http://www.ebay.com/itm/1995-Winnebago-Rialta-21-Class-B-Volkswagen-Gasoline-Engine-Generator-Sleeps-4-/291410476794?forcerrptr=true&hash=item43d96afefa&item=291410476794&pt=RVs_CampersI saw this unit on Ebay, but not sure of the quality. It has over 90,000 mi on it. I'm a mechanic, but not looking for major issues, so other than checking the drive train, tires, etc., does anyone have experience with this unit or similar model from Winnebago? Any major issues?

some of the B owners do not consider the Rialta a "true B". it has all the features of a B, head/shower ( ext too) galley furnace, hot water etc etc.when I was shopping last year I considered Rialtas.there are 4 floor plans which differ is bed lay out, seating and galley- there is a great rialta owners website ( google) with tips and tricks and common complaints.as I recall the 2001 started a more powerful motor- even so all years will cruise interstate speeds and deliver mpg around 16~18 on the flat. I do see them slowing on the grades.As a VW you expect pretty easy parts and service- there are no mysteries with VW.the cab's plastic interior trim and dash may be the weakest pointthe head is genius and takes up no room when not in use.the Rialta is better for under 6' ( I'm 6'2" and considered being ok with stooping- I have lived in boats)there is a rialta specialist dealer around redlands, CA- their website can be good for info and typical parts etc etcyoutube has some great videos from users incl a family of 4 who live full time in onethe one you are looking at is early so less powerful ( 160hp?).the rear table folds into wall and the bed is a sideways sleeper.the 2nd row seats convert into a (twin)- good for kids.I think that model has a 3.0 fridge, 2 burners, microwave and 2 sinks ( 1 in the head)- the pass seat swivels around so that some of the cab space can be used when parked.most B's have a 2.8 onan- they are noisy but work...be aware that 2.8 is at sea level...power drops at elevationit will also have capability to run stuff on LPG, 12 volt or shore poweras for pricing-- I dunno...the ones I saw here were mostly desert mobiles- which are all rust free ( you can eat off the chassis) but the rubber takes the hitin the end I went with a Pleasureway Lexor TD...tall enough for me, bed long enough and on a chev 3500 chassis- I have GM's so no suprises. the 6.0 gives 16 MPG at 65 MPH and is well sized, tranny well matched to the weightGood Luck!Mike

rialta is a volkswagen diesel enegine

mkguitar wrote:some of the B owners do not consider the Rialta a "true B".That may be because it is a Class C.

I looked into Rialta before and found the carrying capacity was low. Once liquids, food, gear and people aboard it was almost overloaded. Its a little long for me, but it looks nice inside and out.

I owned a 1998 Rialta. It had a VW VR6 gasoline engine and it ran really well. It is NOT a B, it is a class C as described by the Winnebago literature and meets the definition of a C. Some might call it a B+ since it does not have the cab over bed, but they would be wrong, it's a C. Now that that is out of the way...We liked the performance, gas mileage, and features of ours. We had the twin bed FD model. The only feature we could never get used to was the shower/bath combination, having to pump the shower water into the holding tank, pull out the walls to make the shower, etc etc.When it came time to get new tires, it was a struggle locating tires that would carry the load. Things may have changed but back then the only ones that met the specs was Continental and they were hard to come by.The VW parts were flawless. However, we had to find an independant foreign car shop to work on it. None of the VW dealers in the area would touch it.

Winni Rialta | Good Sam Community

Gene_in_NE
Explorer II
Mar 21, 2015
gerrym51 wrote:
stan909 wrote:
I don't think any Rialta's had diesel engines.

it appears i was incorrect. I was sure i looked at one years ago and it was a diesel but i guess i was wrong. sorry
You may have looked at a LeSharo with looks similar and they had a Renault diesel.:)
qtla9111
Nomad
Mar 21, 2015
We rented one in 2000 on a California vacation. Fell in love with it. Now that they are no longer made, owners think they are worth a fortune. Not. It is a depreciated motorhome by any standard.

I still want one but don't plan on paying 40K for a 10 year old model. A 2005 model new was MSRPed at 62K and the NADA today is 19K.
rjstractor
Nomad
Mar 21, 2015
qtla9111 wrote:
We rented one in 2000 on a California vacation. Fell in love with it. Now that they are no longer made, owners think they are worth a fortune. Not. It is a depreciated motorhome by any standard.

Sounds a lot like the Westfalia camper vans. By ordinary standards they are small, cramped, horribly underpowered and unreliable, yet they have a cult following that keeps their value very high.
burlmart
Explorer
Mar 22, 2015
Poetry on wheels for $55,000 new in 2004. a classy C.
ron_dittmer
Explorer II
Mar 25, 2015
I seriously considered a Rialta in 2006/early 2007. The only ones I figured were any good were the last 3 years 2003-2005 because the VW engine power was increased again. The earliest models were severely under-powered, mid-years also questionable, the last 3 years were still low but acceptable for me.

I personally liked the 22FD Standard floor plan here.

I am so glad we decided to drop the "Rialta" idea and special order a true motor home with real usable practical features, Our PC2350. It's 2.5 feet longer yet still fit in our garage, a critical requirement. Back then in spring 2007, ordering our new PC was only $12,000 more than buying a used 2005 Rialta. Used 2003-2005 Rialtas were so expensive in 2006/2007. I think because Winnebago stopped production after 2005, people felt they were worth more than they paid for them.
mlts22
Explorer
Mar 25, 2015
Last year was the final year that VW has made parts for the van chassis. This makes repairs extremely difficult barring custom blueprints and a machine shop.

Want a Rialta? Buy a Winnebago Trend instead. Same Euro-style, but on a supported chassis with easy parts availability.

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