Winnebago

Well I'm back.  Guess my password expired or something, but fixed it. Also been really busy.

What can I say?  I'm getting a Class A Winnebago Sightseer 29 ft probably this week.

It's a Class A with 2 slides.  I know, I know, I made comments about slides, but with a red face and downcast eyes, she says you guys are right. :-[

I'm asking the seller to fix a few things, don't know if they will.  There is deferred maintenance, belts, hoses, flushes.  Maybe not deferred as such but due as it has 38000 miles on it. I got a separate mechanical inspection, I had the guy do one for me a couple years back and passed on that motorhome. Though the tires are only 6 years old, he strongly suggested I get new ones on the front, they are Firestones, you suppose that's why?

He said once I get the rather minor items fixed it should serve use well for many years.  The items may be minor but the costs won't, but that is no surprise to anyone here.

Yep, we are putting the other one up for sale.  They would give me nothing for a trade, no surprise so I will sell it outright.  I like it, but lets face it a 2005 is a far cry from a 1991.  I feel guilty when I look at it. I have no problem driving the Class C but I would be lying if I didn't say I like the visibility on this one better.

Oh, its a 2005.

Ok, I'm getting the oil and filter changed, they only did it once a year or every 5000 miles.  I'm having the transmission flushed and filter changed, wheel bearings packed in the front, hubby said back are oiled by axle or something like that. Will have them check and grease universal joint and anyother places to grease.

The AC will be cleaned and serviced, inspector said new gasket, selling place said they don't do that, I probably will have it done. Some invertor board will be replaced.

Also I'm getting the radiator flushed and new coolant, wiper blades checked.  2 new tires for the front.  All systems are checked and said to be good to go.

Is there anything else I need to have done?  I will sanitize the fresh water tanks.

It has automatic levelers, Winegard satellite dish, CD player, VCR, DVD player, 2 TV's, an OVEN! Yes, yes, yes! Backup camera, I love that and those huge bus type mirrors.  The salesman had me get up on the interstate with it, drove like a dream and the wind was howling that day. The turning is a bit different but I won't take long to get used to it.  If this garden doesn't swamp me I will be out and about soon.

I love the HR, but this one has more room and the visability is what sold me. I can see around me better.  And now hubby won't worry about us either.

Congratulations on the new motorhome.  With all the work you've put into the C, I'm sure you'll find a happy buyer at a good price.

Don't assume that because the motorhome is 6 years old that the tires are also.  Check the DOT date codes to be sure.  Even at 6 years, I would recommend replacing all of the tires, not just the front ones.

I did check the dates, 6 years.  But I thought they were good for at least 9.  No?

No, 7 years max.  But not knowing the history of the tires, I would change them all.  A rear tire blowout can be very costly.

Welcome to a potential Winnebago owner!!

+1 for what Ned said.  It really would be a great idea to start out with fresh tires - everything I have ever read or heard says 5-7 year effective life-span for tires.  Don't push your luck with trying to run another year or two on those tires..

Yes, I know, open the checkbook a little wider. :

Ditto to what Ned and John have said.............

I have had a BLOW OUT on a Travel trailer whose tires LOOKED new but were beyond 6 years old. The trailer's bottom was blow away and into the inside of trailer..... what a mess! Will not risk that again.

Do not take the chance............ Tires before any other "maintenance" work is the priority in my book.
Good luck with unit..., and, "See ya on down the road."

Yes, I had a blow out on my small 8 foot mower trailer last week.  It bent the fender up and under and had to be pried out to get the new tire on.  I shredded it getting to a tire place because the spare was in the other truck.  I looked at the other tire, checking the date and it was so split and dry rotted had it changed also. I had no idea how bad you could mess something up, first time ever for me.

I'm listening. Ok, what about the extended warranty, I'm saying yes, I have Coach.net bought it for the 1991, hope its also transferrable, would be good for towing and a flat I guess.  The warranty is  called Protective XtraRide Warranty Service. It's $3,548 for 3 years with a $100 deductible.  Thoughts on this one, is there one better, cheaper??

And I got a Sirius Radio, its a unit that plugs into the radio on an empty station I believe is how its described.

In all honesty, I look at the old Holiday Rambler and I think its built better then these new ones.  All this fiberglass, and the corner pieces at the bumper are plastic.  I'm sure the real expensive ones are better, but this Winnebago looks like its not as durable to me. My husband said the fiberglass is supposed to be better as its easier to replace and fix.  I hope that isn't necessary.

I think the Sightseer was just starting to be made in 2002.  It's likely an entry level or near it unit, new about $90k on this one. And of course, its small still, but I'm comfortable driving it and I'm not getting younger. They did them, from my research on the Workhorse chaisses and had lots of problems, then switched over to the Ford chassis and the V10.  I hope I have escaped that.  I pulled the Carfax Resport.  I don't like the way they date motorhomes.  It appears the chassis was made in 2003, the Rv made in 2004, and wasn't titled till 2005.  So its really older.  I didn't know till I ran the VIN number.  So you think you are getting brand new if you buy it new and its already been around awhile.  I could look at more and did a few.  I could have bought newer for the same money on a Class C, a 2007 I believe with one slide, I liked it too.  But I think any used one has things that need repaired.

I do like the roof, I climbed up and looked at it.  The salesman, was grinning, I said you may have to help me down, then I was looking under the home.  The roof is 1 piece fiberglass with the crown in the middle and the slope down, I like that, less chance to puddle around things. 

Your Coach-Net membership will transfer but you should change your vehicle records when you get the new coach.  You can do that by email or a with a phone call.

We have a 2004 Sightseer 27R. We like it a lot. But just be prepared that it is an entry level coach and some of the things in it don't hold up as well as in a higher-end coach....our upholstery is worn more than on our house furniture which is older and the carpet also hasn't held up as well. But it's plenty big enough for the 3 of us (me, Mike, and the 80-pound labrador). Because it's smaller, we can still go just about anywhere with it. It is a Workhorse chassis but we've had no mechanical problems with anything.

So enjoy your "new" RV and maybe you'll make more trips in this one than in the HR

Wendy

Yes, I saw right away the carpet wasn't the best, but we will likely replace that anyway because of our daughter Sue Anne and her allergies.  It has a place under the accelerator  where your heel goes and on a corner of the cowling, why the carpet is pulled out there I can't figure.  Probably a piece the size of a $.50 piece or so. Told Tom in the fall or next year can replace it.  I think I will have spent enough this year, gosh! Sue Anne and I aren't hard on the finishes, and I didn't see wear on any of that but sure the walls ceilings and things aren't like the high end ones, but its still nice and I will be satisfied with it.

I can't afford a high end one, new or used, for me the cost of this one is pretty durn high end! If common sense had prevailed I would be using my HR instead, but well, what can I say? I feel like a traitor selling it, it looks rather forlorn out there.  So I still have food in the fridge and all the other stuff is out there.
But the basement storage is what Sue Anne and I marveled at, that is awesome to us.

Yes I would have been satisfied with a 27, no problem there, this was close as I could get to it, everything else was bigger.  Since I wanted this size and had not seen any class A's for sale this small I picked it.  I would like to have had some different colors, but that's ok.  I will reupholster someday and change them.  My family isn't much on greens, but its subtle and enough grey to make it work for us.

I am still wondering about the extended warranty, anyone, have that?  Is it worth it, or would I be better off to keep the money for needed repairs. That is a chunk of money to pay out, for sure.

Extended 'warranty' is a misnomer - what you are looking at is actually insurance complete with inclusions, exclusions, terms, conditions, and lots and lots of fine print.

Generally speaking, consumer advocates always maintain that extended 'warranties' are generally not cost-effective in the long run and you are better off banking the premium payments into a maintenance kitty.  If you are one of the 'lucky' ones that actually manages to collect on a breakdown, you are indeed very 'fortunate.'

For those that bought one of these policies and are pleased, that's great, it's not for us.  We self-fund repairs. 

We have an extended warranty on the Sightseer. It's about $200 quarterly. We got it mainly because when we figured we would have a hard time paying for an expensive repair like an engine. In retrospect, I probably wouldn't buy it again. But then, part of that is because we haven't used it !!

Wendy

Humm, we never buy them, but knowing this is used and not knowing how they cared for it. It bothered me that it said maintenance records not available.  I can't imagine someone having a new motorhome, its original owner supposedly not keeping things like that. I guess I'm just OCD as we keep track of all that stuff. Of course, I immediately think lemon. But then maybe they are just people that can afford a new one, it said they were getting another on the form and so when it gets ready for a lot of stuff sells it. 

But I tend to agree, I imagine they can exclude almost everything.  Like engine blowing covered only under a certain phase of the moon or something.  $3500 will pay for quite a few repairs.

I know the oil will be changed more frequently then 5000 miles, chalk that up to fanatic husband, he says frequent oil changes are the cheapest maintenance of all.

I can tell you folks, I have sure learned a lot here.  I learned from my husband too but he said he is not as knowledgeable about motorhomes, think he will be though.

It made me feel way more confident to go in this time to see about buying one.  I felt like I knew more of what I was looking at.  Now I think back and wonder what I was doing there!

But I've just hit the tip of the iceberg, I need to read and learn bunches more and I will.

PatrioticStabilist said:

I know the oil will be changed more frequently then 5000 miles, chalk that up to fanatic husband, he says frequent oil changes are the cheapest maintenance of all.

Click to expand...

Consumer's Reports evaluated the benefit of doing oil changes every 3,000 miles and at every 6,000 miles (or whatever the numbers were) several years ago.  The test consisted of a fleet of identical New York City taxicabs - the engines were disassembled before the test began and measured.  Half of the fleet had the more frequent oil changes, half had the manufacturer's  recommended oil change interval (or every 6k miles - I forgot.)

After running the cabs for many, many miles under the absolute worst conditions (start/stop/idle/start/stop/etc), they tore down the engines and measured again.  There was no discernible difference between the two groups of engines.

We always stick to the recommended maintenance schedule for the vehicles, but I am a little lax with my tractor and mower  :  In fact we have a biggie coming up on the coach - we need new coolant, oil change for engine (24 quarts I think), the Transyn (for the Allison tranny) needs to be changed, fuel filters, genny service, chassis service, phew!  Mucho dinero.

Yep John, that Transynd is liquid gold.  $44 a gallon at my local Allison dealer but believe it or not, that is not a bad price.  Better than at a GM dealership.  Found it on the internet for 42, but shipping was pretty stiff for 5 gallons, far more than $2 a gallon.  My MD3000MH takes 17 qts. :-\