Itasca Spirit

[pop-sicle]

First time post. Am looking at a 2001 Itasca Spirit 30 so what I have found out is Winnebago makes Itasca, is this a lower line?
Can other Itasca spirit owners out there can shed some light about this home? Don't know the Model as in 31 m or what advertised as 30 ft with no slides 56000 miles very well taken care of, I believe is a good buy at $12,000.

[pnichols]

FWIW, I wouldn't buy an RV without a spare and a designed-in place for it. 🙂

[Mich_F]

pnichols wrote:
I wonder why Winnebago mounted each of our spare tires differently?

Maybe their designers realized that with travel movement the weight of a tire hanging on the rear wall structure was too hard on the joints back there.

They solved the issue of where to put the spare tire on many of the newer models, by just eliminating them. 😞

[EMD360]

Or the tire mount is hard on the wall itself? Or maybe they stopped using plywood in the rear wall and used the sandwiched wall there instead and that couldn't take the weight of the tire.
I'm often surprised by something in this RV. Having just one for many years seems like a good way to get to know one. Or tearing one apart and rebuilding it--don't think I'll ever do that!

[pnichols]

I wonder why Winnebago mounted each of our spare tires differently?

Maybe their designers realized that with travel movement the weight of a tire hanging on the rear wall structure was too hard on the joints back there.

[EMD360]

It appears the tire mount was glued to the fiberglass and may be bolted through the rear wall as far as I could tell. When we had the spare replaced the tire guy had trouble getting the tire off and the plate came away from the RV a bit so I had to caulk it on and caulk the edge before remounting the tire at home. I didn't take photos so my memory is foggy but I don't think it came off more than a little bit because of the bolts. Anyway it is convenient.
Also I ruined the bumper mounting by partially attaching the second set of heavy duty rollers onto it. (The first set fell off on a bumpy road.) When they hit the ground, they pushed up the bumper. But I figure that is better than hitting that rear end again or tearing up our steps again. 🙂

[EMD360]

Not sure where the water came from that rotted the back end of ours. I suspected the middle rear brake light but I eternabonded all of the lights both rear and cab front. I didn't disable the running lights but cut donuts of eternabond and hopefully eliminated the path for water intrusion.
I have more pics of the process on my photobucket site:
Rear Repair
We did take the RV far and wide in Arizona but Colorado is more challenging road wise. I do have some great suggestions from a Roads and Routes post so more to explore! Being a rockhound or a telescope expert would be great. We just love to hike in remote spots.

[Crem]

EMD30
Thanks for posting those pictures. I also have a 2003 Itasca and noticed that the left rear lower corner showed movement in the corner panels. Looking up at the bottom edge there was rotted wood. There were no other signs of damage so I built a metal corner in the inside to keep the corner together. Where do you think the water is coming from? I am going to check out where the tail lights mount. Our fresh water tank is right above the left side but I never noticed any dripping. The right side corner also shows some damage.

[Mich_F]

pnichols wrote:

Actually the 2001 has a crowned roof,

Boy ... the front roof-line from that 2001 brochure photo sure looks flat!

I've also noticed in photos from Winnebago's website that many of their new Class C roofs appear to be flat. What's up with that ... cheaper construction I guess? (i.e. Use of just big sheets of fiberglass instead of fiberglass sheets being custom molded.) It could be an optical illusion from their photos, though.

Here's a picture of the rear of the 2001 where you can see the crown.
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I can not figure out how to post just one picture - it's either two or nothing :h

[pnichols]

EMD360,

It looks you have a mixture of wood along the bottom of some areas with Thermo-Panel walls going up from the wood portions. That, hopefully, means that the bulk of the coach's exterior flat surfaces have the rot proof (?) Thermo-Panel construction.

I notice that your spare seems to be mounted on the back wall? Hmmm ... mine is underneath up between the frame members.

P.S. From your website - you sure do take your Itasca to some neat camping areas out in the boondocks. You aren't afraid to really get out there with it. Kindof like us when we're chasing rocks.

[pnichols]

Actually the 2001 has a crowned roof,

Boy ... the front roof-line from that 2001 brochure photo sure looks flat!

I've also noticed in photos from Winnebago's website that many of their new Class C roofs appear to be flat. What's up with that ... cheaper construction I guess? (i.e. Use of just big sheets of fiberglass instead of fiberglass sheets being custom molded.) It could be an optical illusion from their photos, though.

[EMD360]

I think all the bottom panels of our 2003 have wood in them.
Here is the photo of the rotted wood in the back of ours.

And where I cut it off, the wood continues up the rear panel.


The Itasca 2003 brochure says it is built with "Thermo-Panel" walls.

[Mich_F]

pnichols wrote:
Thanks for that link to a brochure on your 2001 Itasca.

Looking at the front roofline, I notice a difference in construction from our 2005. In the 2001 brochure roofline it appears that the roof is a flat one. Ours is crowned. Ours also has a large molded fiberglass piece that overlaps 4-5 inches of the roof's top and cabover's front for sealing of the joint between the roof and the slanted front of the cabover. Apparently Winnebago modified at least it's Itasca roof design sometime after 2001. We do not have a slide, which hopefully will help with wall leaks going forward:

http://www.winnebagoind.com/products/previous-models/2005/pdfs/itasca/05-Spirit-bro.pdf

Also for what it's worth, I disabled our five cabover clearance lights by covering over the holes with a round patch of EternaBond to eliminate any possibility of water seaping along the wires and into the walls when traveling in pouring down rain. I mounted the light fixtures back in place so that it looks as if we still have running lights.

Actually the 2001 has a crowned roof, my 2014 Itasca has a flat roof. The 2001 has a molded fiberglass cap which goes over the flat front cabover wall just behind where it actually attaches to the roof. It seals the joint between the front wall and roof. Your front cap appears to be a better design, in that it covers more of the front wall - side wings seams - as long as its properly sealed. :B

[pnichols]

Thanks for that link to a brochure on your 2001 Itasca.

Looking at the front roofline, I notice a difference in construction from our 2005. In the 2001 brochure roofline it appears that the roof is a flat one. Ours is crowned. Ours also has a large molded fiberglass piece that overlaps 4-5 inches of the roof's top and cabover's front for sealing of the joint between the roof and the slanted front of the cabover. Apparently Winnebago modified at least it's Itasca roof design sometime after 2001. We do not have a slide, which hopefully will help with wall leaks going forward:

http://www.winnebagoind.com/products/previous-models/2005/pdfs/itasca/05-Spirit-bro.pdf

Also for what it's worth, I disabled our five cabover clearance lights by covering over the holes with a round patch of EternaBond to eliminate any possibility of water seaping along the wires and into the walls when traveling in pouring down rain. I mounted the light fixtures back in place so that it looks as if we still have running lights.

[Mich_F]

pnichols wrote:

If some of you Itasca owners from the 2000's onward know of interior wood ... please let us know where it is.

I bought a 2001 Itasca Sundancer 31C with a cabover that needed a total rebuild.
We tore it down and it has/had wood doorskin on the sides and front wall. It also a few pieces of plywood running from side to side as well as a 3/4" totally rotted out plywood floor for the cabover.