New Member with 2006 Itasca Sunrise

[SWMustang80]

Just joined the group. Purchased a 2006 Sunrise on an auction and plan to fix it up and use it for family trips.

If you have a RV like me let me know your tricks to keeping it going.

I have looked through the forum to glean some insight and help already.

Matt

[BobC]

Three things that are paramount in my mind in order to avoid future, catastrophic issue:

1. Roof edge sealing - Winnebago roofs are surfaced by a thin, fiberglass material called Filon. The edges are inserted into an aluminum extrusion and kept in place with adhesive caulking. Failure of this adhesive can result in catastrophic failure with the roof covering literally blowing off. There are numerous posts on Winnieowners on how to deal with this.

2. Windshield sealing - Winnebago windshield seals can leak and cause rusting of the metal frame. Again, there are numerous posts on Winnieowners on this issue.

3. Leaks of any kind can also be catastrophic over time so make sure all roof penetrations, vents, etc. are properly sealed. Many of us use Eternabond tape for this. There are debates about this but it's effective, easy to use and lasts a long time. Again there are many threads on Winnieowners about this.

Winnebago owners are fortunate in that Winnebago provides a wealth of technical information online about their motorhomes, including electrical and plumbing diagrams, illustrated parts manuals, etc. There are also a number of "Service Tips" that explain routine service items. They also provide what are known as "Call Out Sheets" that document the various caulkings and sealants used on our MHs. Although these are published by year/model, this is an evolving issue and the info for more recent years can give you more timely info:

https://www.winnebago.com/owners/owner-resources

Good luck.

[Morich]

Weather sealing any edge on any RV of any brand is a priority, almost like keeping the roof from leaking at the house! Any type of caulk or sealer is prone to fail due to weather and the simple effects of driving down the road! Big one that is easy to miss is that it needs to be small points like the lights that need a close inspection.
RV are basic wood structures where a car is metal almost all the way.
Wood rots!
So those lights on any side will have wires going from the back into inside, often passing through wood. Taillights are a specific problem to watch as water can often get behind the light fixture and follow the wires to the spot they go through the back wall. Water soaking into the wood for a few years is and automatic rot problem that is much easier to prevent than fix!
If your RV has rubber gasket type material, that is a sure thing to check and watch carefully. I hate he rubber gaskets as they WILL become hard, degrade and leave holes for water. I often take the rubber out when it gets hard and use a good sealer/caulk which will stay flexible for far longer than the rubber!

Learning to keep the batteries charged but not boil the water off is a trick for the new user! It doesn't work like a car where you use the battery and charge the battery as you drive, keeping it well maintained due to driving every few days.
Batteries are somewhat like muscle mass, use it or lose it!
Read the owners manual for some big points but keep in mind that lead acid batteries need attention at least monthly to avoid running down, overcharging or boiling dry!
Batteries used weekly will last long than those which are only used a few times a year!

Watch the batteries and set up a system to watch the water and voltage closely until you find what it does in the way you are doing it.
Expecting trouble is one way to prevent it!