Aspect/Cambria

[Ritchieg]

Hello all. I'm new to the RV world and I don't own a RV....yet. I'm researching the Winnebago Aspect 27K and was wondering if anyone here has one and can give me your thoughts. I was also wondering what's the consensus on the reliability of the Winnebago brand.

I was researching forest river sunseeker and the FR forum seems to have very mixed reviews on the brand but seems to lean more toward negative.

Now I know people with bad experiences tend to be more vocal, and all brands will have negative and positive. I guess the overall vibe I got from their forum was negative.

I appreciate any info or impressions.

Thanks all

 

[ucwinters]

Owned a 2013 Aspect 30C prior to our present RV. Was a good class C and I could see the (better) fit & finish in it compared to some of the other brands that I looked at. Have been thinking about downsizing to a Class C on the Sprinter chassis w/ the MB engine but lots of horror stories on the various forums about issues that people have with engine warning lights/limp home mode/ MB dealers not being authorized or willing to work on them. I like the Aspect 27K w/ the reclining couch and appreciate the reliability of the Ford V10 engine. Might go this route when downsizing and I really like that large rear storage compartment on the 27K (think that that 30J also has that).

 

[Ritchieg]

Owned a 2013 Aspect 30C prior to our present RV. Was a good class C and I could see the (better) fit & finish in it compared to some of the other brands that I looked at. Have been thinking about downsizing to a Class C on the Sprinter chassis w/ the MB engine but lots of horror stories on the various forums about issues that people have with engine warning lights/limp home mode/ MB dealers not being authorized or willing to work on them. I like the Aspect 27K w/ the reclining couch and appreciate the reliability of the Ford V10 engine. Might go this route when downsizing and I really like that large rear storage compartment on the 27K (think that that 30J also has that).

Seems like the Cambria 30J is almost the same as the aspect? Is Itasca a division of Winnebago?

 

[Wine country]

I looked at a Aspect, I was considering trading my 15 ViewG. Then I drove it. The View drives easy. The Aspect has a very large turning circle. I can drive my View almost any where, I felt the Aspect would be a problem. The ground clearance is very low. The othe issue is the right footwell is too small the driver seat is built for a short person. The AC unit is the same in both, but the size of the interior is bigger in the Aspect. At 30 feet it should have a second AC, that would then mean a bigger generator and 50 amp service.
The Aspect is better at the camp. The View is better getting to the camp.
As far as issues, my Mercedes chassis is great, all of my issues were with WGO products. If you worry about chassis, the Mercedes has a better Warrenty than Ford. Drive both, if there are more than two going in the Motorhome, take a look at the Class A on a Ford Chassis. The reasion I almost traded my View was the lack of weight carrying in a View. The G type with a overhead bunk are IMHO a big dog with a small heart.

 

[Ritchieg]

Good things to consider. Thanks. I've actually been thinking about cargo capacity on the aspect. Since this is all new in still trying to figure that out but I realize how important it is.

 

[ucwinters]

Seems like the Cambria 30J is almost the same as the aspect? Is Itasca a division of Winnebago?

Itasca/Winnebago are the same product.
We did OK w/ the 30 amp service and one A/C in our Aspect. Think that the lower ceiling height helped w/ less volume to cool. However, the area behind the front cab cabinets/TV got very hot when in the sun d/t lack of any insulation there behind the front fiberglass cap. If I had kept the rig, I would have probably used some spray foam insulation to try to help w/ that issue.
Our class A Sightseer turns about as tight as the Aspect did. Just have to plan ahead when pulling into a gas pump w/ a good exit strategy in mind. The low rear overhang of the Aspect meant approaching a sloping drive at a lower speed and a 45 degree angle. Never dragged (thankfully) the rear end by doing that).

 

[Jim_HiTek]

Have been a RV forum lurker, reader, poster for 13 years now and I do not recall seeing as many negative posts about Winnie as I have the last four years. Only thing I've read about the company is that it's really pushing hard to get units out the door, hire people to build them, and is giving short shrift to training. They apparently lost a lot of their 'old hands' the last RV sales crash and have to retrain.

That's my impression. Because there were so many new brands that had really big issues with quality, I chose to stay away from newer RVs when it was time to upgrade my old '94 Bounder because it seemed all the brands were just pumping them out, with no regard to after construction inspections.

So I looked back in the forum archives and read threads by people with both good and bad things to say. And the older Winnies, at least the Journey model, seemed to have a great reputation. So I saved $100K and bought a '02 Winnebago Journey off a consignment lot with 63,000 miles on it. That was 14 months ago and it's been very reliable, with a small glitch here and there. But the quality of the build and components used is top notch.

Back in the day, it was my understanding that the Itasca brand was the lower quality version of Winnie, whereas the Journey (and likely other models) were the upscale models. I believe they are about equal in quality now.

But I've been wrong before...

 

[aspengirl]

In February, we traded our 25' Forest River product for a 2017 Aspect 27K and so far, we love it. We feel there is plenty of cargo room, the A/C and furnace both have kept us very comfortable, albeit, we haven't been in 100 degree temps yet. The cab is comfortable for us - I am 5'2" and hubby is 6'2". The Aspect seems to be very well constructed compared to the Forest River motorhome we had. Just our two cents!

 

[Dago55]

Hi all. I am a newbie and thought I would share. I bought a used 2014 Aspect 30J with 5300 miles. It was stored indoor for over a year. I have had it little over 2 months now with no issues. I have been trying to take care of all the standard yearly maintenance myself as a handy-person and in the familiarity process that comes with all new things, I have found myself on several occasions being pleasantly surprised when I discover or notice for the first time a build or design that Winnebago made. I am very happy with quality and attention to details and it sounds corny but I would not think of buying any other brand MH in the future. Winnebago baby!! Now I could have done better with a different model than the 30J. Everyone is or should be getting word about the bad news of the larger 30J. The CCCW Combined Cargo Carrying Weight is extremely paltry at 1888lbs. If your a full-timer you can guess what I am about to say...Get a TOAD! I have managed to deal with the limited weight restrictions by loading up the toad with my tools and heavier items...The Fiat 500 can carry upwards of 700lbs and while I do have the rear seats deleted, I doubt I will need to carry that much...but you never know

 

[aspengirl]

We traded our Class C on the Mercedes chassis for an Aspect 27K earlier this year. The Aspect is a quality product and far better built than our previous Class C which wasn't a Winnebago product. The reason we traded, however, had nothing to do with the Mercedes part of it. We loved that ... no issues ... no complaints ... and 15 mpg overall average for the almost 40,000 miles we drove it. We had a Murphy bed in the previous motorhome and were just ready to have a motorhome with a bed that was always available. So far, we are enjoying our 27K.

 

[Ritchieg]

Thanks for all of the replies. I appreciate the input.

 

[crh97]

Paul, regarding your weight issue, I'm surprized. I have a 15 30J and while we do not full time, we loaded 80 % of what came out of a 40 foot diesel into it the week we bought it. I tow a 4600 lb. ford explorer. I've weighed it twice and haven't even come close to overweights.

 

[campfire24]

Did you purchase a MH? We bought our 2008 Aspect 29h 5 years ago and have been very happy with the quality.

 

[mjmjm55]

We looked at the 27K before buying a 17 Aspect 30J in January. Could not get past the tight bath in the 27K. The opposing slides in the 30J is what sold us. The turning ratio is something that requires attention. We've had trouble with the drivers side slide moving when we are driving. The dealer confirmed the slide movement as it was shearing off the rivets and cracked an interior wall. After two visits and 11 weeks at the dealer they placed a bracket in the wall and replaced the broken rivets. It's better. We are now trying to figure out an electrical issue. Hoping to avoid the dealer as our last visit took 4 weeks to get an appointment and 8 weeks to get it fixed.

 

[JBP]

Our 2015 27K was great. 15000 miles in about 15 months. Very few problems. AC crossing New Mexico did fine at camp sites. Turned it on about an hour before we stopped. Cross several 10000 foot passes pulling Lincoln MKX. No problems.
Trunk was great.

 

[Cooperhawk]

So I looked back in the forum archives and read threads by people with both good and bad things to say. And the older Winnies, at least the Journey model, seemed to have a great reputation. So I saved $100K and bought a '02 Winnebago Journey off a consignment lot with 63,000 miles on it. That was 14 months ago and it's been very reliable, with a small glitch here and there. But the quality of the build and components used is top notch.

Back in the day, it was my understanding that the Itasca brand was the lower quality version of Winnie, whereas the Journey (and likely other models) were the upscale models. I believe they are about equal in quality now.

But I've been wrong before...

We did the same thing. Our Journey was priced way under the book on Craig's List so I had to see it. Turns out after a spouses death the man was anxious to get rid of it and dropped the price even more when we got there. Bought it on the spot.

We have repaired several things and brought it up to date on others, but still have not spent as much as the difference in the book price and what we paid for it. I do wish it was a couple years newer with two more slides, but normally it's just the Wife and I, so it's okay.

The TVs are both newer flat screens, we have a Wineguard Traverer Auto Dish and Dish Network. Also Blue Ray players front and back. My next project is to rip out the carpet and put wood flooring in. I did have the radiator replace last year. That was the biggest project so far.

Other than that, we love it.

 

[Jim_HiTek]

Snip: I did have the radiator replace last year. That was the biggest project so far.

Other than that, we love it.

Any chance you took pictures of that job?

 

[Cooperhawk]

Yes I did and posted a thread on it. Just give me a minute.

 

[Cooperhawk]

Here you go.

http://www.irv2.com/forums/f26/radiator-replacement-on-02-journey-frieghtliner-312721.html

 

[Jim_HiTek]

Thank you! That thread goes in my RV bookmark section.

For any lurkers that have read that linked thread posted above and might be wondering what the slobber tube issue is about, in a RV diesel engine, Cat or Cummins before 2006, there was always a tube dangling down from the engine where excess oil would drip out. It's there to release crankcase pressure, and there are times when moisture and a bit of oil will slobber out. The wind from driving and the engine fan would blow that mixture back onto the rear of the radiator where it would combine with road dirt and form a dirt cake on the back of the rad, choking it and reducing air flow. It would also cover the front of your towed car so you'd have an oily haze on it after every trip.

Some people will add an extension to that tube, others will add a catch bottle, and then there's the group that will just use less oil in the crankcase. I'm in the latter group.