Well hello all y'all. New Owner of 2025 Spirit 26T Class C

[Battle Born Clan]

On 21 June I bought a 2025 Winnebago Spirit 26T, I had it for 11 days before it went in the shop the first time. It was in the shop for 41 days when I had to take it out for 9 days to get a single weeks of caping in before our season in Northern Nevada raps up for the year. At the end of that 9 days it went back into the show here it has been ever since.

I traded in a cursed Cherokee 274 BRB for this 26T, I'm not sure what curse is worse at this point.

But! And there always a BUT. The 7 days we had it to camp in were good. The first two days were rougher. The shower head broke, the toilet started leaking into the RV and the kitchen sink was leaking into the cabinetry. All stuff should have known had we ever really had possession of the RV.

With all that said, once the 26T is up and running we look forward to doing more next Spring and Summer. If we get it back in time we might get one hunting trip in to tests its cold weather capabilities.

That was a bit much for an opener, sorry.

Names Richard, I the 5th of 7 generations born here in Nevada. We live just outside Reno, where I was born. I'm 55 and retired (U.S. Army.) I'm married with 4 kids ranging in age from 34 to 14. We have been running a number of trailers for the last 15 years and just moved up into the 26T. My Bride is a nurse and one the last of the kids moves out she wants to travel nurse. We are outdoors as often as possible wither that be hunting, fishing, camping or traveling.

I hope to learn a lot about the RV life, about maximizing space, and as much DIY stuff as possible. My dad gave me a copy of the movie "RV" in June, so far it has been a documentary rather than a comedy.

 

[Joe & Sabine]

Hi Richard, that sounds rough! I'm sorry you've been so unlucky with your unit. We purchased a new to us 2018 Minnie Winnie 25B in May. It is our first time RV experience, my husband is retired already and I only have a couple of years to go. He was in the Army and we did most of our traveling in Europe in the past. We're hoping to explore the US in the next few years. So far very happy with our purchase, we haven't had any issues. Got in a few first exploratory trips close to home, solo and with all the grandkids so far this summer. Now we're looking at learning about putting her to sleep for the winter At least you are probably looking at warranty coverage since your unit is brand new. Good luck!

 

[Battle Born Clan]

Hi Richard, that sounds rough! I'm sorry you've been so unlucky with your unit. We purchased a new to us 2018 Minnie Winnie 25B in May. It is our first time RV experience, my husband is retired already and I only have a couple of years to go. He was in the Army and we did most of our traveling in Europe in the past. We're hoping to explore the US in the next few years. So far very happy with our purchase, we haven't had any issues. Got in a few first exploratory trips close to home, solo and with all the grandkids so far this summer. Now we're looking at learning about putting her to sleep for the winter At least you are probably looking at warranty coverage since your unit is brand new. Good luck!

Like you all I did a lot of traveling when I was in the Army. 21 countries and 42 states, My wife on the other hand was not able to travel much before we met. We are hoping to make up for that more and more over the coming years.

 

[John Gozza]

Hey Richard, after 4 different trailers, we are on our second Class C Motorhome. Both of them are apparently “Covid Coaches”, as we have had a string of issues with both of them. We live just south of you in Gardnerville and try to make 4-5 RV trips a year (when the RV is not in the shop). The repair shops seem to be so backlogged that you just never know when your rig will be ready to pickup. Welcome to Winnie Owners

 

[Battle Born Clan]

Hey Richard, after 4 different trailers, we are on our second Class C Motorhome. Both of them are apparently “Covid Coaches”, as we have had a string of issues with both of them. We live just south of you in Gardnerville and try to make 4-5 RV trips a year (when the RV is not in the shop). The repair shops seem to be so backlogged that you just never know when your rig will be ready to pickup. Welcome to Winnie Owners

Amen. I am from Gardnerville my folks still live there. I do miss the Cason Valley more days than not.

 

[Wmlunt-WO]

Richard, first thank you for your service!
We picked up our first adventure unit beyond tent camping for 40+ years with family since a child. 2 years into a MM2108FBS travel trailer, 2-1/2 mos across USA, 9k mile, $4k in gas!
We bought in 2024 after Covid just for the problems with that whole mess.
Speaking of that whole mess, in Jan of 2020, folks were dying and I was part of the solution, engineering mixing tanks for the Covid vaccines. Had to travel thru airports, etc. when most were hunkered down at home. A lot of support from mfgrs. to get a solution, some may now disagree, but we needed something, and the Biopharma scientists of the world were phenomenal.
Anyhow sorry to hear of your problems with your bad luck with your rig. My sister is a nurse.
I think your journey of repair and working thru issues on the RV will help your children as they learn thru this life that things aren’t perfect and need hands on loving care. More work than suburbia but ultimately more fulfilling.
Best of luck in your repairs, and the skills you learn to execute! Travel safe!
Bill and Hoa

 

[Pointyears]

On 21 June I bought a 2025 Winnebago Spirit 26T, I had it for 11 days before it went in the shop the first time. It was in the shop for 41 days when I had to take it out for 9 days to get a single weeks of caping in before our season in Northern Nevada raps up for the year. At the end of that 9 days it went back into the show here it has been ever since.

I traded in a cursed Cherokee 274 BRB for this 26T, I'm not sure what curse is worse at this point.

But! And there always a BUT. The 7 days we had it to camp in were good. The first two days were rougher. The shower head broke, the toilet started leaking into the RV and the kitchen sink was leaking into the cabinetry. All stuff should have known had we ever really had possession of the RV.

With all that said, once the 26T is up and running we look forward to doing more next Spring and Summer. If we get it back in time we might get one hunting trip in to tests its cold weather capabilities.

That was a bit much for an opener, sorry.

Names Richard, I the 5th of 7 generations born here in Nevada. We live just outside Reno, where I was born. I'm 55 and retired (U.S. Army.) I'm married with 4 kids ranging in age from 34 to 14. We have been running a number of trailers for the last 15 years and just moved up into the 26T. My Bride is a nurse and one the last of the kids moves out she wants to travel nurse. We are outdoors as often as possible wither that be hunting, fishing, camping or traveling.

I hope to learn a lot about the RV life, about maximizing space, and as much DIY stuff as possible. My dad gave me a copy of the movie "RV" in June, so far it has been a documentary rather than a comedy. View attachment 1340099

What was/is wrong with it?

 

[Porto-Chow]

At least you had one trip! We bought our new 24 Porto in July and are still waiting for replacement of skylight in shower before we can go camping. Was broken at dealer, but we didn’t know it so just waiting here in FL to hit the road. Best of luck to you!

 

[Jeff and Scott]

On 21 June I bought a 2025 Winnebago Spirit 26T, I had it for 11 days before it went in the shop the first time. It was in the shop for 41 days when I had to take it out for 9 days to get a single weeks of caping in before our season in Northern Nevada raps up for the year. At the end of that 9 days it went back into the show here it has been ever since.

I traded in a cursed Cherokee 274 BRB for this 26T, I'm not sure what curse is worse at this point.

But! And there always a BUT. The 7 days we had it to camp in were good. The first two days were rougher. The shower head broke, the toilet started leaking into the RV and the kitchen sink was leaking into the cabinetry. All stuff should have known had we ever really had possession of the RV.

With all that said, once the 26T is up and running we look forward to doing more next Spring and Summer. If we get it back in time we might get one hunting trip in to tests its cold weather capabilities.

That was a bit much for an opener, sorry.

Names Richard, I the 5th of 7 generations born here in Nevada. We live just outside Reno, where I was born. I'm 55 and retired (U.S. Army.) I'm married with 4 kids ranging in age from 34 to 14. We have been running a number of trailers for the last 15 years and just moved up into the 26T. My Bride is a nurse and one the last of the kids moves out she wants to travel nurse. We are outdoors as often as possible wither that be hunting, fishing, camping or traveling.

I hope to learn a lot about the RV life, about maximizing space, and as much DIY stuff as possible. My dad gave me a copy of the movie "RV" in June, so far it has been a documentary rather than a comedy. View attachment 1340099

Richard, we had a sink issue on our brand new Class C Spirit 31K. The P-trap wasn't secured properly (pipe too short) and came lose. Thankfully, all I'd done was run water and rinse a coffee cup. But we think some of it leaked into the basement storage compartment right below. Easy fixes. It's an experience to say the least.

We are recently retired educators - Scott a French teacher / Jeff a high school principal - and leaving Florida to see some fall colors.

Great times ahead.

 

[Battle Born Clan]

Richard, first thank you for your service!
We picked up our first adventure unit beyond tent camping for 40+ years with family since a child. 2 years into a MM2108FBS travel trailer, 2-1/2 mos across USA, 9k mile, $4k in gas!
We bought in 2024 after Covid just for the problems with that whole mess.
Speaking of that whole mess, in Jan of 2020, folks were dying and I was part of the solution, engineering mixing tanks for the Covid vaccines. Had to travel thru airports, etc. when most were hunkered down at home. A lot of support from mfgrs. to get a solution, some may now disagree, but we needed something, and the Biopharma scientists of the world were phenomenal.
Anyhow sorry to hear of your problems with your bad luck with your rig. My sister is a nurse.
I think your journey of repair and working thru issues on the RV will help your children as they learn thru this life that things aren’t perfect and need hands on loving care. More work than suburbia but ultimately more fulfilling.
Best of luck in your repairs, and the skills you learn to execute! Travel safe!
Bill and Hoa

Thank you it is my honor to have Served.
I am sure once we get it out of the shop for good it will be great, at least that is the hope. We might have it back before deer season, in a few weeks. Since we don't have the Cherokee 274 BRB anymore we don't have anything to base camp in without the RV.
As with all things time will tell. Again thank you.

 

[Battle Born Clan]

What was/is wrong with it?

First there was a kink in the gas line to the fridge when the slider went out, we found that 3 days after picking it up. Then the fridge and freezer would not cool after more 18 hours of being plugged in to shore power. It was 85 degrees in the RV but 101 on the fridge and freezer. We took it back to the dealer on 1 July, they had it until 12 August and the work was still not even started. We took it out of the dealership on 13 August because we had a vacation at Lake Tahoe that we had planned and paid for almost a year in advance. We had two concerts over that week, a Ren Faire and A Shakespeare festival all at Lake Tahoe. There was no chance that we could switch up and get rooms for that week and even if we could I would have had to eat about 1500.00 in things that could not be refunded because the dealer kept telling us it would be fixed.

The first night at Tahoe, the shower head broke, the little shutoff button pushed right out of the head making water fly in 3 directions rather than the traditional way. Easy fix, but one more issue. Then I went to get out some pet food and it was all wet. It turned out the nut that holds the drain pipe for the skin had been cross threaded to the sink basin and was letting water out everywhere. The the toilet started leaking into the RV at the foot pedal and the toilet valve in the bowl would not hold water in the bowl. I don't know if the two things are related.

SO FAR, that is it. But out 83 days since we picked it up, 21 June, we have physically had it for 18 days and it has not worked at 100%, heck 90% for that entire time.

 

[Battle Born Clan]

At least you had one trip! We bought our new 24 Porto in July and are still waiting for replacement of skylight in shower before we can go camping. Was broken at dealer, but we didn’t know it so just waiting here in FL to hit the road. Best of luck to you!

I hate to hear this kind of stuff. But it seems more common than not. When we were in the camp ground we talked with a bunch of other RV folks and every one of them had a horror story of one kind or another. One lady from our area (Sparks, NV) said she bought her 2024 Forest River Class A ( I do not remember her model.) New and 3 months in it and electrical fire in the fuse panel, it took her 6 months to get it back. She said she has been living part time in her RV's for about 10 years and had learned how to fix a great many things on them. I see why, now.

I hope you all get your rig back sooner rather than later.

 

[Battle Born Clan]

Richard, we had a sink issue on our brand new Class C Spirit 31K. The P-trap wasn't secured properly (pipe too short) and came lose. Thankfully, all I'd done was run water and rinse a coffee cup. But we think some of it leaked into the basement storage compartment right below. Easy fixes. It's an experience to say the least.

We are recently retired educators - Scott a French teacher / Jeff a high school principal - and leaving Florida to see some fall colors.

Great times ahead.

It is clear being handy, is important with these RV's. The cross threaded nut at the sink basin on ours was so tight I would not get it off. I don't carry a pipe wrench in my travel kit, I will now. Our P-trap was was in good shape but the nuts above and below the elbow were less than hand tight but neither of them had leaked.

Wen we first got it I went thought and tightened all the screws in the cabin because many has loosened up. I knew that was and is one of those things that happens with these things.

I would be way less upset with this entire process if we had gotten to use it a few times before all the springs sprung loose. LOL

Water in the RV/trailer scares me. The 274 BRB had 2 big leaks. One at the flex tube to PEX line for the water for the toilet. And one from the outside shower on the door side. We did not see wither until the belly started drooping and leaking. The first one was out on a week long camp and the other the day we were pulling out for a 4 day trip. Those to leaks caused a bunch of damage and were the nail in the coffin of the 274 BRB.