Where is Winnebago in the Gasser lineup?

[Mondooker]

Most agree that two of the top motorhome brands is Newmar and Tiffin.

There are also a couple that are almost universally known at the bottom of the brands.

Where is Winnebago? I hardly ever hear the Winnebago brand name in either diesel or gasser yet they are the oldest of motorhome builders.

So where does Winnebago stack up in the gasser community?

[Georgew48]

I owned two Winnebagos built before in the last industry crash. On Chieftian and one Elanden II and both were great coaches built like a tank. Very solid and completely deck out in all the Latest gadgets. We left the motorhome market for many years and went the 5th wheel route and then finally back to motorhomes last year. After shopping all the brands I could not find a hairs worth of difference between all of them in the gasser category, I did think that the new Winnebagos looked a little cheaper in outside appearance. Just not a fan of their looks in the front and rear. Our Georgetown XL had an MSRP of $178,00 which put it right up there with the MSRP of Tiffens and Newmars. We are extremely happy with ours and we spend 7 months out of the year living in it. So far it has not been back to the dealer for anything. We did have a bad engine battery that my local Ford dealer replace for me free of charge.

[nma33]

We searched for about 10 months before buying our new Motorhome, We looked at all the brands and compared them without any pre conceived brand loyalty. The Motorhome we purchased was a Jayco Precept 35UN. The floor plan, and quality was exactly what we wanted. We really loved the Winnie Tour and Journey but they were a tad bit out of our price range which was coaches that listed under $150,000.

[Effy]

Mondooker wrote:
Effy what I hear you saying is they all use the same ford chassse, the same ford engine and drivetrain and most of the same suppliers! Would you go as far as to say "If you Buy a top end gasser, fix what needs fixing and they will all shake out about the same"?

It's not just the same chassis and drivetrain, it's the same refer, heat, ac, genset, plumbing, tanks, wall materials, cabinetry, windows, etc. I used to hear a bunch of hubbub about Amish cabinetry in the Newmars - but that doesn't really exist in the gasser line. It's the same veneered wall panels and cabinet sides that's in every other gasser. I think they have a few Amish guys working on the assembly line, but this doesn't really translate into "Amish built cabinetry" not to mention they also use the same power tools everyone else is using. You hear about fit and finish and one brand is better than another and frankly I've never been convinced. I have walked though several Newmar Bay stars and Canyon stars and the famed high quality eluded me. Bin door hinges mis-aligned, wall panels pulling away, blinds coming loose from the walls, cabinets that didn't close straight etc and this was on brand new coaches at a show. I could walk through any brand's gas offering and pick it apart on materials and workmanship. They are all about the same. The separation point comes in what- if any - quality control happens at the factory before it leaves to try and catch things before it gets to the customer (not sure anyone is doing this anymore) and post sale support from the manufacturer. I find it funny that some folks will praise a brand while other folks who own the same coach will tell you it's junk. I'm not saying either is lying. It really comes down to how every individual unit is slapped together. It's a **** shoot. I think real separation comes in at the mid to upper DP level. Very clear differences in quality across brands at the top of the food chain. But in the gasser line I think it's Nike vs Adidas. You pay for a brand name. If folks can find subtle differences that help them sleep better at night and justify paying more money, that's great.

[Mondooker]

Effy what I hear you saying is they all use the same ford chassse, the same ford engine and drivetrain and most of the same suppliers! Would you go as far as to say "If you Buy a top end gasser, fix what needs fixing and they will all shake out about the same"?

[Hikerdogs]

We're on our second Winnebago Adventurer and have had excellent performance from both. Our 2001 Adventurer had well over 100,000 miles on it when we traded it in on our 2013 Adventurer. It looked and ran like new when it was traded off. It lasted about 2 weeks on the dealers lot before someone bought it.

Our 2013 has also been an excellent performer. Early on we did have a problem with the full wall slide, but that was fixed at the factory service center. We have a little over 26,000 miles on this one and look forward to many more.

[Effy]

I think Winnie makes an Ok coach. Frankly I think most of the gasser market is on a fairly even keel. I've owned Thors and had very few issues and I know folks put them at the bottom, and I've seen Newmar and Tiffin gassers with some very poor quality workmanship and materials. They all have issues. Winnie is just as prone to Schwintek slide issues as any brand that uses them and their roofs occasionally peel off. I would challenge anyone to go to a show, ignore the brand badges on the coaches and walk through and tell me what brand you are in based on fit and finish. If you are truly objective I think you will have a difficult time telling them apart. They all use the same basic materials, same components and same lack of quality in slapping them together. I think Brand hierarchy is an illusion in the gasser market. I do know some are priced higher than others and I also know Winnie doesn't discount much on price negotiations. But brand loyalty in the RV industry is foolish in my opinion. Pick the coach you like with the floorplan that meets your needs and a brand that will support you with issues. Because you will have them no matter what brand you buy. And I think the proportion of issues is closer related to the day it was built rather than brand. Blast away folks, I know it's coming. But before you rant, be honest with yourself.

[Mondooker]

Kalynzoo, how many miles did you have on your Winny after 11 years?

[kalynzoo]

I had my Winnebago Adventurer 38ft gas for 11 years. It was an excellent coach and we made many great memories together. We traded for the Allegro RED, a great coach, but I know that someone else will enjoy the Adventurer, it still had a lot of life in it.

[jlud]

Dealer that I visited had both Winnebago and Tiffen. He said Winnie price point is high enough that it pushes people into a Tiffen for just a bit more, such as a 35b model.

I bought a GT because it was substantially cheaper with some upgrades, but the Winnebago felt better built with less bling if that makes sense. But I think a leftover Tiffen quad slide with bunks was about the same price and that would have been an easy choice.

[eheading]

The only serious negative that I know of is for the last couple of years Winnebago, in both its diesel line and its gas line, has been plagued with Schwintek slide problems. These have caused several of our friends much pain. I THINK they may have solved that issue now. Time will tell.

Ed Headington

[John_Joey]

Mondooker wrote:
Hey John&Joey, I'm not trashing Winnebago in any way!!

Didn't think your were. Your logic is sensible to me. A real simple way is to look at the MSRP when new. You can get that from NADA. This will tell you how people viewed that product in your low-high viewpoint.

I like Winnebago in the sense that when that hot air duct on the dash breaks due to the sun screaming through the windshield, they will have a replacement. Big plus if you want to keep your rig looking good.

[Mondooker]

Hey John&Joey, I'm not trashing Winnebago in any way! I just don't know where its positioned and I'm only asking the question for that reason. Some of their interiors are the best I've seen, especially with their front salon's, I really like that!

[smlranger]

We owned two Winnebago's and I believe their gas coaches are certainly on par with Newmar and Tiffin gas coaches. Same is true for diesel pushers in the mid line. Newmar certainly gets the edge with their higher end luxury diesel pushers.

[John_Joey]

With the logic you're using, I would say middle to upper middle

Good thing about Winnebago is no matter what part you need, they will stock it. Try that on the other brands.

[viajante]

I have owned two Winnebago products and have been extremely happy with them.

I believe they would be in the top three. If I recall correctly, they were rated number 2 or 3 in the latest customer survey from Motorhome Magazine.