Winnebago Service & Support questions?

rv rick · 01-07-2007, 03:46 PM

We are looking at getting a motorhome and considering the Winnebago line (along with a couple others). We visited the Forest City plant and enjoyed the tour, but wondered about service and support for customers after the sale and had a couple questions:

** How well does Winne take care of its customers?
** How many services bays do they have in Forest City (I forgot to ask)?
** Will other dealers work on the coach while you are traveling (we are looking at fulltiming)?

Thanks very much for your help!
Rick

rv rick · 01-07-2007, 03:46 PM

We are looking at getting a motorhome and considering the Winnebago line (along with a couple others). We visited the Forest City plant and enjoyed the tour, but wondered about service and support for customers after the sale and had a couple questions:

** How well does Winne take care of its customers?
** How many services bays do they have in Forest City (I forgot to ask)?
** Will other dealers work on the coach while you are traveling (we are looking at fulltiming)?

Thanks very much for your help!
Rick

AFChap · 01-07-2007, 04:09 PM

Winnebago has one of the best records/reputations in the industry for quality and customer care. They have taken good care of us, and have been very responsive when we have called or emailed factory customer care for information or assistance with a repair problem. I don't know how many service bays they have in Forest City. We had some items done on our coach there at the GNR last summer, but I didn't count bays. I do know that they service hundreds of coaches in that two week period. We bought our coach in Texas, drove straight to Virginia, and have had it serviced at two dealers in Virginia, one in Alabama, and once at our selling dealer in Texas. We have had no problems getting appointments, but we do try to call ahead when that is possible.

You can spend more money for other brands, (and yes, even Winnebago coaches have some problems from time to time) but I think you will be unlikely to get better quality and customer care for your money unless you go to some really high dollar rigs.

smlranger · 01-07-2007, 04:10 PM

Rick:

Welcome to the forum. You've certainly asked good questions and I'm sure you will get a variety of responses. While I bought my rig used and the Winnebago warranty had already expired, my contacts with Winnebago folks have always yielded answers to my questions and various forms of assistance.

DriVer · 01-07-2007, 04:13 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by rv rick:
** How well does Winne take care of its customers? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>Winnebago Industries offers excellent service at the factory, and you can tell whoever there that we said so!

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">
** How many services bays do they have in Forest City (I forgot to ask)? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>They have a plethora of service bays PLUS you get your own service adviser from cradle to grave.<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">** Will other dealers work on the coach while you are traveling (we are looking at fulltiming)? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>That's not an unreasonable question. If you are stuck or have an emergency many WGO dealerships will try to help you out. On the other hand expect long delays from out of your area dealers because they have their own clients to work on since most already have appointments. This is not unique to WGO BTW since most other brand dealers will treat customers in the same manner, they will cater to their customers first. Good luck and have fun with your purchasing plans and ultimately new ownership. We're all excited for you and we're ready and willing to answer your questions as they present themselves.

Please do come back and visit us often.

peter griffin · 01-07-2007, 04:29 PM

Rick, My new RV had serious paint issues and cap alignment issues. Also I had leaning issues that required a rear leaf spring. Winnebago REP and Forest City has been great and good about covering costs. They also paid for me to come out from Massachusetts. On the downside, your repairs, if needed will not be fixed overnight and lots of traveling required and if I didn't get advice from this site and from other owners on how to repair it it would have been a sticky situation because my warranty probably would have been up. Even with the problems/repairs I had, I would by another Winnebago. My first RV was a fourwinds(thor) terrible customer serrvice...they wouldn't even send you a screw without going to the dealer and had trouble picking up the phone.

Good luck...

wagonmaster2 · 01-07-2007, 06:48 PM

I dodn't know about other manufacturer's dealers but the 5 Winnebago non-purchased from dealers that I have had to deal with flat tell you that you immediatedly go to the bottom of the list and keep working down. It took me 6 weeks to get an appointment, they kept the coach 3 weeks, did 4.8 hrs work and only replaced a rear tail light lens and the air horn relay. A relative who had purchased from them got an appointment in one week and all the work was done in one day while they waited (and this included pulling up the carpet to get to an object under it). Forest City is great if you like to travel long distances for the work and have the time to do it. Good luck.
Wagonmaster2

Y-Guy · 01-07-2007, 06:50 PM

Well I haven't needed major service on our new coach, and I hope I don't. But when I was shopping kept hearing how good their service was over and over. I have purchased three campers from the same dealerships, know most of the sales/service people by first name. So when I went into look at a Damon one of the service guys kept telling me that I would be much happier with a Winnebago. Finally I asked him why. He said Winnebago was the only manufacturer that sends a rep around to check the units in for service on a regular basis, so if I had an issue I could meet with this person, as they would be working with him too. Then he started telling me about the differences in the coaches from a service point of view. He also said he knew me well enough to know that I would be bringing it back if it had issues, he didn't want me bringing it back of course and thus continued to recommend the Winnebago. I trust them enough that his comments weighed very heavily in my choice to buy a Sightseer.

I am VERY impressed by some details on this coach, everything is labeled and documented like no brand I've ever seen before. The owners packet is amazing, details, details, details. If I have a question its in there. The packet isn't generic for any coach, its designed for mine - that's a real nice touch. The ability to download the wiring, plumbing and other diagrams is also a huge plus in my mind, I never leave anything stock for long.

As a new first time owner I am very impressed.

rv rick · 01-08-2007, 03:48 PM

I wanted to thank everyone who has responded -- this helps quite a bit! I am also asking folks in the RV park I am in about their experiences and so far, all the Winnebago folks seem very pleased! I can say that is NOT the case with all the owners of other brands.

Given that I live in South Dakota, I am not that far from the Forest City location, so it is very helpful to learn of the strong factory support.

Thanks again.
Rick

John_Canfield · 01-08-2007, 05:47 PM

Winnebago factory service is outstanding, to be sure they even don't get it right the first time every time, but they will make it right.

There must be 25 or 30 service bays - we have walked back there several times but I haven't counted the bays but we have walked a long way. Not all of the bays are for service - some are for custom modification (like handicap access.)

Service at other dealers is a crap shoot - we have been treated very well while on the road and we were able to get appointments at two different Winnie dealers within a few days. Freightliner in South Dakota saw us promptly as well.

Many Winnie owners make Forest City an annual maintenance stop because of the high quality and the reasonable cost. I believe the labor rate was $75 an hour for non-warranty items which is a good deal from what we have seen across the country.

We are happy campers with our Horizon.

Gary the Wombat · 01-08-2007, 06:36 PM

While I cannot speak for the level of service from Winnie at Forest City, I can tell you that some of their dealers (at least the one that I bought my RV from) treat their customers like dirt once the rig has been delivered when it comes to service.

rnabors · 01-09-2007, 06:18 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">** How well does Winne take care of its customers?

I am very pleased with Winnebago customer care. Their warranty is excellent and the phone support from the customer care team is outstanding.

** How many services bays do they have in Forest City (I forgot to ask)?

I have never been to Forest city.

** Will other dealers work on the coach while you are traveling (we are looking at fulltiming)? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Winnebago has a fairly extensive dealer network. My dealer in North Carolina has been very good thus no need to go to Forest city. I have also stopped at other dealers while traveling and found them willing to try to work you in.

becks · 01-09-2007, 07:22 AM

We also are very happy with Winnebago customer care in every way. Bought a 2005 new and have had items fixed by dealer we did not buy from. This is our first Winnebago but having owned other makes we have already decided we will stick with Winnebago.

Kazoo Tom · 01-09-2007, 04:14 PM

We bought ours used, long past any warranty. I have had a few minor issues that I have addressed. My contacts with customer service at the factory have been fantastic. Even though I am not the original owner, and the warranty has long since expired, I have found friendly courteous service at every step of the way.

Dealers on the other hand are definately a "crap shoot". Some dealers are wonderful and have very competant staff. Others aren't worth the fuel to pull into their lots. Each dealer is an independant business, not a factory franchise. Ask questions here on the forum and around the locales of the dealership. You will get some very honest answers here if you are inquiring about specific dealers.

I have found that independant RV service techs are frequently more knowledgable than many of the dealer service persons. The independants' also are frequently less expensive. When service is their only business, they tend to do it right.

Gary the Wombat · 01-09-2007, 04:29 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Kazoo Tom:
... Dealers on the other hand are definately a "crap shoot". Some dealers are wonderful and have very competant staff. Others aren't worth the fuel to pull into their lots. Each dealer is an independant business, not a factory franchise. Ask questions here on the forum and around the locales of the dealership. You will get some very honest answers here if you are inquiring about specific dealers. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

You are absolutely right about dealers being a "crap shoot". To that end, can anyone recommend a service center or independent business in the San Francisco Bay Area, preferably north bay as far as Sacramento?

Scooter · 01-12-2007, 06:05 AM

Gary:

Can I assume your dealer is/was H----- RV in P-------, CA?

Gary the Wombat · 01-12-2007, 09:33 AM

That's right Scooter, and neither me nor my RV will ever grace their premises again.

TXDrifter165 · 01-14-2007, 12:44 PM

Gary,
I can second that.......I didn't buy one from them nor have I received service but with their attitude trying to get service was good enough for me.

boulderado · 01-15-2007, 09:13 AM

Our servicing dealer, K & C in Longmont, Colo, has taken good care of our Winnebago products over the years and all warranty items have been properly taken care of in a timely fashion.

I am not particularly impressed with the QC work done before the unit was shipped from Winnebago, though. The black tank flush was installed backwards and a couple of the dash vents were not hooked up at all. We also had a couple of other items that should have been caught before leaving the plant, but I guess they just don't have the time to spend hours on every unit.

All in all we are very happy with our third Winnebago product. As others have noted Winnebago is good about labeling stuff and the functionality and layout is good both inside and out.

-----

Rapid Ray · 01-15-2007, 02:14 PM

My experience when dealing with the selling dealer is easy appointments and friendly service. However, they dont always fix it the first time. Nor the second time. Lack of testing after their done means they have confidence but the fact is they mess up. I have usually fixed their failures since it is easier than driving back. The factory phone and follow through on service past the warranty period has been outstanding.