Why Winnebago;;

[bachler]

Over the past Years I have Been reading of problems Winnebago owners are/had with there coaches . I would like to hear from owners and there good experiances, With their coach.. . As we bought our coach because of the Basement air,as our door is a bit to low for the top mounted air. and the Winnebago Co. Has a dealer/repair network that is everywhere. (I would also Like to make it Perfectly clear Other then being a loyal Winnebago Customer I have no affileation with Winnebago). Lets keep the posts short and NO personal Or competiors attacks. OK> Thanks Have a good year. Life is good

[RedWing Nut]

There are a lot of Winnebagos out there and people are more likely to complain on a forum than they are to give praise. It's that simple.

I've never owned one but I would buy one if I found a good deal and it had what I wanted. I believe they are one of the better made RVs.

[Sky_Boss]

I am not as enthused about the basement air BUT...I don't hate it either. I don't think we will go back to Winnebago/Itasca for that reason because I can't afford the newer models without it. That being said...

We have had a GREAT experience with our Adventurer. One of the best floor plans we could have found. Moving to a DP will most likely not give us this nice of a floor plan with a mid-entry door...at least not in the 40-43' range.

No major problems as a whole with the MH related to it's construction. Needed to replace the Norcold cooling unit with the Amish version and also replace the converter but those are par for the course. Slides, levelers, water system, holding tank system have all performed without flaw.

A admit I am a little afraid to inspect the windshield window seals.

Body rust is a NON-issue and the roof is in great shape too.

For our first MH...it was an eye opener and a great learning platform. If we had understood it wasn't quite the full time MH for us that we wanted, it wouldn't be for sale.

[dieharder]

Like RedWing said, on the internet you're much more likely to read complaints about anything than praise. It's just human nature. Praise rarely goes beyond the "thank you" we say at the time, but if we have something negative to say, we have to tell everyone.

We bought our 99 Itasca 3 years ago and haven't had any problem. Knock on wood.

[Wayne M]

They are like any other manufactured RV, they have their problems and they have their good points. One of those good points for you is the basement air, or modify the storage door - most likely not.

I don't think there is an RV manufacturer that has not had problems. Consider that we are driving an earthquake down the highway.

Many on here have had no problems, and I'm sure they will jump in.

So far, I love the basement air and heat pump.

It sounds like you just "have" to have the basement air, but if things change and you could go with roof air, don't rule out the other models just because of "service" locations. Many, many dealers are authorized for several manufactures and not just one specific brand. Ask around.

Good luck.

[RickO]

We've been really happy with ours since buying our new Itasca DP in 2007.

[toneumanns]

My first couple of outings I really questioned my purchase. Now after 20,000 miles we are happy with it. The last 2 1,800 miles trips were completed without any issues.

[autofish]

Bought new in 2001 now 11 years and 65k miles later the 34 bd Horizion 330 cat has served me well. Looking for another 65k trouble free miles. AC/heat pump has worked with no problem. Have had the normal vehical problems do to miles driven. Overall will do it again.

[AFChap]

We researched extensively before buying a Winnebago. We inspected every new and used coach of any brand that we could get our hands on, frequented owner forums and consumer complaint sites, and for sale sites. After getting a good sense of market share per brand, we could see noticeably fewer late model Winnie for sale vs other brands, and fewer Winnie complaints on the formal consumer complaint sites. We began to sense Winnie owner satisfaction was higher than average, along with Winnie customer service. From our personal inspections, we began to believe Winnie build quality was better than most. We narrowed our search and concentrated on Winnie and a couple of other brands, eventually working on just two brands. We had a slight preference for Winnie by that time so looked at more Winnies than other. When we found a dealer show coach being sold near the start of the next model year, we bought above the level we were focusing on, and have yet to see another coach that we truly like better. After 9 years and over 60k miles, we are still quite happy with our Winnebago.

[Ramzfan]

I have to comment on this thread. I am on my third Itasca. I have owned three other brands also, as I used to buy/sell motorhomes as a hobby. I used to own them for about a year, use them to vacation in, and then sell them. After owning the other brands and seeing the problems that they offered, I was actually thrilled to get back into a Winnebago product with my current coach, a 36' Meridian by Itasca. The quality is better, the support is better, and they are still in business! I won't buy another brand again.

[corjaguar]

We love our 2010 35P............can't say enough about the fit and finish, have owned Holiday Rambler, Coachman, and this is the nicest of them all.
The basement air was a buying decision....plus the great floor plan and a king size bed sealed the deal.

[dirko]

Hi Ho: We replaced our 2000 Itasca Suncruiser (gas) which we bought new with a 2006 tiffin Phaeton (diesel) this last spring. Our experience with motorhomes goes back a lot further. I really believe that WI is a good company with good products. Tiffin is also. People that complain are usually not into maintaining their coach themselves.

The real issues come mostly because of poor (or no) maintenance. When we sold our 2000 Suncruiser it was honestly in better condition that when we bought it. There are always infant mortality and manufacturing problems that have to be solved. For example, WI forgot to tighten the gas lines from the propane tank. It took about 30 minutes to take them apart and tighten them properly--less time than to take the coach in. It has taken us about 6 months to get through these types of issues with our used Phaeton.

So, the reason for this post is to suggest that you know your coach inside and out and personally proactively check and maintain all systems. This sounds llike a tall order, but if you have time, some skills, and interest it is actually fun and results in a happy experience traveling in your motorhome.

Let me give you an example: While traveling through Alaska a couple of years ago I noticed that the coach batteries were not being charged while we were driving. In about 2 minutes I had the problem isolated to the charging solenoid (a common failure) and we picked one up on our way to do some gold panning. It took me about 20 minutes to install the new one. Total cost $20. Time spent was essentially zero because I put it in while my wife was getting lunch ready and we didn't even have to make a special trip to get the part.

Anyway, I don't understand those that try to get everything serviced. Just too much hassle for me.

Dirk

[Mickey Mouse]

We have been happy with our 04 Journey, basement air has been fine. Our next will probably be the Tour or another Journey.

[bachler]

what a relief To read good things. Posative posts;; Nice, nice , Keep it up

[traveler of california]

We have a 2001 Winnie and love it. It is a DP 32' with over 100K miles. Normal stuff to repair with age. I think Winnie has a great product, great support, easy to get parts and the company has been around for years. If we get another MoHo it will be a Winnie.

Nick

[Chillbilly]

IMHO Winnebago is tied with Tiffin as being the best coach manufacturer there is. Look at the impressive roster of Quality Awards they have accumulated. We are very happy with our Adventurer, wouldn't own any other make.

[Dennis Edwards]

We purchased a 2004 Winnebago Journey 36g new. It was almost flawless!

We recently traded for a 2012 Tiffin Breeze 32BR, and have had nothing but problems and trouble!

We would take Winnebago back in a flash!

[Ramzfan]

Originally Posted by Dennis Edwards

We purchased a 2004 Winnebago Journey 36g new. It was almost flawless!

We recently traded for a 2012 Tiffin Breeze 32BR, and have had nothing but problems and trouble!

We would take Winnebago back in a flash!

That's exactly what happened to me...we found out that the grass ISN'T always greener on the other side...!

[Petro]

My first Winnebago was a 97 Adventure, 2nd was a 2003 Chieftain, and my current is a 2005 Itasca Horizon. All 3 had basement A/Cs and I never had any problems with any of them. I am sold on Winnebago quality and I likely will never own another brand. I have had great service from Winnebago Customer Service and I don't have a bad word to say about any of my Winnebago products.

Don

[puttin]

Bachler,

We have an '08 Sightseer 35-J. Very few problems when we took delivery 5 years ago, and none since then. It has served us faithfully and I will remain a good ambassador to Winnebago products.