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Old 06-20-2018, 05:52 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chiefig View Post
After reading all the different blogs on RVing, I am even more comfortable with my decision to sell. Only had the 07 Itasca Meridian for 2 years, did not have a lot of problems but did have a few - it was the ones that were coming down the road I did not want to deal with. Actually have many sleepless nights wondering what was next. I now know I was not the type to own and maintain an RV. Read all the problems people are having, and sit back and smile, not mine, not now.
You are wise to know "when to fold 'em." I'm sure you have heard the old expression about the two best days of an RVer's life... the day they buy the RV and the day they sell it.

Sometimes we get discouraged and think we are ready to bail, but then we go on a trip and we love it all over again.
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Old 06-20-2018, 05:59 PM   #22
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Thanks, vince, good to know.
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Old 06-20-2018, 06:04 PM   #23
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What you don’t hear about are all of the owners that have had very few problems.
With the amount of RV’s on the road I feel most people are very happy with their purchases.
I’m on my third RV in 3 1/2 years. Nothing wrong with the previous, just kept increasing size.
RV’s are like everything else, the better that you take care of it, the fewer problems you will have.
And yes we use ours. We are both retired and camp at least 75 nights a years, April through October
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Old 06-20-2018, 06:13 PM   #24
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Originally Posted by vinceigo View Post
What you don’t hear about are all of the owners that have had very few problems.
With the amount of RV’s on the road I feel most people are very happy with their purchases.
I’m on my third RV in 3 1/2 years. Nothing wrong with the previous, just kept increasing size.
RV’s are like everything else, the better that you take care of it, the fewer problems you will have.
And yes we use ours. We are both retired and camp at least 75 nights a years, April through October
That's true. Thankfully, we have had no significant problems with our moho since buying it new 6 years ago. We are hands-on types and my husband knows a lot about mechanical and electrical systems, and does the routine maintenance on our RV. It helps to be able to handle stuff ourselves and not be at the mercy of RV service departments.

A lot of new RVers expect to just get in and drive off into the sunset, so they are shocked to learn how much effort is involved.
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Old 06-20-2018, 06:13 PM   #25
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chiefig View Post
After reading all the different blogs on RVing, I am even more comfortable with my decision to sell. Only had the 07 Itasca Meridian for 2 years, did not have a lot of problems but did have a few - it was the ones that were coming down the road I did not want to deal with. Actually have many sleepless nights wondering what was next. I now know I was not the type to own and maintain an RV. Read all the problems people are having, and sit back and smile, not mine, not now.
We bought our 2009 View used in 2012.

I had done enough research before buying (3 years worth, off and on) to know to expect problems and either have a) deep pockets and plenty of patience, or b) some DIY ability.

As a retired electromechanical technician I don't have lots of spare cash to throw at our local WGO dealer, but I am able to do a lot of repairs myself.

The RV service horror stories I've read over the past 9-10 years would have kept us from buying the View if I was not reasonably confident that I could handle most of the problems that will crop up.

For every dealership like Lichtsinn, there are plenty of others that are at the other end of the customer service scale.

I read the linked iRV2 post. It sounds like Brian works for a decent dealership. No doubt there are some out there, but judging by the posts I've read over the years, there are many more that aren't so wonderful.

I noticed that Brian said, quote:

"Bottom line, we aren't perfect.

One other reason - The manufacturers! I could go on and on about this one, but I will just say they are far from a dealerships friend they claim to be."

Ouch.

I've read numerous times that it is a good idea to buy an RV that is about 2 years old -- not only because of the big depreciation hit the original buyer takes, but because many/most problems will become apparent within the first year or two and the original owner will have likely had them fixed.

I'm guessing that was the case with our View because it has been relatively trouble free.
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Old 06-20-2018, 06:15 PM   #26
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No different than buying an automobile
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Old 06-20-2018, 06:21 PM   #27
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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.
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Old 06-20-2018, 06:51 PM   #28
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Originally Posted by vinceigo View Post
No different than buying an automobile
Respectfully, I have to say that there are some differences.

Most modern cars -- especially brands like Honda, Subaru, and Toyota -- do not have nearly the number of defects that RVs do.

Car/truck parts are more readily available. For example, see the post above by RLTH. S/he said, quote:

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

Instead of apologizing and saying that it was a rare occurance, the Winnebago CSR admitted that, quote:

"...this sometimes happens citing ac problems appliance problems etc."

IOW, it's relatively normal.

I believe that with cars and trucks there is a law that requires mfrs to keep ALL parts in stock for at least 10 years after date of mfr.

I'm not trying to be argumentative, just pointing out that there are some differences.

There are similarities as well. Most automobile dealers also despise warranty work. For decades I've heard/read that is because the mfrs do not pay the dealers their usual/customary hourly rate, and/or the mfr dos not allow the full "book time" for warranty repairs.

More recently I've heard that the mfrs *do* pay full retail for parts and labor and allow the full book time. If that is true (and this applies to RV dealers as well) then one would think they would be out BEGGING for warranty work. Instead, it is the opposite: "Did you buy it here? No? Then hit the road deadbeat!" (writer's embellishment, but that is the gist of their attitude). If pressed, they might grudgingly agree but put the job off for weeks.

Based on their actions, there is some reason why both car and RV dealers do not like warranty work.
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Old 06-20-2018, 08:19 PM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RLTH View Post
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.
Check out Steele Rubber Products, they have seals for everything - pretty sure.
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Old 06-20-2018, 09:14 PM   #30
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Rolla

That's ok, don't post it I'll never buy a new motorhome from anyone again.
SEE
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Old 06-20-2018, 09:39 PM   #31
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Rolla, I’m sorry for your bad experiences.
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Old 06-20-2018, 10:56 PM   #32
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Hello Sarah. This was certainly not the case for me. Both Dealerships told me the warranty work is "capped" at a certain hour timeframe. Both dealerships told me they would have to put considerably more time to complete an effective repair and make it as good as new (which the dealership did). The dealership that sold me the unit ate the additional cost only because I was their customer. I do not disagree that they may pay the same hourly rate but the delta comes in regarding the AMOUNT of hours they actually approve for the repair work. In my case, Winnebago only approved 18 hours of warranty labor and the dealership said they put in 28 hours of labor. I was not charged for the overage. The other approved Winnebago repair shops were not willing to take the loss. There are always two sides (or more) to every story. Glad you have confidence in your dealership though! Happy Camping.
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Old 06-20-2018, 11:10 PM   #33
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Hello Sarah. This was certainly not the case for me. Both Dealerships told me the warranty work is "capped" at a certain hour timeframe. Both dealerships told me they would have to put considerably more time to complete an effective repair and make it as good as new (which the dealership did). The dealership that sold me the unit ate the additional cost only because I was their customer. I do not disagree that they may pay the same hourly rate but the delta comes in regarding the AMOUNT of hours they actually approve for the repair work. In my case, Winnebago only approved 18 hours of warranty labor and the dealership said they put in 28 hours of labor. I was not charged for the overage. The other approved Winnebago repair shops were not willing to take the loss. There are always two sides (or more) to every story. Glad you have confidence in your dealership though! Happy Camping.
Hello John. I'm really sorry you are having a poor experience with your warranty issues. I have read that there is some sort of book or chart that is used to estimate time for repairs and what will be "allowed," but I honestly don't know.

And I hope I didn't give the impression that I have any confidence in our dealership!! I was just passing along some comments from a poster on the iRV2 forum who works for a large dealer near Memphis.

Our RV is not a Winnebago and frankly, the dealer we bought from is a scum-bucket. I do not recommend them and would not buy from them again. Thankfully we did not have any issues when ours was new, other than a few annoying things we could fix ourselves.

My best to you; I hope everything gets fixed to your satisfaction and you can enjoy your RV. Keep us updated on how it goes.
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Old 06-20-2018, 11:19 PM   #34
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Oh, and I meant to add... the problems with dealers, warranty repairs, etc. are industry-wide and by no means unique to Winnebago. If you read other RV manufacturer's forums you will see that it's just the nature of the business. Sad, but true.
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Old 06-20-2018, 11:58 PM   #35
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Oh, and I meant to add... the problems with dealers, warranty repairs, etc. are industry-wide and by no means unique to Winnebago. If you read other RV manufacturer's forums you will see that it's just the nature of the business. Sad, but true.
Absolutely.

In fact, Winnebago may be better than some others.

I keep waiting for a mfr like Toyota, Subaru, or Honda to start making RVs.

That would shake the industry up!
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Old 06-21-2018, 05:38 AM   #36
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Chiefig's comments are duly noted. Anyone who says Rving (part-time, full-time or otherwise) is a carefree lifestyle isn't telling the truth. We have been camping 2-3 months a year since '12 and just about had enough of it. We have been working through bugs on our new (2017) Minnie Winnie. Anymore trouble and I will think seriously about selling it. Our townhome is trouble free on a wooded lot near anything we could ever want. The allure of travel is fading. May just keep it for use within a 250 mile radius of home. There are enough parks, lakes, cute towns, etc around here to last a lifetime. Long distance travel isn't for me, too much driving and searching for food.
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Old 06-21-2018, 05:55 AM   #37
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This is my problem, less than a year old and I noticed the panel had popped out. Took it to Lazydays Tampa, where we purchased it and Winnebago's response was put a black diamond plate panel on it and call it done.
Lazydays told me this and said we do not agree with the bandaid approach. I called Winnebago directly and they agreed to repalce as requested by Lazydays but only approved 35% on the requested labor hours. Lazydays says they cannot fix properly it with these few hours. Once again I call Winnebago, they say pick it up and we will have you take it to a shop that agrees to the labor hours.
I told them, that this was inconvenient and they were uncaring about that. I am inclined to agree with Lazydays and do not want it barely fixed some where else. Lazydays has asked a Winnebago rep(one who only deals with motorized) to look at TT and talk to Winnebago. It seems that I cannot meet with rep as he does not deal directly with public.
They have had it for over a month and I am very annoyed with Winnebago not being helpful.
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Old 06-21-2018, 06:43 AM   #38
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RV warranty repairs

I will never buy a extended warranty from CW again. What a waste of my hard earned money. I had a water valve on the front HVAC unit stick open in the hottest day in the summer and was roasted out of my front seat. I went to CW only to be told they don't repair those units. When asked were to get it repaired I was told with try the internet. Bottom line I found the manufacturer of the HVAC unit and ordered the part that was less then the deductible thus not being able to put a claim in nor was CW able to install it under my warranty.
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Old 06-21-2018, 07:41 AM   #39
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This is a great thread. We bought a new 2018 Winnebago Voyage Lite 5th wheel. Took it to Montana in May. No refrig the entire trip. Stopped a friend's dealership and he tried to fix it. The unit would not work. Finding a place to get it fixed has been a nightmare. While I understand caring for your customers first, is my money not as good? If a dealership does not have the unit you are looking for then how can you buy it there. Any way, we are two weeks into waiting for a dealer that is Dometic authorized repair center to work on our unit. We were given the spiel that we would have no trouble getting warranty work done where we had problems. Lesson learned!!!!
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Old 06-21-2018, 01:55 PM   #40
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I will never buy a extended warranty from CW again. What a waste of my hard earned money. I had a water valve on the front HVAC unit stick open in the hottest day in the summer and was roasted out of my front seat. I went to CW only to be told they don't repair those units. When asked were to get it repaired I was told with try the internet. Bottom line I found the manufacturer of the HVAC unit and ordered the part that was less then the deductible thus not being able to put a claim in nor was CW able to install it under my warranty.
At the risk of stating the obvious, all extended warranties are essentially "betting against the house".

Sure there are a few "winners" -- and they are usually happy to tell anyone who will listen about how they paid $X for their warranty and got $X plus $2,000 (or whatever) out of it.

However, for every winner there are probably a dozen "losers" -- people who paid far more for the warranty than they received. We rarely hear from them.

That gives the casual observer the impression that extended warranties are a 'no-brainer', free money, when in fact the odds are heavily in favor of the underwriter.

It must be that way or the underwriter would quickly go bankrupt.

With few exceptions, extended warranties are not worth the expense.

One of those exceptions is a person who a) understands the above, but b) simply likes the idea that their expenses will be capped. They know they will probably lose money on the deal, but they want the piece of mind.

For those people I would say do your research. Read reviews and check the exclusions.
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