Forum Discussion

rk911's avatar
rk911
Explorer
Feb 23, 2015

Opinions Regarding 2015 Winnebago 38Q

we've had two winnebago motor homes over the last 29-years, a 1985 Chieftain which we traded in 2000 for our current Itasca Suncruiser 35U. the Suncruiser is starting to nickel and dime us so we've been casually looking for the last year or so. we're sticking with Winnebago as they've been very good to us with out-of-warranty issues. we're looking seriously at a 2015 Itasca Suncruiser 38Q. we like what we see but I wanted to toss out a couple of questions as we consider various options and std. equipment.

HANDLING
• RV.ORG rates Suncruiser handling at 68 and says "could be fatiguing for most people because the vehicle could wander and be difficult to steer much of the time." i'd like to hear from anyone who has this chassis and whether you agree with this assessment. most of our driving days are 4-5 hours tops.

RESIDENTIAL FRIDGE
• after years of fussing, stressing and worrying we are ready to cut the cord to the RV fridge and opt for the residential fridge. we rarely boondock and our driving days are normally 4-5 hours long. I am concerned about maintaining the cold in the fridge/freezer while driving. is the alternator sufficient to supply power to the fridge via the batteries/inverter while not hooked up. what are some of your real-world experiences with the residential fridge while off-grid in the 38Q?

BATTERIES
• I usually remove my coach batteries at the end of the season. on our 2000 Suncruiser this is a snap as the batteries are located under the entry steps. this process looks to be a lot more difficult on the 2015 model as the batteries...the really, really large and heavy-looking batteries...are located in an outside compartment. I don't know how I'd ever be able to lift them in and out. I've seen this configuration on other Winnebago products and would like to hear thoughts from anyone who has this type of battery setup.
• the OEM batteries are AGM types...do AGM batteries *need* to be removed in winter, *should* they be removed in winter? where we store the RV in winter does not have electrical hookups.
• there are 4-house batteries...is there space for more? I usually get 4-5 years from my two 12-volt lead acid batteries. for those of you who have 12-v AGM's what has been you experience with regards to life cycle?

IN DASH RADIO/NAVIGATION
• an option we are considering is the combined radio/xm radio/gps infotainment center. we'd like to hear from anyone who has this option. how well does the am/fm radio receive? the radio in our current Suncruiser receives poorly even after fixing the radio cable system. does this radio have a decent receive range?
• the nav system is powered by Rand McNally...accurate or not? how are the maps and POI's updated? we've been using Street Atlas on our laptop but have been thinking of switching to in-dash navigation for simplicity and because the in-dash nav in our jeep liberty works very well.

MICROWAVE/CONVECTION OVEN vs GAS OVEN
• we actually use our gas oven, not a lot, mostly for baking cookies and biscuits. we're considering dropping the oven and going to the micro/convection oven. we'd like to hear from those who have made a similar switch. happy with the switch and why? wish you had kept the gas oven and why?

DISHWASHER DRAWER
• if we opt for the microwave/convection oven we'd consider adding a dishwasher drawer. this would install in the same place as the gas oven. waste of money or an absolute great idea??

WASHER/DRYER
• we're considering the stacked twins option. I know all of the pro/con options and we can do a lot of loads at the laundry for the price of this option. my question is not should we/shouldn't we but rather how well do they work? I suspect that the capacity is larger vs. the splendide combo unit but do you find yourselves washing all day to gets a weeks worth of clothes done? are they quiet? use a ton of water?

SHOWER DOOR
• neither of us are small and the inward opening shower door concerns us. for those reading this who are of the larger persuasion (I'm 6'2, 200-lbs) do you find this to be a problem when exiting the shower?

thanks for taking the time to read and we're looking forward to the replies.
Class A
  • dfreiberger's avatar
    dfreiberger
    Explorer
    Feb 25, 2015
    dfreiberger wrote:
    rk911 wrote:
    dfreiberger wrote:
    Hope I can answer all your questions with my facts/opinions. I own the Winnebago Adventurer 38Q which is the same rig as what you are looking at.

    We love the floor plan. I really like how all the electronics is wired through the matrix which makes controlling all the equipment easy. I installed the Direct TV Satellite Dish and it works great.

    We have the solar panel option which is a great option. It will trickle charge your coach batteries while your rig is just sitting, such as storage. The Solar Panel system is wired direct to the coach batteries so this means you can turn off your coach power and continue to charge. It also keeps you from having to remove the batteries while storing. Mine has been stored in the cold since December and the batteries are holding 12.6v continuous.

    I am 5ft 10 and weigh 220. The shower works fine for me. I like the longer shower which allows me to pick up the soap. Ha. Not a problem we see so far.

    We also have the same radio with the Nav. The nav. is supposed to update automatically through satellite, or so I was told. I also remember reading in the owners manual. The only issue I have is that we believe in the passenger being the navigator. This means The Rand McNally is mounted more towards the passenger who can give the directions to the driver. My wife drives the rig also, so basically, the driver drives and the passenger navigates. The problem with the installed optional system is the way it is positioned in the dashboard. It is angled towards the driver so the passenger cannot see or control the unit without getting out of the passenger seat.

    The residential fridge is great. Turn on the inverter and the fridge will power off the coach batteries which are continuously charging while going down the road. And while parked, say at a rest stop, they charge through the solar panel, if you install that option.

    We love how the sofa makes into a bed and how the seats recline while relaxing.

    We do not do the oven anymore. They cook terribly and waste space. We went to the convection/microwave on our last two RVs and love it much better, also allowing for more pot/pan storage.

    The driver's door is a nice feature but I keep forgetting it is there. I did not have it in my last motorhome. I think the door causes more road noise and it rattles until the tires warm up and round out making the ride smoother. I hardly notice the noise anymore. I think I would rather not have the door. It creates some blind spots due to the door and window frames being bigger.

    Hope this helps.


    it does and thanks. yes, we're opting for the solar charger. our current suncruiser has the same option. re: the sofa and chair...we've found the 'euro' style couch and chair to be very uncomfortable. our dealer has been made aware of that and assures us that there are other options from the factory for the couch. we've located a std. residential recliner that we think will fit in the same space.

    I'm pretty sure that the driver's door is std on the 2015 model. we have a DD on our current suncruiser and while I don't use it as my primary entry/exit while on the road it has come in handy while parked.

    other than the nav system being out of the view of the passenger how is it as a GPS? accurate? how about the AM radio...can it receive as well as a standard automotive radio? for example, in my Jeep I can pull in WGN in Chicago almost as far south as Effingham, about 2/3 of the way to St. Louis. in the suncruiser I can barely pull that station in for 50-miles.

    thanks again.


    The GPS is good because you can set it up like the Rand McNally being able to program size, propane, length, etc. to avoid roads you shouldn't be on. I went back and looked at my owners books and it does say the Nav is updates via satellite. As far as AM radio, I have no input. I either use FM or Satellite. I purchased a package from Sirius which allows me to activiate and suspend when not in use; as does Direct TV, which I also have when I put my satellite dish on.

    I can say the L shaped sofa setup is really comfortable now that it is broke in. It was a little stiff at first but has now settled in. I especially like the electric recliners with the built in ottomans. Gets really comfy. Watching TV with the surround sound is awesome as well.


    The only two complaints I have are: The half bath could be a little longer because if you are not careful, you could actually hit your head on the counter when sitting or standing up on the toilet. The other thing is the kitchen sink faucet. The fixture is designed with the lever low on the spigot and is easy to bump on. If not paying attention, you can flood the floor if the sink covers are in place. I am planning to swap it out this spring.
  • dfreiberger's avatar
    dfreiberger
    Explorer
    Feb 25, 2015
    rk911 wrote:
    dfreiberger wrote:
    Hope I can answer all your questions with my facts/opinions. I own the Winnebago Adventurer 38Q which is the same rig as what you are looking at.

    We love the floor plan. I really like how all the electronics is wired through the matrix which makes controlling all the equipment easy. I installed the Direct TV Satellite Dish and it works great.

    We have the solar panel option which is a great option. It will trickle charge your coach batteries while your rig is just sitting, such as storage. The Solar Panel system is wired direct to the coach batteries so this means you can turn off your coach power and continue to charge. It also keeps you from having to remove the batteries while storing. Mine has been stored in the cold since December and the batteries are holding 12.6v continuous.

    I am 5ft 10 and weigh 220. The shower works fine for me. I like the longer shower which allows me to pick up the soap. Ha. Not a problem we see so far.

    We also have the same radio with the Nav. The nav. is supposed to update automatically through satellite, or so I was told. I also remember reading in the owners manual. The only issue I have is that we believe in the passenger being the navigator. This means The Rand McNally is mounted more towards the passenger who can give the directions to the driver. My wife drives the rig also, so basically, the driver drives and the passenger navigates. The problem with the installed optional system is the way it is positioned in the dashboard. It is angled towards the driver so the passenger cannot see or control the unit without getting out of the passenger seat.

    The residential fridge is great. Turn on the inverter and the fridge will power off the coach batteries which are continuously charging while going down the road. And while parked, say at a rest stop, they charge through the solar panel, if you install that option.

    We love how the sofa makes into a bed and how the seats recline while relaxing.

    We do not do the oven anymore. They cook terribly and waste space. We went to the convection/microwave on our last two RVs and love it much better, also allowing for more pot/pan storage.

    The driver's door is a nice feature but I keep forgetting it is there. I did not have it in my last motorhome. I think the door causes more road noise and it rattles until the tires warm up and round out making the ride smoother. I hardly notice the noise anymore. I think I would rather not have the door. It creates some blind spots due to the door and window frames being bigger.

    Hope this helps.


    it does and thanks. yes, we're opting for the solar charger. our current suncruiser has the same option. re: the sofa and chair...we've found the 'euro' style couch and chair to be very uncomfortable. our dealer has been made aware of that and assures us that there are other options from the factory for the couch. we've located a std. residential recliner that we think will fit in the same space.

    I'm pretty sure that the driver's door is std on the 2015 model. we have a DD on our current suncruiser and while I don't use it as my primary entry/exit while on the road it has come in handy while parked.

    other than the nav system being out of the view of the passenger how is it as a GPS? accurate? how about the AM radio...can it receive as well as a standard automotive radio? for example, in my Jeep I can pull in WGN in Chicago almost as far south as Effingham, about 2/3 of the way to St. Louis. in the suncruiser I can barely pull that station in for 50-miles.

    thanks again.


    The GPS is good because you can set it up like the Rand McNally being able to program size, propane, length, etc. to avoid roads you shouldn't be on. I went back and looked at my owners books and it does say the Nav is updates via satellite. As far as AM radio, I have no input. I either use FM or Satellite. I purchased a package from Sirius which allows me to activiate and suspend when not in use; as does Direct TV, which I also have when I put my satellite dish on.

    I can say the L shaped sofa setup is really comfortable now that it is broke in. It was a little stiff at first but has now settled in. I especially like the electric recliners with the built in ottomans. Gets really comfy. Watching TV with the surround sound is awesome as well.
  • charlysmom_dad's avatar
    charlysmom_dad
    Explorer
    Feb 24, 2015
    I can only answer about the convection oven.

    We never used the oven in our rv. We did like the microwave/convection oven, but it was a pain to clean. A regular microwave is easily wiped down, but a convection oven bakes the food onto the sides.

    We bought a countertop convection oven and bake everything in it. We liked it so much we bought one for the house. We don't use the house oven anymore.

    Btw, you'll love having a washer/dryer. We just downsized, and I think I'll miss that the most.
  • rk911's avatar
    rk911
    Explorer
    Feb 23, 2015
    Rick Jay wrote:
    I'll just add that I'm not so sure anyone at RV.org has ever driven an RV they've "rated", so I wouldn't put too much weight on their "handling" rating. :)

    ~Rick


    rick, I'm always a bit leery of organizations like RV.ORG, Consumers Report, etc. but it doesn't hurt to get different opinions and thoughts. what carries more weight to me are the opinions of actual users and not folks who may never have driven the vehicle in real-world conditions.
  • rk911's avatar
    rk911
    Explorer
    Feb 23, 2015
    dfreiberger wrote:
    Oh ya, lastly, If you buy one, get the lighter color exterior. The darker color patterns are nice, but the black is a pain. Rain gutter streaks running down the front side windows suck.

    Hope this helps:)


    thanks, dutch. the darker colors are more dramatic but we've found that the streaks really show up.
  • rk911's avatar
    rk911
    Explorer
    Feb 23, 2015
    dfreiberger wrote:
    Hope I can answer all your questions with my facts/opinions. I own the Winnebago Adventurer 38Q which is the same rig as what you are looking at.

    We love the floor plan. I really like how all the electronics is wired through the matrix which makes controlling all the equipment easy. I installed the Direct TV Satellite Dish and it works great.

    We have the solar panel option which is a great option. It will trickle charge your coach batteries while your rig is just sitting, such as storage. The Solar Panel system is wired direct to the coach batteries so this means you can turn off your coach power and continue to charge. It also keeps you from having to remove the batteries while storing. Mine has been stored in the cold since December and the batteries are holding 12.6v continuous.

    I am 5ft 10 and weigh 220. The shower works fine for me. I like the longer shower which allows me to pick up the soap. Ha. Not a problem we see so far.

    We also have the same radio with the Nav. The nav. is supposed to update automatically through satellite, or so I was told. I also remember reading in the owners manual. The only issue I have is that we believe in the passenger being the navigator. This means The Rand McNally is mounted more towards the passenger who can give the directions to the driver. My wife drives the rig also, so basically, the driver drives and the passenger navigates. The problem with the installed optional system is the way it is positioned in the dashboard. It is angled towards the driver so the passenger cannot see or control the unit without getting out of the passenger seat.

    The residential fridge is great. Turn on the inverter and the fridge will power off the coach batteries which are continuously charging while going down the road. And while parked, say at a rest stop, they charge through the solar panel, if you install that option.

    We love how the sofa makes into a bed and how the seats recline while relaxing.

    We do not do the oven anymore. They cook terribly and waste space. We went to the convection/microwave on our last two RVs and love it much better, also allowing for more pot/pan storage.

    The driver's door is a nice feature but I keep forgetting it is there. I did not have it in my last motorhome. I think the door causes more road noise and it rattles until the tires warm up and round out making the ride smoother. I hardly notice the noise anymore. I think I would rather not have the door. It creates some blind spots due to the door and window frames being bigger.

    Hope this helps.


    it does and thanks. yes, we're opting for the solar charger. our current suncruiser has the same option. re: the sofa and chair...we've found the 'euro' style couch and chair to be very uncomfortable. our dealer has been made aware of that and assures us that there are other options from the factory for the couch. we've located a std. residential recliner that we think will fit in the same space.

    I'm pretty sure that the driver's door is std on the 2015 model. we have a DD on our current suncruiser and while I don't use it as my primary entry/exit while on the road it has come in handy while parked.

    other than the nav system being out of the view of the passenger how is it as a GPS? accurate? how about the AM radio...can it receive as well as a standard automotive radio? for example, in my Jeep I can pull in WGN in Chicago almost as far south as Effingham, about 2/3 of the way to St. Louis. in the suncruiser I can barely pull that station in for 50-miles.

    thanks again.
  • Rick_Jay's avatar
    Rick_Jay
    Explorer II
    Feb 23, 2015
    I'll just add that I'm not so sure anyone at RV.org has ever driven an RV they've "rated", so I wouldn't put too much weight on their "handling" rating. :)

    ~Rick
  • dfreiberger's avatar
    dfreiberger
    Explorer
    Feb 23, 2015
    Oh ya, lastly, If you buy one, get the lighter color exterior. The darker color patterns are nice, but the black is a pain. Rain gutter streaks running down the front side windows suck.

    Hope this helps:)
  • dfreiberger's avatar
    dfreiberger
    Explorer
    Feb 23, 2015
    oop s, sorry. I forgot. I think the coach drives just fine. We are weekenders and drive 3-5 hours to get where we go. I think it handles fine and easy to drive. Hell, my wife drives it and loves it.

    Dutch
  • dfreiberger's avatar
    dfreiberger
    Explorer
    Feb 23, 2015
    Hope I can answer all your questions with my facts/opinions. I own the Winnebago Adventurer 38Q which is the same rig as what you are looking at.

    We love the floor plan. I really like how all the electronics is wired through the matrix which makes controlling all the equipment easy. I installed the Direct TV Satellite Dish and it works great.

    We have the solar panel option which is a great option. It will trickle charge your coach batteries while your rig is just sitting, such as storage. The Solar Panel system is wired direct to the coach batteries so this means you can turn off your coach power and continue to charge. It also keeps you from having to remove the batteries while storing. Mine has been stored in the cold since December and the batteries are holding 12.6v continuous.

    I am 5ft 10 and weigh 220. The shower works fine for me. I like the longer shower which allows me to pick up the soap. Ha. Not a problem we see so far.

    We also have the same radio with the Nav. The nav. is supposed to update automatically through satellite, or so I was told. I also remember reading in the owners manual. The only issue I have is that we believe in the passenger being the navigator. This means The Rand McNally is mounted more towards the passenger who can give the directions to the driver. My wife drives the rig also, so basically, the driver drives and the passenger navigates. The problem with the installed optional system is the way it is positioned in the dashboard. It is angled towards the driver so the passenger cannot see or control the unit without getting out of the passenger seat.

    The residential fridge is great. Turn on the inverter and the fridge will power off the coach batteries which are continuously charging while going down the road. And while parked, say at a rest stop, they charge through the solar panel, if you install that option.

    We love how the sofa makes into a bed and how the seats recline while relaxing.

    We do not do the oven anymore. They cook terribly and waste space. We went to the convection/microwave on our last two RVs and love it much better, also allowing for more pot/pan storage.

    The driver's door is a nice feature but I keep forgetting it is there. I did not have it in my last motorhome. I think the door causes more road noise and it rattles until the tires warm up and round out making the ride smoother. I hardly notice the noise anymore. I think I would rather not have the door. It creates some blind spots due to the door and window frames being bigger.

    Hope this helps.

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