV, the side seams looked good. Driving I 40 across Texas in a windstorm the suction of fast semi truck passing ripped 80% of my roof off and insurance wouldn’t cover it. Pieces of the front and rear where I resealed with eternabond tape held. I’m still trying to figure out how to repair this without spending more than the 2000 Suncruiser is worth.

BobC · 12-22-2019, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Idiotasca

Make sure you check and reseal the edges of your fiberglass roof regularly. I didn’t know this was a problem and even though I cleaned and resealed the front and rear cap seams and all the other seams on top of the RV, the side seams looked good. Driving I 40 across Texas in a windstorm the suction of fast semi truck passing ripped 80% of my roof off and insurance wouldn’t cover it. Pieces of the front and rear where I resealed with eternabond tape held. I’m still trying to figure out how to repair this without spending more than the 2000 Suncruiser is worth.

There are lots of threads on this and I agree with Idiotasca, Eternabond tape is the way to go. And, while you're at it, apply Eternabond tape to all your roof fixtures, skylight, vents, etc. You'll be glad you did.

FrEaKnHoT · 12-22-2019, 07:00 PM

Ty Idiotasca. Sorry to hear about your roof. I will certainly make sure roof is sealed.

FrEaKnHoT · 12-22-2019, 07:02 PM

Ty BobC. I will check out eternabond tape.

CalifCruiser · 12-22-2019, 10:56 PM

I had a 2002 version, 35U floorpan, which as others have mentioned, was probably one of the best plans that Winnebago ever had. In fact, they just introduced a Vista 35U, so it is back. I believe that yours is a Ford chassis, as I don't think that Workhorse was available in 2000., but not sure. We just recently traded in to a Journey 36M diesel rig after I retired and we decided to spend more time on the road, however the gas 35U was an excellent weekend, short trip rig for us. The most important thing is to keep up on maintenance. this would be the previously mentioned roof edges, oil and chassis lubes, tires (keep covered), brake and coolant changes every few years, etc. As you are finding out, this forum is a fabulous source of info, as whatever happens has probably already happened to someone else. Have fun.

FrEaKnHoT · 12-23-2019, 03:34 AM

Ty CalifCruiser, we are excited about starting our RV experience and yes, we would most likely use for long weekend trips (Thursday to Sunday). I'm glad to hear that the Adventurer was a good choice. I will stay on top of the maintenance and I do enjoy reading and learning from all the experience of this forum. Thank you again.

James Black · 12-23-2019, 08:20 AM

A great choice I have a 2003 and love it enjoy it and take care of ot.

Artbac · 12-23-2019, 08:58 AM

I have a 2003 Adventurer and like it just fine. Consider Banks Power add. I put it on and what a difference it makes. It is a workhorse chassis and the add makes it so much more fun to drive. Plenty of power to climb hills.

pastordon · 12-23-2019, 09:22 AM

FrEaKnHoT We also bought our first rv last year and it was a 2000 35u. It had 18,000 miles and had been in a garage for 2 years. Did a 3 hour trip to Dolly Wood to check it out and then headed West. We drove from Virginia to California, up the coast and back across int 90 to LaCcoss Wisconsin and back to Virginia for 6,500 miles in 52 days. We LOVED it! The rv did excellent. and you will love it too if you like traveling. Before we left on the trip we put on new Sumitomo tires and used balancing bags in each tire for balancing We drove 95% of the time @ 55mph and got an average of 8.5 mpg pulling a toad. It has the Triton v10 engine. Your tank level gauges may not work accurately. Ours did not and I was told most do not. You may want to check your vacuum lines as ours had dry rotted and I replaced them. If you are running your ac with the generator( generator must be running for 2nd compressor to run) and generator stalls, it may be the start compactor on the 2nd compressor that needs replacing and you can do that yourself. If you do not travel regularly, start you generator at least once a month. If you don't, you may have carburetor issues. If you would like to talk privately, perhaps we can arrange to do so. Enjoy what the Lord has allowed you to have and be able to see more of His creation.