WINNEBAGO Complaints

RETURNED FROM A 3 DAY CAMPING TRIP AND PARKED MOTORHOME AT MY HOUSE. WHEN I HOOKED UP TO SHORE POWER I IMMEDIATELY SMELLED SMOKE. ACCORDING TO REPAIR GUY THE PLUG IN FOR THE SLIDE (110) MUST HAVE HAD BAD CONNECTION AND SHORTED. IT MELTED EVERYTHING IN THE SURROUNDING AREA UNDER THE VANITY IN BATHROOM. I HAD BEEN STAYING IN THE COACH FOR THREE DAYS WITH NO INDICATION OF ANY PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 WINNEBAGO SIGHTSEER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WAS HESITANT TO RESPOND TO THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE CALIPER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 09V186000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT A COST OF $400. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,000...UPDATED 06/16/14 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE REAR BRAKE CALIPER FROZE UP,WHILE DRIVING. THE CAMPER HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN OVER THREE MONTHS.

THE WINNEBAGO 2012 40U COACH CANNOT BE LOADED TO THE STATED LOAD (CCC) CAPACITY (4094#) AS ADVERTISED WITHOUT EXCEEDING THE DRIVE AXLE GAWR RATING. THIS IS LIKELY TRUE ACROSS MODEL YEARS UP TO 2014 WHEN THE SPECIFIED REAR AXLE WAS UPGRADED FROM 20000# TO 23000# RATED CAPACITY. THE REAR AXLE USED IN THE 40U (UP TO 2014) WAS THE MERITOR M19 WHICH IS TYPICALLY RATED BY MERITOR AT 19000#. WINNEBAGO CLAIMS MERITOR GAVE PERMISSION TO RATE THE AXLE AT 20000# ON THE 40U. THE 40U COACH CARRIES A REAR AXLE WEIGHT RATING OF 20000#. THE MANUFACTURER PUBLISHES A CARGO CARRYING CAPACITY OF 4094#. THE 40U HAS AN EMPTY - NO CARGO, FULL FUEL - WEIGHT ON THE REAR AXLE OF APPROXIMATELY 19460#. ADDING A TRAILER (WITH FULL FUEL BUT NO OTHER ON BOARD CARGO) WITH A HITCH WEIGHT OF 500# (THE MAXIMUM ALLOWED HITCH WEIGHT AS PER THE MANUFACTURERS SPEC) WOULD PLACE THE VEHICLE AT OR ABOVE ITS MAXIMUM REAR AXLE WEIGHT. ADDING EVEN MODEST AMOUNTS OF CARGO RESULTS IN AN OVERLOAD OF THE AXLE (ALREADY ABOVE IT'S INTENDED MAX WEIGHT WHEN EMPTY) ABOVE ITS EXTENDED RATING (AND ABOVE IT'S LEGAL LIMIT). EFFECTIVELY GIVEN THE HIGH EMPTY REAR AXLE WEIGHT - THERE IS NO WAY THE 40U CAN BE OPERATED (MODELS PRIOR TO 2014) WITHOUT BEING MODERATELY TO EXTENSIVELY OVERLOADED WITH RESPECT TO REAR AXLE MAXIMUM WEIGHT UNLESS IT IS MOVED OVER THE HIGHWAY COMPLETELY EMPTY. AS MOST MOTOR HOMES (THE 40U BEING NO EXCEPTION) ARE RARELY, IF EVER MOVED OVER THE HIGHWAY COMPLETELY EMPTY IT IS LIKELY THAT ALL 40U MODELS PRODUCED BEFORE 2014 ARE OPERATING OVER THEIR MAXIMUM REAR AXLE WEIGHT RATING AT ALL TIMES. THIS IS BOTH ILLEGAL AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS AS THE REAR AXLE ITSELF OR ITS RELATED SUSPENSION COMPONENTS COULD FAIL UNDER THE OVERLOAD CONDITION CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL. *TR

PARKING BRAKE ON VEHICLE LOCKS UP WHEN VEHICLE IS STOPPED AND WILL NOT RELEASE. VEHICLE CANNOT BE MOVED. PARKING BRAKE ALSO TRIES TO ENGAGE WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. THIS HAS OCCURRED SIX TIMES SINCE 2011. EACH TIME THE PARKING BRAKE PRESSURE SENSOR IS REPLACED AND ONE TIME THE PARKING BRAKE SHOES WERE REPLACED AS WELL. THERE IS ALSO A LEAK IN THE ACTUATOR. WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO FIX THIS WITHOUT THE PROBLEM OCCURRING AGAIN AND AGAIN. *TR

VEHICLE COMPONENT DESIGN AND OPERATOR USAGE CONCERN: WHEN SHIFTING IN OR OUT OF LOW GEAR (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION W/ COLUMN SHIFT), DURING BEGINNING/COMPLETING A STEEP DESCENT, SHIFT LEVER SOMETIMES HITS THE IGNITION KEYS AND TURNS "OFF" THE IGNITION. THIS OCCURS, OCCASIONALLY, WHEN THE STEERING COLUMN TILT POSITION IS IN ONE OF THE TWO LOWEST POSITIONS. DUE TO ENGINE BRAKING EFFECT, SIMPLY TURNING THE IGNITION BACK "ON" KEEPS THE ENGINE RUNNING. IF IGNITION IS NOT TURNED BACK TO "ON" POSITION, STEERING AND BRAKING BECOME DIFFICULT. THIS IS PRIMARILY A PROBLEM DUE TO THE NUMBER OF KEYS ON A TYPICAL MOTORHOME, WHICH I NOW PREVENT BY SEPARATING THE KEYS. I HAVE ALSO LEARNED TO TILT THE COLUMN POSITION UP WHEN DRIVING IN CONDITIONS THAT REQUIRE FREQUENT SHIFTING IN AND OUT OF LOW. *TR

WE JUST PURCHASED THIS MOTORHOME & BOTH FRONT SEAT BELT MOUNTINGS WERE TAPED UP WITH DUCT TAPE. WE WERE RESEARCHING HOW TO REPLACE THEM & WE CAME ACROSS THE RECALL NOTIFICATIONS ON THE SEAT BELTS FOR OUR MODEL. WE ARE WONDERING HOW TO FIND OUT IF OUR MOTORHOME WAS AFFECTED & IF SO, HAS THE ISSUE BEEN CORRECTED. IS THERE A WAY YOU CAN SEE IF WE NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING DONE OR IF WE CAN JUST ORDER NEW MOUNTINGS? THANK YOU!! *TR

I HAD PARKED THE VEHICLE IN AUTO PARK IN A GAS STATION IN ANCHORAGE AK. GOTTEN OUT AND WENT TO THE PUMPS, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ROLL. I RACED AROUND THE VEHICLE AND WAS ABLE TO GET INTO THE DRIVERS SEAT AND SLAMMED ON THE BRAKE; IT STOPPED, RELEASING THE BRAKE IT BEGAN TO ROLL INTO TRAFFIC. THE AUTO BRAKE WAS NOT FUNCTIONING. THE AUTO BRAKE LIGHT WAS NOW ON. I DROVE IT TO SOLDOTNA AK WHERE IT COST ME $800.00 TO REPAIR. THE AUTO BRAKE AGAIN FAILED THIS PAST SUMMER; I DID SOME RESEARCH AND LEARNED THAT THIS SYSTEM WAS DISCOVERED TO BECOME DEFECTIVE AND THAT GM HAD CHANGED THE SYSTEM BECAUSE IT FAILED. I HAVE HAD TWO MOTOR HOME SALESMEN TELL ME THAT MY VEHICLE HAD A RECALL. I CALLED GN AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF A RECALL! THE SYSTEM AS BUILT IS DOMED TO FAILURE AND IS DANGER TO DRIVERS WHO DO NOT KNOW THE AUTO PARK BRAKE CAN FAIL!!! . I HAVE CALLED GM AND RECEIVED NO HELPFUL INFORMATION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 WINNEBAGO SIGHTSEER 33D. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, HE SHIFTED TO THIRD GEAR AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 30,389. *TR

2003 WINNEBAGO MINNIE RV. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO MULTIPLE MICHELIN TIRE FAILURES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE SIDEWALLS WERE SHOWING CRACKS. AL 4 TIRES, WERE REPLACED. HOWEVER, 4 MONTHS LATER, THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED A TIRE BLOW OUT ON THE LEFT REAR INSIDE TIRE, WHICH CAUSED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO 2 LOWER BASEMENT COMPARTMENTS, CABLES, ELECTRICAL HOOK-UPS, ETC. THE AFFECTED TIRE WAS SUBJECT TO RECALL. THE DAMAGED TIRE, WAS REPLACED WITH AN ALMOST NEW SPARE TIRE. APPROXIMATELY TEN HOURS LATER, A SECOND BLOW OUT OCCURRED. THE ROADSIDE SERVICE REPLACED THE INSIDE LEFT REAR TIRE, BUT ALSO THE OUTSIDE LEFT REAR TIRE, WHICH UNDETECTED AT THE TIME, HAD BEEN DAMAGED BY THE EARLIER BLOW OUT AND WAS LOSING AIR. CONTRIBUTING TO THE BLOW OUT OF THE INSIDE TIRE. THE TIRES WERE EVENTUALLY REPLACED WITH GOOD YEAR TIRES. MICHELIN CONCLUDED THE TIRES WERE FINE AND DECLINED THE CONSUMERS REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT. HOWEVER, A FEW WEEKS LATER, THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE.

THIS IS A MOTORHOME. WHEN PARKED AT REST STOP (AFTER DRIVING FOR APPROX. 2 HOURS). GOT OUT OF VEHICLE TO WALK DOG AND AFTER GOING ABOUT 75 YARDS. HAPPENED TO TURN AND SEE SMOKE RISING FROM RV. RAN BACK AND DISCOVERED THE REFRIGERATOR (NORCOLD MODEL 6162)..HAD STARTED ON FIRE. RUINING THE FRIDGE AND THE OUTSIDE STEREO. WE GOT LUCKY AND PUT THE FIRE OUT IN A COUPLE OF MINUTES. BUT A NEW FRIDGE COST 2000 DOLLARS. FILED A COMPLAINT WITH NORCOLD CO. AND WAITING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS..ALSO..WE HAD 2 CATS IN CAMPER. A FEW MORE MINUTES OF THE FIRE AND THEY COULD HAVE BEEN PUT IN DANGER. I SEE OTHER MODELS OF NORCOLD HAVE BEEN RECALLED BECAUSE OF FIRES..THIS MODEL SHOULD ALSO BE!! *TR