1999 Chieftain Gasser:New to us

[BirdWoman]

Happy New Year Everyone!

I am new to this forum and new to RVing in a MH. We just purchased a 1999 Chieftian gasser 35U Ford V10, we bought this "new" baby off season at a good price. However, we live in NH and will have to wait until spring to really get aquainted with our new vacation home. In the meantime, both hubby and I have been searching the net for any and all information regarding our MH. I will be driving 50% of the time, so I am looking for tips on handling a 35' vehicle. We plan to install a complete Banks system sometime this summer. We both work now, but our plans are to be part-timers in 3 years. I know this is a very generic question, but we would really appreciate any and all input pertaining to this MH and it's systems, chassis, trans etc. Thanks in advance for all information/experiences that will help us prepare for this adventure.

Sandy

[raspears]

The Winnebago industries website still has info on the 2000 Chieftain. Look here http://www.winnebagoind.com/ch2000.htm
Some of this information will be useful for your 1999.

Also search this and other forums and bulletin boards, as well as Google, for "Chieftain 1999" and see what turns up. Also, edit your request here to show model number/letters.

You might find something that was a problem for a number of owners, but most likely, the problems experienced will be unique. Be prepared for some unique problems by purchasing good road service, such as Coach-net, which has techs to discuss your on-the-road problem and make recommendations AND SERVICE APPOINTMENTS, as well as get you properly towed. For a motorhome, you want MORE than generic towing reimbursement from your insurance.

Do what you can to find out what needs work as soon as possible. Drive it. Driving a long beast isn't learned by reading written advice. There is one little piece of inputtage that I would offer, however. To help you learn to stay in your own lane, take a bit of colored tape, and place it at the lower edge of the windshield so that it lines up with the white or yellow painted lane divider stripe on the left side of the coach. This one simple gimmick can help you be more comfortable until you get the feel of this huge box.

As for the Banks, WAIT until you decide if you need it. I guess you have the V-10. (It rides more smoothly if you load the front part of the coach to the maximum. Often, filling the freshwater tank will help a lot.) You may find the V-10 ideal for your part of the country. Lots of us used that engine through the rockies and it worked fine. Remember, it's not just the grade that slows you down, but the altitude. Engines don't run well at 9,000 feet!

Have the dealer check that any recalls or TSBs (Technical Service Bulletins) have been tended to for your unit.

Drive it! Drive it!

RAS

[BirdWoman]

Thanks RAS, for the quick response. I know my questions are not specfic. I'm sure after we have driven this MH a lot this summer I'll have individual questions rather that "how to I drive this vehicle" ? One specific question I do have after going over the maintenance records is, are there any real problems with the transmission? The previous owners had extensive transmission work done on this Chieftian at 20,000 miles. Other than this (a biggie at 20,000), the vehicle APPEARS to be in excellent condition at 31,000 miles. My husband did drive it and other than saying that "this is NOT a car", the MH handles well and no descernible noises etc. to our inexperienced ears. Between the two of us, we have searched and explored anything that comes up on a 1999 Winnebago Chieftian. I am a positive person, but a lot of Winnebago information in general is negative. It is nice to find a forum of Winnebago owners who may provide more valuable input other than bashing the product. We love this MH, with all the bells and whistles we could ever want (except a dishwasher).

Thanks again and we will look into Coach-net and utilize your tape suggestion. We are also looking for a good toad that will not overtax the engine. So far I like the Honda CR-V or Element

Sandy

[Stan Birch]

>We plan to install a complete Banks system sometime this summer.

Why?????

[BirdWoman]

Hi Stan,

Our decision to add the Banks was based on research on the net and reading what the Banks system will ( I hope), add to our traveling enjoyment. DP's are the MHs people appear to love because of their ability to climb grades and get a pleasurable ride. Adding the Banks to our gas MH won't improve the ride, but I hope it will allow us to merge with traffic at a better pace and make the grades of our local mountains. Do you feel the 35U Chieftain, V10 gives adequate performance on steep grades and can easily merge with traffic from rest areas, off ramps? I welcome any information you may have. This is a whole new world for us.

Sandy

[RonTon]

I have no problem with merging with traffic from rest areas and on ramps with my 1999 Chieftain 35U. Can not comment about the mountains as we have not been in any.

["007"]

Welcome to the forum and a Happy New Year to you also. I don't own a Winnie but I have owned 3 coach's with the Ford v-10 chassie. I have nothing but high praise for the v-10 drive train it served me well on two Newmar coachs I have owned. I had the Banks Sys. installed on both coachs along with the Trans-command for the transmission. The Trans will smooth out the shifting to your liking. The v-10 an Banks setup worked very well, on up grades, on a trip we took out west thru Canada and back thru B.C.an Montana. I have never had any problem with the v-10 or Ford chassie. A lot of us maintain our own coach's, if you have someone do yours double check their work. To improve the ride I also added Blistien shocks on the chassies. Have your coach weighed also and balance the load and adjust the air pressure of your tires to improve your ride. Use the correct chart [air pressure] for your tires.---"007"

[Ronald Smith]

Some questioned the addition of the Banks system. It makes a big difference. Grades I could do only 25-30 MPH I now do 45-55 MPH. And on typical on ramps I am at speed limit at merge point. Although live in PA we have long grades here and I lived in NH for 13 years and know you have a few as well. And in the rockies where we have gone 4 times, first 2 times were tough then added Banks and sometimes pass the deisels. It works. Be sure to add the Transcommand.

Ron Smith
2001 Adv with V10

[BirdWoman]

Thanks to all of you who offered your wisdom and expertise in addressing my questions, no matter how elementary they were. Over the next few years, I hope to be able to share our first experience with others. We can hardly wait for spring to come so that we can get out on the road and gain real live adventures in our "new" MH. We thought camping with our 17' Kiwi was great..self contained with all the comforts of home ( almost). This baby was traded for our Winnebago with every add on option available, including a washer/dryer, but with all the questions about how systems and the MH will function from driving to operating the washer. We have spent years at RV shows drolling over the MH beauties, just waitng for the opportunity to jump in and get going with a condo-on-wheels. This forum and others have been wonderful and informative, providing answers to questions and education in general. If we can get the time off, we would love to go to the irv2 rally in June. Then we can thank everyone in person.

Sandy

[Izzyblueye]

I have a 01 Itasca V-10 Ford chassis and I don't think you are going to need anything to help the power plant. It is a good hustler in any kind of terrain. Entering traffic is not a problem under any circumstance. If the Winnie part of my coach was as well engineered at the Ford chassis, I would have the worlds best motor home, It isn't and I don't. IMHO

[Stan Birch]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by BirdWoman:
Do you feel the 35U Chieftain, V10 gives adequate performance on steep grades and can easily merge with traffic from rest areas, off ramps? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Unless you are hauling 4000 lbs of toad behind you, the V-10 will provide adequate power in just about any kind of driving situation. Get a bit of experience with the rig before spending a lot of $$$ trying to make it into something it will never be. While the Banks system *might* add a "little" bit more power, the V-10 system is already so finely tuned, that there is very little room for improvement. No matter what you do, you're not going to turn it into a hot rod!

Speed isn't all that important when merging. With a 10 ton rig, all you have to do is start moving into an adjacent lane. When other motorists see that big honkin' rig start to move into their lane, they tend to get out of your way real quick! :-)

[Duner]

Sandy,
One more thing to consider, the '99 V10 is 275 hp while the 2000 & newer are 310 hp. The 35 hp makes a difference, especially pulling a toad. I had a '99 Chieftain 34Y for 5 years & 50,000 miles. After one year, had Banks system installed and was very satisfied with the $2800 investment. I really liked the fact that the motor ran so much cooler that the noisy engine fan didn't come on except for very long grades, also it drains a lot power when fully engaged.

Happy Trails!
Bill

[BirdWoman]

Hi Bill,

Thanks for the additional info regarding the V10 and HP. I spoke with out RV mechanic yesterday and he quoted $2300 for the Banks Power and the Transcommand..this included labor. We plan on traveling for 4 to 6 months a year after we retire in 2 years. Our planned trips will include Alaska and I can't imagine taking that kind of a trip underpowered. We really love our "new" MH and our only concern was the power or lack of with the V10.

Safe Travels!

Sandy

[tmcgeesr]

I don't think you will need any modifications to the V-10 Ford chassis. I have a 2000 Adventurer 35U with a V-10. We have been in the Blue Ridge Mountians and over Mount Eagle going north out of Atlanta to Nashville. I pull a 4,000 lb auto on a dolly and have never had any grade pull me down under 45 mph. I seem to do better than all trucks, and at least as good as most MHs. Save your money. The reliability of your drive train will also be better.

PS I think there was a HP/Torque jump in the V-10 Ford between 1999 and 2000. I think mine has 315 hp nad over 400 ft lbs of torque. Others may want to comment on this.

[tmcgeesr]

Another point to pass on. I had a tech tell me once that putting the Banks headers on a Ford V-10 did very little considering the money invested. If you look at the exhaust header on the V-10 its 2 in 1 with what looks like a major obstruction in the form of a very radical turn in the header pipe. But like others have already indicated that motor is very finely tuned and changes in the factory set up can sometimes hurt you. I do wish however that Ford had put a dual exhaust setup on that puppy and tuned it with that setup.

[Don-Savannah, GA]

Hi BirdWoman,
I will add a bit to the Banks conversation. I bought our '99 new, 3 months before Ford made the jump from 275 to 315 HP available! I will always feel cheated but not to the point I am willing to spend $2,000 to $3,000 more to get the Banks system. I have lived with it for 5-1/2 years and 35,000 miles, we have traveled from the flatlands of Georgia through the eastern US mountains to Nova Scotia, all throughout the US Rockies into British Columbia and the southwestern US. We will be leaving in June for Alberta. We have chugged over the worst of the worst grades and waved at the folks in the more powerful gassers and diesels as they passed us up the grades, but when it was over we still saw a lot of the US and enjoyed every mile. If I were to guess the time I have lost creaping over the hills it could be a couple of hours, but, I probably drove 700 to 800 hours keeping up with everyone else. We probably stayed in the same campground at the end of the day.

Our Saturn has made the journey with us about 98% of the time, it only weighs 2,600 #'s, hardly enough to know it is back there.

Some things to keep in mind:
Ford had a problem with out of round wheels and Goodyear had a problem with out of round tires from '98 ghrough '01, make sure you do not have any vibrations while driving. Secondly, unless your mh has newer tires or the originals have been kept covered or it was driven monthly you need to be concerned about dry rot.
Do a search for "tire pressure", lots of good information available, the best of which is to have the coach weighed on all 4 corners and use the tire manufacturers recommendation for pressure based on weight. Always check your tire pressure each morning before driving.
Do a search for "Eternabond" on this web site, Winnebago's sealing of the roof edge leaves a lot to be desired, Eternabond is an excellant product to avoid very expensive side wall repairs.
Get a good surge protector such as "Surge Guard". You can search this site for more info.
The original Converter was probably a Magnetek 7445, it is a battery killer. Look into a "Smart Charger" like the Inteli Power 9100 with Charge Wizard. Check your battery water level monthly.
The V10 is an excellent engine and with proper maintenance will outlast the coach. The same goes for the transmission, have the filter changed and fluid replaced every 30,000 miles.

The Ford/Winnebago combination is the best in its price range, treat it right and you will be rewarded.

[BirdWoman]

Thanks Don and Tim for your valuable input. Everyone sharing their experiences with like MHs has been so helpful. We have also altered some our plans because of advice given on this forum. We will decide on the Banks system after we have completed our summer travels. Our toad selection has been narrowed down to the Saturn Vue or the Honda CRV. We received our WIT membership on Friday and look forward to attending some local chapter rallies and meeting other RVers in the community.

Thanks again!

Sandy

1999 Winnebago Chieftian 35U
WIT
FMCA F356563
Looking for a toad

[ctuna2]

Birdwoman, what did you decide to do about the Banks system? My wife and I are going to pick up our 99 Chieftain 35u with 31k miles on Monday and are just about in the same boat as you as far as getting the Banks. Hope you had a good first summer with it.