Itasca Cambria vs. Winnebago in quality

[Skyfarmer]

Is there a dropoff in quality between the two...I think they are both made by Winnebago.Looking at a 2006 Cambria 26a. Thanks!

[klutchdust]

Lwiddis wrote:
If it is a 2006, what was going to go bad has already gone bad. I’d be more interested in maintenance records.

Appliances come and go and are easily replaceable. I agree with the maintenance of the drivetrain and of course a roof inspection.
One point in my maintenance routine is getting on my creeper and looking underneath. i have found it best to carry zip ties with me as there is enough wiring underneath that usually needs attention.
Spare tire, when is the last time it has been lowered or removed. Check that, mine was an issue when I had a blowout. The bedroom slide would get slow, found that dirt was coming up through access holes for water lines and power etc and gum up the slides. I sealed those off better. Good coach, just didn't need it anymore.

[Lwiddis]

If it is a 2006, what was going to go bad has already gone bad. I’d be more interested in maintenance records.

[F1bNorm]

We have an ‘06 Aspect 23d and it has been for the most part, a very nice coach. Not many Aspects or Cambrias around, so I have not been able to do a side by side comparison. Some of the external plastic bits are showing age or have been replaced. The interior cabinetry and hardware is much nicer then our previous Fleetwood products. The Aspects and Cambrias are so called B+’s, slightly narrower and shorter height-wise than the cab over C’s and that has been a convenience for us. Included a link to the ‘06 brochure. See: http://library.rvusa.com/brochure/06Aspectbro.pdf

NormF

[klutchdust]

I owned a 09 Itasca Cambria for 6 years, sold it last year as the pandemic was just starting. It was 30ft. Having not owned a motorhome before I can't compare them to

others. I know that each trip I had something on my list to repair or replace. I drove that coach for about 50K miles. The Ford V-10 is a strong proven engine . The suspensions on the Fords need to have upgrades or else they wander and handle poorly. Mine had the roadmaster anti-sway bars, air bags and I added Koni shocks. Alignment was changed and it handled nicely. I would tow my Jeep or a 16ft. trailer loaded heavy without any issues.
Fuel mileage is 8 mpg. Sometimes 9 sometimes 6. Anyone that says they are getting double digits , well, enough said.Cabinets are stapled together like most, appliances are what everyone else has . I found the sloping aerodynamic front cap has a tendency to become loose. They fasten it to what is left of the original cab roof of the chassis with some brackets. Those brackets broke 3 different times causing the nose cone to bounce and squeak, After removing the TV I was able to access the brackets and reinforce them.

With this being said, I was very pleased with my coach. As a mechanic who maintains my vehicles with proper maintenance, I found the Cambria to be a nice coach for the price. I purchased pre owned with 16K miles on it and purchased it from a private owner in Minnesota and I live in Ca. He added a hydraulic leveling system and it was sweet.

I have friends who own or have owned everything from entry level motorhomes to Monaco's and provosts and they all had issues.

A thorough inspection by a RV mechanic or a friend with RV experience will help you to spot any issues, hopefully.

[Sandia_Man]

Both are Winnebago products, quality is a subjective word in the RVing world as it pertains to what is rolling off the assembly floor as fast as they can push them out the door. When we were researching motorhomes and started viewing them in person we found out brand name didn't matter all that much when shopping older units. We saw many Winnebago products along with virtually every other brand out there on our 2 year journey to acquire our current RV, condition and maintenance of rig trumped who manufactured it every time. From the online ads most of them claim to be in great condition, suffice to say most times that was not the case.

After driving a dozen units we were able to narrow down which powertrain and chassis we wanted, from there we were able to find a gem and traveled 1K miles as the pandemic roared through our great country last summer. It turned out that it was from a manufacturer that we did not do a lot of research on and a floorplan that we did not really consider initially, chassis and powertrain had under 20K miles and interior/exterior kept in immaculate condition were the determining factors for us. We never pitted one brand over another from the start, keeping our minds free to view as many rigs as possible, could not have worked out better from our perspective.

[Bumpyroad]

when I was looking years ago, the itasca was slightly more expensive with a couple of enhancements. I assume they come off the same assembly line.
bumpy