It's official - proud owner of a 2008 Winnebago Sightseer 35J

RamblinFam · 03-16-2021, 10:45 AM

Hello all, I've posted here before but only as a shopper. On Saturday I pulled the trigger on a 2008 Winnebago Sightseer 35J on a Workhorse Chassis. So far, I love it. Lots of of fun to be had for my family of 5, and lots of opportunity for me as a tinkerer and budding DIYer to customize, refresh it and make it our own.

Our first trip is planned for April 8th, and I'm working to get some repairs and maintenance done on the coach prior to us first shoving off as a family, while also rigging our Jeep as a toad. Our first trip will be to The Outer Banks and all points in between.

I'm getting to know the coach, and some of its quirks. Over time, I'd really like to overhaul the interior and make some small improvements to the layout, but for now, I'm looking forward to camping in it with my family.

Attached is a pic.

Blastvalve · 03-16-2021, 04:53 PM

Congratulations on the new ride! My previous coach was a 2008 Sunova 35J, great floorplan and coach, served us well!

Looking forward to hearing about the 1st trip!

RamblinFam · 03-16-2021, 06:52 PM

Thank you for response @Blastvalve!

Blastvalve · 03-16-2021, 07:15 PM

My favorite trip in the Sunova was the 2 weeks in 2018 that we took it from VT to FL and camped at Fort Wilderness. The drive was as fun as the destination (the kids still talk about the Amish Horse and Buggy’s we saw while overnighting at a Walmart in PA) and I still say if a family of 4 can spend 2 weeks in a coach and be smiling it’s a well laid coach!

Envious of your trip, May is usually the earliest we can get started up here, still risk of snow then,

RamblinFam · 03-16-2021, 08:11 PM

That sounds like a great trip! Thanks for sharing. Awesome memories. I’m excited to get going. Sounds like you’re in VT. We are CT. April is still early, but we’re headed South. At the end of the month I will be (ideally) taking it up to NH on a guys trip to ski Tuckerman’s Ravine on Mount Washington. The guys don’t yet know I have it. I simply told them that “I would take care of lodging”

Blastvalve · 03-17-2021, 10:44 AM

It was an amazing trip, the first “long haul” I’d done with the coach (most trips the 2 years prior were all in New England) and the longest I’d ever personally driven.

What’s funny is while obviously lots of memories from the 9 days at Disney (Fort Wilderness Campground is a destination all unto itself), but the kids also still talk a LOT about the drive itself, lots of memories from things we saw and did down and back.

We upgraded in 2019 to the Vista 35B which basically takes the 35J, and adds a master bath at the end. We really liked the 35J floor plan, the 35B is really similar with a few minor tweaks aside from the bath as noted.