Winnebago Support

[sajohnson]

Originally Posted by SarahW

I apologize for the slight hi-jack of the thread.

Hopefully RLTH can get his window replaced without too much hassle.

I'm afraid I'm the one who should apologize.

RLTH has received some helpful suggestions -- hopefully one of them will work and not be too expensive

[sajohnson]

Originally Posted by SarahW

That's true, Bill. But you probably are aware that for years, Winnebago has made a huge deal out of the fact that they supply the parts for their products. Salesmen would even show potential buyers the code numbers on cabinet doors, etc., saying that if a replacement is ever needed all a customer has to do is contact Winnie with that number. But I can understand that eventually it would not be possible to stock every part for every RV ever made.

And your suggestion of a salvage yard is a good one, though I believe a local glass company could probably replace the window, and cheaper than an RV dealership.

Well said Sarah.

I distinctly remember the availability of parts being something Winnebago salespeople would emphasize -- and I recall them pointing out the code numbers.

Obviously, Winnebago cannot stock every single part for every RV they've ever made since the 1950s, but it is reasonable to expect that they would have common parts for an 8 year old rig.

RLTH has every right to be disillusioned with WGO. I'm sure many people would feel the same way.

In replying to this thread, I recalled hearing that auto mfrs are required to stock parts for their cars for a minimum of 10 years. Hoever, near as I can tell from searching online, that is not the case. There is (apparently) no federal law, but mfrs know it will hurt their bottom line if they cannot supply parts for their vehicles for a reasonable amount of time.

IOW, it's just good business practice. So while they are not required to do so, most companies stock parts for at least 15 years, and in many cases much longer.

There are a lot of business (and personal) practices that, while not required by law, are the right thing to do. Not leaving customers high and dry when it comes to replacement parts is one of them.

I have been a member of several RV forums since 2009. In that time, I have read numerous post from potential RV buyers who decided against purchasing an RV because of the number of posts like RLTH's.

There will always be people who purchase on impulse -- but there are plenty more who are cautious and thoughtful and read RV forums as part of their research. If only a tiny percentage of posts were negative it probably would not affect sales much, but there are a LOT of posts -- on every forum I belong to -- that are enough to make a person/couple think twice about owning an RV: reliability issues; problems with quality control/workmanship; negative experiences with mfrs and dealers; cost of maint & repair, etc.

It seems reasonable to assume that WGO (and the industry as a whole) would want to improve people's ownership experience -- if for no other reason than to boost sales.

[joanbill]

A good discussion and I would like to make a further input. I understood it was the seal and not the glass that was defective so I assume that the seal is an integral part of the glass on the window. Also, comparing car production and RV production is unfair. Car models are made by the thousands and RVs by the 10s or 100s. I have owned Winnebagos since 1975 and I recall their ads over the years highlighting replacement of parts but I always understood that to be the multitude of parts they themselves produced such as the body, cabinets, holding tanks, cushions etc. Recently I took a factory tour and sure enough they still make a large variety of parts for their coaches. Yesterday I went to Lowes to replace a 5 year old faucet I bought there. Guess what - they did not have the same model but they had a newer model that I could work with. To me that was not unexpected. Anyway, good discussion. Thanks

Bill

[Gordon Dewald]

We took the factory tour a few years ago and observed that they build a lot of the components (doors, tanks, walls, etc.). During the tour the guide pointed out a very large building stating that is where the forms and gigs were stored after being used.

He said that they could reproduce any of the parts they had previously produced by special order. He did suggest that it may not be cheap.

This is a step forward compared to many manufacturers who third party supply many of their tanks and doors.

[sajohnson]

Not to speak for Sarah -- but I believe the point she was making, which I fully agree with, is that Winnebago salespeople make a big deal of the claim that -- unlike their competitors -- WGO stocks spare parts for years after production of a model has stopped. It is a definite 'bullet point' in their sales pitch.

They do *not* say, "WGO only stocks the parts that they themselves make. Outsourced parts -- of which there are many -- may not be available."

The implication is clearly that WGO stocks all (or almost all) parts for their RVs. After purchasing an expensive rig based in part on that sales pitch, I can see why a buyer might be upset to find out that a part they need is not available afterall.

I'm not sure the number of units an RV mfr produces is relevant. If they only make 5% as many rigs as Toyota makes Camrys, that means they can stock 95% fewer parts.

At the end of the day though, they can do whatever they want.

If they want to focus almost exclusively on production and sales at the possible expense of quality and customer satisfaction, that is their right. It will work as long as their competition does the same.

IMHO, it seems that at the very least, if WGO could no longer get the glass for an expensive rig that is only 8 years old, they might feel some responsibility to help their customer -- a person they made a lot of money from. At the very least they could point him/her toward a company that might be able to help them out.

[Mvnbrya]

I just bought a 2019 Minnie Winnie 26A. I got it home and found rust on the undercarriage - specifically on some of the frame joints, drive shaft (completely rusty) and on the propane tank. The vehicle looked so nice I never thought to look underneath. Dealer is telling me it's normal and won't get worse. Any ideas would be much appreciated.

[Wayne M]

Mvn, My previous 2008 was the same way. Not only that but the compartment paing flaked off and revealed rust. A little elbow grease and some Rustoleum paint fixed the problem better than new.


The Freightliner chassis on mine could have sat outside for a long time since the coach was a 2008 but the chassis was a 2007. Their paint process is a "Dip" in a paint bath. My analysis is that there was no primer applied to the compartment areas beforee dipping. The paint that chipped off was twice as thin as a piece of paper.



I'm with you though on the undercarriage. I would rather spend a little more money to have the factory undercoat the carriage.
----------------------
As for parts, I had a stop engine light in the 2008 and it was towed to Cummins. They said it was the Engine Harness and that was provided by Winnebago. It would be SIX weeks before Winnebago could re-manufacture one. I was fortunate that Cummins was good enough to find a broken wire and was able to repair the wire.


As for the pride of of parts, it is always cheaper to go with a 3rd part (for most parts) An example is the step motor. OEM is about $200 or more, but the same part can be ordered on online for $80 and many have reported a cheaper motor at auto parts stores.


We are a captive audience.

[Mvnbrya]

Thank you for your response. I'm new to this and would naturally expect a 2019 vehicle not to have any rust. Winnebago just replied to my email and pictures and said to work with the dealer if possible. The dealer said its normal and won't get worse. It's just a little tough for me to swallow that I have rust after owning it for just a few days and I had always thought that rust does get worse. Short of trying to return the vehicle any thoughts on what I should tell the dealer to do about this even if it may be merely an aesthetic issue which I'm not convinced that is entirely the case.

[sajohnson]

Originally Posted by Mvnbrya

Thank you for your response. I'm new to this and would naturally expect a 2019 vehicle not to have any rust. Winnebago just replied to my email and pictures and said to work with the dealer if possible. The dealer said its normal and won't get worse. It's just a little tough for me to swallow that I have rust after owning it for just a few days and I had always thought that rust does get worse. Short of trying to return the vehicle any thoughts on what I should tell the dealer to do about this even if it may be merely an aesthetic issue which I'm not convinced that is entirely the case.

You are completely justified in your expectations.

A 2019 *anything* -- car; truck; motorcycle; bicycle; trailer; or motorhome should have zero rust. None.

I was recently working on a 1991 Town Car that had been stored outside, over dirt, in humid Maryland. When I got it up on the lift I saw it still had the original factory paint on the floor pan! The frame had surface rust but nothing serious.

I will say that it is normal for drive shafts to get a coat of surface rust after a few years, but not on a brand new vehicle!

Sadly, while WGO does a lot right, they cut corners in some areas, and one place they skimp is metal finishing. It appears that they don't prep or prime the metal at all -- apparently they just give it a coat or two of cheap paint and call it good.

Still, even their poorly finished sheet metal generally does not begin to rust for a year or 2.

The propane tank should definitely not be rusty! It should have a nice coat of gloss white paint. Our rig is 10-11 years old and the LP tank only has slight rust.

You are absolutely correct that rust only gets worse. The dealer is lying and trying to take advantage of you.

It sounds like the dealer and WGO are going to try to put you in the middle.

Neither want to pay to make it right. Even if WGO were to offer to pay the dealer to clean, prep, and refinish the rusted areas, chances are it would not be enough to cover the actual time required.

Since neither WGO nor the dealer appear willing to work with you, you might try and return it. That said, I'm not sure what would be involved there, or what your rights are. It's guaranteed the dealer will fight you tooth and nail over that.

If you can return it, great. Then you can start fresh. There are plenty of RVs and RV dealers out there. You shouldn't have to settle for rust on a brand new motorhome.

I'd be interested in seeing the photos you sent to WGO.

Without seeing the rust, my guess is that it's nothing to worry about and probably will not progress to the point where it's a safety issue for a long time, if ever. Still, you didn't buy a 10-15 y.o. rig. It is brand new and should be in pristine condition.

In short, this is probably more about GP (general principles) rather than safety, but WGO and the dealer should make it right.

[Mvnbrya]

You have summed it up about as well as anyone could. The dealer is just not responding as I would have hoped. I'm not asking to return it or replace the RV. I just want them to reassure me that this is merely cosmetic and nothing more than that. It would also be nice if they were to do something about the aesthetic look of it. I'm no expert, but it just doesn't feel right to see any rust in a 2019 vehicle. I also can't get a straight answer on another issue. When I brought the rig home, I knew I wasn't going to use it for awhile so I opened the valves on the water tank and water lines to drain out the water. I happened to look underneath and noticed that the water was dribbling all over the frame and propane tank. Is that normal? I would have thought the hose for that would drain in a neat flow right to the ground. Once again, to a lay person like me it just didn't look right. With the rust issue too, I now start thinking that maybe that's causing or going to cause rust.

[sajohnson]

Originally Posted by Mvnbrya

You have summed it up about as well as anyone could. The dealer is just not responding as I would have hoped. I'm not asking to return it or replace the RV. I just want them to reassure me that this is merely cosmetic and nothing more than that. It would also be nice if they were to do something about the aesthetic look of it. I'm no expert, but it just doesn't feel right to see any rust in a 2019 vehicle. I also can't get a straight answer on another issue. When I brought the rig home, I knew I wasn't going to use it for awhile so I opened the valves on the water tank and water lines to drain out the water. I happened to look underneath and noticed that the water was dribbling all over the frame and propane tank. Is that normal? I would have thought the hose for that would drain in a neat flow right to the ground. Once again, to a lay person like me it just didn't look right. With the rust issue too, I now start thinking that maybe that's causing or going to cause rust.

<Canned response> "They all do that!"

Once again, you are thinking perfectly rationally. A good design would have the water drain straight to the ground, and not all over the fame and LP tank.

I imagine the mfr and/or dealer will say it doesn't matter because the entire chassis and everything under the coach gets wet whenever you drive in the rain. That's true, but it why not position the drain hose better?

I'm sure the dealer will be more than happy to tell you whatever you want to hear, if it means they do not have to repair that rust.

At a minimum you might request:

1) A new, properly finished, propane tank. If they say they'll repaint yours and it will be "good as new" then it should be good enough to use on another rig, and they can install a new one on yours.

2) That they sand, prep, and refinish the rusty areas of the frame. Not just touching it up with spray paint, but using a product like this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ilpage_o04_s00

That can actually be *less* work because there is no need to remove all of the rust.

It is used to refinish frames when restoring old vehicles, among other uses.

There are other similar products.

A body shop might give you additional suggestions.

In fact, it wouldn't hurt to drive your rig to a disinterested body shop and get their opinion as to how big a concern the rust is. Even if you have to pay for 15-30 min of shop time it might be worth the piece of mind, but I'd think most shops would take a look for free.

[Mvnbrya]

Thanks again. Great info! Appreciate your time.

[sajohnson]

Originally Posted by Mvnbrya

Thanks again. Great info! Appreciate your time.

You're welcome, Matt.

I hope you do not discover any other issues.

Good luck!

[Rossi6998]

Originally Posted by Mvnbrya

I just bought a 2019 Minnie Winnie 26A. I got it home and found rust on the undercarriage - specifically on some of the frame joints, drive shaft (completely rusty) and on the propane tank. The vehicle looked so nice I never thought to look underneath. Dealer is telling me it's normal and won't get worse. Any ideas would be much appreciated.

It will get worse. Have the dealer treat it. When I bought my new motorhome, I also did not think to look underneath and it had a lot of rust. Fortunately, I have a good Ford mechanic (Ford Chassis) who treats all the rust he can find when he does my oil change. $90 (plus tip) well spent!!!

[jerichorick]

Originally Posted by RLTH

We own a 2010 Itasca Suncruiser 37f. We also have owned a 2003 Winnebago 31

I have always admired and referred friends and others to Winnebago because of the product quality and part availability.

Recently we had a vent window on our bedroom slide need replacement due to a seal failure. We had previously replaced the Rh vent several years ago same problem

I called Winnebago to order the replacement window from SEGI ( their sub for Windows) and was told that the window was discontinued and a new replacement was $1200. The vent window shipped several years ago was $150.
The vent window was part of the whole window

I called Winnebago and expressed my concern as to replacement parts not being available. The coach is 8 years old and I cannot get the part!! I was told that it was out of warranty. Let me be clear I was not making a warranty claim. Only trying to get and pay for a replacement part on a $184,000.00 motor home - 8 years old

Basically I was blown off telling me that this sometimes happens citing ac problems appliance problems etc

I feel betrayed by a company I touted as best for their customer service and part availability

Beware before you buy!!

The topic is not about you window but about the new attitude of Winnebago. Yup. Gone down the drain. They brag about how any part for any of their products is available for years to come. Then, when you think you can get just what you need, you get the NEW business model reply. 'No parts available for that. You must upgrade to the latest design.


Another example of how Winnebago is ripping us, the long time and loyal supporters of this company, off. The entrance door in my coach is made by PTL. The pin in the doorstop tends to break over time. To replace the doorstop through Winnebago you must cough up ~$200. From PTL the same part is about $95.


When asked if I can recommend Winnebago over any other manufacturer I must honestly say no. A once user friendly RV manufacturer is now among the dinosaurs. Even the hot line is not what it was when I first started using them. Really dumbed down.

[LarryW]

“They brag about how any part for any of their products is available for years to come.”

Please refer me to this statement by Winnebago, jeri.

[SarahW]

Originally Posted by LarryW

“They brag about how any part for any of their products is available for years to come.”

Please refer me to this statement by Winnebago, jeri.

Anyone who has shopped for a new Winnebago motorhome in the last 20 years knows that is a huge part of the salesman's spiel. They dramatically flourish the cabinet doors open to reveal the "Winnebago part number" to prove their point.

[LarryW]

The dealer's salesman doesn't work for Winnebago. Everyone knows that. He/she works for the dealer and can't bind a separate company. Then there is the issue of "puffing" aka salesperson's statements...he said, she said. The warranty by Winnebago is written and available to read before purchase. There is no guarantee about parts availability. This constant bashing of Winnebago disturbs me...and on Winnebago's site too.

[SarahW]

The purpose of a discussion forum is to "discuss." That includes both positive and negative experiences that people share. I don't see how sharing one's experience is "bashing", but if it disturbs you then just scroll on by this thread.

[Pumpkin]

Just bought MINNIE new & on way home video feed from turn signals turned fussy & unusable. Called dealer & said we need to bring in for service, had 1 week today. Purchase dealer almost 2 hrs away, will another closer dealer give same consideration of service or does anyone have fix for this? Tks