Winnebago Vista

[KFM]

We are looking at the Winnebago Vista with the Triton V-10 gas engine. Can anyone share their experience with this model and engine? I am especially interested in hearing how the V-10 handles with regards to towing and climbing mountains. Thanks!

[computerguy]

Pretty extensive discussion in this forum:
F53 Forum

Would also help what year the chassis is (Not the Winnie year in many cases but the Ford Chassis as it can/will be different). In 2016 the F53 was upgraded to a 6 speed trans which most people would consider an upgrade.

[powercat_ras]

There was a transition from Ford F53 Chassis with 5 speed transmission to those with 6 speed transmission during RV model year 2016, as some 2016 Model Year RVs were built on Ford F53 2015 VIN chassis. If the F53 has a 2016 or 2017 VIN then it will have the 6 speed transmission.

I have a shorter wheelbase Vista with the 5 speed transmission. The engine is directly under the front of the RV and at least for Winnebago gas RVs on the F53 there is near zero sound insulation to keep the noise out of the RV, just the metal and plywood floor and the doghouse. Personally, I have added Dynamat sound deadening material to the bottom of the doghouse and the floor areas on both sides of the doghouse and it has helped reduce the noise some.

The engine develops decent power and torque in its peak power and torque band which is 3,000 - 4,500 RPM. A lot of noise is transmitted into the RV when the engine is in it's power band. At cruising RPM under 3,000 RPM a lot of noise still enters the RV but it is acceptable to me. Suggest you test drive and try carrying on a conversation with a passenger in both situations and see if is acceptable.

The engine is very reliable and requires very little scheduled maintenance. Have had no issues with engine coolant temp or transmission fluid temp getting high even when working the engine hard going up grades. Even going up several mile length 6-8 % grades I have no problems holding 45 MPH. Ford has engine braking when going down grades. My experience is that the engine/transmission drag does not hold speed and I will occasionally have to apply brakes.

My RV pulling a 3,000 pound Honda HR-V averages about 7.5 miles per gallon fuel economy at an average speed between 60-65 MPH.

Other Pro for the Ford F53 with V10 is that there are Ford dealers with Large Truck Service Centers that provide service all over the USA if you do have an issue that requires service. Note if you are looking at RVs over about 7-8 years old then do some research on the older version of the Ford V10 that had some issues including problems with siezed spark plugs that can't be removed. That older version also developed less horsepower due to an earlier head design.

If you buy a used RV with a 5 speed transmission consider the 5 Star Tuning 87 Octane Engine Tune it will improve the shifting pattern vs. the Ford stock engine tune.

[Chance31ke]

We have had a 2016 Vista for a little over a year now and are showing 10,000 miles. We live on the west coast and have been over the Sierras a few times. Pulling a Toyota FJ Cruiser hasn't been a problem at all under interstate conditions. I have run across a couple of steep grades on two lane highways which had caused me to loose a little steam but I am still happy with the rig. I have installed anti-sway bars and a Safe-T steering stabilizer to make things tamer in windy conditions.

Short answer, on the 2016 F53 6 speed V10.

[Rossi6998]

I agree with the above. I have the smaller 27 foot 2013 Sunstar (sister to the Vista) and really like it. I have had some issues with the level jacks (hydraulic lines bulging) and the slide out (some of the rails replaced). The Dealership worked real hard to keep me happy and I think (hope) the problems are behind us.

The ride was rough and I got pushed around a lot by passing trucks and ruts in the road. I have upgraded the suspension (airbags, front and rear anti-sway bars, trac bar, and Safe-T Plus steering stabilizer) and this has helped tremendously.

The engine revs high on upgrades, so I installed the 5-Star Tune which really helped with the shifting.

[ThomB]

We have a 2010 Vista 32K. We just bought it new-to-us and the first thing I did after getting it home was to go with a 5-Star tune. While I'm sure it was powerful enough before unleashing more ponies is usually never a bad idea. We've not yet taken a long trip in it but are leaving on our adventure in mid June.
Our car is a Mini convertible. We're used to screaming at each other while driving so I'm not sure the noise factor of the engine is one that we're going to realize as much as some others would. As for the towing aspect I expect to not even realize that the car is behind me.

[computerguy]

Originally Posted by powercat_ras

...
I have a shorter wheelbase Vista with the 5 speed transmission. The engine is directly under the front of the RV and at least for Winnebago gas RVs on the F53 there is near zero sound insulation to keep the noise out of the RV, just the metal and plywood floor and the doghouse. Personally, I have added Dynamat sound deadening material to the bottom of the doghouse and the floor areas on both sides of the doghouse and it has helped reduce the noise some...

The Fleetwood Bounder in 2016 was revamped. The original units that came out did not have much in the way of insulation in/around the doghouse. Later they realized it needed it and installed it on mine under warranty. The difference in sound and heat was literally like night and day. My Bounder is so quiet now I would put it up against many DPs (and I used to own one). There is no heat that comes off the doghouse either now. That insulation goes a long way to making the drive much more enjoyable.
Glad it worked out for you too.

[DGundy]

I don't tow, but carry 2 bikes in the receiver hitch. I found that it performs better using premium fuel.

[KFM]

I want to thank the many folks that provided some excellent comments and insight for my question on the Triton V-10. I feel a lot ore informed as we go forward in our research and buying journey. Thanks again for taking the time to reply!

[Honwing]

Have a 2016 Vista LX 27N towing a 2015 Ford Fusion Hybrid. Currently in Elko Nevada headed to Seattle from Carrabelle, Florida. Love the V10 with the 6 speed Transmission and found the tow Haul works great. Used it many times today on I-80 coming west into Salt Lake City. What I don't like is the rough and noisy F53 chassis. Terrible in the wind and terrible on what is left of this country's roads. This is after spending $900 at the factory in Forest City earlier this month having a Safe T Plus steering Stabilizer installed. Changed a dangerous chassis into one that is now tolerable. 800 miles to Seattle and hope to trade for a Diesel Pusher. My mistake. Also check engine light has come on twice now and after much difficulty finding a Ford Dealer to look at it they are blaming it on Ethanol in Midwest gas. I'm sure if you spend a lot of money you can make it safe and enjoyable to drive. 12,000 miles so far.

[Forza Tom]

We owned a 2007 Sightseer for about 9 years and put about 25K miles on her.

It had only the 5 speed transmission but it came equipped with a Banks HP upgrade.

The ride was a bit rough (like a truck) but OK. To be expected because it is a truck chassis after all.

The engine is designed to be a high rev screamer so it can be a bit noisy when accelerating or climbing.

We towed mainly 3000 lb. vehicles when we towed and climbing hills was OK but long steep ones you just had to expect to be at 35 to 45 mph in the slow lane.

MPG was 7.5 to 8 towing or not.

That was the only gas unit we ever had. We upgraded to a DP

[GHPOULSEN]

Bought in March 2018, new.
Failures with TV, AC and some other things indicate poor QC from the Factory and the dealership. Not a good start but all corrected thru first person warranty resolutions rather than long wait times at dealership. Check all things for operation and acceptability before taking possession - really. I knew better and could have had better delivery results.

Bought it because we liked most things about it. Have added Road Master anti-sway fore and aft and also steering stabilizer and have also found that only two tires of 6 had any lead and those were big chunks of 3 and 5 oz in one spot only. We added the more common dynamic bead bag levelling to each tire and seems to be ok now. Also added KONI FDR self adjusting shocks (jury still out here waiting for next trip). Seemed to rate equal or a bit better than Billsteins but won't argue this one.

Slides
Here's what might be some worthwhile info.......or not. We have had excellent operations with the large kitchen and dinette slides with the Lippert Power Gear rack and pinion gear....not a failure yet.

However we have run into repeated issues with the Lippert LPi Schwintek flat rack system that moves our closet slide.

Lippert claims it is usually with the mfr installation of their gear not the gear itself since it is just two motors and a control module and switch..(maybe)... Our issue is when moving it out or in the closet would stall one side repeatedly in the first 6-8" and after leaving alone for an hour would usually resolve itself (I think it re-boots) and will then come right in or out (they say strange). We did not want to use the control module due to difficult access.

What my wife and I determined to be the issue ,we think, is that we have a small wooden 2 drawer cabinet about 25# in the right side of the closet and nothing in the other side. By moving it toward the center it seems for the moment to have resolved the issue. If this is in fact a cure then it leads me to believe that using a separate motor on each side of closet and trying to time its movement by revolutions can be affected by unequal mass on one side vs the other. The two motors, I think, lose timing match since one has to accelerate a larger mass than the other which causes it to lag the other on start-up and movement and therefore shuts down as a failure.

Conclusion for us:
1. The lightweight closet with two motors is sensitive to weight and specifically to unbalanced weight since the motors do operate independently with only revolution matches for control, yet one can lag the other and cause failure mode. We know those drawer slide rollers are supposed to handle a lot of weight vertically but it doesn't mean the separate motors can handle equal acceleration of unequal weight. Better might have been to have only one motor and a ganged rack and pinion movement for both sides rather than electric revolution matching.

Another fix might have been to have a center roller under the closet for added support, rather than just two drawer slide type rollers on each side.

2. I have moved the 2 Control Modules off the ceiling of the cabinet under the coach and repositioned to the back wall so they can be seen straight on and so you can set them for manual mode (6 taps and hold on 7th) easily when opening the cabinet.

The worst time to ever have to deal with those control modules to override a room malfunction would be at night or on the road or when ready to leave a campground or home, so I plan for the worst and hope for the best. The move is simple and you do need to understand the simple emergency override procedures to save heartache later.

3. I now feel a lot more confident that I can handle a slide that may give me trouble when least expected and have also rewritten my own simple set of guidelines for that unexpected failure as well.

We have owned 4 different RVs from different manufacturers and have learned that slides and jacks are the two things that can and do fail on occasion and the emergency procedures should be well understood and probably practiced at least once, and don't trust the tow truck guy to understand your system...

Happy traveling!

[FishBear]

We are new owners of a Vista and so far we don't have any issues to speak of. No long trips accomplished as yet so jury still out on the handling issues but we had a 2006 Hurricane with the Ford chassis so we are "used" to the F53 and the "pitch and roll" that many complain about. Yes, it is loud when climbing but that's where these v10's get their torque, in the higher rpm's... just how they work. Lovin' the 6 speed.

[SarahW]

Originally Posted by GHPOULSEN

...
We have owned 4 different RVs from different manufacturers and have learned that slides and jacks are the two things that can and do fail on occasion and the emergency procedures should be well understood and probably practiced at least once, and don't trust the tow truck guy to understand your system...

Happy traveling!

Excellent advice, thanks.