We bought a brand new 2000 VW Eurovan-based Winnebago Rialta and after three short distance shakedown trips took it on a 7000 mile 5 week tour of the northwestern US and western Canada in May and June 2000. We experienced several major breakdowns/failures including dropping all the sewer piping in Wall (South Dakota), failed vehicle A/C in snowy mountains of Wyoming rendering defrost non-funcational, broken difficult to access engine coolant hose in Alberta, burst A/C low pressure hose (with big bang and cloud of black smoke) on a mountain pass in BC, lost engine fan blade approaching north rim of Grand Canyon (required 250 mile tow to Flagstaff), and then limped home through Arizona, New Mexico and west Texas deserts with 125 degrees in the cab.
One of our big problems in getting the A/C fixed was finger pointing between Winnebago and VW. Winnebago dealers would tell us the A/C was VW's responsibility and VW dealers said it was Winnebago's responsibility since Winnebago had tapped into the VW A/C to cool the coach area while on the road. I failed to mention that whenever the gas filler cap was opened or I finished filling the tank gas belched out due to a clogged carbon canister in the filler. After our return from the trip, the unit was in the shop for four months for repairs to the A/C, the refrigerator, the CD player, the carbon canister and other things. VW could not provide a new carbon canister, could not tell us when one would be available, and would not give the unit back until it was replaced.
Half way through the 4 months (with the end point unknown), we asked Winnebago for a refund of the purchase price of $62,000 or so, providing them with a detailed chronicle of the trip, the failures, the places we had tried to get the A/C repaired, etc. They did not even do us the courtesy of responding in writing and just left a message on our answering device saying they do not give refunds. So for the first and only time in my life, I decided to sue. The lawyer we contacted recommended suing Winnebago, VW, and the dealer in Buda, TX, for deceptive trade practice rather than under the Texas lemon law. No damages were sought, just a refund and my legal expense.
The suit dragged on for three years, but we finally won in mediation. The Winnebago lawyer was extremely arrogant, asking during depositions "Just what makes you think we owe you anything?" My response was to show him the recently received Winnebago ad that stressed the Winnebago reputation for quality, to which he made no comment. Months later during mediation we were warned by the mediator that if we went before a judge and jury, we just might have a jury that would not sympathize with the "rich folks" who could afford an RV and might decide against us. The mediation took four hours rather than what we were later told normally took 2 hours. Winnebago offered us a new 2003 24 foot Winnebago Minnie which we accepted. After it was over, the mediator told us that he had told Winnebago et al that "the Kramers are extremely credible" and that Winnebago et al would lose if we went to trial.
During the three years of the lawsuit, wife's health deteriorated significantly due to an ailment she has called Sjogren's Syndrome. When we bought the Rialta she could get around pretty well. By the end of the lawsuit, she had great difficulty walking due to peripheral neuropathy and resulting collapse of her feet. She still enjoys getting out in the RV but nature walks are no longer something she can do.
The Ford E-350 based Minnie turned out to be much more reliable, but in March we decided to trade it in on something larger. Did we consider Winnebago? Not on your life. We bought a new 2006 Monaco Diplomat 40 PDQ. Monaco and Evergreen RV have so far been much more customer oriented than Winnebago and their dealer in Buda and so far we are quite pleased.
