ITASCA Complaints

2008 ITASCA MOTOR HOME HAS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *NJ THE CONSUMER STATED ON 3 OCCASIONS, THE TRANSMISSION HAS SHIFTED IN A MANNER THAT IT TEMPORARILY LOCKED UP THE DRIVELINE ACCOMPANIED BY A LOUD NOISE. THE ENGINE ALSO EXCEEDED 3000 RPM'S BEFORE SHIFTING INTO HIGH GEAR. AT AROUND 1500 RPM, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SOMETIMES GRAB THEN RELEASE AND GRAB AGAIN UPON ACCELERATION. THE TRANSMISSION WAS WORSE WHEN IT WAS WARM. FROM IDLE, THE ENGINE WAS SOMETIMES VERY SLOW TO RESPOND.*JB

MY 2000 ITASCA SUNFLYER HAS A SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS DESIGN FLAW. MY PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW IS FOGGED UP ,TO THE EXTENT THAT IT PREVENTS ME FROM SEEING APPROACHING TRAFFIC ON THE PASSENGER SIDE,WHILE USING THE REAR VIEW MIRROR ON THAT SIDE OF THE RV. I BELIEVE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY USING A SAFETY GLASS INSTEAD OF THE THERMOPAINE GLASS PRESENTLY USED. THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH RV'ERS AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED. *TR

MY 2000 ITASCA SUNFLYER,DEVELOPED A CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD,RUNNING FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, WHILE SETTING IN SECURED STORAGE. WHEN I HAD IT REPLACED, THE GLASS TECH SAID HE HAS REPLACED SEVERAL WINNEBAGO MOTORHOME, WINDSHIELDS WITH THE SAME TYPE OF GLASS FAILURE AND IT IS CAUSED BUY THE WATER COMING OFF OF THE ROOF AND SETTING BEHIND THE RUBBER MOLDING WHICH SURROUNDS THE WINDSHIELD, RUSTING THE METAL CLIPS WHICH HOLD THE MOLDING IN PLACE. THE RUSTING OF THE MOLDING CLIPS CAUSES THE METAL TO EXPAND PLACING STRESS ON THE WINDSHIELD AND A FRACTURE OF THE GLASS RESULTS. THIS COULD BE PREVENTED BY REPLACING THE METAL CLIPS WITH PLASTIC CLIPS AND APPLYING A PLASTIC GUTTER OVER THE WINDSHIELD AVOIDING THE WATER BUILD-UP.THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ITASCA SUNOVA MOTOR HOME. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE REGARDING THE BRAKE CALIPERS. THE NOTICE INDICATED THAT THE PARTS WOULD BE UNAVAILABLE UNTIL FALL OF 2009. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR A TEMPORARY REMEDY. THE CONTACT WILL HAVE HER VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER, BUT FEELS THAT SHE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY THE TOWING COST. THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 22,635.

ON OUR RETURN FROM FLORIDA WE SMELLED THE BRAKES BURNING. IT FELT LIKE SOMETHING WAS DRAGGING IN THE REAR. THE BRAKE PEDALS FELT SPONGY AND WENT TO THE FLOOR. WE WENT TO A BRAKE SHOP IN OCALA. THEY TOLD US IT WAS THE ABS SENSORS.THEY REPLACED THE PADS, CALIPERS, SEALS AND SENSORS. OUR BILL WAS $1432.41. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 ITASCA SUNCRUISER RV. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE BRAKES WERE STICKING. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. ALL OF THE CALIPERS WERE REPLACED BY THE MECHANIC. THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE ROTOR AND FRONT PASSENGER SIDE ROTOR WERE REPLACED, IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THE BRAKE PADS. THE ENTIRE REPAIR COST $3,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 52,555.

THE BRAKE ROTORS ON MY MOTOR HOME HAD TO BE REPLACED DUE TO HEAT FRACTURES IN EVERY ROTOR. IT IS A WORKHORSE CHASSIS MODEL W20. IT HAD 38,400 MILES ON IT AND THERE IS MORE THAN 50% OF THE PAD LINING THICKNESS LEFT. THE PADS WERE REPLACED AT THAT TIME ON THE ADVICE OF THE REPAIR CENTER. I HAVE THE ROTORS AND THE PADS. THE CONDITION WAS FOUND DURING A PERIODIC BRAKE INSPECTION THAT I HAD THE SERVICE CENTER PERFORM. I HAD NO PERFORMANCE ISSUES AT THE TIME. *TR

WHILE ON A TRIP IN OUR MOTOR HOME, WE HEARD AN INTERMITTENT GRINDING SOUND. WE IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE UNIT TO AN RV DEALER, WHO AFTER DISCUSSION OF THE ISSUE, ADVISED US TO TAKE IT TO A FREIGHTLINER DEALER. FREIGHTLINER DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR AXLE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HAD SHIFTED BACKWARDS, AND WAS CAUSING THE WHEEL TO GRIND AGAINST THE WHEEL WELL. THEY ALSO DISCOVERED TWO BOLTS WERE LOOSE AND A THIRD BOLT WAS MISSING ENTIRELY. THEY INDICATED THAT THIS COULD ONLY HAVE EMANATED FROM THE FACTORY. THEY ALSO STATED THAT HAD THIS ISSUE BEEN LEFT UNATTENDED, IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN MORE SERIOUS DAMAGE AND/OR AN ACCIDENT. FREIGHTLINER AGREED TO COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR TO THE AXLE AND CHASSIS, AND EVENTUALLY AGREED TO PAY FOR REPLACEMENT AND REPAINTING OF THE WHEEL WELL. ALTHOUGH THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED IN EARLY OCTOBER 2008, WE HAVE ONLY BEEN ADVISED TODAY (4/27/09) THAT OUR UNIT IS READY FOR PICKUP, DENYING US THE USE OF OUR MOTOR HOME FOR SEVEN MONTHS. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING IN FLORIDA DURING FEBRUARY OF 2008, IN MY 2004 ITASCA SUNCRUISER MY RIGHT FRONT WHEEL CALIPER LOCKED UP AND CAUSED MY MOTOR HOME TO PULL TO RIGHT. THE WHEEL BEGAN TO SMOKE AND BECAME EXTREMELY HOT. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD AND CONTACT THE WINNEBAGO MOTOR HOME COMPANY. THEY INFORMED ME THE ISSUE WAS A WORKHORSE CHASSIS ISSUE AND THAT I SHOULD CONTACT THEM. THEY THEN GAVE ME THE LOCATION OF THE NEAREST WORKHORSE CHASSIS REPAIR CENTER TO MY LOCATION. I CONTACTED THE FACILITY AND MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO REPAIR THE BRAKE. MR. DAVID NICHOLS OF NICHOLS DIESEL ENGINE SERVICES IN EUSTIS, FLORIDA INFORMED ME THAT THE RIGHT FRONT CALIPER HAD FAILED AND HAD DESTROYED THE WHEEL ROTOR. HE CALLED MR O'NEIL, THE FLORIDA REPRESENTATIVE FOR WORKHORSE BECAUSE THE MOTOR HOME HAD ONLY 11,200 MILES AND WAS A LITTLE OVER A MONTH OUT OF THE THREE YEAR WARRANTY. MR O'NEIL STATED THAT WORKHORSE WOULD ACCEPT NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM. NICHOLS DIESEL REPLACED BOTH THE FRONT CALIPERS AND ROTORS AT A COST OF $800.00, AND INFORMED ME THAT WORKHORSE STATED THAT THE SLIDE PINS ON THE CALIPERS NEEDED TO BE LUBRICATED ONCE A YEAR. WHILE TRAVELING IN ALABAMA DURING DECEMBER OF 2008 MY LEFT REAR CALIPER LOCKED UP CAUSING THE BRAKE TO OVER HEAT. THE MOTOR HOME IS SCHEDULED TO HAVE THE BRAKES SERVICED AGAIN AT WARD TRUCK IN PENSACOLA, FLORIDA. A FRIEND RECENTLY INFORMED ME THAT WORKHORSE W20 AND W22 CHASSIS FROM 2000 TO 2005 WITH BOSH CALIPERS WERE UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR A HIGH NUMBER OF BRAKE FAILURES AND THAT I SHOULD FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE REVIEWING AGENCY, NHTSA. IF THERE IS A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THIS BRAKE SYSTEM I HOPE IT IS IDENTIFIED AND RECTIFIED BEFORE SOMEONE IS HURT . I HAVE SPOKEN TO MANY RVERS WHO HAVE THIS CHASSIS AND MODEL YEARS IN QUESTION, AND MANY HAVE STATED THAT THEY HAVE HAD BRAKE FAILURES IN THE W-22 CHASIS WHICH IS THE SAME AS MINE. *TR

BRAKE PROBLEM ON WORKHOUSE CHASSIS MOTORHOME. CALIPERS LOCKUP, APPARENTLY DO TO PINS. THIS IS A CONTINUOUS PROBLEM. REPLACED ALL 4 ROTOR. 4CALIPERS.2 SETS BRAKE PADS, 4 OIL SEALS, 4 BRAKE HOSE,2 AXLE GASKETS. ALL AT A COST OF $3502.97 I HAVE ROTORS, CALIPERS. *TR