Getting ready to upgrade. Looking for insight on Winnebagos

deblennick · 01-07-2017, 06:11 PM

Hi, my husband and I are getting ready to upgrade to a (new to us) diesel and we think we have it narrowed down to 3 brands, one being a Winnebago. I have been doing so much research my eyes are starting to cross, so I thought I would go straight to the owners forum to see what actual owners have to say. Any information anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated! We are planning to go full time so this will be about a 10 year commitment. Thank you!

Jim_HiTek · 01-07-2017, 10:59 PM

It would help if you outlined a little about what you're actually looking for in a Class A.

Slides, no slides, new, used, etc.

FIRE UP · 01-07-2017, 11:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deblennick

Hi, my husband and I are getting ready to upgrade to a (new to us) diesel and we think we have it narrowed down to 3 brands, one being a Winnebago. I have been doing so much research my eyes are starting to cross, so I thought I would go straight to the owners forum to see what actual owners have to say. Any information anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated! We are planning to go full time so this will be about a 10 year commitment. Thank you!

Deb,
We've had our 2004 Itasca Horizon 36GD with the C-7 330HP CAT and the Allison MH3000 trans now for 5.5 years. It's an outstanding coach. The Winne Vectra and Itasca Horizon, for 2004 are sister ships, just different names with very minor differences. The construction, fit and finish, cabinetry, interior accouterments, plumbing, electrical, with very, very minor exceptions, have all been outstanding.
You will hear some grumbling about the Winnebago and Itasca roofs having problems. Well, that's not a big issue. It's all about maintenance and either a 6 month or annual check to insure the adhesive/caulking is secure, no big deal. The coach is on a Freightliner Chassis and that speaks for itself. No issues at all. The engine in ours, the CAT C-7, along with all other coaches powered by a Caterpillar engine, is no longer in production as Caterpillar has ceased to provide over the road engines.

But, in the event of any needed parts, they're still plentiful, all over the U.S. Winne is one of the largest manufacture RVs and, has been in production for many, many years. Both Winne and Freightliner have customer assistance hot lines for owners to call, 24/7 in the event of a problem. I've used the Freightliner hot line a few times and am always amazed on how knowledgeable they are and phenomenally helpful. Their help has provided the answer needed, each and every time.

We have plenty of friends who own either a Winne Vectra or Journey, or an Itasca Horizon or Meridian (sister to the Journey of that era). All of them are thoroughly happy. The floor plans change drastically, depending on the length. A 36' serves us quite well but, we're not full timers. Good luck with your choice.

deblennick · 01-07-2017, 11:45 PM

Wow! Lots to think about! Thank you for all of the info!

SuperGewl · 01-08-2017, 02:50 AM

A lot of it is going to depend on what type of Full Timing you are going to do, how handy you are with tools, and the length of MH you really want.
You don't necessarily have to have a DP unless you are looking for 45 footer. If you are doing a lot of sitting still you may be happy with a Gasser due to the lower maintenance and cost. If you are looking at pulling something heavy and doing a lot of driving then a DP is must.
You will be amazed at the some of the high end gassers when compared to a mid level DP, yes there is a big difference in ride due to the chassis but if you aren't driving it that much then who cares.
As far as brands, they all have their quirks and if you are buying used then it depends on how well the previous owner took care of it.
Some of the older high end DP's have one off parts so repairs become an issue when needed as the more main stream models parts are readily available.
Remember a DP requires maintenance that the average joe cannot perform at home and it cost a lot as a gasser has no more maintenance than your average pickup truck. On a class A gasser you can change the oil while sitting on the street, you can change the plugs while sitting in the camp ground and most won't even know unless you tell them.
Personally the first thing to think about is floor plan, what do you want and what do you need, how many do you have to sleep, feed, bathe???
Then go from there, where are you going to full time, traveling or mostly sitting in a park or off the beaten path, what about AC or heat(has to do with insulation).
Storage is another concern, are you going to carry everything with you a r store some of it?
Good luck

Petro · 01-08-2017, 10:26 AM

I just want to agree with what Scott (FIRE UP) said. We purchased our Horizon used in 2011. Over the past 5 1/2 years we have been very happy with our coach, Winnebago & Freightliner have been very responsive and helpful when ever we had any questions.

At our age I don't believe we will ever purchase another coach but if we do I can guarantee you it will be a Winnebago coach on a Freightliner Chassis.

Don

cmpncrsaider · 01-08-2017, 11:41 AM

Hi Deb
I will echo what others have said here, we've had our 2004 Vectra for around 5 years now and love it. Have put 40,000 problem free miles on it! Ours has a 350 cummins and freightliner Chassis all the parts are readily available and freightliner service centers are all over the country. Onan generator parts and service not a problem. We pull a 1500 4dr 4wd pick up everywhere we go.

Steve Ownby · 01-08-2017, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deblennick

Hi, my husband and I are getting ready to upgrade to a (new to us) diesel and we think we have it narrowed down to 3 brands, one being a Winnebago. I have been doing so much research my eyes are starting to cross, so I thought I would go straight to the owners forum to see what actual owners have to say. Any information anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated! We are planning to go full time so this will be about a 10 year commitment. Thank you!

SOB driver here. I've been a full timer for 3 months short of ten years now and not in a Winnie.

You will find an owner forum or two that appear to look down on Winnebago but I think they are foolish. I watch all the owner forums and have little patience for these elitists.

Winnebago represents a lot of bang for the buck. Their engineering is generally good and their "off the end of the line" build quality is as good as anyone's. They seem to have had some issues with their full wall slides but that's been an industry wide problem. If you find a Winnie you really like, then go for it.

inlineskater · 01-08-2017, 12:30 PM

I am on my 4th Winnebago. I owned a Warrior, Brave, Journey, and now Sunova. I have liked them all. Been motorhoming for 27 years this spring and have owned some other brands too. I always come back to Winnebago. I enjoy the rally in the summer at the plant, the service has been good, and the coaches offer a good value. Having said all that I do think that Tiffin and Newmar are good too.

PackerPower · 01-09-2017, 06:39 AM

We bought a used Winnebago (see sig) and are very happy with it. When we were looking for used coaches, we did a lot of brand research, dealer visits, and test driving for 6 - 9 months before finding the coach we ended up purchasing. After visiting Forest City and taking the factory tour, we zoned in on looking for Winnebagos. The major factors that influenced our decision was that they had been around a long time, made most of their own components, supported all of their old coaches with parts and service, and had detailed drawings and parts lists for everything in the coach. This has turned out to be very useful when tracking down a circuit or plumbing issue - fortunately only minor so far, but extremely nice to have all that information. There are certainly higher-end more expensive products on the market, and if you have the coin, look at those models. But if you want a good, well built, no-nonsense, affordable coach, with excellent service and support, I highly recommend Winnebago.

deblennick · 01-11-2017, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmpncrsaider

Hi Deb
I will echo what others have said here, we've had our 2004 Vectra for around 5 years now and love it. Have put 40,000 problem free miles on it! Ours has a 350 cummins and freightliner Chassis all the parts are readily available and freightliner service centers are all over the country. Onan generator parts and service not a problem. We pull a 1500 4dr 4wd pick up everywhere we go.

Thank you for the info!

deblennick · 01-11-2017, 07:57 PM

Thank you for the information!

Forza Tom · 01-17-2017, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deblennick

Hi, my husband and I are getting ready to upgrade to a (new to us) diesel and we think we have it narrowed down to 3 brands, one being a Winnebago. I have been doing so much research my eyes are starting to cross, so I thought I would go straight to the owners forum to see what actual owners have to say. Any information anyone can give me would be greatly appreciated! We are planning to go full time so this will be about a 10 year commitment. Thank you!

We purchased a new Forza 36G and love it.

It is Winnebago's entry level diesel.

That being said it was equipped and furnished very nicely.

If you buy new you will go though the new RV shakedown which can be aggravating at times but that happens with all manufacturers.

If you buy used this may be done already but you will be relying of the previous owner addressing the issue and having them fixed.

My wife and I use a list to select the RV's we have purchased. We make a list of things we absolutely want and won't compromise on. We also make a list of things that we want that we can compromise on.

Then we work the list. It keeps you focused and makes sure you don't miss anything.

Hope this helps

Clay L · 01-17-2017, 10:04 AM

Take a look at everything that is available to download HERE and then see if that much information is available from other brands you are looking at. Note that there is a complete part number list for your rig - personalized to the rigs Winnebago ID number downloadable from the site.
All of that info was very valuable to me.

smlranger · 01-17-2017, 03:38 PM

We owned two Winnebago coaches before getting our current coach in 2013. We had a 1997 Adventurer then a 2002 Journey. We had the Journey for 8 years. Both were purchased used. Both were good coaches.

You really don't say if you are looking to buy new or used. If used, regardless of brand, condition of the coach is paramount. Our Winnebagos were solidly built and served us well. As already noted, the technical information Winnebago makes available to owners is impressive and very helpful if you plan to do maintenance and repairs yourself.

If were looking at new coaches, I would include Newmar and Entegra on the list with Winnebago. All three of them have a good reputation for making good coaches. However, all manufacturers have issues with quality control so any of them can make a coach with issues. However, all three of these manufacturers offer good customer support.