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?

[Michigander]

Good grief folks give Mondooker a break. I agree that over analysis leads to paralysis but some folks just like to think about every angle trying for the perfect coach. I happen to be a person who reads and re-reads instructions before using something new. My Wife just goes blasting off at full throttle pushing buttons or grabbing pieces and sticking things together. We both get to the end result in about the same time.

As for coaches our first was a Coachman Mirada that we bought after a ten minute test drive and 10 minute inspection and then promptly jumped into the new coach and drove it 300 miles to Cedar Point and Back. It was a great coach and I would buy another Coachman in a heart beat. We traded the coachman off minus the front end when a monte' carlo decided they needed the front grill. next up was the Sightseer 35J that we have loved since we bought it for the bunks and the layout. We are now looking to downsize as our travel needs have changed and are considering a winne navion 24V our something similar. When I think of all the RV's we have had I recall my Grand-Dad who was big on Airstreams because of the rallies, telling me that none of them are perfect and you will always be working on them. They all shake themselves apart eventually. Well, all except our 1963 Nimrod tent camper that is still in the barn in great shape and I can't bring myself to part with it!!!

[John_Joey]

Over analysis leads to paralysis.

[Mondooker]

I like the Winnebago Coaches but they unfortunately do not have the floorplan that fits us. Three of our "Must Have" is a 1 1/2 bath, with stackable washer/Dryer and a fireplace under the TV.

We really liked the Adventurer 37F, but it didn't have the fireplace. That led us to the Newmar Canyon Star 3710. We liked the front salon of the Adventurer best but again, no fireplace.

[J-Rooster]

I've been RVing since 1976 and were on our third Winnebago. Our current Bago was bought new in 2004 and I've had extremely good luck with it. I'm fearful of buying a new one since I've had extremely good luck with the old one. Winnebago makes all there own parts outside of anything with rubber or glass (excluding engines, transmissions etc.). That really helps them keep cost down! And when the depression hit Winnebago was buying other companies, while others were folding! They bought Sunny Brook RV Trailers to restart there RV Trailer line, and Country Coach RV so they could start building Winnebago Coaches on the West Coast in CC Oregon factory. This speaks for itself in the RV Industry!

[rgatijnet1]

Mondooker,
At this point in time, you can wait for the next big show at the Tampa fairgrounds or I would suggest going to Lazydays RV sales in East Tampa. They have a huge inventory of new model Class A coaches as well as a lot of used coaches. Just wander all over their inventory and you will get a good idea of those that consistently exhibit good quality and those that are marginal.
I'm not saying that you should buy from them but they do offer the largest inventory in this area.

[MRUSA]

While DSDP Don's post may sound harsh, he is right about the need to "kick the tires". You must narrow down your choices to a few models, and then go through them and imagine living in them. Try everything you can, open every cabinet, sit in every seat. Examine the storage bays and the tank capacities. Check the levelling sytem, operate the slideouts. Sometimes it is the little things that can tip the scales. A great way to do this is at a major RV show such as FMCA nationals, Tampa Supershow, or the big annual show in Harrisburg PA where you can directly compare one model versus another. When I bought my first motorhome, I flew half way across the country to do this and it was well worth the time and money spent.

[DSDP_Don]

"Mondooker".....not really trying to be critical.....but after a while, your head will explode. We did the manufacturer tour thing in 2004. We went to Country Coach, Western RV (Alpine Coach) and Monaco. We really liked the Alpine Coach and at the time it looked like a Nascar plant. Country Coach was just as impressive. Monaco was our last visit and the plant was nasty, dirty work areas, metal everywhere and spray on body coating all over everything.

In 2005, we bought a new Monaco Diplomat. Alpine Coach was on the verge of going out of business and the products looked terrible. Country Coach was nice, but none of the floorplans did it for us. Then we saw the Diplomat with a 400 ISL and a great floorplan. I later learned that all of that spray coating really protected the coach and kept things sealed.

My point.....you'll know what lights your fire and you'll know what is a piece of junk. You've got a good base, go out and look at them, look at the wiring looms and how they are finished behind stuff you don't normally see. Ranking DP's is probably a little easier than gas coaches. Gas coaches are limited to one chassis and "X" amount of weight. Just go look at he finish and decide.

[Hikerdogs]

Mondooker wrote:
Hi DSDPdon, I have asked some questions that's for sure and maybe it's only me. But many questions bring up others and I frankly find the entire topic fascinating. I've already read the owners manual from the coaches I have an interest in which may tell you something about me!

I do not mean t offend or anoy it's just that you guys have the information I'm after. Sometimes I have to sift through bias which we all have to some degree. But it's all good stuff and I'm learning more with each post. I'm also getting to know you all better and that is a great help too!

I've been on the Newmar plant tour recently and learned a lot and spent time in the coach I like. I'll see Tiffin in April. As soon as my wife is doing better we'll drive each coach and make some serious decisions. Since we're so close to the 2017's I'll look at those before doing anything.

When I get my Motorhome I'll stay here on the forum and try to be as indulgent with them as you've been with me. Don't get angry, I'm trying!

Rather than just jumping into purchasing what you think might be a good motorhome consider renting a few before you actually make a decision.

Before we made a purchase we rented a couple units. It was as much to see if we (and the dogs) liked the lifestyle as well as assessing the quality of the coaches on the market.

We didn't have any preconceived notions as to what brand or even amenities we wanted. A couple trips quickly told us what are must haves, and what level of quality we demanded.

We didn't rent a Winnebago product, but the ones we did rent made us aware of what to expect. After renting we looked at a dozen different brands and models within what we considered an acceptable price range.

We finally decided the Winnebago products were the best quality within our price range. We considered either a diesel powered Journey, or a gas powered Chieftain or Adventurer. By the time we narrowed down the field the Chieftain had been temporarily removed from the lineup for a redesign. So now it was between the gas powered Adventurer or the diesel powered Journey.

At the time there was only a $25,000.00 spread between the two. We went with the Adventurer mainly because we still weren't sure how much it would be used.

Fast forward 15 years and we're still happy with our decision. We've put nearly 150,000 miles on two different motorhomes and have enjoyed every mile. For us the gas powered models more than fill the bill. They have taken us wherever we wanted to go whenever we've wanted to. Both motorhomes have been reliable, and comfortable and maintenance hasn't broken the bank.

[vjstangelo]

We have friends that rue the day they "upgraded" from an older Winnie Adventurer to a new Journey. So many problems they just wish they had their old rough and ready Adventurer back.

This is a good thread and I enjoy the candid discussions.

[Mondooker]

Hi DSDPdon, I have asked some questions that's for sure and maybe it's only me. But many questions bring up others and I frankly find the entire topic fascinating. I've already read the owners manual from the coaches I have an interest in which may tell you something about me!

I do not mean t offend or anoy it's just that you guys have the information I'm after. Sometimes I have to sift through bias which we all have to some degree. But it's all good stuff and I'm learning more with each post. I'm also getting to know you all better and that is a great help too!

I've been on the Newmar plant tour recently and learned a lot and spent time in the coach I like. I'll see Tiffin in April. As soon as my wife is doing better we'll drive each coach and make some serious decisions. Since we're so close to the 2017's I'll look at those before doing anything.

When I get my Motorhome I'll stay here on the forum and try to be as indulgent with them as you've been with me. Don't get angry, I'm trying!

[DSDP_Don]

"Mondooker"......You've asked a ton of questions in the last few months and have gotten good answers, but you can only ask so many questions before the information becomes useless. Just about everyone here is going to defend their purchase which really doesn't help you.

If you have been out looking at coaches, you're just wasting your time asking more questions here. I don't know if you're a real shopper, or someone just trying to rack up a bunch of posts.

You've asked some good questions in the past and I applaud you for your diligence, BUT....should be armed with plenty of information to go out and make an intelligent choice. You don't need someone telling you where an RV ranks. As stated, it will come on a Ford chassis, have a Dometic or Norcold, if you choose propane, and a Suburban or Atwood water heater.

You need to start LOOKING at the coaches and see which ones are built better. Does a drawer have a metal slide or just a cheap plastic clip. Are the cabinets real wood or paper wrapped. What type of slide mechanisms.

If you haven't been out walking through the different brands, than you're just wasting your time. You've been given enough information in the past few months to go out and make an intelligent decision as to what is junk and what is well built. When we bought our first DP, I had a list of must haves and would like to have. That made it pretty easy to plug in a coach that had what fit our budget.

Your only real decision now is what will YOUR budget buy. This is where the trade offs come in. What level of quality can you afford.

[Mondooker]

Great information Hikerdog, thanks.

[Hikerdogs]

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"?

They may be all built on the Ford F53 chassis, but Ford makes a number of these chassis in different weight classes and wheelbases. Look closely at the chassis specifications. While the wheelbases overlap in different weight classes many of the lighter chassis don't have the same amenities.

They all have the same engines and transmissions, but again the differential ratios change as the weight capacity increase.

Here's a link to the 2014 F53 brochure. If you look closely you'll see many differences between the 16,000 lb. capacity chassis and the 26,000 lb. capacity chassis.

http://www.fleet.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/brochures/2014/Class_A_brochure-2014_LoRes.pdf

For the best handling and most cargo capacity try to get a motorhome built on the longest wheelbase, highest capacity chassis. As an example our 2013 Winnebago Adventurer is built on a 22,000 lb. chassis with a 228" wheelbase. The wheelbase is 57.1% of the overall chassis length, and the finished motorhome has a cargo capacity of 4036 lbs. The rule of thumb is that the wheelbase must be at least 52% of the overall length of the motorhome to have good handling in heavy traffic and poor weather conditions.

There are many motorhomes that do not meet the minimum 52% wheelbase guideline, or have as little as 800 lbs. of cargo capacity. Be sure to do your homework and pick a motorhome that has both an acceptable wheelbase ratio and sufficient carrying capacity to meet your needs.

[CWDoc115]

We have owned 2 older Winnebago's & the quality was top of the line!
While I hear good things about those other two coach builders, I'll stay with my Adventurer....