thoughts on this unit,,price ? quality ?

[luberhill]

This looks like what we are looking for, right size...is this a well made unit ?? What would be a fair price ??

https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2015-Winnebago-Vista-26HE-5002747322

[MURPHY55347]

There is a 2016 near us for $63,000. My educated guess is they have at least 10% of wiggle room. Offer $55,000 and see what they come back with. They need to sell it you don't have to buy it. If you really want it maybe settle at 57,500 but I would be inclined to hold at $55,000 and give them a couple of days to think about it. As far as handling I have found that handling can differ from unit to unit even with the same model. Take it for a drive on a windy day and you will have your answer. There are numerous things you can do to make any unit handle better if you are so inclined. All comes down to how bad you want it.

[scbwr]

The question I would have is what are your reasons for considering purchasing that small of a motorhome? IMHO, rather than buying a motorhome that short, go with a used pickup and a nice trailer or small fifth wheel that can be towed by a 1/2 ton truck. We downsized to a smaller travel trailer with only a dinette....ended up replacing the dinette with a nice Flexsteel Easy Bed/Sofa. Then, we decided to luck for a used gas motorhome. For a few more thousand than what you are considering dropping on the Vista, we picked up a 2012 Newmar Bay Star that has more room, more storage and checks in at less than 34 feet.

However, that may not be what you are looking for...but just really study the floor plan carefully and think about living in it for a week or more.

As to the price, all you can do is search the internet and see where the price range falls and after looking at it, try to get the best price you can. If you think the price is too high, don't be afraid to keep looking as there's always stuff coming up for sale.

[fred42]

luberhill,

Some members of this forum have reported significant handling issues with this model:

https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/29279016/srt/pa/pging/1/page/1

https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/26709910.cfm

[luberhill]

Soooo would 59 b fair ?? Ahhh

[luberhill]

The said 59,995 or tell then my offer

[Bruce_Brown]

fred42 wrote:
The primary cause of the drunken elephant syndrome is low Wheelbase/Length ratio.

While the wheelbase ratio certainly is a useful tool to work with, it is not the be all end all of good handling.

Chassis balance is just as important, IMO. If a builder does a poor job and say loads the heavier items (generator, battery bank, converter/charger, etc) on one side and leaves the other side unloaded, expect poor handling.

No wheelbase ratio can make up for poor engineering. Look beyond the surface and brochures - drive it yourself and draw your own conclusions.

[fred42]

The primary cause of the drunken elephant syndrome is low Wheelbase/Length ratio.

Calculate the Wheelbase/Length ratio by converting the length to inches, then dividing the wheelbase by that length. The higher the better, .50ish is poor (many consider it unsafe), nice to be greater than .55.

The 2015 Winnebago Vista 26HE comes in at .49 and has 16k GVWR.

If you are looking for a short Class A, it is dominated by poor W/L ratios and poor handling. They often have the 158" wheelbase, shorter than a longbed crewcab pickup. For marketers, short=(new to motorhomes), and they want you to feel like you are driving an SUV and not hop curbs on the test drive. Also, you will find low GVWRs (as low as 16000) with low CCC, the long rear overhang helps them not overload the front axle.

Tiffin quit making shorties and Newmar refuses to improve the shorty W/L ratio. I had to buy a 10 year old Tiffin to get a safe short motorhome.

[Isaac-1]

Also if you read that the article in the link, the drunk elephant comment was made by someone that had never driven a motorhome before.

[Dale_Traveling]

There's a jack control panel right side of the steering wheel below the rear view monitor and A/C controls.

Price is a bit high. Shoot for a $10K reduction and settle for maybe $7K. It's probably one of the smaller class A's available at 26 feet in length and comparing it to a 35 foot bunk bed model that "drives like a drunken elephant" isn't a comparable match.

[Isaac-1]

I see the description says no leveling jacks, that would be a show stopper for me

[azdryheat]

Seems about right but always room for negotiation.

[luberhill]

What about the price

[pianotuna]

Here is part of a review:

"On the highway, the Vista handles with the agility of a drunk elephant. Tug desperately on an ear to change a direction, only to feel everything going a touch squirrely, then yank on the other side. It’s a constant balance of wheel motion to keep it in a straight line. The first 60 miles were harrowing and full of little yelps whenever anyone would get close in an adjacent lane. But after that, it all began to feel normal. Eventually, after not too long, you can actually settle down and relax a bit.'

http://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/5214/the-winnebago-vista-lx-35b-is-a-rolling-palace

[Isaac-1]

There is a couple that put out youtube videos of their travels that are full timing in a Winnebago Vista 27N (the slightly larger triple slide version) that you may want to watch Moving Forward RV Videos As I recall they have had no major issues, and have only been into the shop a handful of times in the last couple of years with the Vista, most recently for a failed rooftop air conditioner, which is something that can happen to anyone.