2005 Horizon 40AD RIP

Tom N · 10-19-2005, 03:21 PM

Some of you may recall that my neighbor and myself each bought a new 2005 Itasca last Fall. He bought a Horizon 40AD and I a Suncruiser 38R. We bought from the same dealer, walking into the showroom together.

He took delivery last November.

Anyway, I think I stated here that I had very few problems and he had numerous problems. Water leaks were probably his biggest problem. All 3 slides leaked. The lounge slides were repaired but the bedroom slide continued to leak. His black water tank also leaked where the outlet was attached. We repaired that after the dealer's repair failed. Many other problems that I won't get into.

He spent some time speaking to a Winnebago rep at the Hershey RV Show but they did nothing but advice him to take it to his dealer.

He traded his 2005 Horizon on a 2006 Allegro Bus 40QDP early this week.

His 2005 Horizon only had 3100 miles on it and the only place it had been driven was to the dealer. Four 400 mile round trips to the dealer plus a few trips to Cummins. We did have our coaches parked on adjacent leased lots for the summer so he did get some use from it.

So, his Horizon is gone and he is waiting on delivery of a new Allegro Bus.

Tom N · 10-19-2005, 03:21 PM

Some of you may recall that my neighbor and myself each bought a new 2005 Itasca last Fall. He bought a Horizon 40AD and I a Suncruiser 38R. We bought from the same dealer, walking into the showroom together.

He took delivery last November.

Anyway, I think I stated here that I had very few problems and he had numerous problems. Water leaks were probably his biggest problem. All 3 slides leaked. The lounge slides were repaired but the bedroom slide continued to leak. His black water tank also leaked where the outlet was attached. We repaired that after the dealer's repair failed. Many other problems that I won't get into.

He spent some time speaking to a Winnebago rep at the Hershey RV Show but they did nothing but advice him to take it to his dealer.

He traded his 2005 Horizon on a 2006 Allegro Bus 40QDP early this week.

His 2005 Horizon only had 3100 miles on it and the only place it had been driven was to the dealer. Four 400 mile round trips to the dealer plus a few trips to Cummins. We did have our coaches parked on adjacent leased lots for the summer so he did get some use from it.

So, his Horizon is gone and he is waiting on delivery of a new Allegro Bus.

smlranger · 10-19-2005, 03:42 PM

That's really a shame. A Horizon is not a low-end coach and multiple water leaks would certainly not be acceptable to me. What is worse would be the response from a Winnebago rep of, 'take it to your dealer.' There should be real concern expressed by anyone from the manufacturer and offers to get very aggressive in addressing the customer's concerns.

While we are happy with our recently purchased used Winnebago and feel it is a lot of motorhome for the money paid, I am already considering what I will get when I am ready to move up. Winnebago falls lower on my list when I read about their highest dollar flag ship rigs leaking from three slides.

hogbreth · 10-19-2005, 03:44 PM

Boy would that be frustrating. We have an 04 Horizon 40AD and have been thourghly satisfied.

Tom N · 10-19-2005, 04:05 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> What is worse would be the response from a Winnebago rep of, 'take it to your dealer.' </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I was with him in Hershey. The factory rep did give him a direct phone number to upper level management at Winnebago. All the upper level manager did was tell him to have his dealer repair the problems. He had already drive from Pittsburgh to Buffalo 4 times.

My buddy and his wife are very particular. If I had been him I would have stayed with it until everything was repaired. But he doesn't have time to be chasing after repairs.

John_Canfield · 10-19-2005, 05:16 PM

I really think it is the luck of the draw, even in upper-end coaches like the Vectras/Horizons, Dutch Stars, etc. I have been a lurker on the Newmar forum for months and they have their problems as well, some of them extremely significant.

The quality of the servicing dealer probably has as much to do with owner satisfaction as the quality of the coach. I have had a bunch of little minor problems that I have fixed or tweaked myself because A) I don't mind doing it and B) I think I can a better job in most cases than a rushed RV tech. My big problem is and has been a leak in the bedroom slide. I'll just let Winnie deal with this one.

Overall I am quite pleased with my purchase and felt like I got a well designed and engineered product.

resqguy · 10-19-2005, 06:16 PM

I'm off to the dealer tomorrow for my first return trip. If my boss tells me I have to go some where else I think I'll quit.

My list of things to fix seems to grow faster than the rate at which things are being fixed. If Monaco, Newmar or Tiffin made a side TV floor plan I would consider trading as well. If I could afford the fuel I would be happy driving this thing around and staying in hotels.

The Shadow · 10-19-2005, 08:01 PM

I know the feeling. I think "Larry, Curly and Moe" are in charge of quality control at all the MH manufacturers.

The dealer is a big part. Our Journey spent 11 weeks at the dealer. The last 8 weeks involved 17 hours of work. Nonsense.

We bought our HR from the same dealer. It has been there for 2 weeks today for a number of small items that have to be done before we head south. Same nonsense - couldn't even find out if it will be ready for pickup tomorrow.

If these guys don't improve and soon both Winnie and HR are off the list next time around. I have to say that the intial problems with the HR were fewer and less severe than with the Journey.

Tom N · 10-20-2005, 05:18 AM

My gas Suncruiser 38R also has the side TV and the floor plan is very similiar to the 40AD. We like the side 27" Sony with the electronics compartment above the TV. And our wive's loved the U shaped kitchens although my 38R has more cabinet sapce in the kitchen than the 40AD.

My buddy ordered the 42" LCD over the dash for his new Allegro Bus 40 QDP. He said the above dash TV will give him more floor space. This is one of the features we'll be talking about after he receives his coach and comparing the TV location to his former 40AD.

rvcorral2002 · 10-20-2005, 09:56 AM

This all sounds like the dealer that you purchased from don't have qualified technicians to me. When you purchased your Winnebago did anyone care to see if there dealer was a circle of excellance winner. Lowest price is not always worth the frustration of a dealer that doesn't care about you after the sale.

Tom N · 10-20-2005, 05:44 PM

The dealer was Meyers in NY and they have 6 or 8 locations. Their service dept at Hamburg, NY is fine. They moved into a completely new facility this Spring along with a new Camping World. I never went back with my coach. I did get some warranty service in GA. I have no problem going to any dealer. The Horizon in question was not mine, it was my friends.

I'll always buy where I get the best price. I'll then get my warranty service where I'm at when I need it. Some of us spend lots of time in our coaches and don't stick near the dealer that sold us our coach.

I'm currently parked for the night in central PA on our way to Myrtle Beach for a month.

timz61 · 10-21-2005, 09:58 PM

We had enough various problems, some serious and some not so serious, that prompted us to trade our 05 Itasca 34H Meridian on a same year Dutch Star. The difference in quality and fit/finish is nothing short of amazing. We had over 27 defects on the Itasca and to date there have been 3 on the Newmar.The upgrade cost us over $30K but was worth every nickel. We bought one of the last 05 DSDPs on the lot but it has been more than satisfactory in every catagory. We have no selling dealer complaints as they worked very hard to address all the defects but new ones cropped up as fast as the old ones were fixed. We bought the Dutch Star from the same dealer and are very satisfied with the quality of the service. I know there are a lot of "Happy Winne" guys out there but I'm definitely not one of them. Winne has a lot of innovative and creative features, but the gap between conception and application is awesome. No more Winnebuggers for this guy.