Winnebago Vista?

SarahW · 10-27-2011, 07:04 PM

Hello. We are currently in the market for a small Class A (gasoline) or a Class C coach. We have looked at the Vista and like it very much. Can anyone comment on the quality of the build, both in the Vista and in Winnebago coaches in general? Thanks very much!

baraff · 10-27-2011, 09:00 PM

Can't offer any advice on the Vista, but we just LOVE our '05 Winnebago Aspect. We bought ours used, which I would advise doing rather than new. The amount of depreciation of a new RV in the first year is extremely high and in all likelihood you will have a multitude of warranty issues to contend with, whether its a Winnie, Fleetwood, Tiffin or whatever. We have had very minor problems with our Aspect, as I firmly believe all the bugs were fixed by the previous owner. Plus, its a buyer's market out there and a lot of good used ones are available.
The RV industry is not known for producing quality, trouble-free product, but I think you'd be pretty happy with a Winnie. They've been in business forever, you can get parts, they have good documentation for both older and newer models and a good support network. So many RV manufacturers have closed up shop in the last few years and getting service and parts can be a problem. I don't think you'll have that problem with a Winnie.

SarahW · 10-27-2011, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by baraff

Can't offer any advice on the Vista, but we just LOVE our '05 Winnebago Aspect. We bought ours used, which I would advise doing rather than new. The amount of depreciation of a new RV in the first year is extremely high and in all likelihood you will have a multitude of warranty issues to contend with, whether its a Winnie, Fleetwood, Tiffin or whatever. We have had very minor problems with our Aspect, as I firmly believe all the bugs were fixed by the previous owner. Plus, its a buyer's market out there and a lot of good used ones are available.
The RV industry is not known for producing quality, trouble-free product, but I think you'd be pretty happy with a Winnie. They've been in business forever, you can get parts, they have good documentation for both older and newer models and a good support network. So many RV manufacturers have closed up shop in the last few years and getting service and parts can be a problem. I don't think you'll have that problem with a Winnie.

Thanks for your response. I'm hoping we can find an Aspect to check out, too. I like the look of those.

I guess the dealers in Houston haven't heard about this "buyer's market." They are not making very good deals. I know it's probably smarter to buy used, but I am really nervous about buying someone's lemon and having no warranty to fall back on.

goldwingerx2 · 10-27-2011, 09:22 PM

We are on our 2nd Winnebago/Itasca product. The first 2006 we bought used and had no problems with it. Our 2nd 2012 we have had for 3 months and our on our 2nd long trip with it. We have found 6 items that needed some minor adjustments. I feel Winnebago and Tiffin are probably the best in my opinion. We bought new because we are planning on this being our last MH, so the depreciation hit is not a big deal to us. We will be using it more now and as we get older into the early 80's will be driving less I am guessing.

AppleValley2 · 10-27-2011, 11:06 PM

We saw the Winnebago Vista 35 ft at the RV show in Pomona. We love the floorplan and layout. I think this is the motorhome we will buy next ( of course, I'll have to buy it used in a few years!)

SarahW · 10-27-2011, 11:20 PM

Thanks, everyone. I appreciate your input.

Floridafran · 10-28-2011, 11:56 AM

Sarah,

We have a 2011 Vista 30W and love it. We've made some modifications to it, so it better fits our needs, but nothing major. We ordered it new and took delivery a year ago in September. Since then we've put almost 10,000 miles on it. The last 5,000 were on a 5 weeks trip from Florida to SD, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado in late Aug/early Sept. So far the only problems we've had have been minor.

There's a great thread on RV.net, in the Class A forum, about Vistas you might like to read. Here's a post from that Vista 30W thread. I "know" the poster from the thread and from e-mails we've exchanged. They loved their 30W but decided they needed more room so traded it for a Sightseer 33.

"I can tell you there is one beautiful and LIKE NEW 2010 Vista 30W at Spaders RV in Sioux Falls Iowa. It has less than 9,000 miles and about $6,000 of suspension and other upgrades. I bet could be purchased at a fabulous price going into winter. I know about this as we traded it in. LOL We purchased it at the end of January 2011 so it still has a lot of warranty left."

There are deals out there. Finding them is the trick. Takes a bit of luck, and patience.

Happy hunting and good luck finding a rig that suits you.

SarahW · 10-28-2011, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Floridafran

Sarah,

We have a 2011 Vista 30W and love it. We've made some modifications to it, so it better fits our needs, but nothing major. We ordered it new and took delivery a year ago in September. Since then we've put almost 10,000 miles on it. The last 5,000 were on a 5 weeks trip from Florida to SD, Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado in late Aug/early Sept. So far the only problems we've had have been minor.

There's a great thread on RV.net, in the Class A forum, about Vistas you might like to read. Here's a post from that Vista 30W thread. I "know" the poster from the thread and from e-mails we've exchanged. They loved their 30W but decided they needed more room so traded it for a Sightseer 33.

"I can tell you there is one beautiful and LIKE NEW 2010 Vista 30W at Spaders RV in Sioux Falls Iowa. It has less than 9,000 miles and about $6,000 of suspension and other upgrades. I bet could be purchased at a fabulous price going into winter. I know about this as we traded it in. LOL We purchased it at the end of January 2011 so it still has a lot of warranty left."

There are deals out there. Finding them is the trick. Takes a bit of luck, and patience.

Happy hunting and good luck finding a rig that suits you.

Thanks for the info, Fran. This is our first MH, so we are learning a lot! I'll check out RV.net.

CJBROWN · 10-28-2011, 01:52 PM

The Vista line is their entry level coach. The first thing that struck me was the deletion of the aluminum full doors for the storage bays.

Walk thru and compare everything to the Adventure model and if you still like the less expensive model then go for it. There's nothing wrong with it, it just lacks the features and options of the up-models. There's a reason they are priced less.

Other considerations are tankage, HVAC capacity, and of course whether the layout suits. Try to determine if you will always rv-park it or if dry camping is in your itinerary.

Winnebago is very much the top of the industry. They still have their problems and issues, especially when new.

We also attended the Pomona RV show and the Adventure 32 was the one that buzzed for us. Same layout we currently have, just everything a bit nicer, more up to date. Also fifty grand more than we paid for ours.

Floridafran · 10-29-2011, 12:26 PM

Sarah,

This is our first RV, too.

Like you, we did a lot of research online, including the RV forums, before we bought. When we started, we knew our approximate budget, and that was it. We started out thinking we wanted a Class C because it would be more "truck-like" for driving. The first time I was able to get my husband to go into a Class A, we decided that's the way we wanted to go.

We also upped our maximum length we'd consider. We originally said no more than 25-26 feet. But we couldn't find what we wanted. If we liked the floorplan, it was short on storage, or something. Then we saw the 30W. Yes, it was about 5 feet longer than we had planned on, but it just "felt" right. We loved the floorplan, (we got the dining table/buffet layout), it had adequate outside storage, and it fit into our budget.

My best advice is to take your time. Go into as many different rigs as you can, to be better able to decide what is essential, and what you're willing to compromise on (because you're unlikely to find one RV that has absolutely everything you'd like to have). Once you've gotten your essentials list firmed up, you can narrow your search. That's what we did and we've been happy with our decision.

bellsharbor · 10-29-2011, 06:09 PM

We downsized from 3 large diesels a year and a half ago to the 30' Sunstar, the sister to the Vista. We like Winnebago and our 30 footer has been very comfortable for us. We spend he winters in it. Good luck to you--

bigcritter · 02-18-2012, 11:26 PM

I just had a circuit or relay tripped, which caused power loss to TV, and all outlets in my 30W from the TV and outlet under the buffet table forward, including the outlet next to the passenger seat, as well as the outlet in the bedroom above the corner cabinet. Checked all the 110volt breakers in the converter panel. None were tripped, but I turned them all off and reset them anyway, but no response. I turned off main power to the coach, and reset it. It's all good and power protection box is reading out just fine. I feel there's gotta be a circuit that I'm missing somewhere, but I've dear he'd everywhere and not coming up with anything. Anyone have any ideas? I don't know where else to look or what else to do. When I turn on the inverter, there's still no power going to the TV or the outlets where I would normally have power with the inverter on. ?????

bigcritter · 02-18-2012, 11:39 PM

Well, I couldn't figure out why the inverter wasn't supplying power like it should, so I went outside and started looking at the inverter, which was humming away, but I noticed a black button sticking down on the bottom right-hand side. I pushed up on the button, and it reset power to all the outlets in the coach that were out. YES! So glad I was able to figure that one out.

McCharlie · 02-19-2012, 11:38 AM

If you are thinking about buying new you might want to check out the Costco Auto buying program. We did and saved about 20% of MSRP. No other dealers would come close.

ct78barnes · 02-20-2012, 07:51 PM

We had the same thing happen with the inverter in our 2011 Sightseer . Winnebago should explain better that the power goes through the inverter and show that the inverter has a reset button on it. Feel better that I was not the only one duped buy this inverter.

bigcritter · 02-27-2012, 12:13 PM

When we bought our Vista, I assumed (incorrectly, I believe) that some of the heat from the furnace would be directed down into the holding tank storage areas, so that pumps, water lines, etc. wouldn't freeze during cold weather with the furnace running. Since our last weekend trip, I didn't want to winterize the coach for a 3rd. time this year, and temps were forecast to get down in the low-mid 20s last night, so I thought I would just run the heater. I put a remote (thermometer) sensor in the compartment next to the water pump, and turned on the furnace. No appreciable difference whatsoever! So I went and bought a tiny electric heater that puts out 200 watts. It has no thermostat, so I also went online and ordered a Thermo-Cube to plug it into. That way, it'll come on when the "cube" reaches 35F, and turns off at 45F. Last night, without the cube, I turned the heater on before bedtime and it held the temp to around 50F all night long. I also had the furnace inside the coach set at 35F to keep stuff from freezing inside. Anyone else have any experience with getting heat from the furnace down to the holding tank area? Doesn't appear that there are any ducts to direct ANY heat into that area.

puttin · 02-27-2012, 01:35 PM

We looked at the Vista in '08 just before we bought the Sightseer. We liked it alot. Back then there were only a few floorplans and we were looking bor a bunk bed model. The 32-K (I believe) was very nice but we didn't like the half-circle dinette which seemed a little cramped.- It was also a little hard to set up if you're challenged with back/knee issues. The only other thing that seemed wierd was....when you opened the couch for sleeping, there was a space underneath where you could see below into the baggage compartment. Otherwise, a very good looking and workable rig. The Sightseer really impressed us though- so there was no going back. If I were you, I would certainly try to find a class A that works. You'll really appreciate the extra storage and liveability.

bigcritter · 02-27-2012, 02:56 PM

So....ref. my last post, I spoke to Winnebago, and he suggested putting the temp sensor on the water/power inlet compartment and checking temp there with furnace running. HUGE difference on that side. Temp immediately started going up like crazy on that side. However, when I moved the sensor back over next to the water pump, temp started dropping just as fast. So....one side appears to be well heated, but it seems to leave the fresh water tank & water pump vulnerable to freezing temps. Not sure why the heat being provided to the one side isn't making it's way over to the water pump side. I would think that of all the different parts of the water system, the water pump would be the most vulnerable to freezing, with all it's filters, seals, etc. In fact, it seems that someone on this forum (or the rvnet forum) with a 30W had a problem with the water pump freezing while camped in cold weather with the furnace running. Anyone have any ideas or experience with this issue??

hudson · 03-08-2012, 05:13 PM

We started out looking at 30/32 foot units until we came across a new Vista 35F with 1-1/2 baths and the L-shape lounge. We purchased it new in October, had to have a cab air hose replaced at a Ford dealer and then waxed it and put it away until January. We have been in Florida with it since leaving home January 16th and have found only one problem with it and that is one of the slide toppers is noisy when it's windy, other than that everything works perfectly. I was a little apprehensive about driving a 35 ft. unit and towing a Jeep Liberty but it only took a few miles to get used to it and my wife and I really have been enjoying all of the room. The Vista is their entry level unit but it has a lot to offer, almost two months now living in it and no quality problems whatsoever, we even had a pleasant surprise driving down here, found out the first night that the engine heats the hot water tank while driving, didn't know it had this feature but made it nice to pull in for the night and take a shower. We didn't winterize it and had no problem driving down from Northern Ohio in January, don't know what the temperatures were but everyting works. I would not hesitate in purchasing another Vista, you can order just about anything you want as an option but then it starts getting pricey. It was very confortable driving through the mountains at a little over 60 mph and into pretty stiff headwinds, it's not a white knuckle driver, most of the time I steered with one hand just like any other vehicle. So far we have filled up 7 times and averaged 6.65 mpg pulling the Jeep Liberty and have driven about 2,000 miles.

Good luck with your decision,

Nick & Chris
2011 Vista 35F

NuB2 · 03-11-2012, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hudson

We started out looking at 30/32 foot units until we came across a new Vista 35F with 1-1/2 baths and the L-shape lounge. We purchased it new in October, had to have a cab air hose replaced at a Ford dealer and then waxed it and put it away until January. We have been in Florida with it since leaving home January 16th and have found only one problem with it and that is one of the slide toppers is noisy when it's windy, other than that everything works perfectly. I was a little apprehensive about driving a 35 ft. unit and towing a Jeep Liberty but it only took a few miles to get used to it and my wife and I really have been enjoying all of the room. The Vista is their entry level unit but it has a lot to offer, almost two months now living in it and no quality problems whatsoever, we even had a pleasant surprise driving down here, found out the first night that the engine heats the hot water tank while driving, didn't know it had this feature but made it nice to pull in for the night and take a shower. We didn't winterize it and had no problem driving down from Northern Ohio in January, don't know what the temperatures were but everyting works. I would not hesitate in purchasing another Vista, you can order just about anything you want as an option but then it starts getting pricey. It was very confortable driving through the mountains at a little over 60 mph and into pretty stiff headwinds, it's not a white knuckle driver, most of the time I steered with one hand just like any other vehicle. So far we have filled up 7 times and averaged 6.65 mpg pulling the Jeep Liberty and have driven about 2,000 miles.

Good luck with your decision,

Nick & Chris
2011 Vista 35F

Thanks for this post. We discovered this same MH in our search for a good fit for us, price, quality, space and looks. Your info helps us in our decision making.

Best of luck and happy travels.