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Old 12-24-2018, 11:50 AM   #21
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So my thread ended with a question "Is this the new norm for American made product".
An eclectic assortment of responses, including;

"CREATIVE PART"
To summarize his/her response;
1. I should have gone to PDI school before purchase so i could do a proper PDI with the dealer.
2. Due to all the faulty items i should shoulder some responsibility for a poor PDI on my part.
3. I bought a cheap model so i should expect exactly what i got.
4. I should quit my job or use my vacation time to go to the factory for repairs, and assume some miracle will occur that "Winnebago" will do better the 2ND time around.
5. And last a laundry list of items that i would have known about if i would have been in RVing longer (Yep, only been at it for 38 years)

"4X4van";
Simply put i did a questionable PDI. If it were him he would never have bought it. Gee, might be the smartest guy on the board.

For others i think there is some agreement that "Winnebago" does in fact build a very poor quality product.

In closing i will leave this thread up and leave any further thoughts on this topic to myself.
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Old 12-24-2018, 12:53 PM   #22
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I think my long list was much longer than yours. Winnebago is the lowest of the low in quality workmanship and materials. I put $7,000.00 in the chassis alone just to get it driving straight.
I also replaced: Radio, Windows, Microwaves, Transfer switch, receptacles, 4 time replacement of transition panels on the outside of the coach, every LED light in the coach 3 times, slide rubber strips to keep the daylight and wind out, and the list just goes on and on.
Winnebago and the authorized dealers have you by the "You know what" and they like draining your wallet.
Moonie
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Old 12-24-2018, 01:31 PM   #23
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THAWK, My wife and I are in complete agreement. It does NOT matter if we spend 50K,150K or even $250K the QC SHOULD BE MUCH BETTER ! Especially from a well known Manufacturer as Winnebago. We had a 2015 Navion V. On the way home (Wisconsin) from Forest City, IA we had 2 Nox sensors go out, indicating that we needed DEF. Not true. On our first trip to GA to see our son graduate from Army boot camp in March, the Furnace quit working, the kitchen sink was not fitting correctly so it 'leaked' water down into the 'Stereo, Radio' and blew that out. On the way home, the 'hot water' heater quit working and the 'Electric Steps' quit working. That was our FIRST trip. The dealer (Very Near Winnebago) fixed everything correctly. Our Second trip the following June out West, the Air Conditioner fan blade broke, No air in 95 -100 deg. weather that year. We only paid $130k? Not enough money, maybe that's why we had problems. We eventually sold it (all fixed). We tried "Build Your Own Dream" 2018 Nexus RV direct from the factory. Night Mare from the start. Too many problems to list them here. Over weight was the biggest problem (yes the Yellow Federal Sticker was wrong), Water leaks, 2 Gas line leaks, screws braking around 3 different slide outs etc. Litigation ? Yes !


Now we bought a 2019 Sightseer 33C. Made sure it could carry the proper weight, the Yellow Federal Sticker was right on this RV. We have had 'Several' things fixed on this new RV too, THE IL. dealer did a great job on the fixing, however I will be making a trip to Forest City to adjust and fix things that the dealer missed or couldn't fix. We really love this RV, it even has a Washer and Dryer, No water leaks. Has a New,New Radio now. I guess we didn't pay enough for this RV either.


We understand ALL the comments, criticisms that this article and your article draws. We (You & I) don't understand that we are driving an 'Active Earthquake' down the road and we SHOULD 'Expect these things to happen' AND 'Accept these things to happen'. How long have they 'THEY ?' been building RVs? How long have builders built 'STRUCTURES' that 'Resist' earthquakes. It's NOT RIGHT, BUT It's ALL THERE IS for now. I should not have to buy an RV that cost more than my 300k house to enjoy the pleasures of RVing...



My only GOOD advice for folks that want to drive an RV is: "DON'T SELL YOUR 'LAND HOME' ! You will someday need it for unforeseen illness and/or RV break downs......
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Old 12-24-2018, 01:49 PM   #24
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Thawk, I hope my comments didn't offend. I surely never intended to do that. My only goal was to give you a real world answer to motorhome realities. Not how I or anyone else wants it to be -- but a realistic look about how things are.

For those that think Winnebago is so bad, it's only because you haven't had the misfortune to purchase one of the 3 or 4 lower quality brands.

At a Winnebago specific forum like this one, you're going to encounter folks with complaints and problems with their Winnie. Those without many problems may have no reason to post on a RV Forum.

Before I purchased my Winnebago I spent 6 to 8 months reading brand specific forums for Newmar, Tiffin, Winnebago, Fleetwood and Thor. I didn't bother with reading the forums about Forest River and Coachman because I've owned FR products before and knew exactly the level of quality they produce. You get a very good impression of the issues seen by each brand - and the level of quality of the manufacturer doing this.

You may feel different, but after 18 months and 16,000 miles I would still rank my Winnebago as very good quality and I'd put Winnebago 3rd behind Newmar and Tiffin. And very much above Fleetwood, Thor and others.

Again, I'm sorry for your problems and sorry if my attempt at seriously helping you with your RV offended you.
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Old 12-24-2018, 02:33 PM   #25
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MOONIE
Sorry to hear of your problems. I hope i'm not starting down the road of spending $7000.00 to cure my handling issues. My conversations with Freightliner" after spending $1000.00 on my handling issues are so far very DISCOMFORTING.
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Old 12-24-2018, 06:49 PM   #26
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I am very sorry to read about your issues on the new coach. Have you contacted anyone at the main plant in Iowa? You should be able to speak with someone who can set up the return of the coach to the factory, or the Oregon plant. If you press them hard, I have heard of times they have sent drivers to pick up the coach and drive it to the plant, and return it to you when complete. Since you are on the west coast and it could of been built in Oregon plant they might take it there.

Make sure you keep records of all conversations, and correspondence for future. It may not be your nature but do not take no for an answer, be firm and do not be afraid to clime the corporate ladder to get the desired answers.

Best of luck,And please keep s informed
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Old 12-25-2018, 04:06 PM   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by THAWK View Post
Drycreek:
6.7 isl
Thanks.
I did go out to the Freightliner website t look at their motor home chassis offerings. I see that the 6.7, 8.3 and 8.9 are available options still.

I thought that I saw somewhere the newer V-8 was being used in some motor homes. Maybe it was Tiffin.

I can understand your frustration with paying as much as you did for a new product and finding the quality and workmanship below your standards. I am curious to how many RV's you've owned in the past, and which brands?

In the 31 years we've been married, my wife and I have owned:
1 truck camper (early 70's Franklin)
4 travel trailers ('69 Serro Scotty, 1967 Shasta UltraLite, 1976 Terry, 1980 Sunline)
3 popups (1974 Coleman. 1988 Palomino Pinto, 1995 Jayco 12UDK)
2 fifth wheel campers (1999 Mallard [Fleetwood], 2005 Terry Quantum [Fleetwood] 285RLS)

And, we are on our first motor home we've owned - purchased (used) in March of 2016. The only other "camper" we had purchased new was the Jayco popup. It needed service while in the warranty period, and it was handled pretty quickly and fixed properly. All of our other units have been purchased used.

Our current motor home is a 2006 Winnebago Sightseer 29R. It has (I believe) a little over 83K miles now. We've put on 11K of those since our purchase. I queried my wife, and she agrees with me that the build quality, fit and finish, and level of amenities are the best in any unit we've owned so far. Back in 2006 the Sightseer line was their entry-level offering. The next-closest unit that compares in quality is (believe it or not) the Terry Quantum (Fleetwood product). It was their next to the top of the line offering (just below the AX6). The cabinetry is better in the Winnebago, as well as the quality of the hardware. The mechanical systems are better thought out and installed in a more workmanlike fashion on the W product too.

When we were shopping for our first Class A, we took out time and looked pretty much all over Texas and southern Oklahoma. It boiled down to two units with (nearly) identical floorplans. One was the Winnebago we chose, and, surprisingly enough, the other closest competitor was parked right next to it at the same lot - a 2007 Damon Daybreak. While the Damon had only 19K miles compared to the roughly 72.5K miles on the Winnie, we noticed the difference in build quality immediately. The double-pane windows made a huge difference in the sound level inside the coach both stopped and on the road. The Generac genset in the Damon was louder, and when running something inside the coach was loose and vibrating (buzzing). The cabinets were all thinner pressboard with veneer. The drawer pulls were already starting to show their age too. We spent nearly an hour checking each coach out. They were sitting almost right next to each on the PPL Cleburne lot. Since the railroad track run right behind the dealership we could directly compare sound level in each coach. It should say a lot that we chose a unit with nearly three times as many miles, an entire model year older for the same price.

I'm not trying to defend Winnebago Industries - I hear that their quality has lapsed some in the last few years, but I don't have any direct experience with that. In the next year or so we will probably upgrade to a diesel pusher, and a unit in the same time period as our current unit would certainly be on our list to check out (in fact, we'd love to find a 2002 to 2007 Itasca Meridian or Winnebago Journey 32T), along with Tiffin and maybe a Fleetwood product. I don't have the discretionary funds for a Newell, Foretravel or Prevost.

I hope that you are able to get these issues straightened out. As much as it would aggravate me, I really would consider taking the unit directly to Forest City or Oregon and have them do the repairs right. From my experience, the RV techs at many dealerships are sketchy at best. I have far more knowledge of RV systems than many of the ones I've met...
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Old 12-26-2018, 02:20 AM   #28
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We traded a near perfect 2007 Journey 39K with only 22K miles, new tires and 85 generator hours to Independence RV in Florida last month if your looking now
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Old 12-27-2018, 06:11 PM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hawkeye View Post
We traded a near perfect 2007 Journey 39K with only 22K miles, new tires and 85 generator hours to Independence RV in Florida last month if your looking now
If it was a 32T, we'd be looking.
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Old 12-30-2018, 04:45 PM   #30
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The reason you should take the coach back to Forest City is that it is the most capable repair location. All parts are in a massive warehouse in the complex accessible in hours. Junction City has to order all the parts and get them shipped. Forest City will get a list from you of issues and based on what you have said, will likely have them available for your first day. I have heard it takes days to get them to the West Coast. At F.C., you should be in and out in a couple of days not weeks. While it is a long drive for many, it will likely prove to be the best and most expeditious solution.
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Old 12-30-2018, 05:30 PM   #31
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You can call Winnebago Customer Service and make an appointment. I would take your Forza to Forest City, where it was built BEFORE your 12 month bumper to bumper warranty runs out.

The main reason you might want to go there IMHO is your slideout concerns. They may decide to proactively repair slide mechanisms based on the noises you are hearing. At a minimum you'll have it documented you have problems and if further problems occur after your warranty is expired you'll have a better chance of getting complementary repairs from Winnebago then.

Some issues like your desire to have it handle better are likely not design or manufacturing defects, but can be improved. You might want to consider adding a Safe-T-Plus or similar Steering Stabilizer to improve handling.
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