When did Winnebago quit using HWH?

Am considering upgrading my 2004 Meridian to a newer model coach. Saw a 2013 Meridian, and talking with the owner, he stated he had had nothing but problems with the slide system. That comment compared to numerous comments here and on other RV forums. Can anyone tell me at what year model Winnebago Ind began using other than the HWH slide system?

Purchasing another RV has enough potential pitfalls with being concerned about slide system problems. Thanks for any light you can shed on this slide issue.

RedT said:

and talking with the owner, he stated he had had nothing but problems with the slide system.

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With statements like that, he'll never sell it. 

Our 2011 Tour has Powergear slides (HWH jacks) but I don't know when they first started using Powergear. They started using Lippert slide mechanisms on the Tour in 2012 (might have been 2013). LOTS of reported problems with those.

Kev

Rene T said:

With statements like that, he'll never sell it.

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No, he wasn't attempting to sell it. I saw the coach at a rest area, and was impressed. Struck up a conversation with the owner. He told me he traded a 2006 Meridian for it when new.

His problem was not that he didn't have  HWH slides. .  His problem was he did have Lippert (LCI) slides. I have a friend that has had nothing but trouble with his LCI slides in his 2013 Tour.. Winnebago changed them for a different style which has been okay for the last couple of years (still LCI but a bit different gear style).
My 2010 coach has PowerGear  jacks and slides and they've been relatively trouble free.

My HWH system has been extremely reliable, very happy with it.

When Winnebago started using Lippert, I think (?) their slide system was used only on towable units and there was quite a learning curve for both Lippert and Winnebago. There was a mis-communication about slide design tolerances from Lippert, Winnebago was designing slides according to Lippert criteria which turned out to be not quite accurate.  Pretty sure it got all sorted out after a while.

Yes, one group of engineers blaming the other and neither solving the problem. I would buy another Winnebago (it would be my fourth) but will stay far away from the Lippert slide system.

RedT said:

Yes, one group of engineers blaming the other and neither solving the problem. I would buy another Winnebago (it would be my fourth) but will stay far away from the Lippert slide system.

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Good luck with that   LCI is like a cancer.

So here is the deal as I understand -

Jack systems used to be HWH until sometime around 2012 - then they went to LCI.  Around 2016 LCI bought PowerGear and started using the PowerGear jacks.  Today - (at the GNR) I saw HWH jacks being used once again on the smaller C units, and the Grand Tour.  LCI/PowerGear jacks are still used on the Horizon and I believe the Forza.  The HWH jacks have 2 springs, the LCI no springs, and the LCI-PowerGear has one spring.

Slides were PowerGear underfloor slides on the big slides until around 2012.  At late 2012 they went to LCI Schwintek in wall slide which have the swirly lines on the side racks attached to the side of the slide.  The largest of the slides stayed PowerGear with 3 underfloor racks, but some of the remaining heavy slides went to Schwinteck and did not fair well (I have them on one side)  They work fine for the smaller slide, but the heavy kitchen slide struggles.  In about late 2013, LCI Schwintek came out with a heavier torgue motor which mine was upgraded to within the first year.  Around 2016, LCI bought PowerGear and PowerGear had a SlimRack (thin rail) in wall slide that had vertical teeth on a rack that was detached from the slide about 1/2 inch.  Winnebago went to the LCI-PowerGear SlimRack system in place of any slides that had Schwintek around 2017 and even retrofitted any warranty issues on Shwintek with the LCI-PowerGear SlimRack.  Today, they seem to be moving back to the underfloor LCI-PowerGear on the heavier slides based on the new Horizon 40A having them on both sides, but not a complete transition because the Horizon 42Q and GrandTour still use the LCI-PowerGear SlimRack.

As someone stated, both LCI and Winnebago seem to accept the bad design of the Schwintek on the heavier slides, but at the same time neither accept blame.  There has been no hesitation of either to upgrade to the PowerGear for original owners.  Us second owners, not so much but if I end up breaking mine I would be willing to pay for the upgrade, which isn't that much in reality.  So far, I've milked my kitchen Schwintek and other than It needs a little push sometimes it has worked for us.  Keep it lubed, keep the voltage up when using it, and it seems to survive.  The advantage to Schwintek is they are easy to maintain and repair, the PowerGear SlimRack is a bear to replace a motor. 

Thanks for the slide/jack anthology Brad, I had no idea LCI bought PowerGear - interesting story. Makes me even more grateful I have HWH for both slides and jacks.

John Canfield said:

Thanks for the slide/jack anthology Brad, I had no idea LCI bought PowerGear - interesting story. Makes me even more grateful I have HWH for both slides and jacks.

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The guy giving the presentation at the LCI seminars at the Grand National Rally this year was a legacy PowerGear employee, so we could see his struggle trying not to form an opinion between the Lippert and PowerGear products even though they used to be competitors   It was also good to see HWH with a table at the rally, as they were kind of out of the game for a while, and so close to Forest City.

Mile High said:

....  It was also good to see HWH with a table at the rally, as they were kind of out of the game for a while, and so close to Forest City.

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I have a warm fuzzy feeling for HWH, I think they make a great product. They used to treat service customers to lunch when their nearby restaurant was open. They had the best pie there 

John Canfield said:

I have a warm fuzzy feeling for HWH, I think they make a great product. They used to treat service customers to lunch when their nearby restaurant was open. They had the best pie there 

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Nice!

I've really only had 3 systems with chronic trouble or that are needy for maintenance and repair to keep them operating:  Schwintek slides, leveling jacks, bed lift.  Ironically, all three are made by Lippert, and those are the only 3 things on my coach made by Lippert.  Had Winnebago just avoided Lippert altogether, I would have the perfect coach

I have a 2016 Sightseer 33C with LCI Power Gear slide mechanisms. Two of my slide mechanisms are the in wall system and one is the underfloor mechanism. My two in wall Power Gear slide mechanisms had a design flaw. The structure that holds the motor in place had a weak point that failed and allowed the motor to spin in its housing. I had all four of my Power Gear slide mechanisms replaced. My smaller bedroom slide failed first at the 2016 GNR. Winnebago replaced my slide mechanisms at Forest City. My full wall slide mechanisms were replaced by my dealership after I returned from GNR. I haven't had a problem since. Winnebago warranty replaced two of my mechanisms when I was a few months out of warranty.