What has happened to Winnebago Quality?
I am a dedicated and loyal Winnebago motor home owner. I purchased my third new Adventurer several months ago. My first a 2000 35U, my second a 2005 38R, and my latest a 2015 38Q. I purchase Winneb...
Forum Discussion
Having worked in the RV industry in what I refer to as my "past life" (pre-law enforcement career), I actually find this thread laughable.
Quality control has always been an issue for ALL "mass market" RV manufacturers including Winnebago. The only way a customer takes delivery on an RV with few flaws, both big and little, is if the dealer is conscientious enough to have repaired the factory flaws prior to delivering the unit to the customer.
When I worked in the industry, as an RV technician, Service Writer and Manager, and salesperson when called upon to do it, one of my jobs was to inspect each and every unit when it was delivered from the factory. I went over each unit with fine toothed comb. In some cases we utilized a checklist/delivery form that was provided by the manufacturer. In others it was our own forms and checklists. I then wrote service orders for repairs to be made to those units, at the manufacturers expense, in most cases before they even hit our sales lot. When repairs were completed, I submitted the warranty claims to the manufacturers for reimbursement.
Some manufacturers were, and are, quick to pay and offer reasonable reimbursement (labor) rates. Others not so much. Back in the day Winnebago was one of the good ones as far as paying repair claims but I can't speak for them now. You, as customer, are far more likely to take delivery on a unit with few defects and issues when it comes from a manufacturer that pays the dealer a reasonable rate to effect repairs.
I have seen, and repaired, everything from the little things like misaligned cabinet hinges, latches, and screws, to leaking plumbing, to poorly sealed roof caps, to gaps where you could see roadway between the sidewall or rear cap and floor of the coach. Believe me, I've seen it all and when you get back behind the cosmetics of some of these units you're left shaking your head and wondering what kind of a neanderthal built them. All of that said, and from what I've seen at RV shows, Winnebago still does better than most because they use more consistent, repetitive, assembly line techniques than most others.
When a unit was sold, I (or an employee) again went over it, this time with an eye for proper system operations, and wrote up another batch of work orders if necessary. This was all free and there was none of this charging a customer for the PDI or walk-thru as is the case with some dealers today.
I said it then, and I say it today, if you get a unit that functions properly, with few if any defects, thank your dealer and not the manufacturer. If you get a unit with issues, you can be ticked off at both.
Quality control has always been an issue for ALL "mass market" RV manufacturers including Winnebago. The only way a customer takes delivery on an RV with few flaws, both big and little, is if the dealer is conscientious enough to have repaired the factory flaws prior to delivering the unit to the customer.
When I worked in the industry, as an RV technician, Service Writer and Manager, and salesperson when called upon to do it, one of my jobs was to inspect each and every unit when it was delivered from the factory. I went over each unit with fine toothed comb. In some cases we utilized a checklist/delivery form that was provided by the manufacturer. In others it was our own forms and checklists. I then wrote service orders for repairs to be made to those units, at the manufacturers expense, in most cases before they even hit our sales lot. When repairs were completed, I submitted the warranty claims to the manufacturers for reimbursement.
Some manufacturers were, and are, quick to pay and offer reasonable reimbursement (labor) rates. Others not so much. Back in the day Winnebago was one of the good ones as far as paying repair claims but I can't speak for them now. You, as customer, are far more likely to take delivery on a unit with few defects and issues when it comes from a manufacturer that pays the dealer a reasonable rate to effect repairs.
I have seen, and repaired, everything from the little things like misaligned cabinet hinges, latches, and screws, to leaking plumbing, to poorly sealed roof caps, to gaps where you could see roadway between the sidewall or rear cap and floor of the coach. Believe me, I've seen it all and when you get back behind the cosmetics of some of these units you're left shaking your head and wondering what kind of a neanderthal built them. All of that said, and from what I've seen at RV shows, Winnebago still does better than most because they use more consistent, repetitive, assembly line techniques than most others.
When a unit was sold, I (or an employee) again went over it, this time with an eye for proper system operations, and wrote up another batch of work orders if necessary. This was all free and there was none of this charging a customer for the PDI or walk-thru as is the case with some dealers today.
I said it then, and I say it today, if you get a unit that functions properly, with few if any defects, thank your dealer and not the manufacturer. If you get a unit with issues, you can be ticked off at both.
