ITASCA Complaints

TIRE SIDE WALL BLEW OUT ON INTERSTATE 95. DAY WAS CLEAR AND SUNNY NO ROAD,HAZARDS. HAD TIRE REPLACED RETURNED TIRE TO GOODYEAR THEY DENIED THE CLAIM CLAIMING IT AS AN IMPACT BREAK. NO IMPACT TO INSIDE DUAL HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR FIVE HOURS ON THE INSTATE WHEN THE TIRE BLEW AND IT WAS DAY TWO OF A THREE DAY TRIP ALL ON INTERSTATE ROADS. *TR

HEATILATOR ELECTRIC FIREPLACE INSERT ELECTRONIC BOARD AND WIRES SHORTED OUT AND BURNED. WE WERE PARKED IN A CAMPSITE AND LUCKILY SITTING THERE AS SPARKS FLEW PLUS WIRES SMOKING. I UNPLUGGED UNIT SO NOTHING ELSE WOULD BURN. IT DID NOT THROW A FUSE OR BREAKER. WIRES WERE JUST HANGING FROM HEATING UNIT. *JS

WHILE DRIVING NORTH ON I-15 BETWEEN HESPERIA AND BARSTOW, CALIFORNIA, THE FIBERGLASS SKIN ON THE ROOF OF OUR RV STARTED BLOWING OFF. BY THE TIME WE WERE ABLE TO SAFELY PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY, 80% OF THE ROOF SKIN HAD SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME AND LARGE PARTS WERE FLYING THROUGH THE AIR. FORTUNATELY THE WIND WAS BLOWING TOWARDS THE SHOULDER AND MOST OF THE FLYING DEBRIS LANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AS WE WERE IN THE LANE CLOSEST TO THE SHOULDER. THE DEBRIS INCLUDED THE LAVATORY EXHAUST FAN, FIBERGLASS STYREFOAM, WOOD PANELING AND POSSIBLY COULD HAVE BROUGHT THE AIR CONDITIONER AND SATELLITE DOWN. AFTER TALKING TO SEVERAL REPAIR SHOPS AND READING ONLINE, THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES AND NO ONE FROM WINNEBEGO/ITASCA NOTIFIED US OF THIS POTENFIAL FAILURE. I BELIEVE THAT SERIOUS INJURIES OR DEATHS COULD RESULT FROM THIS. *TR

WE PURCHASED FOUR (4) NEW MICHELIN TIRES FOR THE REAR OF OUR 2006 ITASCA SUN CRUISER IN JUNE, 2014. THESE ARE THE MICHELIN XRV TIRES (235/80R22.5). WHILE DRIVING ON I-24 IN MANCHESTER, TN, WE HAD A BLOW OUT ON ONE OF THE NEW TIRES (REAR, OUTSIDE TIRE BUT THE DAMAGE WAS ON THE INSIDE NEXT TO THE AXLE TIRE). LUCKILY, WE CARRY A SPARE TIRE ON A RIM. CONTACTING THREE DIFFERENT DEALERS IN THE AREA, TO GET NO HELP, WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE WITHOUT A SPARE TIRE TO OUR FLORIDA LOCATION. UPON ARRIVING IN FL, WE ARE NOT GETTING ANY SATISFACTION FROM THE LOCAL MICHELIN DEALER OR THE MICHELIN CORPORATE NUMBER. WE HAD LESS THAN 500 MILES ON THESE NEW TIRES. THEY WERE INFLATED CORRECTLY AND CHECKED DAILY. WE STILL HAVE THE OLD TIRE FOR INSPECTION. TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, THESE TIRES NOW ARE ON A NATIONAL BACK ORDER AND ARE NOT AVAILABLE ANYTIME SOON. *TR

MY WIFE STEPPED UP ON THE STEP TO ENTER THE VEHICLE AND THE STEP FELL OFF ON THE FRONT END. THE STEP WAS ONLY ATTACHED TO THE FIBERGLASS SHELL WITH 3 SMALL POP-RIVETS. *TR

MOTOR HOME SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY AT 55 MPH. LOSS OF BRAKES, STEERING AND ENGINE SHUT DOWN-TOWED TO SERVICE. CRANK CASE SENSOR FAILURE! THIS SAME SITUATION OCCURRED AGAIN YESTERDAY AFTER BEING REPAIRED. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM! WORKHORSE 2002 ITASCA. ONCE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT! TWICE IS NOT! SOMEONE WILL GET HURT PENDING WHERE THEY ARE AT WHEN THIS HAPPENS. I WAS LUCKY TWICE! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 ITASCA SUNSTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE BUT THERE WAS A BRIEF DELAY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE A PROBLEM. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE 1,400 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,000. UPDATED 06/10/14*LJ UPDATED 06/13/2014 *JS

DIESEL EXHAUST FUMES ENTER OUR 2013 ITASCA MERIDIAN 34B THROUGH THE REAR CAP, FILLS OUR CLOSET AND TOTALLY PERMEATES THE VENTILATING SYSTEM. THIS LEAK IS TOTALLY SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE COACH BY THE DESIGN OF THE COACH'S HEATING AND VENTILATING SYSTEMS. WINNEBAGO IND. STATES THAT FUMES CAN NOT PENETRATE THE COACH. WE AS OWNERS, CAN CONFIRM THAT HAZARDOUS EXHAUST IS ENTERING THROUGH THE REAR CAP. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND HEALTH RISK TO US. IN OUR OPINION, WINNEBAGO IND. USED FLAWED AND BIASED METHODS OF TESTING AND DECLARED IT OKAY. WINNEBAGO IND. REFUSES TO OBSERVE OUR SMOKE TEST, REFUSES TO USE NO2 DETECTORS AND ALSO REFUSES TO AUTHORIZE ANY FURTHER REPAIRS. PLEASE HELP. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 ITASCA MERIDIAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED HOWEVER, EXHAUST FUMES FROM THE VEHICLE WERE BEING EMITTED INTO THE CONTACT'S BEDROOM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE REAR CAB WAS NOT SEALED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

WE TOOK OUR FIRST TRIP TO THE VERDE VALLEY BETWEEN 9/7/13 AND 9/9/13. WE FOUND THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE VEHICLE IN THE LANE, ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS OR WINDY CONDITIONS. AFTER THAT TRIP, WE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND WERE ADVISED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE ALIGNED AND TIRES BALANCED. WHICH WE DID AND WE ALSO ADDED A STABILIZER BAR TO THE FRONT. OUR NEXT TRIP TO SHOW LOW WAS TAKEN 9/28/13 TO 10/7/13. WE FOUND NO NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE IN THE HANDLING OF THE VEHICLE AND AT ONE POINT ALMOST LOST CONTROL WHEN ENCOUNTERING WINDS OF ABOUT 20MPH. HAD TO REDUCE THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE TO 45MPH. THE OTHER ISSUE ENCOUNTERED WAS THE INABILITY TO SEE THE GAUGES, WHEN DRIVING DURING THE DAY. WE HAVE NOT USED THE VEHICLE SINCE. WE HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE DEALER, WINNEBAGO AND FORD CHASSIS DIVISION. ACCORDING TO TWO (2) CERTIFIED SCALE TICKETS, ON TWO (2) SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE SCALED TOO LIGHT ON THE FRONT AXLE, PER FORD SPECIFICATIONS. THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THAT CHASSIS ARE THAT A MINIMUM OF 35% OF THE OVERALL WEIGHT MUST BE OVER THE FRONT AXLE. THE OTHER WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION ISSUE IS THAT THE DRIVER SIDE IS MUCH HEAVIER THAN THE PASSENGER SIDE. DURING THE FIRST SCALING, THE FRONT BINS WERE FULLY LOADED, THE REAR BINS WERE LIGHTLY LOADED (APPROX. 100LBS), THE FUEL TANK WAS FULL, THE FRESH WATER TANK WAS EMPTY AND THERE WAS NO TOW VEHICLE OR TOW DOLLY ATTACHED. THE VEHICLE SCALED AT 68LBS TOO LIGHT OVER THE FRONT AXLE. THE SECOND SCALING WAS COMPLETED FOR WINNEBAGO BY THE DEALER. AT THAT TIME, THE ONLY CHANGE IN CONDITION WAS THAT THERE WAS ABOUT 3/4 TANK OF GAS AND APPROXIMATELY 1/2 TANK OF WATER. WATER WAS ADDED, PER WINNEBAGO, AS A WAY TO COMPENSATE FOR THE WEIGHT FROM LEFT TO RIGHT. THE VEHICLE SCALED AT 377LBS TOO LIGHT OVER THE FRONT AXLE. WE ARE STILL IN POSSESSION OF THE VEHICLE AND VOLUNTEER IT FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. *TR