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Old 07-17-2013, 10:55 PM   #1
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What's a guy to do?

In an effort to do the best job that I can in choosing an appropriate motorhome for the DW and myself I have spent countless hours researching, comparing and looking at several different MH's. Irv2 has been invaluable in helping us come to an agreement. I am intimidated by the vast amount of knowledge that all of you bring to this forum. Our thanks goes to one and all.
We are fairly convinced that a 2014 Winniebago Tour QD is the coach for us.
My simple question is this. In all of the research that I have done it seems like everybody has problems, descrpencies, breakdowns, and failures with thir new rigs. The least amount of squawks from one member was 12 with the most being over a 100 squawks from another member. Is this just the way it is or are those out their, the hidden majority, that have had very little or no problems with their new purchases? I am not so niaeve to believe that there will never be any problems but not being a handyman is scaring me a little.
I will not be offended by anyone telling me that this life stile is not for me and that I should walk away from this dream.
I'm opening myself up a little bit but at the same time I trust the folks that are apart of irv2.
Your very candid comments appreciated.
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Old 07-17-2013, 11:15 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by U-2 Pilot View Post
In an effort to do the best job that I can in choosing an appropriate motorhome for the DW and myself I have spent countless hours researching, comparing and looking at several different MH's. Irv2 has been invaluable in helping us come to an agreement. I am intimidated by the vast amount of knowledge that all of you bring to this forum. Our thanks goes to one and all.
We are fairly convinced that a 2014 Winniebago Tour QD is the coach for us.
My simple question is this. In all of the research that I have done it seems like everybody has problems, descrpencies, breakdowns, and failures with thir new rigs. The least amount of squawks from one member was 12 with the most being over a 100 squawks from another member. Is this just the way it is or are those out their, the hidden majority, that have had very little or no problems with their new purchases? I am not so niaeve to believe that there will never be any problems but not being a handyman is scaring me a little.
I will not be offended by anyone telling me that this life stile is not for me and that I should walk away from this dream.
I'm opening myself up a little bit but at the same time I trust the folks that are apart of irv2.
Your very candid comments appreciated.
If you want the least problems possible, then you should look for a coach that is 1-3 years years old
Instead of brand new. The logic behind this is that the previous owner discovered the problems and
Had them fixed already before selling to you. Why would someone sell such a cream puff you
Might ask ? Well many reasons - the health of previous owner could have taken a drastic turn, or
The previous owner decides the lifestyle is no longer appealing. The other benefit of this approach
Is the previous owner takes the huge depreciation hit, and you get a more trouble free coach for
tens of Thousands less money.
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Old 07-18-2013, 06:11 AM   #3
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pasdad1 has a good point, and we were looking for a used coach when we found our '08 Tour and bought it new in '09. The price was drastically reduced because of the recession and it had been sitting on the lot for a year, but we absolutely loved everything about it and are happy with our purchase. If you find exactly what you are looking for in a new Tour (one of the benefits of looking at new coaches), don't be hesitant because of possible problems you may encounter. My experience is that Winnebago stands behind their products pretty well.

We started using our Tour locally until we figured out what the heck we were doing, and yes we found a few small items that needed work, but the dealer was right there and everything was under warranty. If you're planning on moving into the coach right away and taking off full-timing it could be more of an issue to find dealers motivated to do warranty work, whereas the original dealer might try harder to please you for future business. At least, that was our experience.

I think it's important to remember that although it's troubling to read about all of the issues we see every day on the forums, that's what they're for and many thousands of owners don't experience most of the scary and expensive problems. We had one hydraulic issue right before we started full-timing and it was repaired by our local dealer. Since then we have had almost 20,000 miles of the most fantastic time of our lives. I hope you do the same.

BTW, if I were looking for a new coach right now it would be exactly the one you are looking at. Fantastic rig, I'm jealous. Good luck and happy travels!
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Old 07-18-2013, 06:54 AM   #4
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I think that systems problems are pretty much the nature of owning class A motorhomes. They are complex machines with many systems that have little engineering forethought or testing. Having said that, this life style is IMO worth whatever aggravations these machines can throw at us. My observations are that many owners take the time to become familiar with all the systems and are relentless in documenting problems and not letting deferred maintenance get out of control. In this sense, motor homes are not much different than owning a nice car or stick home, just more to watch. Even though I spend a great deal of time maintaining my motorhome, just as with my cars or home, it is well worth some of the aggravations just to enjoy the freedoms the lifestyle offers. Consider risk reduction activities such as maintenance agreements, tow policies and find a service center you can rely on. Go for it!
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Old 07-18-2013, 07:24 AM   #5
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After owning 6 motorhomes, both used and new, over the past 30 yrs, I think, that if you are not very handy you had better have a lot of spare cash and a lot of patience. My current MH, a 2011 Vista 35F, purchased new, has finally cured me of owning a motorhome of any kind. Don't get me wrong. I love the RV lifestyle but all you have to do is read through these owner forums, not just Winnebago, but any make, and if they don't give you many reasons to think very long and hard about owning a MH then I don't know what else to say. Good luck!
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Old 07-18-2013, 07:31 AM   #6
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Hi and welcome to the forum.

All great input for you so far IMHO.

Yes, having something constantly in need of "fixing" is the nature of the beast. Not being a handyman presents a bit of a challenge but embrace it rather than letting it intimidate you. These are not all that complicated when broken down into their component parts.

Yes, new coaches have issues. We'd like to think that, for what we pay for these things new, we would be more trouble free than they are but to a great extent our industry uses customers as their final quality assurance inspection and they just fix problems under warranty.

We bought new but I would never do it again. Getting all of the little flaws fixed and taking the huge depreciation hit just makes buying gently used a better choice for us.

The vast majority of issues with new rigs are minor... at least not of the type which will cause a breakdown at the side of the road. Get a good roadside assistance program... CoachNet.


Best of luck.

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Old 07-18-2013, 07:52 AM   #7
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If money will be super tight, you may want to think about it. Owning a motorhome you can't afford to use is no fun. If you can afford it, GO FOR IT. Have it checked out before purchase. Find a dealer with a good record of customer satisfaction. The more "goodies" you get on the motorhome, the more things there are to go wrong. Four slides means more slides to "mess" up. surround sound, electric seats and sofa's, etc. all this means more things to go wrong. The less "stuff" the less chance of something going wrong. You will have some problems regardless of how trimmed down it is. The main thing to remember is no one writes about how trouble free their motorhome is. You only read about the ones who are having problems. Most of my customers rarely had problems. My coach is a 1999 and I have had only a couple of small problems in the seven years I have owned it.
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Old 07-18-2013, 08:00 AM   #8
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On our second RV, both Winnebago. The first, a class C was new. Unless things have changed Winnebago will give you road side assistance, sometimes called RSA here, for free for one year. They sent a tire tech out to change one on our motorcycle trailer n/c but that was 8 years ago so check with the dealer. Along those lines, if you are thinking of an RSA or extended service plan look at some of the alternatives like Good Sam and Coachnet before buying from a dealer. They can be much cheaper.

Our second coach is our Vectra, the predecessor to a Tour. We could have but could not convince ourselves to spend that kind of cash and went used. As said there are a lot of bells and whistles on coaches like the Tour. Many more things to have a problem with. I pride myself in being able to fix many things but also know when to draw the line. DW is also very helpful with any repairs I do and could do many without me. We have repaired more things than I can count on both hands, saving us thousands. You are taking a big box full of high tech toys and bouncing it around so things break.

Not trying to scare anyone. If you can do a lot of the stuff yourself, you will get great satisfaction doing so. If not some kind of service plan may be the thing for you after the factory warranty runs out.

Winnebago is hard to beat IMHO
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Old 07-18-2013, 08:01 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TerryJ View Post
After owning 6 motorhomes, both used and new, over the past 30 yrs, I think, that if you are not very handy you had better have a lot of spare cash and a lot of patience. My current MH, a 2011 Vista 35F, purchased new, has finally cured me of owning a motorhome of any kind. Don't get me wrong. I love the RV lifestyle but all you have to do is read through these owner forums, not just Winnebago, but any make, and if they don't give you many reasons to think very long and hard about owning a MH then I don't know what else to say. Good luck!
I have to agree with everything Terry says...Owning a motorhome is not cheap and half the fun of owning one is tinkering with various items that need upgrading or fixing. If you're not very handy, bring cash!
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Old 07-18-2013, 09:46 AM   #10
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I totally agree with ga traveler. We're on our second new motorhome The first one had very few problems in 12 years and over 100,000 miles and so far the new one has been problem free.

Keep in mind the old adage: A happy customer will tell 3 people about their experience, an unhappy one will tell 10 people.
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Old 07-18-2013, 10:21 AM   #11
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U-2 pilot, go with your heart, wallet, likes and dislikes. I just bought my first class A (Winnebago), trading in a 5th wheel. No rig is perfect, things will go wrong. Buy from a reliable dealer, between my dealer and Winnebago, all my problems have been cured to my satisfaction.

Take some RV classes, read your owner's manuals, ask questions when in for service, keep reading this forum and slowly increase your knowledge which is what I have done. I may not know how to fix everything but I can better describe the problem to a dealer.

Finally, I would rather be on the road for whatever time I can, definitely having problems once in a while, than sitting on the porch at the old folks home wishing I had taken the chance.

Best wishes with whatever choice you make.
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Old 07-18-2013, 11:29 AM   #12
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I went from a Class B to a Class A a year ago, but I almost didn't because of the negative things I'd read here. But, it's seemed to me after reading iRV2 for the last three or four years that most problems are caused by uninformed owners (me included). These are complicated machines. A house on a diesel truck - with the maintenance of both. So learn all you can cos the dealer just won't give you the info you really need to know. Read every manual - cover to cover! Keep reading iRV2! BEFORE your first trip!

Sure, I worry that maybe my Norcold is gonna catch fire (so I took to the shop yesterday for a check up - it's ok and so far it works great!); and that my engine is gonna explode cos I revved it too high (I watch the tach); etc. etc! Yada yada...

Do I regret buying my MoHo? NO! I only wish I'd done it years ago. Frankly, I could spend a lot more time telling about how great it runs and how much pleasure it's brought us than going on about the few minor problems, that for the most part, were my own fault! I'm sure others will agree.
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Old 07-18-2013, 11:52 AM   #13
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I've been hanging out on iRV2 forum and the RV.net forum for 10 years now. Visiting numerous times per day. And since I'm currently looking for a gently used newer RV, I try to stay current on troubles people have been having with different brands. I base my purchases on the types of problems and the issues with warranty repairs, some are acceptable, others are not. Seems to me, that the Winnie's have slipped in quality and service responsiveness over the last few years. Perhaps that has to do with the crash of '08.

Anyway, you asked for candid comments, and my choice would not be a new Winnie at this point in time, or a used Winnie from '09 on. Based on reading posts to RV forums. I am a DIY'er, but there are just some issues I wouldn't deal with.

Just my opinion.
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Old 07-18-2013, 02:32 PM   #14
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U-2 ... I will take a couple of different angles here.

1) Have you travelled in a motorhome? ...
If you have not then I suggest you rent one for a week / week-end to see how it goes ... if your DW is not happy RVing that will make all of your research / choice of manufacture/ floorplan / engine choice worthless ... RVing is a drastic change in lifestyle ... it is freedom on one hand ... but along with the independence comes the necessity of doing lots of things that you have to do yourself ... dump holding tanks, back into camp sites, etc.

2) I attend a small group at my church ...
our pastor is a part of the group ... we had a discussion recently about "What do people want to talk about when they knowingly come to the end of their life?" ... and his answer is "The things they didn't do that they always wanted to" ...

So is RVing something that you need to do before you come to the end of your life?

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Old 07-18-2013, 05:15 PM   #15
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I can't tell you how greatful I am for your feedback. It has given me much to think about. I really do want to do the right thing with this decision.
Much has been said about the possible folly of buying a new coach. Maybe it would be helpful in explaining the rational that brought us to that decesion.

1. When DW and I were in our very early thirties it occurred to us that nobody was going to take care of us, financially, in our old age. We therefore set out to become debt free and financially secure enough so that we could enjoy our last chapters of life. We then, for several decades now, have saved, sacrificed, and invested as prudently as we could. The point being, with gratitude, are now in a position to afford a new couch. I know that their are those who are thinking....a fool and his money are soon parted. That well may be the case but it will be me being the fool parted from my own money. At any rate if nobody buys new coaches then how will others be able to buy used ones.

2. I was in the Air Force for 24 years and with NASA for 15. During that time i have drug my DW all over the country living in some very undesirable homes. She has never, and I mean never, complained. She has always wanted a place that was hers from the begening. I want to do this for her so that she has her, never before used, toilet, shower, kitchen, and yes black tank. You get the point.

3. I have flown enough different aircraft to know that your life can very well depend on how well the aircraft has been cared for and treated. It is very important to me to be the one pampering and taking care of this machine from the beginning. I am aware that there are those who document everything and that you can find a near perfect used coach that has been well cared for.

4. Several months ago DW and I sat down and put togeather a wish list for a couch in our price point. We were aware that the chances of getting everything we wanted was remote. With that said when we put our wish list up agenst the 14 Tour QD it all melted togeather with some extra candles on top. Especially the floor plan. We have spent hours, at the local dealer, setting in it, walking around it, driving it, and crawling under, through, and over the top of it. We just love it.

Well as you can see I may be very long on words and short on reality. I know that you good folks will show me, if any, the error of my ways.
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Old 07-18-2013, 05:27 PM   #16
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We are on our third Moho and couldn't imagine owning one if I wasn't a handyman. I've always thought the reason they have most problems is because they change styles so often. If I couldn't work on it, I would buy a ford truck and a high quality travel trailer. At least they have trucks worked out and should go many years without a problem. If the trailer gave you too much trouble you could unhook it and drive away.
Good luck
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Old 07-18-2013, 05:56 PM   #17
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One of the reasons I never liked the Winnie DP (any of them) is that they are all rear radiator. (If I am wrong about that
I apologize ) but I've been to several of the big shows and never saw any with a side radiator.

Big topic this one - search the forums for plenty of discussion about this!

Bottom line - side radiator is superior and that's why you see it in all the upper end and luxury coach lines.

You will get plenty of people probably chime in and say their rear radiator is doing okay, but then some people never
minded car windows with cranks, or telephones with dials either - trying to be humorous here and not trying
To offend!

Rear radiator makes almost every engine task, maintenance item, or repair that much harder,
Or requires greasy mechanics inside your bedroom (where they take off an engine cover near the bed
or closet to get to the engine)

Side radiator means you can open the hatch on the back of the coach, and see the
Entire engine, belts, hoses, pulleys, etc mostly in plain view, because the radiator and fan has
been moved out of the way.

If you even think you might want to start doing your own oil changes, air filter changes, whatever
sometime down the road, trust me, you want a side radiator.
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Old 07-18-2013, 07:25 PM   #18
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DW and myself jumped right in and purchased a new 2013 Allegro 36 LA. Never even been camping before. In the eight months we owned it (on the road six of those months) the only problem we had was the main door kept needing adjustment. All of about 2 minutes with an adjustable wrench. That was it.
We just traded it for a 2014 Phaeton 42 LH (hind site is 20/20). In about 1300 miles we have had very few problems. The Onan generator decided to quit with a fault code, have an appointment Tuesday. Self induced water leak when we forgot to bring a slide in SLOWLY after a hard rain. Knew better, just forgot. Caught a loose controller wire when bringing in a bedroom slide and pulled the plug out. Took about 20 minutes to figure out why only one side would work, fixed.
So far, so good. I hope this one turns out as good as the last one.
Mind you we did have about six things on our punch list when we first picked up the coach but all were fixed before leaving the dealer.
Wherever you buy it, stay at the dealer and live in it for four or five days. There will always be something, sticky drawer, a nick in the wood work, something not quite working right or out of adjustment. When buying from a dealer you are not just buying the MH, your buying there service. There reputation depends on making you happy; so make sure your happy before leaving.
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Old 07-19-2013, 01:15 AM   #19
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You're pretty much at the same point financially that I was and am. The decision, at the time, was to go for a new (in 2011) Tour 42QD. There have been issues, but I still don't regret the purchase. When I first saw it online, I knew I was sunk. I was thankful that the local dealer didn't have one...until they got one in inventory a month later. I took my wife to see it and she agreed. We bought it.
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Old 07-19-2013, 05:26 AM   #20
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You are past the point of no return.... which is okay.... And fun..... I can see that WILL be the one you
buy from an emotional attachment point of view. Enjoy the good feelings!

But if you get the chance to drive a 2014 Newmar with comfort drive, do it...... Being a pilot
You might just fall in love with the Newmar. Comfort drive is so much more than just a steering assist,
It must be experienced to be appreciated. The fellow that invented it hangs out on these forums
and said it took years ? to tweak the software and get it just right.
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