WINNEBAGO Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1994 WINNEBAGO 34RQ (NA). WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 5 MPH, THE WATER TANK FELL OFF THE VEHICLE IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER; THEREFORE, HE HAD TO JACK THE VEHICLE UP VERY HIGH IN ORDER TO REMOVE THE WATER TANK. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE MOST LIKELY OCCURRED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS 14 YEARS OLD. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED OTHER COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 70,000.

PREPARING TO GO CAMPING, I STARTED MY WINNEBAGO SIGHTSEER AND POSITIONED IT TO ATTACH MY TOWED VEHICLE. I SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AT THAT POINT. AFTER COMPLETING THE HITCHING PROCEDURE, I ATTEMPTED TO START MY RV. IT WOULD NOT START. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL TRUCK DEALERSHIP, THEY FOUND "THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH AND ONE CONNECTOR WAS BURNT." THEY CALLED WINNEBAGO AND "FOUND THAT THERE WAS AN UPDATE RELAY HARNESS FOR THIS PROBLEM" WHICH THEY ORDERED AN INSTALLED. ALTHOUGH THIS OBVIOUSLY WAS A RECURRING PROBLEM (OTHERWISE WHY AN UPDATED KIT), THE SERVICE REP I THEN CONTACTED AT WINNEBAGO, CLAIMED TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS DEFECTIVE SWITCH AND STATED THERE WAS NO RECALL OR ADVISORY BULLETIN CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. I DID SOME RUDIMENTARY SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND AT LEAST 2 DIFFERENT COMPLAINTS RE THIS SAME PROBLEM, ONE OF WHICH WAS ON A 2005 SIGHTSEER. I IN THOSE INCIDENTS IT SEEMS THAT THE SWITCH SHORTED OUT WHILE THE RIGS WERE UNDERWAY, RESULTING IN A SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. I CONSIDER MYSELF FORTUNATE THAT DID NOT HAPPEN TO ME. HOWEVER THE TOWING, LABOR AND PARTS CHARGE CAME TO OVER $1000, MUCH OF THE LABOR COST DUE TO THE TIME INVOLVED IN DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM. THE WINNEBAGO SERVICE REP MADE THE OBSERVATION THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE CALLED WINNEBAGO SOONER, THE IMPLICATION BEING THAT WINNEBAGO KNOWS ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THIS AGAIN BRINGS UP THE QUESTION WHY NO RECALL OR ADVISORY BULLETIN TO OWNERS? I HAVE THE DAMAGED SWITCH AND CONNECTOR IN MY POSSESSION AND HAVE PHOTOGRAPHED THEM AS WELL. *TR

ON JULY 1ST OF THIS YEAR OUR 2004 WINNEBAGO JOURNEY HAD A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS EVIDENT. THE TWO HYDRAULIC LINES FOR THE REAR SLIDE WERE ROUTED AROUND THE FRAME IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE TURBO CHARGER AND REPEATED EXPOSURE TO THE HEAT OF THAT UNIT HAD CAUSED THEM TO DETERIORATE, BURST AND SPRAY HYDRAULIC FLUID. THAT FLUID, HITTING THE VERY HOT TURBO CHARGER QUICKLY IGNITED AND CAUSED THE FIRE. I RETIRED IN 2003 AS THE MASTER MECHANIC FOR THE DENVER FIRE DEPARTMENT. AS SUCH I WAS IN CHARGE OF THE ENTIRE FLEET AND ALL EQUIPMENT FOR THE DENVER FIRE DEPARTMENT AND MY EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS ARE AS A MASTER TECHNICIAN (ASE CERTIFIED) FOR TRUCK AND AUTOMOBILE AND I HAVE A DEGREE IN BUSINESS AS WELL. I AFFECTED REPAIRS ON SITE THAT ALLOWED US TO GET TO DILLION, COLORADO WHERE I PULLED THE DEFECTIVE HYDRAULIC LINES AND HAD NEW ONE'S MADE. I INSTALLED THE NEW LINES (RE-ROUTING THEM AWAY FROM THE HEAT SOURCE) AND REPAIRED ALL OF THE WIRING AND HOSES INVOLVED AS WELL. LUCKILY DAMAGE WAS NOT EXTENSIVE AND WAS LIMITED TO THE ITEMS I DESCRIBED. MY CONCERN IS THAT THERE ARE MANY POTENTIAL FAILURES AND FIRE HAZARDS ON THE ROAD WITH SIMILAR JOURNEY'S AND THOSE OWNERS MIGHT NOT BE SO LUCKY. THE HOSE USED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SLIDES WAS, IN MY OPINION, A POOR ONE IN THAT IT IS NYLON REINFORCED AND PLASTIC COATED RATHER THAN THE STEEL REINFORCED ' HARD RUBBER COATED LINE USUALLY USED IN HYDRAULIC APPLICATIONS. THE ROUTING WAS ANOTHER POOR CHOICE IN THAT THERE IS AMPLE ROOM AND PROVISION FOR AVOIDING HEAT SOURCES, ESPECIALLY THE TURBO IN THAT IT IS THE GREATEST HEAT SOURCE IN THE AREA. I AM COPYING THIS LETTER TO THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL OF ALL AFFECTED VEHICLES BUILT IN THIS MANNER UTILIZING THESE HOSES. IN FAIRNESS I AM NOTIFYING YOU OF THE PROBLEM AND MY INTENTIONS. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY I COULD NOT GO ANY FASTER THAN 40 MPH. THE ABS WARNING LIGHT THEN LIT UP ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL OF MY MOTORHOME WITH A WORKHORSE W-20 CHASSIS. I THEN BEGAN TO SMELL BURNING BRAKES. I THEN SLOWED AND TRAVELED A MILE OR SO TO THE NEAREST EXIT. WHILE ON THE EXIT RAMP I LOST ALL BRAKES, THE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR. AS I WAS NOT GOING VERY FAST, I USED THE TRANSMISSION TO SLOW DOWN AND PULL ONTO THE SHOULDER. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TOWED TO A LOCAL WINNEBAGO DEALER WHERE IT WAS NECESSARY FOR THEM TO REPLACE ALL CALIPERS AND PADS, REAR ABS SENSORS, AND BRAKE FLUIDS AS IT HAD BOILED THE SYSTEM. A ZERK FITTING WAS ALSO INSTALLED INTO THE BRAKE BAR. AFTER READING NUMEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT SIMILAR INCIDENTS I THOUGHT IT BEST TO FILE A COMPLAINT. *TR

ON MY FIRST TRIP AFTER PURCHASING A 2007 WINNEBAGO VIEW, THE TURBO RESONATOR FAILED AT A PLASTIC TO PLASTIC SEAM AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER WHILE ON A FREEWAY GRADE. TOP SPEED ATTAINABLE WAS 35 MPH ON THE FREEWAY GOING DOWNHILL-UPHILL WAS 20 MPH. VEHICLE HAD 1200 MILES AND WAS REPRESENTED AS NEW BY THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE MILES A RESULT OF MOVING IT FROM ONE STATE TO ANOTHER BETWEEN DEALERSHIPS. THE PART WAS REPLACED WITH ANOTHER PLASTIC PART UNDER WARRANTY. THE OLD PART WAS NOT GIVEN TO ME. *TR

THE VEHICLE WENT INTO "LIMP HOME MODE" ( NO POWER BOOST FROM TURBO) AFTER 5 HOURS OF DRIVING AT 75-85 DEGREES F. THIS WENT ON FOR APPROXIMATELY 30 MILES AT WHICH POINT THE POWER SLOWLY CAME BACK TO NORMAL WITH OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE AT 56 DEGREES F. WE STOPPED TWICE FOR 10 MINUTES EACH TIME, DURING THE 30 MILES, TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTED IT WITH NO APPARENT EFFECT ON THE POWER LOSS. WE TOOK IT TO A DODGE DEALER TO BE REPAIRED AND ALL THEY DID WAS CLEAR THE MEMORY AND RESET THE ENGINE COMPUTER. THEY FOUND ERROR CODE 2359 AT THAT TIME BUT CLAIMED IT WAS AN INCOMPLETE CODE AND THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO TROUBLESHOOT ANY FURTHER AND THAT IT WAS PROBABLY CAUSED BY A COMPUTER GLITCH. NO PARTS WERE REPLACED. *TR

LEFT FRONT AND RIGHT FRONT DOUBLE PANED SIDE WINDOWS ARE SO FOGGED UP THAT I CANNOT SEE THE MIRRORS VERY WELL. WINDOWS MADE BY ATWOOD. *TR

2003 WINNEBAGO ADVENTURER TOW-BAR RECEIVER BECAME UNBOLTED ON THE LEFT SIDE WHILE DRIVING. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE TOW BAR WAS ALSO BENT BACKWARD AND DOWN SINCE THE RIGHT SIDE WAS STILL SECURELY BOLTED. *KB THE OWNER OF THE WELDING SHOP STATED THE BOLTS WERE NEVER TIGHTENED PROPERLY. *JB

WHEN IN OPERATION ON WET ROAD CONDITIONS OUR 2004 WINNEBAGO JOURNEY OVER CHARGES THE COACH BATTERIES. THE INVERTER OVER CHARGES OVER 16 VOLTS CAUSING A HIGH VOLTAGE TO THE BATTERIES. AFTER THIS OCCURS THERE ARE SEVERAL ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENTS THAT ARE BURNT OUT. THERE HAS BEEN MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO FIX THIS ISSUE, BUT NO SUCCESSFUL SOLUTION HAS BEEN FOUND. *TR

THE GM P30 AUTOMATIC PARKING BRAKE ON MY 1994 RV FAILED WHILE I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD CAUSING ME TO A FULL STOP IN THE TRAVEL LANE. THE RV WOULD NOT MOVE. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE IN THE DRIVE SHAFT JUST WENT ON AND WILL NOT SHUT OFF. I HAVE READ THIS IS NOT UNCOMMON TO THIS TYPE OF UNIT. MY RV HAS LESS THAT 40,000 ORIGINAL MILES ON IT. GM DID A RECALL ON ONLY ONE COMPANY'S UNITS BUT LEFT THE REST OF US OUT IN THE COLD WITH AN LARGELY UN REPAIRABLE SITUATION. *TR