Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 05-08-2022, 06:49 PM   #1
Winnebago Watcher
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 1
Poor 2020 Boldt KL quality complaints

Hi. I love the design and features of my 2020 Boldt KL, but cannot say enough how disappointing the general build quality and workmanship are.

In 26,000 miles of use, we have replaced the Shur-Flo water pump (because the unit was installed so that, as it vibrated, it came into contact with the base of one bed, causing the outflow pipe to crack), the MaxxAir fan (unknown reason, but control unit failed), seen the awning become useless (it jams when retracting), and now have a bathroom pocket door that will only slide halfway open until the wheeled support runs straight into a screw head securing the door track. And, of course, this loose screwhead is a good 8-10" inside the door pocket, unreachable and unfixable without somehow taking the door entirely off the track and then dismantling the entire back closet (which would also mean removing and reinstalling the black tank vent) to gain access. (I had to use a fiber optic borescope to even see the issue. Photo renders upside down, but you get the idea).

Winnebago, you sell a $200,000 vehicle that makes an IKEA book case seem like fine furniture.

Better quality parts and some degree of care in workmanship could have prevented this issue.

Oh well, my wife says she'll make a curtain.

Glad I bought this one. But never again. I should have known this was coming from the one-year warranty offered with 2020 models!
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	Pocket door screw.JPG
Views:	60
Size:	53.8 KB
ID:	182792  
PNW Boldt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-08-2022, 11:30 PM   #2
Site Team
 
Eagle5's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: South Bend, WA
Posts: 2,416
Greetings Pacific NorthWest Boldt,
It seems to me that your vehicle which is about two years old is having an average of one issue every six months. Any machine is just a collection of parts, and all that you describe can be well repaired.
I have rented motorhomes (not Winnebago) which were so poorly constructed I brought JB Weld with me on the trips to glue the cabinetry back together on our nightly stops. I have seen new motorhomes on the dealer lot (again; not Winnebago) where the bathroom door catch was off by ˝" and was shipped across the country that way.
My dad used to tell me to not try to get everything too perfect, or you will drive yourself nuts.
Welcome to the forum.
Eagle5
__________________
2019 Minnie Winnie 22M on an E-450 frame
Eagle5 is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2022, 03:47 AM   #3
Winnebago Master
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Location: Branson MO area
Posts: 674
I really and totally understand your frustration. I had a brand new 2017 Thor product and almost everything needed attention at one time or another. Once I traded to get a larger but older coach did I find that it still needed attention.

I started to think about the beating our rigs take going down the roads. How in the world can a screw or piece of equipment take that kind of beating. Your coach with 26000 miles has seen alot of road miles and other than a few items that need attention sounds like you are happy with it.


Good Luck and safe travels
__________________
07 Meridian 36G
Roadmaster tow dolly
Great Wife!! & Max the Frisbee chasing dog.
be happy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2022, 05:48 AM   #4
Winnebago Owner
 
deckape's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: On the road
Posts: 224
If those are your big problems ,, you got off easy . Suck it up and fix it your self or get it to a dealer and really get mad at how long it will take and the cost .
deckape is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2022, 09:04 AM   #5
Site Team
 
creativepart's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Spring Branch, TX
Posts: 7,783
The reality is that you can spend $2 million on an RV and have many more issues than you have seen on your RV that cost 1/10th of that.

RVs are sold in such smaller quantities than automobiles that it’s not possible to engineer and build products with any type of consistency in every unit built. As a result they all are built with problems and quality inspections can only find so many. In the end the user is the quality inspector.

Add to that the use of 3rd party subsystems for most functions and these items can be problematic on their own. As you’ve seen, since just about everything you mentioned is some item supplied by a 3rd party and not Winnebago.

We all commiserate with you and your very real frustration, but as others have suggested, in the scheme of things you’ve gotten off fairly light compared to many others.
__________________
2017 Winnebago Adventurer 37F
2016 Lincoln MKX Toad
creativepart is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2022, 10:54 AM   #6
Winnebago Master
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Elk Grove, CA
Posts: 3,574
This is an example as to why a well-maintained, previously owned RV can be a better choice than a new one.
__________________
Bob C
2002 Itasca Suncruiser 35U
Workhorse Chassis
BobC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2022, 12:22 PM   #7
Winnebago Master
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 887
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobC View Post
This is an example as to why a well-maintained, previously owned RV can be a better choice than a new one.
I would agree with that, but...

You really need to know the PO and know that he is very competent and was able to fix almost all problems himself. Otherwise the seller is probably clueless as to what is wrong with the used coach he is selling.

How many times have people asked on these forums "my batteries don't work when I am not plugged in" and discovered a post or two later that it was the battery disconnect switch. The average RV owner spends his time at FHU campsites and doesn't understand the coach's DC system. I myself thought I had a problem with the slide installation being crooked until I discovered synchronization was all it needed.

I guess I am more comfortable having a year of warranty coverage in case a really major problem crops up rather than buying a used RV with nothing.

David
__________________
2021 Thor Axis 24.1
DavidM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2022, 01:13 PM   #8
Winnebago Master
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Elk Grove, CA
Posts: 3,574
I'm a relatively skilled DIYer with a history of used sailboats and RVs under my belt. I've never bought from an average owner and, I suppose I'm not an average buyer. So far, I've always been able to tell if a PO knows his stuff and has taken care of things. There's a certain pride of ownership and knowledge that I find easy to spot.

I guess if you're a relatively unknowledgeable buyer with limited DIY skills, it can be a crapshoot.

I did buy one new TT but only because the dealer gave me a screaming deal on a previous year's model. I found out when I went to OR to pick it up that the manager had misread the inventory and sold me a current year's model for the past year's discounted price. I was impressed that they honored the deal despite their mistake.

Then again, there are always those who pretty much always buy new just on principle, be it boats, RVs, cars or houses.
__________________
Bob C
2002 Itasca Suncruiser 35U
Workhorse Chassis
BobC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-09-2022, 05:27 PM   #9
Winnebago Master
 
bigb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 1,196
If there is any room to get in there I would be tempted to fabricate a handle extension onto a right angle screwdriver and slip it in there and try to tighten the screw back down. I have a set of Snap on Bluepoint ratcheting right angle drivers with a high tooth count that only needs a very short throw to ratchet. It has a magnetic bit holder and I have cut down a phillips bit so it only sticks out 1/4" for tight places like that. If there is room to swing one you might get away with a cheaper one like this, it says .71 thickness but you could cut the bit down and make it thinner.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	thin RA.jpg
Views:	57
Size:	135.2 KB
ID:	182798  
__________________
Brian
2011 Winnebago Via 25Q on 2010 Sprinter Chassis
bigb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-15-2022, 05:24 PM   #10
Winnebago Watcher
 
Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 3
Quote:
Originally Posted by PNW Boldt View Post
Hi. I love the design and features of my 2020 Boldt KL, but cannot say enough how disappointing the general build quality and workmanship are.

In 26,000 miles of use, we have replaced the Shur-Flo water pump (because the unit was installed so that, as it vibrated, it came into contact with the base of one bed, causing the outflow pipe to crack), the MaxxAir fan (unknown reason, but control unit failed), seen the awning become useless (it jams when retracting), and now have a bathroom pocket door that will only slide halfway open until the wheeled support runs straight into a screw head securing the door track. And, of course, this loose screwhead is a good 8-10" inside the door pocket, unreachable and unfixable without somehow taking the door entirely off the track and then dismantling the entire back closet (which would also mean removing and reinstalling the black tank vent) to gain access. (I had to use a fiber optic borescope to even see the issue. Photo renders upside down, but you get the idea).

Winnebago, you sell a $200,000 vehicle that makes an IKEA book case seem like fine furniture.

Better quality parts and some degree of care in workmanship could have prevented this issue.

Oh well, my wife says she'll make a curtain.

Glad I bought this one. But never again. I should have known this was coming from the one-year warranty offered with 2020 models!
Check out the BOLDT owners Facebook page
jktsb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-16-2022, 03:41 AM   #11
Winnebago Owner
 
Bo Walker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Crawfordville Florida
Posts: 181
PNW Boldt, the pocket door should be pretty easy to remove. Once it's removed, try to use bogb's instructions. If you can't get the screw to go down and there is nothing else you can figure out, then try getting a hacksaw blade into the opening and hack the screw off and pull the cut-off piece out with a magnet and hope the tract is secured enough with the other screws to handle the door.
__________________
I have no Idea!
Bo Walker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2023, 06:51 PM   #12
Winnebago Watcher
 
Join Date: Oct 2023
Posts: 2
can I call winnebago to get a unit history?
Globaby100 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2023, 08:19 AM   #13
Winnebago Master
 
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Pflugerville/Austin, Tx
Posts: 7,371
Quote:
Originally Posted by Globaby100 View Post
can I call winnebago to get a unit history?
I've never tried it but would not think it worth the effort.
I would guess at least half the repairs done on any Rv are not reported to Winnebago as they are done by private repair or DIY!
Chassis items that are recalled for defects might show up on searches for safety defects found? Same as normal cars/trucks.
__________________
Richard
Why no RV year, make and floorplan on MY signature as we suggest for others?
I currently DO NOT have one!
Morich is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2023, 11:35 AM   #14
Site Team
 
creativepart's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Spring Branch, TX
Posts: 7,783
I agree with Richard, Winnebago doesn't keep records of repairs from dealers or mobile techs, etc. Perhaps they have records of a service trip to the factory service center in Iowa. But I doubt they have anything else.
__________________
2017 Winnebago Adventurer 37F
2016 Lincoln MKX Toad
creativepart is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2023, 02:14 PM   #15
Winnebago Master
 
powercat_ras's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Manhattan, Kansas USA
Posts: 1,315
You do want to register with Winnebago if you buy a used one, at least with motorized ones. They will associate the VIN and serial # with your name and contact information so they can reach you in case of any recall that impacts your RV.

Once you have registered as the owner, I would think that their call center would share any history their computers have on your RV, but I agree that this would probally be limited to Winnebago paid dealer warranty work and work done at the factory service center. I can't say for sure that the record their customer call center reps can pull up will even show that.

Can't say if the TT division has the same level of customer support. They probally do but can't say for sure.
__________________
Randy - Manhattan, Kansas
2015 Vista 27N
2020 Ford Escape Hybrid
powercat_ras is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-02-2023, 04:10 PM   #16
Winnebago Camper
 
Gizmoneer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2023
Posts: 28
Howdy,

As an owner of a 2023 Travato 59K with SO MANY issues that are yet to be resolved -- I feel your pain.

I'm going go with the premise that the one team at Winnebago has still working from home is the QA department.

BTW -- this is our 3rd Winnebago -- our most costly, definitely our most disappointing, and (fortunately/unfortunately) on of the biggest mistakes we have ever made.
__________________
Gizmoneer
Travelers living the width of life, not only the length.
Over 15 years as RVers. Current RV: 2023 Travato 59K
Gizmoneer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-03-2023, 03:53 AM   #17
Winnebago Owner
 
Bo Walker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Crawfordville Florida
Posts: 181
Did PNW Boldt get his door on tract?
Gizmoneer, I'm sorry you're having problems with the Travato. Apparently you have another motor home not yet sold. Maybe you can ease some of the pain and use it until your Travato better cooperates.
__________________
I have no Idea!
Bo Walker is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-03-2023, 10:44 AM   #18
Winnebago Camper
 
Gizmoneer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2023
Posts: 28
Our 4th RV is "semi-permanently" parked in a planned community a few miles from the Canadian border and for sale. We had hoped to use the proceeds from the sale to offset some of the cost of the Travato -- however, since most of our neighbors are Canadian and the exchange rate at over $1.35 Canadian to $1 US -- things are slow to sell in our community. Meanwhile -- though the heating/power generation systems are not-working in the Travato, we're not letting moss grow under our wheels.

After over 15 years of RVing and continuing to get smaller with each RV purchased -- we've learned how to make do with less. PLUS hopefully most of the system repairs will get resolved this month. (I'm thinking positively...)
__________________
Gizmoneer
Travelers living the width of life, not only the length.
Over 15 years as RVers. Current RV: 2023 Travato 59K
Gizmoneer is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
quality


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Boldt BL vs Boldt KL floor plan? mase Welcome Mat 2 07-21-2021 09:20 PM
Poor Paint Quality New RV 37NG General Maintenance and Repair 0 05-26-2021 01:27 PM
Poor Quality Control Winnebago Windshield Installation Jgraydon General Maintenance and Repair 25 10-06-2015 06:48 AM
Poor placement of chair VSPA General Maintenance and Repair 11 06-30-2012 02:57 PM
Poor design for fuelling a 2004 Journey? Slowdragon Winnebago Class A Motorhomes 18 03-23-2005 11:52 AM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Winnebago Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 12:44 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.