Winnebago / Mercedes Issues 2015 Navion 24G

[jnw56]

We recently purchased a brand-new 2015 Itasca Navion IQ 24G. We have had several issues from the time we left the dealer. The RV has mostly been in the repair shop since we bought it. The most recent issue we have had is with the electronic door locks. The driver side door lock is the only door lock that works with the dash button and the key fob. The passenger side and coach yours have to be operated with the key. We took it to our Winnebago dealer and they stated that this was a Mercedes issue. Upon calling the Mercedes dealer they informed us it was a Winnebago issue. Unfortunately this leaves us know where in between the finger-pointing between Winnebago and Mercedes. I had called owner relations at Winnebago they are nearly impossible to get a hold of. I am really not expecting much from Winnebago since they have dropped the ball 99% of the time so far.

I am wondering if anyone out there has experienced the same problem since our Winnebago dealer says that this is a known issue. Does anyone have any suggestion as to how to go about solving this problem? I would really want to enjoy our new RV, but the manufacturers seem to be making that nearly impossible.

[pconroy328]

jnw56 wrote:
. Fortunately a TransWest location started selling Winnebago recently so service is nearby.

Your location says GJ Colorado - which I guessed to mean Grand Junction. If so, I was going to say there's a Transwest dealer out here on I-25, outside of Longmont that has Navion's.

I'd guess that's closer that 1000 miles.... 🙂

[rbell3338]

I own a 2015 navion IQ 24g and have the same problem. I talked to mercedes benz about the problem and they say it is winnebagos problem. This did not start happening until 2014.
Mercedes is shipping these units now with a SAM that can only control two doors since it only has two doors when they ship the cutaway chassis. Then Winnebago ties coach door into output for passenger door. There is not enough power in the SAM unit to power the second door.
Mercedes says a PSM unit needs to be between the output of SAM module and the coach door.

This PSM assembly is probably installed when Mercedes ships this vehicle with more doors like their van models

I am just starting to try and get this fixed and hope my winnebago dealer has more luck in fixing this problem
It seems like the SAM unit last just long enough to get through winnebagos 1 year warranty and since winnabogo tied there circuit into the SAM module that voids the Mercedes warranty
I wish you luck and I also hope I have luck in fixing this problem

[jnw56]

Best of travels and great adventures to you as well.
We have the same memberships you mentioned. We recently had a flat on inside tire drivers side rear.
Coach Net helped us out sending a guy who was great from a shop about 20 miles
Away. This was all resolved within 3 hours. We were very happy with the service.

[medspear]

Dear GJ,

It is beyond frustrating to encounter these problems especially at these prices, can be very disheartening to say the least. Sounds like the dealer you've chosen for your new coach will be beneficial. I decided to invest in good Sam extended service plan and have Coach Net, Good Sam and AAA roadside assistance. So far, I've not utilized any of these services but I trust their reputations to never let me down. I will report my experiences with them, should I require their contracted services.

Best of travels and great adventures to you

[jnw56]

Thank you! Hope we see you out there. We have a lot of discovering to do.

[marc515]

I hear you there!

Best of luck with your new ride, and safe travels.

[jnw56]

We have had many other problems with it also. I think probably 20 weeks in the shop during the first
11 months. We realize there will be some issues with just about anything, but this has not been a good experience to say the least. We have actually learned a tremendous amount about RVing and vehicle maintenance. We have done our home work and although it is a jump we think the Renegade is a good choice. We also have dealer authorized service for both chassis and coach in our town, which is a big deal to us. Looking forward to longer trips and less shop time. Tired of writing.

[marc515]

If it's fixed, why would you want to lose $8K trading it in?

You could also file a claim with the BBB.

Agree, WBGO should have stood by you better, but from what I've seen, the entire RV industry has it's pitfalls, and no brand is immune from issues.

Good luck with your ned Explorer, it's a jump up from the Nation.

[jnw56]

Glad to hear someone tried to take care of this for you. Unfortunately this happened again. Mercedes fixed us the first time with a new SAM module, but without the updated wiring harness from Winnebago the first fix went bad again. Now Winnebago admitted there was a problem and installed a new wiring harness. Mercedes came through and replaced the SAM module again. So we are fixed this week, we think.....many miles later and about 1500-2000 in out of pocket expenses to fix warranty items. Time to cut our losses and run. Will only lose about 8k on the trade, but just to be rid of this Winnebago 2015 Navion RV will be a relief. We are happy for those who love their Navion's and have had better experiences with that product. Winnebago should have done a recall on this because it has been a known issue. Also we can NEVER Recommend Lichtsinn Motors in Forest City Iowa because of their extremely poor customer service as it relates to our purchase.

Looking forward to continuing our RV experience soon in our
New Renegade Explorer.

[medspear]

This is a follow up from my original post regarding power door lock issues....glad to report Freighliner of Chattanooga resolved the issue at no charge. They replaced the module board under the dash and so far it's working as designed . Winnebago says they are aware of the issue but it would take a trip to a Winnebago service center and then back to Freightliner/ Sprinter facility too

[medspear]

We recently purchased a new 2015 View 24M from Lazy Days RV in Tampa FL...returning home to Tennessee the passenger door and entrance door stopped responding to either the key fob remote or dash lock switch. On 04/03/15, I took it to Freighliner of Chattanooga for warranty repair of this item and for a recall safety fix of a door jamb fix. The tech has spent several hours attempting to repair the power door lock problem but now the coach is totally inoperable due to this repair attempt. The tech and service mgr informed me that the newly installed part is not "communicating" with the system. On Good Friday I was told that a case was to be opened with Mercedes.

To date, I've had to cancel an upcoming preplanned family trip to Orlando and am extremely frustrated and upset. I've contacted Lazy Days and was advised to contact Winnebago owner relations which I did by email.
Has anyone else experienced this problem with their View/Navion?

[jnw56]

Thanks for your comments on Lichtsinn motors Bob & Sharon. I am glad you had good experiences there.
What I don't understand is the lack of consistency. How could we have had such an opposite experience as you did. Basically this was one of the worst vehicle buying experiences in 58 years.
I just want to share our experience with Lichtsinn. Other potential customers deserve to hear this and decide for themselves .

Our 2015 Navion is still in the shop. The door lock issue has been ignored by Winnebago, but Mercedes is willing to step up after numerous calls.

Jeff & Lana
GJ Colorado

[Community Alumni]

If Winnebago built airplanes, I would not fly in one. My observation is that our RV runs the full gamut from outstanding design and engineering to dismal craftsmanship and quality control. It has been quite the hobby repairing and remodeling. Many of the components are from a variety of sources so the only fault there for Winnebago is poor choice. We are currently on our fourth round the country trip (each about 10,000 miles) and so far to my amazement I have not had to get out my tool bag. Honestly, I love to travel in this thing and will likely get another. Next time I will go over it with a fine tooth comb before I drive away from the dealer's lot. The dealer that we bought this and our RoadTrek from has been the best part of our experience. In every instance they corrected any issue that I brought to them. Half the time I elected to do the work myself rather than drive the 100 mile round trip.

One of the many problems I handled myself was the door lock. The driver door opens with one push on the remote. A second push opens the passenger door and the coach door. The dash switch stops working when the RV has been idle for a while. When mounting the fire extinguisher on the wall adjacent to the door, they put a screw through the middle of the spring loaded electrical contacts for the door lock. At times, the remote would not work at all and other times just the coach door. A little higher or lower there would have been no problem. In this case it is not the fault of Dodge/Mercedes, but Winnebago. If you don't want to get beat up in a public forum like this, then cut out the stupid stuff. No one gets hammered for putting forth a best effort, only when you slack off.

[bobojay5]

We've had 2 good RV experiences with Lichtsinn. Any issues were fixed immediately without question. When we picked up our newer ERA early last year, they even pulled a couple parts off of an in stock unit to get us up to snuff. Again, no question or hesitation.
Everyone up there from parts to sales and service has been nothing but helpful the times we've contacted them.....
The one time on our previous RV that I contacted the factory about something went the same way. Really nice folks to deal with.....