Winnebago Caused Rust: Need Names!!!

[AFChap]

PLease don't take things out of context;; . Of all the coach manufactures Winnebago Is the only one that uses the in cab steel cage. ( excluding the highline Provost ETC. ). If you feel the rust Dead horse, needs to beat them by all means buy a model that uses wood for there Cab enclosure

While I agree to some extent that the rusting frame is a problem, I have NEVER heard of a Winnebago/Itasca windshield popping out/falling out on the highway ...but have definitely heard of other brands having that problem!!

[ExitStrategy]

Originally Posted by bachler

PLease don't take things out of context;; . Of all the coach manufactures Winnebago Is the only one that uses the in cab steel cage. ( excluding the highline Provost ETC. ). If you feel the rust Dead horse, needs to beat them by all means buy a model that uses wood for there Cab enclosure;;; Look no rust ; It just rotted and the windshild fell out;; Now I can blame the darn wood.. LET IT REST::::

Bachler - If you don't work for Winnebago, or one of its suppliers, or own stock then I am a monkey's uncle. Your bias is as clear as day. Your comments are as predictable as rain and your motives are clear. Thank you for your care and concern for all of those who have been wronged to such a degree by this company.

[ExitStrategy]

Originally Posted by bachler

I at one time had 49 employees;;Working for me. And things were/are dome in manufacturing to show a profit; And every one will try to do the best they can with the alloted time to make a product; Most products Have a life expectancey, What is it for cars 7/11 years Driving your house down the road (motorhome) 6/10.years Tires 3/7 years; I do NOT condone sloppy work. If my water heater starts leaking after 10 years I for one will NOT Call the Maker bad names Because I THOUGHT it should last For 20 years;; My friend wanted to live to be 100 years old He died at 39 years old.. I do not wish to attack anyone. And would feel much If it were not done to me.. There is a place for that and it is NOT on this forum. Thanks , Life is good , And NOT forever,,

One of the main stories in this month's MotorHome magazine is about a 1982 Sceptre diesel pusher motorhome. The story centered on how well built the rig was and how much care went into its manufacture by its builder, Apollo Motor Homes. It shows that things that are built right not only CAN last but DO. To expect a $200,000 rig to last 10 years is not unreasonable. To expect it to last 20 years is not unreasonable. We no longer have the luxury of living in a throw-away, planned obsolescence society. My father's 1988 Fleetwood C class is in unbelieveable condition because care was taken in its manufacture and care was excercised in its maintenance. My family has always believed that something well cared for should last a long time. That's why I spent A LOT of money to build an RV garage - To protect my RV. If I had not caught my rust problem when I did, all of my care and maintence would have been a fruitless excercise. So my message in short is that things that are built well should last forever, just like the 30 year old Sceptre in the magazine.

[Hikerdogs]

Originally Posted by ExitStrategy

One of the main stories in this month's MotorHome magazine is about a 1982 Sceptre diesel pusher motorhome. The story centered on how well built the rig was and how much care went into its manufacture by its builder, Apollo Motor Homes. It shows that things that are built right not only CAN last but DO. To expect a $200,000 rig to last 10 years is not unreasonable. To expect it to last 20 years is not unreasonable. We no longer have the luxury of living in a throw-away, planned obsolescence society. My father's 1988 Fleetwood C class is in unbelieveable condition because care was taken in its manufacture and care was excercised in its maintenance. My family has always believed that something well cared for should last a long time. That's why I spent A LOT of money to build an RV garage - To protect my RV. If I had not caught my rust problem when I did, all of my care and maintence would have been a fruitless excercise. So my message in short is that things that are built well should last forever, just like the 30 year old Sceptre in the magazine.

I think you missed the whole point on the Apollo Sceptre. It was a custom made Top of the Line coach that cost $200,000.00 back in 1982. That's the equivalent of approximately $800,000.00 in today’s money. The company only made 44 of them and went broke.

The coach hasn't been trouble free all these years. The current second owner has spent the last 4 years doing a complete refurbish including a new engine and transmission. They've in all probability spent more on their project that they could ever expect to recover should they decide to sell the thing.

While I don't condone inferior materials or sloppy work I also don't believe you can reasonably compare the 2 vehicles. There are reasons the Apollo cost what it did 30 years ago. It's like comparing a Chevrolet to a Rolls Royce.

[Beabop]

I still think Winnebago changed something for this problem with windshield frame rusting to occur in the past 10 years, our MH was 2 or 3 when the drivers side had to be cleaned and treated and is now 8 and the passenger side needs treated. Should have checked it before it started to leak since it was a known problem. Have heard of no one in the years previous to 2000 having this problem. Our front cap and side clear coat was redone in 05/06 but they didn't do the rear cap and it is gone. Another known problem. I have a 14 year old Chevy van and the clear coat and windshield are fine. Ya kinda expect a little more out of a $220,000 rig !!!!!!!

[bachler]

I do not ; nor have I ever worked for Winnebago; However I play music And Put on 7 shows For them . at No charge. I have also been to 4 other manufacturing Plants and have entertained, at them. I only call/tell what I see. And I for One, American do not believe Most of the crap I hear . It seems some one alse is allways responceable/Blamed when they do not do, there Home work before;;; Not after the fact;; Please let this DIE; It will rest in Piece;;

[ExitStrategy]

Originally Posted by Hikerdogs

I think you missed the whole point on the Apollo Sceptre. It was a custom made Top of the Line coach that cost $200,000.00 back in 1982. That's the equivalent of approximately $800,000.00 in today’s money. The company only made 44 of them and went broke.

The coach hasn't been trouble free all these years. The current second owner has spent the last 4 years doing a complete refurbish including a new engine and transmission. They've in all probability spent more on their project that they could ever expect to recover should they decide to sell the thing.

While I don't condone inferior materials or sloppy work I also don't believe you can reasonably compare the 2 vehicles. There are reasons the Apollo cost what it did 30 years ago. It's like comparing a Chevrolet to a Rolls Royce.

The Sceptre reference was purely a rebuttal to Bachler's comment that "nothing lasts forever." Yes, the owners did upgrade the drivetrain and modernize the interior, but those were preference changes. And don't forget, I also threw in a Ford for comparison: My father's 1988 Fleetwood C, which cost $35,000 in 1988 and still looks and runs great 25 years later. Now back to my main point: If things are maintained and they are built right, they should last.

[ExitStrategy]

Originally Posted by bachler

I do not ; nor have I ever worked for Winnebago; However I play music And Put on 7 shows For them . at No charge. I have also been to 4 other manufacturing Plants and have entertained, at them. I only call/tell what I see. And I for One, American do not believe Most of the crap I hear . It seems some one alse is allways responceable/Blamed when they do not do, there Home work before;;; Not after the fact;; Please let this DIE; It will rest in Piece;;

So you used to own a big company, but now you're an entertainer? And you've done a bunch of shows at the Winnebago plants? That's interesting. So you've obviously had access to Winnebago's management - What is their excuse for the lack of quality control? Why haven't they backed their products that they improperly built? Why have they ignored the pleas of their loyal customers?

If you want this issue to 'die', all you have to do is encourage Winnebago management to respond to this thread. We'd all love to hear their side of this story.

[ExitStrategy]

[moderator edit]

OK, wait. I'm just trying to keep this straight... You used to own a big company that did sheet metal work, but then you were an entertainer. And now you rent out a bunch of motorhomes. What the heck is going on here??? You've got an e-mail address on me. You know exactly who I am. We know absolutely nothing about you other than you have three entirely separate careers and you know the guys at Winnebago. So who are you Bachler? Really?

[bachler]

Reguardless of what I have or don't have It has NO bearing on these Posts.. . Maybe I'm Reading to much between the lines, But it looks to me like someone is Laying the Groundwork for a Law suit. . . And that my Friends Is what I for one do not to be Involved with;;. I say do your Home work and the Buck stops HERE.. DO NOT USE THIS POST FOR THAT'.

[ExitStrategy]

Originally Posted by bachler

Reguardless of what I have or don't have It has NO bearing on these Posts.. . Maybe I'm Reading to much between the lines, But it looks to me like someone is Laying the Groundwork for a Law suit. . . And that my Friends Is what I for one do not to be Involved with;;. I say do your Home work and the Buck stops HERE.. DO NOT USE THIS POST FOR THAT'.

If that is what you think, then I refer you back to one of my earliest posts, where I say that my attorney advised that I NOT file a law suit. Now back to my question: Who exactly are you and why do you not care a whit about all of these loyal Winnebago customers that the company has neglected?

[JohnRR]

The topic of this post is

Winnebago Caused Rust: Need Names!!!

Lets take the rest off line if you all want to continue any further off topic dialog.

[BFlinn181]

I don't own a Winnebago, but I find this thread very informative. The fact that one of the premier manufacturers of recreational vehicles continued to build a flawed product that causes much expense and heartache to owners is interesting. The fact that the problem is one that could have so inexpensively corrected at the plant assembly line is fascinating. One of Winnebago's advertising points has been its steel cage and corrosion dipping, but it seems they missed on the windshield cage.

[moderator edit]

[garykk]

I find it interesting that automobiles which have a metal windshield frame seldom rust out in the windshield area. I had the chance to see a newer Vista with the windshield removed the other day, there was quite a bit of rubber sealant laid against the metal frame and the glass installer had trimmed some of it off to install the new windshield. If the sealant was installed properly and it did not leak I wonder where the corrosion comes from? My only thought is the rubber trim strip that attaches over the glass, this I guess is keeping moisture behind it and against the metal frame?
In autos, the seal is a two sided adhesive rubber whereas the sealant on the Vista appeared to have been squirted on for a better word.

[Al10453]

I've previously posted on #44 & 55 my dealings with the rust problem. After replacing both lower & upper frames I was looking to seal the water from getting behind the reveal molding. I used a 1 1/2 " tape made by Scotch Colored Plastic Tape to cover the top area of the reveal where it meets the glass on the bottom frame & where it meets the fiberglass cap on top. You cann't really see the tape on the bottom because it blends in with the dark glass and the top cann't be seen because it's to high & out of sight. Aftermore than 6 months in the Florida sun it looks just as new as when I applied it.

[ExitStrategy]

Originally Posted by Al10453

I've previously posted on #44 & 55 my dealings with the rust problem. After replacing both lower & upper frames I was looking to seal the water from getting behind the reveal molding. I used a 1 1/2 " tape made by Scotch Colored Plastic Tape to cover the top area of the reveal where it meets the glass on the bottom frame & where it meets the fiberglass cap on top. You cann't really see the tape on the bottom because it blends in with the dark glass and the top cann't be seen because it's to high & out of sight. Aftermore than 6 months in the Florida sun it looks just as new as when I applied it.

Al - Would you please supply a product number on the tape you used after your repairs? Also, do you know what the total cost was to repair your rusted frames and replace the glass? Thanks.

[Al10453]

I got the tape @ ace hardware, It's a 3M product. I belive the # is 34-8519-1407-6. It's only about 10' ea roll & not very expensive. I'll try & see if I have all the cost to replace the upper & lower steel frame.

[CaptBill]

Originally Posted by ExitStrategy

If that is what you think, then I refer you back to one of my earliest posts, where I say that my attorney advised that I NOT file a law suit. Now back to my question: Who exactly are you and why do you not care a whit about all of these loyal Winnebago customers that the company has neglected?

If that wasn't your intent, then why do you have an attorney? Maybe those who are complaining about windshield frame rust, should have simply peeled back that outer rubber trim once a year, and cleaned/checked, and treated the metal. The frame probably has rust on it too, unless you've been under there, wire-brushing and painting it.

I've kept after both the undercarriage and the windshield frame. Clean it, touch it up; it lasts. On-going maintenance. You either do it, or you don't. If you don't; don't complain.

[steelheadbluesman]

I currently own my second Winnebago, an '07 Itasca. This thread is important to current owners, VERY important.

To all who are contributing useful information and opinion to this thread, THANK YOU!, and I mean it.

To those who are taking pot-shots and being argumentative, please butt out, you have nothing but insulting comments to add, and nobody needs your pot-stirring attitudes....

Dear Mods -- I'm a Winnebago owner, and this thread is VERY interesting to me. Because of it, today while I am camping, I am pulling windshield molding, trying to check it all out. Big problem.

If you have to control this thread, please be as careful as you can, because I want this information to keep coming.... Thanks to all for listening.

And thanks again for those of you who are pro-active contributors.

[Horseshoe]

Some of us bought a Winnebago because of it's reputation. I have only had mine a couple of years so I had no idea the windshield was almost rusted out completely around it. I only found out when I read a thread about the rust on somebody's camper and also noticed a brand new leak inside both windshields after a 1,200 mile trip and a pouring rainstorm. Then I re-read the thread and pulled the trim back to find the cavernous holes around the glasses.

I agree with the poster right above me. If I hadn't read the posts I would not have known about the problem. If people don't have a dog in the hunt, I can't understand why they have to stick their noses into it and poo-poo the problems. Not all of us have golden horseshoes stuck up our rear ends and can afford new motor homes. We are the people who buy the ones they trade it.

As far as the frame, it is in fine shape and any older vehicle will have some frame rust.