Greetings....

[Roll]

Thinking about a 2016 Sightseer 33C.

A little shorter and lighter than our current Class A. Yet, seems to be packed with features we don't have in our 2011 Encounter 37TZ. Also thinking the Winny would be a step up in quality compared to the Encounter.

DW afraid to drive the nearly 38 foot Encounter (57 feet when towing the Jeep). She wants a Class B + but I am afraid it just won't be enough room.

She says the feel from the drivers seat in the 33C gives her more confidence than our coach but she is still wary of another class A. We have not driven the 33C yet but will before we close a deal.

None the less we are looking at one now. I'm not out to bash Winnebago but I'm a realist and these days its rare a coach doesn't have issues that need to be worked out in the first few months. It took us a year to get the Encounter straightened out, I'm hoping for better QC and less work with the 33C.

1) What should I look for or expect in the way of issues to resolve please.

2) The Encounter was a handful at first, fiddling with tire pressures, weight distribution, a steering stabilizer and rear track bar finally straightened it out, mostly. Should I expect the same with a new 2016 33C?

3) The Encounter was also very noisy on the highway at higher rpm. So loud it was impossible to hear my DW when climbing a hill. I had to line the engine bay with "Hushmat" to make it livable. Dare I hope Winny has done a better job insulating the engine compartment and related areas to keep the cabin quieter during travel time.

Any suggestions, experiences, warnings, you are willing to share would be greatly appreciated.

Things I like about the 33C. Shorter wheelbase and body should tighten up the turn radis and reduce some of the tail swing I have in the Encounter (36 inches of opposite swing in a tight turn), Heated holding tanks, three control positions for the jacks, larger gray water tank, MCD shades, dual pane windows, Fiberglass roof, Energy management system, larger fridge, heat strips in the AC units, foot stool in Pass seat, to name a few.

 

[jfran304]

With the Ford V-10 you are going to have a lot of noise up front especially going up hills You might want to look at a diesel pusher. Tiffin's Allegro Red is an entry level diesel that might suit your needs. They have a 33' one.

Luxury Motorhomes - RVs | Tiffin Motorhomes

Jon

 

[jazzerjump]

Roll-we have a 2012 Vista 30T that we are the second owner of. Very few problems but I do not know what the original owner went through. Posts on this forum have indicated that some owners of 2015/16 new units seemed to have had an unusual amount of problems. A caveat to that is that I have discovered that more people with problems post than those that don't. There have been some however that have indicated that in their opinion they have been more than satisfied with their units.

Most problems seem to be slide oriented-motors coming off, slides jamming, etc and the units have been back to dealer multiple times with no success. What I don't know is whether the slides are the super slides (whole side of coach slides out) mostly or even the smaller slides. Our coach has three of the smaller slides-about 7-8' wide and 2' deep and so far have worked flawlessly except for a topper hanging up once because a screw came out.

As far as handling, again that is subjective but most have done some after market add-ons similar to what you did on your other coach as well as the CHF-cheap handling fix which is covered extensively on the Ford chassis forum. The previous owner of our coach did add the steering stabilizer and what appears to be after market sway bars front and rear. We have driven in some pretty strong cross winds in Wyoming and I have been very pleased overall with the handling given the conditions. Your test drive will tell you a lot on your take on the handling. I agree with you that the smaller coaches with less overhang may have better handling out of the box.

I doubt that the engine noise issue has been resolved given the high rpm of the V-10 and I would guess Winnebago has not added additional sound deadening. We did add the 5-star tune on ours-we have the 5-speed transmission and it has made a difference in shift patterns and power.

I have seen on the Ford and this forum that Ford has apparently done a revamp of the factory shift issues in the 6-speed. Might be worth asking the dealer if that has been done or where the nearest Ford dealer is that you would have to take it to.

Good luck on your purchase. Do you know much about the dealer you are working with and their warranty follow up record? As you stated there will be some given the complexity of a motorhome.

 

[Roll]

2016 Sightseer 33C handling/noise questions

Looking at a new 2016 Sightseer 33C.

For those with a new or late model Sightseer..

Have you made changes to improve handling (except for the CHF which I am very familiar with)?

Added a rear track bar or steering shock? Percent of handling improvement? Comments?

Have you tried to mitigate engine bay noise? What did you do and your opinion of how effective you changes were?

Thanks in advance for your comments.

Gary (Roll)

 

[Roll]

posted in wrong place

Posted in wrong place

 

[GAGirl]

We have a 2014 Vista 35F - as far as issues - we bought this unit new and we wanted this model....we have had few serious issues - most everything we had had was something an experienced, long term owner of motorhomes could repair themselves. On occasion we have had a system issue but it was usually because we were new to MH's and once we read the manual or manufacturers info, we got it straightened out. Winnebago quality - we are happy with the quality of the unit - after two years and 20,000 mles down the road no items have failed or not functioned....the upholstery has held up well and still looks very good....the cabinetry still works and looks quite nice (I do tighten and check screws and hinges regularly). No problems with any of the systems like TV's inside and out. We did replace the shower stall head and are now very happy with taking a shower in our unit - just like home. Initial one was not very good with output. The bed sleeps well with just a Kohl's 4 inch topper and the seats up front are comfortable a nd function as LR chairs when we are set up, The J couch still sets up easily and looks good and new. The double door refrigerator has always done well along with the freezer and ice maker. Things we have had an issue with but resolved: Early on, the large slide on drivers side failed to come back in - we finally pushed it in, took it in for work and they could not get it to fail - that was 12 months ago ad it has worked great since - gremlins? We were driving in Florida and someone passed us on turnpike with note that our stairs were going in and out - we stopped at a Camping World - the electrical wires in the door had frayed - replaced for $85.00 and no problem since. Generator stopped cranking - we did not service it - called an Onan dealer and they sent someone out to service it and worked ever since - we have about 250 hours on it and now know to service annually and crank it once per month for 30 minutes. While traveling on a very poor road in middle of Dallas Texas the refrigerator began beeping that it had no service (not LP or of course, AC) - we pulled off road and son traveling along with us found that the extreme bumping had pulled loose a wire on the outside panel behind the refrig....hooked it up and worked fine since. Recently, while leveling (with engine running and electrical hooked up when we have it) the screen on the unit would not talk to me. No led messages on analyzing or Success when set) After retracting and re-leveling at another site, VOILA, the led screen is working again, perfectly - gremlins again? - That's it for our issues - we were neophytes to MHomes, not camping-had owned a trailer and pop-up years ago. The quality of our unit is commensurate with what we paid and the issues are usually a result of our own ignorance - cannot blame that on Winnebago or Marcus Lemonis at Camping World. Since you are an experienced MH owner you should be happy with a Winne - note -our unit had 1400 miles on it and CW had used it as a show model a few times and probably worked out some of the initial klinks for us. Good luck with your decision and BTW, hubby and I have no problem communicating while driving uphill or otherwise while driving down the road. We get 6-8 MPG in the gasser, depending on how fast (70) or slow (55) we go. Happy Trails to you!
s's

 

[jazzerjump]

Savgirl=we are on our 4th year of being snowbirds-not quite newbies but definitely not old hands. Seems like every time out we learn something new or change something. As you probably have found out as you meet people and see other coaches ideas always formulate on an upgrade or change on the coach.

Roll-good luck on your purchase. We agree with Savgirl in that this is our second used Winni and we have been more than pleased overall with quality/fit given that they are not really a high end unit. Have seen some other coaches-both diesel pushers and gasses that some consider top of line with same issues on QC that people complain about with Winnebago. All is subjective in reality.

Also I am not real intelligent when it comes to suspensions-not something I was concerned with until we bought our first Cl A. Can you or maybe TJ educate me as to difference between sway and track bars. Would like to determine which I have. Is it possible to have both? I assume one helps with body lean-roll bar and one with keeping coach from wandering in cross winds-trac bar but not sure what they look like.

 

[Roll]

Savgirl=we are on our 4th year of being snowbirds-not quite newbies but definitely not old hands. Seems like every time out we learn something new or change something. As you probably have found out as you meet people and see other coaches ideas always formulate on an upgrade or change on the coach.

Roll-good luck on your purchase. We agree with Savgirl in that this is our second used Winni and we have been more than pleased overall with quality/fit given that they are not really a high end unit. Have seen some other coaches-both diesel pushers and gasses that some consider top of line with same issues on QC that people complain about with Winnebago. All is subjective in reality.

Also I am not real intelligent when it comes to suspensions-not something I was concerned with until we bought our first Cl A. Can you or maybe TJ educate me as to difference between sway and track bars. Would like to determine which I have. Is it possible to have both? I assume one helps with body lean-roll bar and one with keeping coach from wandering in cross winds-trac bar but not sure what they look like.

You are correct. Sway is body lean left and right i.e. in a turn the coach leans to the outside. Anti-sway bars mitigate some of the leaning or swaying. Track bars are typically on the rear axel. Leaf spring rear ends tend to move a little left and right. This can cause tail wag, tendency to follow cracks or uneven pavement, and exacerbate the push/pull effects of big trucks as they pass you. A track bar anchors the rear axel to the frame to eliminate (mostly) the left and right axel travel. They are expensive ($550 or so) but well worth the cash. Incidentally, a track bar does not limit the up and down movement of the rear end or axel.

The combination of the two devices improves the handling feel of the coach and lets the driver relax a bit behind the wheel. When I first drove our Encounter home it was a white knuckled drive all the way. I thought I had made a big mistake. After a steering shock on the front and track bar on the rear, the coach changed from a bucking bronco to a well trained trail horse. Much more comfortable to drive. The difference between being exhausted, or feeling rested, after a 6 hour drive.

A steering shock centers the wheel and assists in keeping the wheel straight. Will also dampen the pull in the event of a front axel blow out. They are not cheap either at about $250.

 

[Yellowboat]

I have a 2016 Sightseer 33C with a six speed transmission.

I ordered this coach new from Winnebago through a local dealer so that we would get the exact options and colors that we liked. It took about four months for Winnebago to build and deliver our coach.

I also had the dealer install a Roadmaster rear trac bar and a Roadmaster rear sway bar plus a Safe-T-Plus steering dampener. These items were installed prior to me picking up the unit. I cannot say how much improvement these items made to handling.

We have put on 13K miles making a coast to coast trip in the United States. Compared to our previous 2006 Sightseer 29R this new 2016 Sightseer is much easier to drive. The vehicle is more solidly in a lane of traffic releaving a lot of the white knuckle driving. I usually don't feel when an 18 wheeler is passing and when I do it is a gentle nudge. A box truck can push more than an 18 wheeler.

The six speed transmissionin the 2016 Ford chassis makes a lot of difference. My 2006 with the five speed transmission would rev up to 5,300 RPM's and make a lot of cockpit noise. The 2016 chassis with the six speed transmission revs up to 4,300 RPM's because of different shift points making for a much quieter ride. The V10 engine is still capable of 5,300 RPM's as I found out descending a mountain in Missouri.

I have had more quality issues than expected. At the 2016 Grand National Rally the new Winnebago CEO apologized for the quality of their new coaches and he said that they were working to resolve the quality problems. I don't have the problematic schwintek slides. Winnebago switched to Power Gear slides. That said I have had three of my slide mechanisms replaced because the slide motors had come loose.

We received our 2016 coach in August 2015 and are now out of our one year warranty. Hopefully we have worked out the bugs by now.

Even though we have had a lot of manufacturing defects I would still make the trade to the 33C. That said we will see how the slides hold up over time.

Safe travels. JD

 

[Roll]

I have a 2016 Sightseer 33C with a six speed transmission.

I ordered this coach new from Winnebago through a local dealer so that we would get the exact options and colors that we liked. It took about four months for Winnebago to build and deliver our coach.

I also had the dealer install a Roadmaster rear trac bar and a Roadmaster rear sway bar plus a Safe-T-Plus steering dampener. These items were installed prior to me picking up the unit. I cannot say how much improvement these items made to handling.

We have put on 13K miles making a coast to coast trip in the United States. Compared to our previous 2006 Sightseer 29R this new 2016 Sightseer is much easier to drive. The vehicle is more solidly in a lane of traffic releaving a lot of the white knuckle driving. I usually don't feel when an 18 wheeler is passing and when I do it is a gentle nudge. A box truck can push more than an 18 wheeler.

The six speed transmissionin the 2016 Ford chassis makes a lot of difference. My 2006 with the five speed transmission would rev up to 5,300 RPM's and make a lot of cockpit noise. The 2016 chassis with the six speed transmission revs up to 4,300 RPM's because of different shift points making for a much quieter ride. The V10 engine is still capable of 5,300 RPM's as I found out descending a mountain in Missouri.

I have had more quality issues than expected. At the 2016 Grand National Rally the new Winnebago CEO apologized for the quality of their new coaches and he said that they were working to resolve the quality problems. I don't have the problematic schwintek slides. Winnebago switched to Power Gear slides. That said I have had three of my slide mechanisms replaced because the slide motors had come loose.

We received our 2016 coach in August 2015 and are now out of our one year warranty. Hopefully we have worked out the bugs by now.

Even though we have had a lot of manufacturing defects I would still make the trade to the 33C. That said we will see how the slides hold up over time.

Safe travels. JD

Thanks for posting Yellowboat; exactly the kind of information that I was looking for. Our Encounter is on a Ford Chassis so I have experience with taming the Ford gear and no real concerns there. On the other hand I didn't know about the slides. How would I check to see if the slides on the 2016 33C we are looking at are Schwintek or Power Glide? Build date would be useful too but I don't have that.

I know the rig has been on the lot since Feb 2016. It's Ember on the outside, very pretty; but the interior is awful and nothing seems to match at least to our eyes. The flooring clashes with the cabinets which clash with the leatherette furniture which clashes with the flooring. I suspect that may be the reason it's been sitting. It's marked down substantially. For a big enough discount, we can live with the awful color combinations.

Would enjoy a discussion via phone if you're up for it. PM or Post and I'll give you my number or call yours if you prefer. Otherwise I would be very interested in knowing how to tell what brand of slide it has.

Gary