Winnebago Fuse 23A Questions
I'm seriously looking at buying a 2019 Fuse 23A. This will be my first RV, other than a pop-up tent camper I owned many years ago. I'm retired on a fixed income. I'm not poor, but this would still be a significant investment both money-wise and commitment-wise. Following is a list of questions I've thought about after I looked at the 2019 Fuse 23A. Thanks for any help you can give me and feel free to pick only some of he questions to answer.
1. There appear to be a lot of complaints from owners of brand-new Fuses that there were a lot of things that needed fixing after they took delivery. Are there more initial quality issues with the Fuse than other brands? One of the reasons I am attracted to the Fuse is my perception of Winnebago’s reputation. Deserved or not?
2. Are there any issues with the slide-out? I’m mostly concerned about water leakage, both from rain and freeze/thaw cycles in the winter from snow and ice. Any difference when the slide-out is in vs. out? The Fuse I looked at has a retractable awning attached to the slide out to cover the top once it’s out. And what about air leaks around the slide-out both when you are driving and when you care about the outside air temperature getting inside – outside air that’s too hot or too cold?
3. How is the insulation for winter use? Winnebago says there’s 1 ½” of Styrofoam in the walls.
4. I have seen several videos and comments about the Fuse’s suspension and ground clearance. The Fuse 23A I just looked at has a Sumo Spring set to raise the rear, although I understand that Sumo springs yield only about a 1” raise at the bumper. Is the Fuse markedly different from other similar RVs about ground clearance? And how much of a real-world issue is this?
5. Build quality of cabinetry? I see complaints about drawer latches not holding, (and the drawer latches seemed very weak in the Fuse I just looked at) and one comment about the framing of the loveseat being just stapled together and inadequate. Do the drawers hold up once loaded with stuff and with inertial loads going down the road (turns and bumps)?
6. Many/most of the small RVs I’ve been looking at use lifting doors (hinged at the top) for the upper interior storage bins. The Fuse uses sliders. I’m sure that sliders are cheaper to build, but with those you can open only one half of the bin at a time. Makes putting long items in there more difficult. Is that an issue?
7. How hard/easy has it been to find diesel fuel – especially in remote areas?
8. The generator understandably runs on propane since there is no gasoline to power it. I’ve seen a few comments about people packing small portable gasoline generators to avoid using up propane. Is that an issue? The 55-pound tank seems like plenty to carry – right or wrong?
9. And like the question about finding diesel fuel – how hard is it to find places to fill the propane tank?
10. How is driving the Fuse in strong winds?
11. Similar question for driving in snowy conditions?
12. Performance on hilly/mountain roads?
13. Trailer towing? (I have a 16’ aluminum power boat that I would want to sometimes trail behind my Fuse. Probably weighs about 1,500 pounds total including boat, motor, trailer, gear.)
14. How useful/necessary are the optional rear stabilizing legs?
15. It sounds like expecting about 16 mpg fuel mileage overall is reasonable. Do you agree?
16. Functionality of the galley for food prep? Is there enough room to prepare a decent meal? I’m not talking about elaborate six course dinners, but more than microwaving a frozen dinner. For example: cook some fish or chicken, steam a few veggies, and fix a tossed salad. (I’m used to cooking on a two-burner propane stove on a boat.)
17. Functionality of the bathroom? What’s it like taking a shower in that stall? Any room to move around? Water supply, pressure & temperature?
18. Blunt questions: How well does the bathroom vent work to avoid stinking up the entire RV when someone poops? And how well does the toilet handle poop? Any significant clogging issues? (I’m used to using a manually pumped “head” (toilet) on a boat, and there are commonly clogging issues with those.)
Finally, one of my favorite expressions is: “You don’t know what you don’t know.” What have I not asked about the Fuse 23A that I should have asked about?
Thanks very much!
BaronL
1. There appear to be a lot of complaints from owners of brand-new Fuses that there were a lot of things that needed fixing after they took delivery. Are there more initial quality issues with the Fuse than other brands? One of the reasons I am attracted to the Fuse is my perception of Winnebago’s reputation. Deserved or not?
2. Are there any issues with the slide-out? I’m mostly concerned about water leakage, both from rain and freeze/thaw cycles in the winter from snow and ice. Any difference when the slide-out is in vs. out? The Fuse I looked at has a retractable awning attached to the slide out to cover the top once it’s out. And what about air leaks around the slide-out both when you are driving and when you care about the outside air temperature getting inside – outside air that’s too hot or too cold?
3. How is the insulation for winter use? Winnebago says there’s 1 ½” of Styrofoam in the walls.
4. I have seen several videos and comments about the Fuse’s suspension and ground clearance. The Fuse 23A I just looked at has a Sumo Spring set to raise the rear, although I understand that Sumo springs yield only about a 1” raise at the bumper. Is the Fuse markedly different from other similar RVs about ground clearance? And how much of a real-world issue is this?
5. Build quality of cabinetry? I see complaints about drawer latches not holding, (and the drawer latches seemed very weak in the Fuse I just looked at) and one comment about the framing of the loveseat being just stapled together and inadequate. Do the drawers hold up once loaded with stuff and with inertial loads going down the road (turns and bumps)?
6. Many/most of the small RVs I’ve been looking at use lifting doors (hinged at the top) for the upper interior storage bins. The Fuse uses sliders. I’m sure that sliders are cheaper to build, but with those you can open only one half of the bin at a time. Makes putting long items in there more difficult. Is that an issue?
7. How hard/easy has it been to find diesel fuel – especially in remote areas?
8. The generator understandably runs on propane since there is no gasoline to power it. I’ve seen a few comments about people packing small portable gasoline generators to avoid using up propane. Is that an issue? The 55-pound tank seems like plenty to carry – right or wrong?
9. And like the question about finding diesel fuel – how hard is it to find places to fill the propane tank?
10. How is driving the Fuse in strong winds?
11. Similar question for driving in snowy conditions?
12. Performance on hilly/mountain roads?
13. Trailer towing? (I have a 16’ aluminum power boat that I would want to sometimes trail behind my Fuse. Probably weighs about 1,500 pounds total including boat, motor, trailer, gear.)
14. How useful/necessary are the optional rear stabilizing legs?
15. It sounds like expecting about 16 mpg fuel mileage overall is reasonable. Do you agree?
16. Functionality of the galley for food prep? Is there enough room to prepare a decent meal? I’m not talking about elaborate six course dinners, but more than microwaving a frozen dinner. For example: cook some fish or chicken, steam a few veggies, and fix a tossed salad. (I’m used to cooking on a two-burner propane stove on a boat.)
17. Functionality of the bathroom? What’s it like taking a shower in that stall? Any room to move around? Water supply, pressure & temperature?
18. Blunt questions: How well does the bathroom vent work to avoid stinking up the entire RV when someone poops? And how well does the toilet handle poop? Any significant clogging issues? (I’m used to using a manually pumped “head” (toilet) on a boat, and there are commonly clogging issues with those.)
Finally, one of my favorite expressions is: “You don’t know what you don’t know.” What have I not asked about the Fuse 23A that I should have asked about?
Thanks very much!
BaronL
