Driving a UFO

[-Gramps-]

Typical responses (for me anyhow) that I have gotten from campers having an encounter with my rig.

When I am pulling into a camp site someone will walk over and say someting to the effect of:

Your Diesel Coach sounds funny.
or
Man your coach sure is quiet, what's wrong with it?

Responses after I tell them it is a gas coach:

No Way! Nobody makes one of those!
(well, Holiday Rambler made mine)

Are you sure its really gas?
(Well, it was the last time I filled the tank.)

Man I have never seen one of these going down the road.
(You may have, you just didn't know it)

That's crazy, a gas pusher? Where's the engine in it?
(Ahhh...its in the rear?)

Is this that UFO thing I have heard about?
(Why, yes it is!)

[Lash]

Had someone in Albuquerque try to stop me from pumping regular gas into the tank and tried to direct me to the diesel island --- when I told them it was gas, the response was "No Way"

Change is good

[gbs2320]

I tell everyone it is the new high performance, ultra quiet diesel with dual exhausts that runs on gas! It's cool being different!!

[Explore America]

Originally Posted by Lash

Had someone in Albuquerque try to stop me from pumping regular gas into the tank and tried to direct me to the diesel island --- when I told them it was gas, the response was "No Way"

Change is good

That's funny!

[oldcrowlarry]

I have an 08 Adventurer Limited on the UFO. I love seeing the looks on faces when I say it's a gas pusher. Great vehicle with lots of power , quiet, and easy manueverability. We've put 7k miles on and love every one of them. Oldcrowlarry, Glendale, AZ, Retired US Army E8, high school shop teacher for another 6 1/2 months.

[Whaler]

Welcome to the forums and welcome home 'TOP'!

[DriVer]

Originally Posted by oldcrowlarry

I have an 08 Adventurer Limited on the UFO.

Hey Top!, Did you get the 37 or the 3 niner? The Limited were nice coaches. I expect that they're are running pretty low in inventories.

[oldcrowlarry]

We have the 37' even though it is closer to 38, 37'-10", we love everything about it. Now if we can just learn how to operate everything. With our monthly outing we just get to know how something works the return home and forget. I understand that only 100 total were made. LaMesa RV bought quite a few and at last check had sold them all.

[DriVer]

Originally Posted by oldcrowlarry

LaMesa RV bought quite a few and at last check had sold them all.

oldcrowlarry, Had Winnebago had made the Adventurer LE back in 2007 when the first introduced the product on the Latitude and the Destination, the UFO would have been a brilliant success I expect. There remain Destination UFO's on dealer lots that unfortunately have grown old waiting for a new home and a chance to stretch their legs.

The UFO may yet see a second life if Navistar's Monaco RV LLC wants to bring back the chassis like they did in the 38PLT LaPalma and Vacationer. I think that it may see its second life as a lower cost alternative to the high end products that are typically seen in the Monaco lineup. Perhaps it can compete with the Tiffin RED for instance. If the UFO Chassis takes on the MaxxForce 7 and an MH2000 series tranny, I expect that it'll do very well.

The UFO is quite possibly the best handling motorhome chassis in the business and I am not at all reluctant to tell the folks that I have taken for a test drive to hammer down in those hairpin turns on the entrance ramps to the Interstate. The brakes alone are quite possibly the best hydraulic brake system on any motorhome chassis. These brakes have proven to bring an equivalently weighed air brake equipped vehicles to a complete stop 50 feet quicker. This test was performed by an independent testing agency.

Everything about the UFO is leading edge from its WISE system to the TorqueBox. When I had an opportunity to look at a Spartan Chassis in 2008 at the Louisville show I asked that person in the booth what they called that thing up there on top of the differential and he didn't have an answer for me. Very strange, he had to go and get a product engineer. Yes sir, he said, that's a Hendrickson suspension and that's a TorqueBox.

So there ya go.

If you have any questions about your UFO just keep on posting them here because we have a fair amount of UFO owners and I'm sure they will be eager to share what they know about their UFO.

[cj5 jeeper]

I will second Driver on the brakes, we had less then 300 miles on ours when a full size pickup ended up sidewise directly in front of us. Beleve me those brakes WORK! We were towing an Explorer with the brake buddy.
I heard the front tires squeal and the few loose things inside were flying. If anyone had been tailgating us it would have been ugly.

[JimO]

I am in Montana right now and the check engine light came on, so I went to Kallispel to and authorized Workhorse dealer and when they saw me drive up they told me I would have to go to a diesel truck shop for my diesel engine. They had to have patients with me when I said it was gas and tried to explain the difference. Boy did they get a surprise. They have never seen one up here.

[DriVer]

Originally Posted by JimO

They have never seen one up here.

Hope those Montana boys got their act together! Let us know how ya made out!

[reinpsu63]

I am the first owner of a 2008 Winnebago Adventurer Limited that I bought in October 2009. In March we took it on a 3600 mile trip from PA to TX. Near Houston I had the oil changed at a Winnebago dealer. It took over 3 hours. I was told that they didn't have a filter in stock and someone had to go get one. They installed a NAPA 7099. Why would a dealer who handles the GM 8.1 Vortec not have a filter on hand? Maybe they needed extra time to locate the engine?

[reinpsu63]

BTW, the coach performed perfectly on the trip. I can't believe some of the places I was able to maneuver, even with a toad. The brakes are unbelievable. I had one panic stop in heavy traffic, and my heartrate didn't even budge!