We're BACK!! Observations from our trip (LONG)

BigTrace · 03-03-2006, 11:35 AM

Well, all we can say is, "We Love our Winnie!!". After successfully driving a trio of motorhomes from Forest City to San Diego, all we can say is WOW! Although we have our fair share of problems (some more serious than others), I have to say that the fit and finish of each our rigs is wonderful.

We started out Thursday the 23rd on a first class one-way ticket on American West. If you've never flown first class (I never had until this flight), you owe it to yourself to do it one time. Seats are much nicer and my beer was very cold. We landed at 2pm Central time and was greeted by Chelsey from Lichtsinn Motors who helped us pack in our luggage and 5 bodies into a Cadillac Escalade. We originally sent 10 moving size boxes full of stuff to Lichtsinn about 2 weeks earlier but found with the women, no amount of luggage was enough to tame the "frozen Tundra" as my wife put it. We headed to the Mall of America where the ladies shopped and the guys sat in the nearest bar. Chelsey promptly came over to pay the tab which I thought was very classy of Ron. We made it to Forest City by around 8pm, beat tired for a stay at "The Lodge" which coincidentally was owned originally by one of the Winnebago Founders son-in-laws. Our rooms were nice and spacious (all of them were suites) and were also comped by Ron. The next day we arose to take the Winnie Tour.

The tour was awesome and I highly recommend everyone taking it when and if they get a chance. Just to know what goes into each of our motorhomes is definitely an "eye-opener" when comparing them to other brands. The amount of steel and aluminum they use is astronomical. I was happy to learn they are not unionized and when I asked about that, the employees seemed very happy with their pay and benefits. Apparently, they voted the union out several times when the issue raised its head before. I'm not trying to offend anyone in a union, I just believe that their usefulness has come and gone now that state and federal regulations have taken their place. Anyhow, It was very interesting to see live motorhomes being built right in front of you. We got to hold the metal used for the under plate support on the overhead TV's. When he handed it to me, I thought it was going to weigh maybe 10 pounds. Boy was I wrong. That 1/16th plate must have weighed close to 30 pounds. I was happy to find each and every mounting point for our cabinets and fixtures has a steel plate for backing. Not that I couldn't dwell on forever, but the whole process was amazing from start to finish.

After the tour, we had lunch and then went to see out new coaches. Ron brought them into his shop (all 3 of them) and had his technician go through a PDI using our PDI checklist we emailed to him prior to our arrival. With the exception of some overspray on the paint finishes, everything seemed to work correctly so we happily accepted the results, moved our rigs across the street where we could access them the next day for an early in the morning departure. We sat in them for a while, got the Sirius radios working and buttoned everything up for the COLD night ahead. I left the furnace running at about 60 degrees. As I found out, it still didn't help as the newly filled water tanks were pretty frozen when we left. The water pump was dead in the morning. We all knew this might happen, so we left it alone until it thawed out (which it did later that day). Dealing with Ron Lichtsinn was a pleasure and he made things absolutely effortless. We were also able to call him from the road with questions and either he or his technicians would respond quickly. We would not hesitate to buy from him again. We are thinking of going to the GNR this year if time affords it. The people of Iowa are very friendly and we really liked our experience there (even though it was 12 degrees outside with a wind-chill down to 0).

After driving her for awhile, my first impression was WOW again. Effortless acceleration, turning radius was amazing and the one piece windshield was AWESOME. I never thought this would make a HUGE difference, but it does. Your brain no longer thinks of the landscape in two different pieces but now one panoramic view. As we were lucky to get them (they were implemented in January), they will be standard issue in the 2007 models. We opted for the dishwasher and when checking it out during our PDI, we forgot to lock it again. It came flying open when we turned a corner. I figured out how to lock it in place and solved that problem. Ours is a bit misaligned (the drawer has a bit more gap on one side than the other), but with a little "push" to lock it, it did just fine.

Roads were clear all the way home. No rain, no snow, no salt. We REALLY lucked out.

If you opt for a 40FD like we did, I would HIGHLY recommend the fireplace. I thought originally that it was more "ambiance" and gimmick (bought it more for the resale of it than anything else), but was shocked to learn that it is VERY functional. It is made by Heatilator and has a hi/low switch and a thermostatically controlled blower unit. If you are plugged into 50amp service (I know that works, but didn't have an opportunity to try it with a 30amp service yet), you can keep the fireplace going to heat the entire front area without using propane. We even used it to heat the rear side of the coach by leaving the doors open and just letting the heat "flow" in. We did this for 2 nights and only heard the furnace kick on a couple of times to help the coach "catch up". After 6 days of cold nights, we only used about 1/3rd of our propane tank.

Ron printed out a list of differences that our Itasca Horizon had in comparison to the Winnebago Vectra. I was pleasantly surprised at several things I didn't know and wasn't expecting. I asked this question amongst the forum before, but no one knew for sure. I forgot who responded, but they had a listing from a 2004 comparison so I will post my 2006 comparison under a different posting.

Our trip took us through the 15 degree cold to 92 degree heat in Texas. We traveled to 9 states. Our MH is very dirty right now, but after I wash her tomorrow, she'll be OK again.

We do have a few problems that need correcting. My dash A/C doesn't work. It blows air, just not cold air. That's a Freightliner fix. I also have a slide seal that is sticking too much and folding over (the middle "wipe" seal around the slide opening). It almost came off, but I was able to force my hand in there and straighten it out. I sprayed it with some silicone lube per advice from a technician at Lichtsinn and it seemed to start working better. That same slide "crept" out a couple of inches during our drive. I slide it in and locked it only to have it do the same thing again. After I sprayed the wipe seal and worked it in a little, the slide seemed to operate much better. We stopped at a rest stop and I noticed the slide room was leaning a bit hitting the outside harder at the top while having a ¼ inch gap at the bottom. After sliding it in and out a few times (after we leveled out) with the seal being lubed, we haven't had that issue again so I hope this is the end of it. I did call HWH and had the issue documented anyways. Their advice is to document EVERYTHING. They have their own set of service centers (which may or may not be your dealer).

Our coach came with a power water hose reel. When both of us (my friends Horizon and our Horizon) tried to use them, they wouldn't feed the coaches with water. A couple of phone calls to Ron and we figured out that there is a "Check-Valve" after the hose reel that was installed backwards at the plant. Someone needs to wake up and see which way the arrow points!! A couple of wrenches and 10 minutes was all it needed to fix the problem. We couldn't believe BOTH coaches were like this especially since they were "Born" about 10 days apart. There must be LOTS of units out there with this problem.

My friend (Bill) has a fuel leak from the generator. We think that when it was first tested, the connection was done in the cold and later when it hit 90 degrees, the connection became loose. It is occurring somewhere DEEP underneath the coach and seems to happen only when the generator is turned on. Spits like crazy. Needless to say, we turned off and didn't use the generator in his unit for the whole trip. His cab air worked well however so at least he was happy. Our generator worked so we had the basement air going to cool us instead of the cab air. I might add that the basement air is VERY efficient (being my first taste of basement air) and quiet although the furnace is a bit louder, especially in the bedroom area. Sounds like an engine of sorts but didn't keep me from sleeping. It was like the heat pump may have been going even though I didn't have the controls in heat pump mode. Is there a separate control for the rear bedroom to place the unit in a heat pump or propane mode? I didn't see it. We also have 1 compartment that needs a bit of adjusting. It closes fine, but needs that extra "push" to make sure the latches are secure.

To wind it up before it gets exhausting, now that it is home, I need to check it out more thoroughly and make sure everything is operationally sound, but from the looks of it, the punch list will be pretty minor. I have a scheduled local dealer appointment in 6 weeks which I think is ridiculous. This is where the "buy local" versus "buy where you get the best deal" comes into play. Ron said he'll pull some strings with Winnie if I wanted quicker service somewhere else.

Your comments are welcome!! I'll post whatever you may want to know.

BigTrace · 03-03-2006, 11:35 AM

Well, all we can say is, "We Love our Winnie!!". After successfully driving a trio of motorhomes from Forest City to San Diego, all we can say is WOW! Although we have our fair share of problems (some more serious than others), I have to say that the fit and finish of each our rigs is wonderful.

We started out Thursday the 23rd on a first class one-way ticket on American West. If you've never flown first class (I never had until this flight), you owe it to yourself to do it one time. Seats are much nicer and my beer was very cold. We landed at 2pm Central time and was greeted by Chelsey from Lichtsinn Motors who helped us pack in our luggage and 5 bodies into a Cadillac Escalade. We originally sent 10 moving size boxes full of stuff to Lichtsinn about 2 weeks earlier but found with the women, no amount of luggage was enough to tame the "frozen Tundra" as my wife put it. We headed to the Mall of America where the ladies shopped and the guys sat in the nearest bar. Chelsey promptly came over to pay the tab which I thought was very classy of Ron. We made it to Forest City by around 8pm, beat tired for a stay at "The Lodge" which coincidentally was owned originally by one of the Winnebago Founders son-in-laws. Our rooms were nice and spacious (all of them were suites) and were also comped by Ron. The next day we arose to take the Winnie Tour.

The tour was awesome and I highly recommend everyone taking it when and if they get a chance. Just to know what goes into each of our motorhomes is definitely an "eye-opener" when comparing them to other brands. The amount of steel and aluminum they use is astronomical. I was happy to learn they are not unionized and when I asked about that, the employees seemed very happy with their pay and benefits. Apparently, they voted the union out several times when the issue raised its head before. I'm not trying to offend anyone in a union, I just believe that their usefulness has come and gone now that state and federal regulations have taken their place. Anyhow, It was very interesting to see live motorhomes being built right in front of you. We got to hold the metal used for the under plate support on the overhead TV's. When he handed it to me, I thought it was going to weigh maybe 10 pounds. Boy was I wrong. That 1/16th plate must have weighed close to 30 pounds. I was happy to find each and every mounting point for our cabinets and fixtures has a steel plate for backing. Not that I couldn't dwell on forever, but the whole process was amazing from start to finish.

After the tour, we had lunch and then went to see out new coaches. Ron brought them into his shop (all 3 of them) and had his technician go through a PDI using our PDI checklist we emailed to him prior to our arrival. With the exception of some overspray on the paint finishes, everything seemed to work correctly so we happily accepted the results, moved our rigs across the street where we could access them the next day for an early in the morning departure. We sat in them for a while, got the Sirius radios working and buttoned everything up for the COLD night ahead. I left the furnace running at about 60 degrees. As I found out, it still didn't help as the newly filled water tanks were pretty frozen when we left. The water pump was dead in the morning. We all knew this might happen, so we left it alone until it thawed out (which it did later that day). Dealing with Ron Lichtsinn was a pleasure and he made things absolutely effortless. We were also able to call him from the road with questions and either he or his technicians would respond quickly. We would not hesitate to buy from him again. We are thinking of going to the GNR this year if time affords it. The people of Iowa are very friendly and we really liked our experience there (even though it was 12 degrees outside with a wind-chill down to 0).

After driving her for awhile, my first impression was WOW again. Effortless acceleration, turning radius was amazing and the one piece windshield was AWESOME. I never thought this would make a HUGE difference, but it does. Your brain no longer thinks of the landscape in two different pieces but now one panoramic view. As we were lucky to get them (they were implemented in January), they will be standard issue in the 2007 models. We opted for the dishwasher and when checking it out during our PDI, we forgot to lock it again. It came flying open when we turned a corner. I figured out how to lock it in place and solved that problem. Ours is a bit misaligned (the drawer has a bit more gap on one side than the other), but with a little "push" to lock it, it did just fine.

Roads were clear all the way home. No rain, no snow, no salt. We REALLY lucked out.

If you opt for a 40FD like we did, I would HIGHLY recommend the fireplace. I thought originally that it was more "ambiance" and gimmick (bought it more for the resale of it than anything else), but was shocked to learn that it is VERY functional. It is made by Heatilator and has a hi/low switch and a thermostatically controlled blower unit. If you are plugged into 50amp service (I know that works, but didn't have an opportunity to try it with a 30amp service yet), you can keep the fireplace going to heat the entire front area without using propane. We even used it to heat the rear side of the coach by leaving the doors open and just letting the heat "flow" in. We did this for 2 nights and only heard the furnace kick on a couple of times to help the coach "catch up". After 6 days of cold nights, we only used about 1/3rd of our propane tank.

Ron printed out a list of differences that our Itasca Horizon had in comparison to the Winnebago Vectra. I was pleasantly surprised at several things I didn't know and wasn't expecting. I asked this question amongst the forum before, but no one knew for sure. I forgot who responded, but they had a listing from a 2004 comparison so I will post my 2006 comparison under a different posting.

Our trip took us through the 15 degree cold to 92 degree heat in Texas. We traveled to 9 states. Our MH is very dirty right now, but after I wash her tomorrow, she'll be OK again.

We do have a few problems that need correcting. My dash A/C doesn't work. It blows air, just not cold air. That's a Freightliner fix. I also have a slide seal that is sticking too much and folding over (the middle "wipe" seal around the slide opening). It almost came off, but I was able to force my hand in there and straighten it out. I sprayed it with some silicone lube per advice from a technician at Lichtsinn and it seemed to start working better. That same slide "crept" out a couple of inches during our drive. I slide it in and locked it only to have it do the same thing again. After I sprayed the wipe seal and worked it in a little, the slide seemed to operate much better. We stopped at a rest stop and I noticed the slide room was leaning a bit hitting the outside harder at the top while having a ¼ inch gap at the bottom. After sliding it in and out a few times (after we leveled out) with the seal being lubed, we haven't had that issue again so I hope this is the end of it. I did call HWH and had the issue documented anyways. Their advice is to document EVERYTHING. They have their own set of service centers (which may or may not be your dealer).

Our coach came with a power water hose reel. When both of us (my friends Horizon and our Horizon) tried to use them, they wouldn't feed the coaches with water. A couple of phone calls to Ron and we figured out that there is a "Check-Valve" after the hose reel that was installed backwards at the plant. Someone needs to wake up and see which way the arrow points!! A couple of wrenches and 10 minutes was all it needed to fix the problem. We couldn't believe BOTH coaches were like this especially since they were "Born" about 10 days apart. There must be LOTS of units out there with this problem.

My friend (Bill) has a fuel leak from the generator. We think that when it was first tested, the connection was done in the cold and later when it hit 90 degrees, the connection became loose. It is occurring somewhere DEEP underneath the coach and seems to happen only when the generator is turned on. Spits like crazy. Needless to say, we turned off and didn't use the generator in his unit for the whole trip. His cab air worked well however so at least he was happy. Our generator worked so we had the basement air going to cool us instead of the cab air. I might add that the basement air is VERY efficient (being my first taste of basement air) and quiet although the furnace is a bit louder, especially in the bedroom area. Sounds like an engine of sorts but didn't keep me from sleeping. It was like the heat pump may have been going even though I didn't have the controls in heat pump mode. Is there a separate control for the rear bedroom to place the unit in a heat pump or propane mode? I didn't see it. We also have 1 compartment that needs a bit of adjusting. It closes fine, but needs that extra "push" to make sure the latches are secure.

To wind it up before it gets exhausting, now that it is home, I need to check it out more thoroughly and make sure everything is operationally sound, but from the looks of it, the punch list will be pretty minor. I have a scheduled local dealer appointment in 6 weeks which I think is ridiculous. This is where the "buy local" versus "buy where you get the best deal" comes into play. Ron said he'll pull some strings with Winnie if I wanted quicker service somewhere else.

Your comments are welcome!! I'll post whatever you may want to know.

rebelsbeach · 03-03-2006, 12:51 PM

CONGRATULATIONS TRACEY!!

Sounds like you had a safe trip....

About your compartment door issue....maybe you already do this,but...I was taught by my service/PDI tech on the 2004 and the 2006 (same guy...LOL) to simply lower the door to the "almost closed" position,just before catching and then use your knee to sort of "engage" the latches on either end....He told me to NOT just let the door "slam" down from a "waist high" position....His rationale was that is was much "easier" on the latches.

Is that a "given" or am I doing something that no one else is?

rebelsbeach · 03-03-2006, 12:54 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Ron printed out a list of differences that our Itasca Horizon had in comparison to the Winnebago Vectra. I was pleasantly surprised at several things I didn't know and wasn't expecting. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

1. One piece windshield.....
2.

I know you're tired but....quit teasin' me!!

BigTrace · 03-03-2006, 12:59 PM

Hey Bob,

That's what I do as well. Only one compartment seems to have this issue. Thought maybe there was a way to adjust it a bit better. Should I publish the "List" of differences between the 06 Horizon and 06 Vectra?

rebelsbeach · 03-03-2006, 01:10 PM

I'd be interested to see the list,but I'd really be interested to "hear" John Canfield's take on your list and what the differences in two years of Horizon's will be....I know his is an "AD" and yours is an "FD" but there'd still be some comparison.

Oh....BTW....at least you've CAMPED in yours!!

My first camp night will be this Monday night,as I'm having the oil furnaces converted to gas and we'll need a WARM place to sleep for that night....Camping in the driveway...

John_Canfield · 03-03-2006, 01:24 PM

Trace - nice write-up! Hmmmm.. one piece windshield .. fireplace .. DishDrawer .. and I'll bet you have a 32" LCD TV in the living room

BigTrace · 03-03-2006, 01:43 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by John_Canfield:
Trace - nice write-up! Hmmmm.. one piece windshield .. fireplace .. DishDrawer .. and I'll bet you have a 32" LCD TV in the living room

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Nope on the 32" LCD. Not available for the FD yet. They are still using the 30" Sony WEGA set. It is HDTV capable though. Perhaps a modification in a year or two. What I am impressed with is lack of squeeking especially from the TV area.

Two options we ordered, the sunscreen for the awning and the DishDrawer are NOT going to be options on the 2007. Apparently not enough interest according to Ron Lichtsinn. You can still get a sunscreen through CW or elsewhere, but the Dishdrawer (which I really like), is a gonner.

John_Canfield · 03-03-2006, 01:56 PM

We had a two drawer Dish Drawer in our house and just loved it. When we get another stick house, we'll have another DD.

rebelsbeach · 03-03-2006, 02:01 PM

Tracey,while we did order the sunscreen,I probably won't use it....Would have to disable the wind sensor and not sure I'm going to do that....
We "may" have ordered the dish drawer in another coach,but with the KD floorplan,we liked the three drawers there under the cooktop.

BigTrace · 03-03-2006, 02:03 PM

We LOVE our 2 drawer unit in our stick house too. That is why we ordered it. Too bad they're going to discontinue it

AdrianLee · 03-03-2006, 04:12 PM

Tracey,

We have a 2006 Itasca Ellipse 40FD. LOVE the floor plan. Essentially the same coach as yours but not as nice with the bells and whistles.

I know what you are saying when you tried to get an appointment in San Diego to get your punch list done. The current issue of FMCA magazine has a recall on some of the Itasca's with a steering problem. Before I called Winnebago to see if my coach was one of the problem coaches I tried to get an appointment at La Mesa RV in San Diego. They were very nice on the phone until they asked if I bought the coach there. I did not. I bought it in Louisiana. Suddenly it was going to be about 7 weeks before they could possibly get me in. If Winnebago had said that my coach was one of the coaches with the problem I would have asked them to do something but it turned out to be a mute point. I did call GiantRV in Lake Elsinore and they were going to get me in within a few days if I needed it.

We are in Temecula right now and will be here until the end of the month. Enjoy the new coach.

Adrian

smlranger · 03-03-2006, 04:13 PM

You guys are killing me....those new Horizons/Vectra's are so nice. The dealer where we got our current rig has a 'used' 2006 40KD Horizon (2,950 miles) loaded with stuff. He is listing it for $225,000 but assume it could be had for less. I'm trying to listen to the rational, conservative voice in my head and keep what I have for now. I keep wanting to call him and deal.....

rebelsbeach · 03-03-2006, 04:27 PM

Just wait til June when your wife sees mine!!

rebelsbeach · 03-03-2006, 05:27 PM

Just off the phone with Tracey,heard all about his factory tour and the MANY processes that our Winnebago/Itasca coaches go through as they travel down the assembly line. Everything thing from the enormous dipping "vats" the frames are dipped in numerous times, the laying of the tile floors,the huge hoists they use to lower complete slide rooms into place and so on. Then there's the cabinet shops that are Winnebago employees and the ability to manafacture anything they need....Sounds truly amazing.

BigTrace · 03-03-2006, 05:39 PM

Hey Ranger,

I hear ya, it just called to me a bit louder I think. My rationale says no, but my pocketbook apparently agree and eventually won!!

BigTrace · 03-03-2006, 05:49 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by AdrianLee:
Tracey,

We have a 2006 Itasca Ellipse 40FD. LOVE the floor plan. Essentially the same coach as yours but not as nice with the bells and whistles.

I know what you are saying when you tried to get an appointment in San Diego to get your punch list done. The current issue of FMCA magazine has a recall on some of the Itasca's with a steering problem. Before I called Winnebago to see if my coach was one of the problem coaches I tried to get an appointment at La Mesa RV in San Diego. They were very nice on the phone until they asked if I bought the coach there. I did not. I bought it in Louisiana. Suddenly it was going to be about 7 weeks before they could possibly get me in. If Winnebago had said that my coach was one of the coaches with the problem I would have asked them to do something but it turned out to be a mute point. I did call GiantRV in Lake Elsinore and they were going to get me in within a few days if I needed it.

We are in Temecula right now and will be here until the end of the month. Enjoy the new coach.

Adrian </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Adrian,

Keep in touch with the board. I'd like to hear your reviews of the Ellipse as we "Almost" went that way too. I love the Floorplan as many of us do. Our tour guide said that it one of the most popular. Your chassis is virtually indistinguishable from the Horizon only a yellow motor and a solid front axle. You could tell them apart, but just barely. Good luck with yours. I am going to try Giant and Altmans instead of La Mesa. I've had it with those people.

BigTrace · 03-03-2006, 07:10 PM

An Add to the original post, the Fireplace WILL work on a 30 amp circuit. We are getting our new concrete pad ready to go for our MH (scheduled to pour on Tuesday) so I temporarily took a long construction cord out to the MH and plugged it in strictly to operate the fridge. Surprisingly, the plugged in cord is registering as "30 Amp" on the powerline even though I know it is only a 20 amp service. Anyhow, I tried the fireplace out just to read the Amp usage on the powerline. With the rig pulling 5 amps (4 of them are the Refer), the powerline shot up to 16 with the Fireplace resulting in a net gain of 11 amps. Not bad considering the gain..

cbeierl · 03-03-2006, 07:41 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Surprisingly, the plugged in cord is registering as "30 Amp" on the powerline even though I know it is only a 20 amp service </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

It will never register as "20 Amp" by itself--just 30 or 50. If you're actually plugged into a 15 or 20 amp service you will need to select "20 Amp" manually by pushing the button on the EMS.

BigTrace · 03-03-2006, 07:51 PM

Didn't think about that but your right, I remember the button now.

Thanks