Itasca Owners? Wha Hoppen?

Traknut91 · 03-28-2019, 03:26 PM

Some of you must be Itasca owners as am I. To say I was disturbed to find that Winnebago deleted the Itasca line is probably an understatement. Does anyone know why this was done? Originally, the Itasca line was introduced, I think, to be an upgrade line from Winnebago but somewhere in the past, Itasca became a re-badged Winnebago. Perhaps there was some Winnebago dilution that caused the demise. Hopefully one of you will know.

WinnieView · 03-28-2019, 05:41 PM

Welcome to Winnie Owners, we are glad you joined us.

If you have the time, completing a signature with the year make and model for your Winnie (Itasca) can help others to help you if and when you need it. And you can do that here;

http://www.winnieowners.com/forums/p...=editsignature

Old Crows · 03-28-2019, 06:07 PM

WBGO has slowly backed away from the Itasca brand. 2017 maybe?

Within the late model Class C View, View Profile, Navion & Navion iQ line up there's not a farthings difference in quality or fittings. Differences were in interior color, patterns and exterior colors and designs. Checking the 2019/20 website, there are two different "shapes", colors, designs and presumably different interiors. I suspect there wasn't huge difference in between the older ones.

A problem I saw with the distinct WBGO / Tasca lines was that they created two distinct dealership franchises that would not service or care for the "same" RV. That was a sorry business decision. Of course it could have been a major dust up in the showroom when an Itasca owner, having paid a premium for a coach, discovered that the same RV cost oodles less at the WBGO store down the road.

Traknut91 · 03-29-2019, 03:19 PM

Here in CA the prices were the same, the discounts the same, but probably like all brands, the dealership service varies tremendously, even within the same dealership from mechanic to mechanic.

Traknut91 · 03-29-2019, 03:26 PM

I think the Winnebago Industries website dropped all reference to Itasca in late 2016 but it could have been 2017. Naively, I expected some notification from Winnebago or the WIT club but nada. Here on the CA central coast (San Luis Obispo County) we have only one dealership and they sold both Itasca and Winnebago (as well as many other brands).

Traknut91 · 03-29-2019, 03:32 PM

Site Team,

One of the reasons I joined is to post a somewhat humorous trail I have written regarding our first RV purchase. Is there a limit or a place for short stories?

Thanks for the site, I am enjoying already.

WinnieView · 03-29-2019, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Traknut91

Site Team,

One of the reasons I joined is to post a somewhat humorous trail I have written regarding our first RV purchase. Is there a limit or a place for short stories?

Thanks for the site, I am enjoying already.

Yes, each member gets their own Blog on Winnie Owners. You can find others and create yours here;

Winnebago Owners Online Community - Blogs

Meridian42e · 03-30-2019, 10:17 AM

Having redundant product lines was never a bad decision, it was a way to expand your market with the perception you offer much more than you really do. Fleetwood carried 4 identical towable lines for years (Wilnderness, Kit, Prowler, Terry), and all three car manufacturers did for decades after they bought the brands. My favorite - no matter how you spell it, you were getting a Nova

N=Nova (Chevrolet)
O=Omega (Oldsmobile)
V=Ventura (Pontiac)
A=Apollo (Buick)

But suddenly, the manufacturers decided there are cost benefits to streamlining, so they starting dropping off the mirrored market.

My Itasca Meridian is an orphan in nearly every possible way. No more Itasca line, no more Meridian or even it's sister Journey line, and in reality, no where else for me to go in the Winnebago line if I got ready to upgrade. My coach was a mid-level diesel pusher in Winnebago line 2 years ago, now Winnebago offers nothing as an upgrade to mine if I wanted to trade. Adios Winnebago! Hello Newmar or Tiffin!

What really burns my biscuits more than anything, is WIT dropped Itasca out of it's name quicker than Winnebago could drop the line. It used to be Winnebago-Itasca Travelers, and now it's Winnebago-International Travelers. Heck, they haven't even taken the Itasca sign down at the Dealer yet, and the social club has already kicked me to the curb! WIT this!

**creativepart** · 03-30-2019, 01:08 PM

Look at the Fleetwood line: Bounder 35K > Southwind 35K > Holiday Rambler Vacationer 35K. All three exact same coaches. Some floorplans, etc. built on the same factory line. Why bother.

inlineskater · 03-30-2019, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Traknut91

Some of you must be Itasca owners as am I. To say I was disturbed to find that Winnebago deleted the Itasca line is probably an understatement. Does anyone know why this was done? Originally, the Itasca line was introduced, I think, to be an upgrade line from Winnebago but somewhere in the past, Itasca became a re-badged Winnebago. Perhaps there was some Winnebago dilution that caused the demise. Hopefully one of you will know.

The reason they started the Itasca line was that Winnebago had an exclusive contract to use Dodge Chassis when they first started out. Customers wanted other manufacturers under the Winnebago MH's so they started Itasca.

LCBOYER · 04-03-2019, 04:41 PM

The story I heard about Itaska is
No, an Itasca is not an upgraded Winnebago. In the 70s GM made a line of motorhomes called Itasca. They decided to let Winnebago manufacture them. Eventually Winnebago bought them out and has kept the two lines seperate. They are made at the same plant (Forest city) and are made of the same components, they just have different names. One is not better than the other.

DryCreek · 04-03-2019, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meridian42e

Having redundant product lines was never a bad decision, it was a way to expand your market with the perception you offer much more than you really do. Fleetwood carried 4 identical towable lines for years (Wilnderness, Kit, Prowler, Terry),

You forgot Mallard. We owned one, and two Terry campers (a '78 TT and a 2004 Quantum fifth wheel). The Mallard was an entry level brand, and Terry (especially the Quantum line) was near the top of the line. The Prowler Regal AX6 and Terry Quantum AX6 were the top of the line offerings.

RzRzRzR · 04-04-2019, 05:53 AM

I found it interesting that Itasca is not really mentioned in this Wikipedia article.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnebago_Industries

DLH · 04-04-2019, 06:47 AM

I agree with LCBOYER except I read that Itasca was a loaded model with very few option.

htbotdvr · 04-04-2019, 08:04 AM

who cares not Winnebago my Itasca 33 with workhorse is the best mw ever and Winnebago can go the way of others as they have over paid people making dumb choices,I will still have my great ride 2006 suncruiser

Chiefig · 04-04-2019, 08:31 AM

Think of it this way. GM has a Cadillac division, a Buick division, and a Chevrolet division. Itasca was the Cadillac of Winnebago and they decided to stop making them for whatever reason - pretty simple.

puttin · 04-04-2019, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Traknut91

Site Team,

One of the reasons I joined is to post a somewhat humorous trail I have written regarding our first RV purchase. Is there a limit or a place for short stories?

Thanks for the site, I am enjoying already.

I'd like to read your funny story. Just an aside, if we were to buy another mh I'd look seriously at the 38-J's built by both Itasca and Winn. Probably years '06 and '07. Would not buy anything new. The construction of our 35-J is stout- I've been in lots of nooks and crannies over the years doing mods.

BobC · 04-04-2019, 09:31 AM

When I started looking for a MH in 2017, it was very confusing and it took a while for me to realize that Itasca was made by Winnebago (a name that had brand recognition). Add to that the various names within the Itasca umbrella, Suncruiser, Sunova, Sunstar, Sunxxx, etc. and I was totally confused. I had to make a spreadsheet to keep everything straight including the Winnebago names.

I think product line simplification is good as long as Winnebago continues to manufacture quality products.

I'm happy that I ended up with my Itasca Suncruiser 35U but do I care if it's named Suncruiser or Adventurer or whatever? Not in the least.

Meridian42e · 04-04-2019, 09:38 AM

Y'all keep thinking that Itasca is the upper end unit! I'll try to price mine that way when I sell it

PS - if you really want to know what the differences are, all of the brochures are downloadable from winnebagoind.com going back to the 60's.

djpauls · 04-04-2019, 09:52 AM

In response to LCBOYER and others who may be interested in the origin of Itasca. I was an RV dealer from 1969 - 1991. At the 1974 Louisville RV Dealer show, Winnebago announced the Itasca line. We were one of the first Itasca dealers. Winnebago was exclusively Dodge chassis and the new Itasca was exclusively Chevrolet. Build quality and construction was always the same. The Itasca had a much higher base price but many options were standard. Floor plans were mostly the same but each line had 1 or 2 exclusives. I still remember my sales pitch from 1975. Now I am starting to feel old!

I hope that this helps!