SCVJeff
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2007
- Posts
- 1,304
My bad..RV Roamer said:
I read it as Monaco & Fleetwood were off the same line.
what is the difference between Itasca and Winnebago
- Thread starter hoopers2
- Start date
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I read it as Monaco & Fleetwood were off the same line.
Ron
Moderator Emeritus
Spelling is different. ;D
afchap
Well-known member
Of course most know that Monaco, Fleetwood, & HR used to be separate mfgers. One brand buys another & keeps both brand names to maintain customer base of each, sometimes for additional reasons. Same with Itasca & Winnebago. In the 70s GM made a line of motorhomes called Itasca. They decided to let Winnebago manufacture them. Eventually Winnebago bought them out and has kept the two lines seperate, primarily for reasons already mentioned. Then when they began phasing out the name some dealerships closed because their contracts with dealers restrict having multiple dealerships within a certain distance.
penman39
Well-known member
One starts with an I and the other a W. Bada Bing!!
PancakeBill
Well-known member
When I was in sales, the factory rep Winnebago/Itasca told us it was 'rags and tags. IOW. upholstery and labelling. Usually for the same 'model', the I task had slightly better quality components.
Now that everyone went into the blender, Monaco, HR and Fleetwood are all Rev group. Winnebago now owns Country Coach (parts etc) and Newmar. Everything else seems to be Thor.
Now that everyone went into the blender, Monaco, HR and Fleetwood are all Rev group. Winnebago now owns Country Coach (parts etc) and Newmar. Everything else seems to be Thor.
John CanfieldJohn Canfield said:
Methinks Itasca is a result of Winnebago's GREED.
(IMO they added the Itasca line of RVs so they could legally setup new/other dealers in geographic areas in which they had already contractually promised Winnebago dealers exclusivity).
John Canfield
Site Team
Those were just business decisions. Winnebago has a fiduciary responsibility to its owners - the shareholders.
Ray-IN
Well-known member
Between 1999 and 2004.5 The Ultimate Freedom was the most luxurious MH Winnebago made.
John Canfield
Site Team
I completely agree! The quality of the cabinetry and overall build quality was the pinnacle of their production. First thing I look at to get a broad brush of attention to detail are cabinet drawers and drawer rails, on the UF the drawer boxes were dovetailed. Very nice!Ray said:
Since then the design criteria has been focused on bling and the initial 'wow' factor when you enter the salon. Having said all of that, a drawer box that's stapled together is just as functional as one that uses dovetails so if bling is more of an important attribute - go for it.
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Probably, but "business as usual" regardless. Fleetwood did the same with its Jamboree & Tioga brands, it's Southwind & Pace-Arrow brands, and the Bounder & Expedition brands. Or GM selling the same trucks and SUVs as GMC and Chevrolet or Ford selling Fords, Mercurys and Lincolns that differ only in the badge and trim. I could cite dozens of other brand-name-only differences in other industries as well.
WILDEBILL308
Well-known member
What will be interesting is to see what if any changes from adding Newmar to the group. They may just keep Newmar separate as their upscale line.
Bill
Bill
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
I hope so. Merging product lines rarely brings the low end up any, but the high end gets watered down. Newmar's entry level models overlap with the Winnie upper end, though, so maybe some synergism there.
WILDEBILL308
Well-known member
It should be interesting. The acquisition of Newmar gives Winnebago an instant supply of better quality coaches in several product lines that they were lacking.
Bill
Bill
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
As a corporation that is true, but as a brand it does little or nothing unless they re-brand some Newmar models as Winnebagos and sell them through Winnebago franchised dealers. So far, they are maintaining the Newmar brand but that could change in a heartbeat. It will be interesting to see when or if the first Winnebago-Essex appears.
X
X-Roughneck
Guest
Gary RV_Wizard said:
I did see the Winnebago take over of Newmar awhile back.
I was watching some YT of the Father and Son, Newmar owners a year of so ago.
I wonder if the Old Man (Newmar) is still around or if he kicked the bucket and the Son sold it out to WGO?
Interesting none the less. Ties in neatly and Morrors Thor grabbing up, Jayco, etc.
Once the competition has been whittled down to a few BIG players / economic survivors, then it makes it easier for the Particle Board MFG to keep up with the Quality of the other Particle Board Competition.
As for the Essex, Along with Dutchstar and other High End coaches. I would not allow myself to even walk in a look at one on the lot. Beauties for sure. I don't want to dream about anything I can't afford.
My Opinion only.
Have Fun everybody/
JD
WILDEBILL308
Well-known member
JD, You might be surprised in what you can find gently used out there.
Bill
Bill
X
X-Roughneck
Guest
WILDEBILL308 said:
Bill,
I hear what you are saying. I echo your words to all potential buyers.
Dutchstar and the Big Diesels are just out of our economic $$ upkeep and insurance pricing wheelhouse.
I am a FIRM believer in Gently Used. We bought our 2017 Aspect 30J in the summer of 2019 with barely over 2100 miles on it.
2112, I think?
JD
LTWinnebago
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 8, 2018
- Posts
- 75
Funny thing, bought my ?Winnebago? in 2018, when I filed the paperwork to register it, the DMV told me that it wasn?t a ?Winnebago? but an ?Itasca?, and changed the information on the registration. I told her I could get a photo of the ?WINNEBAGO? lettering acrosss the front of the rig. She said it didn?t matter what it says on the MH, the VIN indicated it was an ?Itasca?. So, I have an ?Itasca? running undercover as a ?Winnebago?
