Winnebago and the Workhorse
Comments or opinions on the workhorse chasses vortech engine? Comments on a 2002 Winnebago Sightseer? Thank you!!
Forum Discussion
In my opinion, during the early to mid 2000's, the Workhorse W-22 chassis bested the Ford F-53 with a better transmission, better handling and a lower doghouse. In my opinion, both engines were good, though there are obvious differences between the V10 & V8.
Could you tell us more about the rig and chassis? How long (or what model number) is the rig and which Workhorse Chassis, the W20 or the W22? If it's a longer rig on the W20, or a long, triple slide rig on a W22, the rig might not have a lot of cargo carrying capacity. (For reference, our 36', dual slide rig on the W-22 weighs in just about 18,800 empty, so we have 3,200 lbs. available for people & stuff to reach the 22,000 lb. GVWR. The GCWR is 26,000 lbs. It gets a little complicated, but if you want to tow a vehicle over 4,000 lbs., you have to borrow that excess off the weight in the rig. Our Honda Odyssey weighs about 4,500 lbs, so we don't load our rig to over 21,500 lbs. The tow hitch is rated to 5,000 lbs., so that's pretty much the maximum tow limit. We've been able to manage that with our family without any real difficulty and we do not pack light! :) )
Many manufacturers offered their motorhomes on either the Ford or the Workhorse chassis'. In general, depending upon which price lists you look at, there was an upcharge for the Workhorse chassis (over the Ford) of between $2,500 and $5,000. Because of this, when dealers ordered the RV, they often ordered it with the Ford chassis so they could offer it at a lower price.
We ordered ours from the factory and opted for the Workhorse W-22 chassis and I've been VERY happy with the chassis part of the rig.
As others had mentioned, the W-22 had two important factory recalls. One dealt with the front brake calipers and the other required a fuel rail clip to be replaced on the engine. I would think that any W-22 still on the road would've had the recalls taken care of.
Good Luck,
~Rick
Could you tell us more about the rig and chassis? How long (or what model number) is the rig and which Workhorse Chassis, the W20 or the W22? If it's a longer rig on the W20, or a long, triple slide rig on a W22, the rig might not have a lot of cargo carrying capacity. (For reference, our 36', dual slide rig on the W-22 weighs in just about 18,800 empty, so we have 3,200 lbs. available for people & stuff to reach the 22,000 lb. GVWR. The GCWR is 26,000 lbs. It gets a little complicated, but if you want to tow a vehicle over 4,000 lbs., you have to borrow that excess off the weight in the rig. Our Honda Odyssey weighs about 4,500 lbs, so we don't load our rig to over 21,500 lbs. The tow hitch is rated to 5,000 lbs., so that's pretty much the maximum tow limit. We've been able to manage that with our family without any real difficulty and we do not pack light! :) )
Many manufacturers offered their motorhomes on either the Ford or the Workhorse chassis'. In general, depending upon which price lists you look at, there was an upcharge for the Workhorse chassis (over the Ford) of between $2,500 and $5,000. Because of this, when dealers ordered the RV, they often ordered it with the Ford chassis so they could offer it at a lower price.
We ordered ours from the factory and opted for the Workhorse W-22 chassis and I've been VERY happy with the chassis part of the rig.
As others had mentioned, the W-22 had two important factory recalls. One dealt with the front brake calipers and the other required a fuel rail clip to be replaced on the engine. I would think that any W-22 still on the road would've had the recalls taken care of.
Good Luck,
~Rick
