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Old 04-12-2018, 07:39 AM   #1
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2018 Vista/Sunstar 32YE

Hi All,
I am a new member and a soon to be "newbie RV'er. My husband and I are seriouisly considering a 2018 Vista/Sunstar 32YE. and I have a couple of questions. is there a difference between the two models? Can anyone chime in and talk to me about this particular model. Is it a good starter motorcoach for two "newbies"?
Any help will be greatly appreciated.
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Old 04-12-2018, 04:24 PM   #2
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Yes, Winnebago Vista is a good starter motor home. Vista and Sunstar are the same RV built on the same assembly line by the same workers with the same parts. There are slightly different exterior decoration and slightly different interior finishes available in the two lines.

At one time Winnebago had 2 brands, Winnebago and Itasca and different dealers for the two brands. A dealer could sell one , the other , or both. Winnebago brand was Vista, Itasca brand was Sunstar. They have eliminated Itasca but have not combined the Vista and Sunstar into one brand yet. They will eventually as they are almost the same.

I strongly suggest you look for about that length and floor plan in 2-3 year old used Winnebagos and Itascas. You will save 30% or more of the purchase cost and won't have the headaches of getting all the defects fixed in a new one. A Vista or a Sunstar is on the Ford F53 chassis and it is just betting broken in a 20 or 30 K miles and a couple of years old.

If you pull the trigger on a Winnebago consider joining us at the Winnebago Grand National Rally in Forest City, Iowa in July, open to all Winnebago RV owners. You will be able to learn a lot as a newbie RVer and meet a lot of fellow Winnebago RVers..You can google Winnebago GNR or google Winnebago WIT Club.
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Old 04-12-2018, 07:54 PM   #3
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We too are interested in the 32ye, but will not be ready to purchase until retirement, in about four years. My brother in law has the 29ve and they love it. We want one just a little bit larger, but not too large. The 32ye will be perfect for us. The only additional thing we would like is the outdoor kitchen. We never thought we would want one, but they love theirs. I wrote Winnebago and received a personal response. I was so impressed! Maybe by the time we purchase they will include an outdoor kitchen, at least as an option. I will be anxious to hear how you like it.
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Old 10-18-2018, 06:38 AM   #4
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Winnebago Vista 32ye

Hi
We have owned our 2018 32YE since May and have logged 3,000 miles . In those 3,000 miles, we've been on about 6 different trips , just to give you an idea of our usage so far.
We tow either our Jeep Wrangler , our 20' Center Console boat, or carry our Honda Scooter on a rack on the back.
I can honestly say that I have had to fix NOTHING on this coach so far. Everything works as it should from day one.
We are extremly pleased with our Winnebago 32YE .
The only thing we aren't thrilled with (We knew when we bought it) is the position of the TV. It's on the side wall over the dinette and not comfortable to view from the couch. Not sure why they don't mount it as a flip up cabinet over the Sink .
Everything else is spot on!!
I just did the CHF, both front and rear. I wanted to get some miles on her before making any upgrades. I have only driven it locally since the adjustment but can feel a huge improvement in sway and steering control already.
After the next trip I will decide if I want to do any other suspension upgrades.
We have the dual air and 50 amp upgrade as well as the overcab bed.
I highly recommend the dual air if you plan to be in warm climates.
Overall I give the Winnebago 32YE 4.5 Stars !!!
We love it!!!
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Old 10-18-2018, 11:15 AM   #5
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Our assessment of the 32YE is much the same as UrbanTarzan... although we are not convinced that any additional handling measures (as it came from factory) are necessary. We do have a small/slow leak in the seal of rear driver's-side jack that requires a few ounces of ATF be added to reservoir every 2 months. This will be addressed as warranty work sometime in the coming months. We have a very stiff drawer (big one under the fridge) that may need attention but other than that everything works as its supposed to.


Question for the 32YE owners... how do you rate the Maxx Fan? They seem a bit small compared to what we have seen in other comparably sized coaches. We have 2 of them and they seem to handle our ventilation needs... but barely? What do you think?
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Old 10-18-2018, 12:27 PM   #6
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Our assessment of the 32YE is much the same as UrbanTarzan... although we are not convinced that any additional handling measures (as it came from factory) are necessary.
I was of the same opinion until about 2 trips ago. Although I could feel in the ride that the sway and steering could definitely be improved upon , I was pretty happy with the ride and wasn't sure if I should even mess with any of it.
We were on an interstate in the right lane doing well under the speed limit as we approached a construction area . Traffic was moderate , not stop and go , but no spaces between vehicles either.
As we entered the construction area , there were cement barriers on the white line to the right and several trucks on my left in the middle lane .
No room for error!
Well, there was a line of uneven pavement right where my front right tire needed to be to center me in the lane. As my front tire tried to straddle that line and combined with the wind from passing trucks , It was the absolute most terrifying experience I've ever had in an RV!!! The coach started a side to side sway , there was enough play in the steering that I couldn't hold the front tires in position. I had to oversteer tremendously to get the steering to respond in both directions! Terrifying!!!
I'm not sure how I hung on but somehow I did!!

I don't have a lot of miles on the CHF yet but I can instantly feel a tremendous improvement in the steering tightness and responsiveness.. I am convinced my experience would have been at the very least half as terrifying with this fix.

For safety sake consider it , I will report back after my next trip in a few weeks that will be 700 miles each way.
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Old 10-19-2018, 06:44 AM   #7
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We also own a 32YE and have been very happy with it for the 6 months we have had it. After test driving the RV on the interstate, we had the dealer install an additional sway bar in the rear and a Safe-T Steer steering stabilizer in the front as part of the deal. Those two things made a huge improvement. I have made a couple of small corrections to issues myself. An improperly installed drawer guide and a disconnected drip tray in the fridge. Based on experience with our previous Winnebago, this kind of stuff is to be expected and its easier to take care of it yourself than go through the pain of visiting the service department. My only real dislike with the 32YE is the combination of the electric and water in a single compartment. I don't like mixing electric and water period plus the electric cable was difficult to cram into the limited space. I solved the space problem by cutting off the power cable and putting connectors on either end so I can stow the cable in another compartment.
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Old 10-19-2018, 04:25 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by blueridge-fl View Post
We also own a 32YE and have been very happy with it for the 6 months we have had it. After test driving the RV on the interstate, we had the dealer install an additional sway bar in the rear and a Safe-T Steer steering stabilizer in the front as part of the deal. Those two things made a huge improvement. I have made a couple of small corrections to issues myself. An improperly installed drawer guide and a disconnected drip tray in the fridge. Based on experience with our previous Winnebago, this kind of stuff is to be expected and its easier to take care of it yourself than go through the pain of visiting the service department. My only real dislike with the 32YE is the combination of the electric and water in a single compartment. I don't like mixing electric and water period plus the electric cable was difficult to cram into the limited space. I solved the space problem by cutting off the power cable and putting connectors on either end so I can stow the cable in another compartment.
After my next trip in a few weeks I will evaluate and decide if I want to try any other upgrades . If I feel like improvement is still needed I'll probably go with the Safe-T Steer next.
I don't mind the water and electric in the same bay except for the lack of room in there.

I have recently been considering a new way to store the dump hose and accessories . I do wish it had the square bumper storage , so simple. Right now I have it all in a big flat plastic bin and I'm not thrilled with it.
I've been eyeballing everything and trying to see where I could mount a PVC tube that would be acceptable to the eye as well as convienent.
Any ideas???
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Old 10-19-2018, 06:31 PM   #9
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Like you I have all the hoses and connectors, etc., for the waste tanks in one sealed plastic tote. I have the freshwater hoses, parts, etc. in another sealed plastic tote. System works for me.
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Old 10-20-2018, 05:13 AM   #10
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I have the dirty water supplies in one plastic bin and the clean water supplies in another. I also miss the square bumper solution that was on our trailer and thought I would mount a PVC tube somewhere. Now that I am using the plastic bin, I think I can live with it. On the upside the plastic bin does not require you to remove the elbow connector for storage. One upgrade I am currently searching for is a better center console organizer (between passenger and driver seat) than the anemic little thing that comes standard on the Vista. Anyone found something that works well?
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Old 10-20-2018, 05:22 AM   #11
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Originally Posted by FishBear View Post
Like you I have all the hoses and connectors, etc., for the waste tanks in one sealed plastic tote. I have the freshwater hoses, parts, etc. in another sealed plastic tote. System works for me.
Reading that makes It sound like a good system! It made think about why I don't like it....I think ive come to the conclusion that the reason i dont like it , simply comes down to the size and shape of the tote I'm using . Mine is long and flat, just a little taller than the hose, it doesn't fit great anywhere and it's a pain in the a$$ ..
Im going to buy a tote of the dimensions i want it to be , to fit where i want to store it!
I'm sure that will make a world of difference!
Thank you Fishbear
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Old 10-29-2018, 01:22 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by UrbanTarzan View Post
I have recently been considering a new way to store the dump hose and accessories . I do wish it had the square bumper storage , so simple. Right now I have it all in a big flat plastic bin and I'm not thrilled with it.
I've been eyeballing everything and trying to see where I could mount a PVC tube that would be acceptable to the eye as well as convienent.
Any ideas???
This is definitely a design mistake on the 32YE. I'm surprised Winnebago designed that way. The 50AMP cord in this compartment takes up too much room, and putting electrical in a potentially wet dump compartment is a bad idea. In my last rig I would never disconnect the dump hose. I felt it was unnecessary to disconnect. I would simply dump the black first, and then dump the grey. When done, I hold the hose up high, shake it as I go down to the end to make sure all grey is out of the hose, and then put the hose in the dump compartment, ready to use next time. It would never smell since I use GREY TANK chemicals. I've been doing this 20yrs and no problems, less hassle, and convenient and QUICK to use. With the 50AMP cord in this compartment it's tight to do this, but I managed to do it last night.

I think I will look into a way to route the 50AMP cable into the compartment to the right of the dump station area. If I can to that by cleanly boring a hole between these two compartments, I'll sacrifice that area to keep the cable dry and clean. It won't be as clean since there won't be a bottom hatch to run the cord, but I rarely use that anyway, I just leave the door ajar with the cable coming out. If that doesn't work I'll likely cut the cord and install connectors to remove the cable from the dump station compartment. I really don't want to remove the cable via socket each time since the cable is so bulky, awkward and heavy. I may also get a 50AMP to 30AMP extension cable which is lighter weight, since most of my requirement won't require both air conditioners running at the same time, which is the only reason to use 50AMP service, not to mention some RV parks don't support 50AMP service.
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Old 10-29-2018, 01:59 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by John Locke View Post
This is definitely a design mistake on the 32YE. I'm surprised Winnebago designed that way. The 50AMP cord in this compartment takes up too much room, and putting electrical in a potentially wet dump compartment is a bad idea.

I think I will look into a way to route the 50AMP cable into the compartment to the right of the dump station area. If I can to that by cleanly boring a hole between these two compartments, I'll sacrifice that area to keep the cable dry and clean. It won't be as clean since there won't be a bottom hatch to run the cord, but I rarely use that anyway, I just leave the door ajar with the cable coming out. If that doesn't work I'll likely cut the cord and install connectors to remove the cable from the dump station compartment. I really don't want to remove the cable via socket each time since the cable is so bulky, awkward and heavy. I may also get a 50AMP to 30AMP extension cable which is lighter weight, since most of my requirement won't require both air conditioners running at the same time, which is the only reason to use 50AMP service, not to mention some RV parks don't support 50AMP service.
I totally agree. A real aggravation and I'm surprised that the Winnebago engineers chose to combine water and electrical. I ended up going the route of cutting the power cord and adding connectors. The cord is kind of big and heavy to horse around but at least I'm not having to cram the power cord into that small water compartment. With this set up I have the bonus of being able to use my portable Progressive EMS inside the compartment when we make camp. Once set up, I can lock the compartment and not worry about the EMS taking a walk.
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Old 10-29-2018, 02:28 PM   #14
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A couple of quick updates for this thread.

First, I got a new tote for the dump hose and supplies . It fits perfectly in the compartment to the left , it's of adequate size to hold everything neatly and organized. I think this will make dumping easier in the future. As stated above , I also considered moving the electrical cable but i didn't want to start a domino effect problem... ie make an electrical problem from a dump hose issue . I also don't see a problem with the electrical cable being in the "wet" bay. First I don't allow that bay to get wet! And there is a transfer switch the renders that cable dead when not connected to power.
None of this is to say that Winnebago couldn't have done a better job of providing for these issues.

Second, I put a couple more hours on the road after doing the CHF ... WOW! HUGE Improvement!! The whole ride was on very narrow, winding, rough roads .. before this would have been a white knuckle experience. Today it was a two fingers on the wheel , jamming to my favorite tunes country ride!!

Third , I mounted a 32" tv on the electronics door over the entry door so we can kick back on the couch and watch tv without wrenching your neck to the right. Picture below.
If anyone wants specifics about this , I'll gladly post how i did it.
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Old 10-29-2018, 10:33 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by John Locke View Post
This is definitely a design mistake on the 32YE. I'm surprised Winnebago designed that way. The 50AMP cord in this compartment takes up too much room, and putting electrical in a potentially wet dump compartment is a bad idea. In my last rig I would never disconnect the dump hose. I felt it was unnecessary to disconnect. I would simply dump the black first, and then dump the grey. When done, I hold the hose up high, shake it as I go down to the end to make sure all grey is out of the hose, and then put the hose in the dump compartment, ready to use next time. It would never smell since I use GREY TANK chemicals. I've been doing this 20yrs and no problems, less hassle, and convenient and QUICK to use. With the 50AMP cord in this compartment it's tight to do this, but I managed to do it last night.

I think I will look into a way to route the 50AMP cable into the compartment to the right of the dump station area. If I can to that by cleanly boring a hole between these two compartments, I'll sacrifice that area to keep the cable dry and clean. It won't be as clean since there won't be a bottom hatch to run the cord, but I rarely use that anyway, I just leave the door ajar with the cable coming out. If that doesn't work I'll likely cut the cord and install connectors to remove the cable from the dump station compartment. I really don't want to remove the cable via socket each time since the cable is so bulky, awkward and heavy. I may also get a 50AMP to 30AMP extension cable which is lighter weight, since most of my requirement won't require both air conditioners running at the same time, which is the only reason to use 50AMP service, not to mention some RV parks don't support 50AMP service.
So after looking at this again there is no compartment to the right, I forgot that was the Genset. However, I think I've come up with a reasonable alternative for now. I found this dump hose by CAMCO called RhinoFlex at WalMart. It's very thick 23mil hose that expands to 15' long and compresses and STAYS COMPRESSED by itself to 56". It's the most ingenious hose I've ever seen, and I've been RVing for 30yrs.

Anyway, with this fancy hose I can make a small rack out of aluminum sheetmetal just above the filler attachment to store the dump hose across the top of that white sheet metal panel. The hose can stay attached, as I prefer. The other end with funnel attached can hang down the left wall of the compartment. When the compartment door is shut the hose can't fall down. I'll follow up with photos after I fabricate the shelf.

I'm not a fan of having the fresh water filler so close to the dump station. I also don't prefer having to screw a hose onto the fitting to pressure feed the tank. I think that's another design mistake. My last rig (Fleetwood) let you fill the water from an area AWAY from the dump station, so fresh water was a good distance from the possibility of contamination from dump drips. It was also a gravity feed so if overfilled it's not a problem. I'm picky that way, but that's just me. I hear this tank has a overfill outlet, but at the same time they say it's important not to fill with too much pressure, so you have to test the pressure first with the particular spigot you're using, then remember where the knob is at to get the pressure right when it's connected. Too much hassle IMO, but it is what it is. Gravity feed is much easier and fool proof.
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Old 10-30-2018, 05:41 AM   #16
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I hear this tank has a overfill outlet, but at the same time they say it's important not to fill with too much pressure, so you have to test the pressure first with the particular spigot you're using, then remember where the knob is at to get the pressure right when it's connected. Too much hassle IMO, but it is what it is. Gravity feed is much easier and fool proof.
This brings up another issue I've found and was wondering if anyone else has this problem or if I'm doing something wrong.

When we are getting ready for a trip , i bring the motorhome down by the house , level it out and open the slides so we can pack everything. I fill the fresh water to full and when we are ready to go , I drop down and move the motorhome to a less level spot on the driveway to hook up the toad .
Once the motorhome isn't level , the fresh water I just put in starts coming out of the overflow tube.
Ok , so I get that if you fill the tank and then tilt it some water will spill over.
It just seems that too much water comes out for the degree of tilt and once I get to a level area I'm down to 2/3 before I even pull out .

It almost seems like it starts a siphon and just keeps running. I can't see into the tank to see if the end of the overflow line extends down to far into the tank.
My first thought was to put a shut off valve in the overflow line but then I thought that the overflow tube may also act as a suction relief as the tank empties.

Thoughts? Ideas? Leave it and deal with it?

Thanks
UT
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Old 10-30-2018, 01:09 PM   #17
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Ok , so I get that if you fill the tank and then tilt it some water will spill over.
It just seems that too much water comes out for the degree of tilt and once I get to a level area I'm down to 2/3 before I even pull out .

It almost seems like it starts a siphon and just keeps running. I can't see into the tank to see if the end of the overflow line extends down to far into the tank.

UT
My friends 2002 Winnebago does that exact thing. If you overfill the tank to the point where it overflows, the tank will siphon out about 10gal or more, not acceptable. He has to refill the tank again after it stops the siphon process. He says it's annoying, but this design flaw trains you WATCH the water level carefully when it fills so it doesn't overflow.

This must be caused by a tube going down into the tank for overflow, so once it starts to overflow, it works as a siphon until the siphon sucks air, well below the full line. I'll have to look and see if I can find my overflow tube. I vent hole in that tube at it's high spot should prevent the siphoning effect.
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Old 10-30-2018, 02:33 PM   #18
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My friends 2002 Winnebago does that exact thing. If you overfill the tank to the point where it overflows, the tank will siphon out about 10gal or more, not acceptable. He has to refill the tank again after it stops the siphon process. He says it's annoying, but this design flaw trains you WATCH the water level carefully when it fills so it doesn't overflow.

This must be caused by a tube going down into the tank for overflow, so once it starts to overflow, it works as a siphon until the siphon sucks air, well below the full line. I'll have to look and see if I can find my overflow tube. I vent hole in that tube at it's high spot should prevent the siphoning effect.
So I'm not imagining it!! Thanks for the confirmation!!
So instead of putting an on off valve in line, I'll splice in a little vent line at the top of the arc.

I must have ADHD because I have yet to be able stand there and watch it fill to full... something always distracts me and the next thing I know I'm running across the yard saying "Crap! I forgot the water!!!"

Thanks again
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