Whoopie - We're in the new coach !!

[John Canfield]

We are quite a bit poorer now but we are RV owners! As I type this we are in space #73 at Lazydays' Rally Park and we are on the Internet via our brand new Datastorm satellite dish (comissioned about 5 hours ago).

Things have gone fairly well and as expected there are a few issues to deal with.

I know everybody probably wants to know what kind of shape the coach is in.

Here is a list of problems we have encountered:

During the road test I felt a little shimmy or vibration in the steering wheer during high-speed turns or maneuvers. The chassis shop thinks the front tires need balancing.

The check engine light has now come on three or four times.

There is a basement strut rod that is mounted too close to the outside of the door. The gas tube (cylinder) rubs quite a bit against its neighbor.

The co-pilot seat adjuster controls didn't work due to the wiring harness coming unplugged from the control panel pins. I found the trouble and fixed it.

One of the basement electric locks didn't work - the plug/socket wasn't seated firmly - I fixed this also (sorry - I can't help myself.. it's a guy thing I suppose.)

The infamous keyless entry worked okay for a while, but now seems inop. The jury is still out on this one. I need to do some more playing with this before I claim this is broken or intermittant.

There are a couple of minor detailing issues that can be easily be dealt with.

Bottom line - I think the Winnebago part of the coach was in very, very good shape. Good workmanship, haven't noticed anything that would give me heartburn as yet. Nice woodwork! I think I even like the sleep number bed!!

It is very hot down here (89-92)and the basement air has kept us very comfortable. The house thermostat was reading 80 degrees during the hottest part of the day, but we nevertheless felt quite comfortable.

Oh - in the stupid department we have a candidate: Winney mounted the King Dome backwards. The cable exit at the base is supposed to be to the rear of the coach (according to the King Dome manual) and yup - they installed it facing forward. This is a guaranteed problem in waiting as we drive in rain and we get water intrusion via the cable connections. I will be calling King Dome and suggesting they give Winney some installation training, and I will insist that it be mounted properly. This was a big-buck item (it is the in-motion dish) and I want it right.

So far we are waiting to have our problems addressed. Unfortunately as I feared once we moved off of the delivery site we would become 'invisible' and that seems to have happened. I know how to be a polite 'pain in the rear' so I will not be ignored.

**UPDATE** Our delivery advisor just stopped by the coach (it is now 6:30PM) and said we are scheduled to go into the chassis shop tomorrow. He also said they have 80 deliveries scheduled for tomorrow. They probably are going to get more and more behind

However, in spite of the glitches we are thrilled and happy. I had wide-open eyes at the beginning of this adventure and I realize it will take a while to get everything ship-shape.

I will keep ya'll posted on the saga of the new coach!

Cheers to you from site #73!

John & Jane

 

[John Canfield]

We are quite a bit poorer now but we are RV owners! As I type this we are in space #73 at Lazydays' Rally Park and we are on the Internet via our brand new Datastorm satellite dish (comissioned about 5 hours ago).

Things have gone fairly well and as expected there are a few issues to deal with.

I know everybody probably wants to know what kind of shape the coach is in.

Here is a list of problems we have encountered:

During the road test I felt a little shimmy or vibration in the steering wheer during high-speed turns or maneuvers. The chassis shop thinks the front tires need balancing.

The check engine light has now come on three or four times.

There is a basement strut rod that is mounted too close to the outside of the door. The gas tube (cylinder) rubs quite a bit against its neighbor.

The co-pilot seat adjuster controls didn't work due to the wiring harness coming unplugged from the control panel pins. I found the trouble and fixed it.

One of the basement electric locks didn't work - the plug/socket wasn't seated firmly - I fixed this also (sorry - I can't help myself.. it's a guy thing I suppose.)

The infamous keyless entry worked okay for a while, but now seems inop. The jury is still out on this one. I need to do some more playing with this before I claim this is broken or intermittant.

There are a couple of minor detailing issues that can be easily be dealt with.

Bottom line - I think the Winnebago part of the coach was in very, very good shape. Good workmanship, haven't noticed anything that would give me heartburn as yet. Nice woodwork! I think I even like the sleep number bed!!

It is very hot down here (89-92)and the basement air has kept us very comfortable. The house thermostat was reading 80 degrees during the hottest part of the day, but we nevertheless felt quite comfortable.

Oh - in the stupid department we have a candidate: Winney mounted the King Dome backwards. The cable exit at the base is supposed to be to the rear of the coach (according to the King Dome manual) and yup - they installed it facing forward. This is a guaranteed problem in waiting as we drive in rain and we get water intrusion via the cable connections. I will be calling King Dome and suggesting they give Winney some installation training, and I will insist that it be mounted properly. This was a big-buck item (it is the in-motion dish) and I want it right.

So far we are waiting to have our problems addressed. Unfortunately as I feared once we moved off of the delivery site we would become 'invisible' and that seems to have happened. I know how to be a polite 'pain in the rear' so I will not be ignored.

**UPDATE** Our delivery advisor just stopped by the coach (it is now 6:30PM) and said we are scheduled to go into the chassis shop tomorrow. He also said they have 80 deliveries scheduled for tomorrow. They probably are going to get more and more behind

However, in spite of the glitches we are thrilled and happy. I had wide-open eyes at the beginning of this adventure and I realize it will take a while to get everything ship-shape.

I will keep ya'll posted on the saga of the new coach!

Cheers to you from site #73!

John & Jane

 

[TXiceman]

John and Jane, glad the coach is ...near...perfect. At least it is close. Enjoy the weekend.

Ken

 

[LK23]

John,

Congratulations on the new 40AD Horizon. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do ours.

Comments: Ours had a shimmy at 60 mph. I took it to Freightliner who supposedly re-balanced the front tires. I still had the shimmy. I took it to the local Michelin shop who re-balanced the tires again and this time it worked - no shimmy.

In regards to the touchpad, as I told you previously, mine has not worked since I purchased my Horizon in November 2004. Most recently (after writing to the CEO), Winnie is sending me a new control box and touchpad and I am in touch with SCS Frigete (the manufacturer) to attempt a cure. I don't have high hopes since this is the second control box and the fourth touchpad.

Best of luck to you as you pursue your journeys.

 

[doc-WO]

We found out that there are things that happen to a new coach. You have all the expectations in the world that everything is going to be perfect, but that is not necessarily the case. After a few frustrating visits to the dealer when our coach was new, we ended up detouring by the factory on one of our western trips. These guys make the dealer crowd look so bad it is not funny. It took all of 20 minutes for the technician to find a problem with the chassis A/C that the dealer's people looked for on three seperate trips at about 225 miles per trip for us.

I hope you guys have a trouble free coach and all the systems work right, but if they don't, don't get upset and start yelling about how poor Winnebago quality is. When the bugs are worked out (we hope you have none!!) you will have years of fun with the Horizon.

We are envious and Wish we had a new one, ours just turned 6 and the new coaches sure look good.

doc and Ms d

 

[Nonno]

John,

Congratulations on your new MH.

When I got my MH the IC display wasn't readable and the check engine light stayed on. Replaced the IC thinking it would fix both problems. Display was corrected but the light turned out to be a frayed wire. Apparently when Winnebago assembled the MH the harness provided by Workhorse wasn't routed properly so it was rubbing against a metal plate. Not sure if this is the problem with yours but something to consider.

Bob

 

[ichn2go]

John, Congratulations. Hope all goes well with the "fixes". Many happy years of enjoyment..

 

[grandriver125]

John, for my dealer 80 coaches would be ... uhhh, 4 months - maybe 6 months. Everytime I go near LD I marvel and wonder how they did it and how they keep doing it.

I wish you luck getting the problems fixed. You are clearly just chomping at the bit to get out and on the way. Hope the work is all done (and done right) soon and good luck in your travels.