Talk me out of a 2005 Vectra 40ad for fuilltiming

00wabbit · 08-01-2013, 07:22 PM

I am looking at making an offer on a 2005 Winnebago Vectra 40ad.

We will be using it for full-timing. It will be me , my wife our 2 dogs and 1 cat.

We plan to travel all over the country. The most we will stay in place is 1 month.
The unit we are looking at seems very clean and has low miles. I will have a thorough inspection done of the RV equipment as well as the chassis.

Why shouldn't I look at this one for full time? One last chance to change my mind before I commit.

Grimesy · 08-01-2013, 08:10 PM

I have the Itasca Horizon 40AD which is the same rig. Off hand I can't think of anything that would be deal killer although I wish there was a little more room around the bed. Rarely do we use the pullout in the kitchen and if you look there is no overhead cabinets except over the drivers compartment. It doesn't bother us but some people might not like the lack of storage. Being sort of weird at time I replaced the dish washer with a wine cabinet and traded the washer dryer for an outside refer.

I have had some mechanical problems but all in all a pretty reliable rig. My major complaint is the lack of nearby Freightliner facilities.

If you do buy, consider joining the WIT Club and the Freightliner Club, both give discounts on service and repairs and the WIT bunch are a great source of comradeship and knowledge.

Don G. WIT 70041
Santa Clara,CA

Selah · 08-01-2013, 08:39 PM

Looked at the floor plan on line, saw some pictures as well. Can't imagine why you would not want that MH. Looks very nice, great entertainment layout.

00wabbit · 08-01-2013, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grimesy

I have the Itasca Horizon 40AD which is the same rig. Off hand I can't think of anything that would be deal killer although I wish there was a little more room around the bed. Rarely do we use the pullout in the kitchen and if you look there is no overhead cabinets except over the drivers compartment. It doesn't bother us but some people might not like the lack of storage. Being sort of weird at time I replaced the dish washer with a wine cabinet and traded the washer dryer for an outside refer.

I have had some mechanical problems but all in all a pretty reliable rig. My major complaint is the lack of nearby Freightliner facilities.

If you do buy, consider joining the WIT Club and the Freightliner Club, both give discounts on service and repairs and the WIT bunch are a great source of comradeship and knowledge.

Don G. WIT 70041
Santa Clara,CA

Thanks. We looked at an 04 horizon and noticed the lack of overhead storage. The 05 vectra we looked at has overhead storage over the couch.

We plan to use the kitchen pull out. We plan to eat our way across the country

It was one of the main reasons for choosing this coach. Counter space.

Rocky68D · 08-01-2013, 10:38 PM

Don't forget to consider just where you are going to put the cat's litter box without tripping over it?
Keith

00wabbit · 08-01-2013, 10:46 PM

We just ordered a thing online to try and train him to use the toilet.

If that doesn't work we will build him in a little space in the cabinet next to the bathroom.

RickO · 08-01-2013, 10:59 PM

Only you can determine whether or not a particular floorplan will fit your needs, but that's a great coach. We full timed in an 07 Itasca Ellipse 40FD. Put 50K miles on it in six years and it has served us really well.

Good luck.

Rick

Mr_D · 08-02-2013, 01:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 00wabbit

We just ordered a thing online to try and train him to use the toilet.

If that doesn't work we will build him in a little space in the cabinet next to the bathroom.

We use an open litter box in the tub/shower for our 6 cats. I do scoop it twice a day.

Steve Ownby · 08-02-2013, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 00wabbit

I am looking at making an offer on a 2005 Winnebago Vectra 40ad.

We will be using it for full-timing. It will be me , my wife our 2 dogs and 1 cat.

We plan to travel all over the country. The most we will stay in place is 1 month.
The unit we are looking at seems very clean and has low miles. I will have a thorough inspection done of the RV equipment as well as the chassis.

Why shouldn't I look at this one for full time? One last chance to change my mind before I commit.

We have been full timers for going on 7 years now. We loved the '05 Vectra but ultimately took it off our short list of possible coaches.
1. We wanted a side radiator for lower maintenance and easier access. Was not a deal breaker.
2. Wanted tag axle for CCC and extra stability. It also makes it easy to shift weight between the axles with a pressure change.
3. Availability of AquaHot.
4. Air leveling. Not a deal breaker.

You should have a very frank discussion with yourselves and list your very important requirements. This is not a put down of the Vectra, as they are very nice coaches and Winnebago gives you a well engineered product and a lot of bang for the buck. It's interesting that the Tour which replaced the Vectra, now has a tag & AquaHot.

Good luck and safe travels.

jerichorick · 08-02-2013, 04:06 PM

My situation is a bit different from yours. We had a '05 Vectra FD. Because we are full- time and volunteers we have tools and hobbies that take up much room and weigh more than the average roll-a-home would carry. We had significant problems with the slides and the overhead storage was not adequate for my DW. She had some of those stackable storage drawers in the livingroom and bedroom. This '11 Meridian 40U has ample storage in the basement and living area. We have been in it for about 2 months and love it. The insurance company told me that this is a step-down from the Vectra but we consider it a valuable step-up.

As has been mentioned above, make a list of what is important to you and shop on those criteria. Only you know what is important to make your home comfortable for YOU. After 7 years in the Vectra and one too many breakdowns we relocated. No coach is problem free.

Happy hunting!
Rick

00wabbit · 08-03-2013, 06:49 AM

Thanks for the info.

The vectra we are looking at only has storage that moves with the slides on the drivers side.
The passenger side is under the chassis. Our plan is to put the heavier items there, like my scuba tanks.
We will use the other side for lighter things in order to reduce/avoid issues with overloading the slides.

Thanks for the heads up though on the slides. We will watch for that.

jerichorick · 08-03-2013, 07:42 AM

Sounds like a good plan. Hope it is a good home for you. Happy diving.

resqguy · 08-03-2013, 11:33 AM

We full-timed in a 2005 Horizon 40AD for 6 months while waiting for our house to sell. The floorplan is really efficient and livable. When our house sold we spent too much on the new house so we had to sell the Horizon.

Now 6 years later we were in the market for a motorhome. We bought another 40AD. Storage was never a problem with either.

resqguy · 08-04-2013, 10:24 AM

A few more thoughts. Try to find a unit with the 400 Cummins. The extra HP makes a difference. Make sure you have the chassis checked by Freightliner. We just had ours in and they found the tie rod boots deteriorated and the ends dry. After replacing them and an alignment the coach drives like a dream. The last point is don't overpay. Leave yourself budget to go through the coach.

VectraDon · 08-31-2013, 07:55 PM

We have a 2004 40AD and love the floorplan. We travel with several tropical birds and the long curbside counter is perfect for their cages. I have no complaints with the floorplan. Unfortunately the build quality of the Winnebago is much less than you would expect for a top-of-the-line, and expensive model. Have everything checked carefully and make sure the chassis/underside is rust free. Good luck