Which WH to avoid

[bdpreece]

My son is searching for a motorhome I know WH has had a lot of serious brake problems the last several years and I was wondering which Work Horse chassis he should avoid or if it is all of them. I seem to remember the W24 was ok but not sure. The brake problems seem life threatening so I want to make sure they are safe.

[DriVer]

I have not seen the Workhorse that I would avoid. The brake problems are not life threatening as would might expect. Not 1 injury has been reported or documented during the entire production run of chassis since 2001.

I am as so many others extremely pleased with our Workhorse Chassis.

[bdpreece]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DriVer I have not seen the Workhorse that I would avoid. The brake problems are not life threatening as would might expect. Not 1 injury has been reported or documented during the entire production run of chassis since 2001. I am as so many others extremely pleased with our Workhorse Chassis.

Driver,
Thank you for your reply. So as far as you are aware there have been no major accidents or injuries due to WH brake failures is that correct? I am assuming then that you would have no problems sending out any of your loved ones in any WH chassis.

Several years ago I lost the brakes on a 32 ft P30 coming off a mountain towing a 24 ft pontoon boat. Thank God for soft shoulders!! Not something I would wish on my worst enemy. Of course I am still alive so that was not reported either.

Brian

[BellaBo]

If I were to buy again it would be either a W-24 or UFO. They both offer significant features and advantages over the W22 and other W/H chassis.

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdpreece Thank you for your reply. So as far as you are aware there have been no major accidents or injuries due to WH brake failures is that correct? I am assuming then that you would have no problems sending out any of your loved ones in any WH chassis.

bdpreece; Brian, I would be hesitant to put my family members in any vehicle that I have not been able to test drive or verify the performance of said vehicle.

Quote:

Several years ago I lost the brakes on a 32 ft P30 coming off a mountain towing a 24 ft pontoon boat. Thank God for soft shoulders!! Not something I would wish on my worst enemy. Of course I am still alive so that was not reported either.

As far back as 1999, Workhorse filled a number of orders from GM that were on the books and these were the narrow track Pseries chassis. These vehicles had a 454 and a 4L80E - 4 speed transmission and the 69.7" wheel track (narrow). The follow on run of vehicles from GM were badged Workhorse since they were made in Union City and the VIN# started with 5B4. In 2001 the P Series introduced the first IFS Wide Track suspension in the RV industry which featured an 82.95" track. (wide)

At this point in the conversation, I'm not sure what your year, make and a model was. If this incident happened several years ago you may have been driving a Chevrolet. Regardless of the make of P Series that you were driving, I might want to ask what the weight of the 24 foot pontoon boat was and what type of grade were you descending?

Surely under average conditions this would be a recipe for an over heated brake situation if all the ducks weren't in a row and all precautions were not in place. Mountain driving is an ongoing theme in all our discussions in regard to brakes that can not be dismissed out of hand.

We have also read here in these threads where an RDP, air brake equipped motorhome descending a grade completely faded the brakes, over turned and killed the driver. These types of situations happen infrequently however stuff happens.

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Streamerman If I were to buy again it would be either a W-24 or UFO. They both offer significant features and advantages over the W22 and other W/H chassis.

Streamerman, I feel exactly the same way. I would love to own a UFO.

[speed racer]

Overheating the brakes and boiling the fluid in the calipers happens more than you would beleive but that is not a problem with the brakes but the operator. This is why large trucks went to air brakes The problem Workhorse had was the caliper pistons would stick on some units and make the brake drag. There are far more W20&W22 Workhorse chassis out ther that didn't have any problem with brake than there are that did. This would be somthig to check when shopping though. The recall should start sometime this fall so you might be able to pick one up real cheap and let Workhorse fix it.

[DriVer]

99% of the "overheated brakes" on vehilces that descend the Mount Washington Autoroad are due to operator error.

I've been up and down that road 4 times.

[wa8yxm]

I am sitting here.. On top of one of the affected WORKHORSE chassis units, With the interm recall notice on my hard drives.. And several times folks have asked "Would you buy another Workhorse"

The answer is YES

There are in fact 3 problems I know of with Workhorse brakes

1: can affect any vehicle with hydraulic brakes,, DID in fact bite my CAR, not the Workhorse, but the CAR.

#2: Is unique to Workhorse but has been addressed, This one rated a TSB and if you buy one made in the last five years it's factory fixed before it's assembled (Zerk added to bell crank) There are instructions in these forums for fixing it yourself if you get an older unit, Mine came factory fixed (It was made in late 2004, it is a 2005 2 model year chassis)

The 3rd one has been identified, it is not a Workhorse issue, it is a BOSCH issue, but Workhorse is taking the heat since they bought from BOSCH.. I have no clue as to what the heck is taking BOSCH so long fixing it,, but they have yet to do so.

My rig has the affected brakes.. But not (So far) the problem.. But I full time and thus drive at least a half hour every other week (usually an hour or more)

The

[speed racer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DriVer 99% of the "overheated brakes" on vehilces that descend the Mount Washington Autoroad are due to operator error. I've been up and down that road 4 times.

It took me more than two hours to get down that mountain because I had to stop twice to let my brakes cool. I kept it in low gear and never went faster than five MPH and the brakes still got so hot they melted the plastic hubcap mountings on my sebring.

[bdpreece]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DriVer which featured an 82.95" track. (wide) At this point in the conversation, I'm not sure what your year, make and a model was. If this incident happened several years ago you may have been driving a Chevrolet. Regardless of the make of P Series that you were driving, I might want to ask what the weight of the 24 foot pontoon boat was and what type of grade were you descending? Surely under average conditions this would be a recipe for an over heated brake situation if all the ducks weren't in a row and all precautions were not in place. Mountain driving is an ongoing theme in all our discussions in regard to brakes that can not be dismissed out of hand. We have also read here in these threads where an RDP, air brake equipped motorhome descending a grade completely faded the brakes, over turned and killed the driver. These types of situations happen infrequently however stuff happens.

You are correct about a recipe for disaster. I was picking up and returning the motorhome and boat from Little Grass Valley lake in California down to Chico. My father in law had gone there on vacation and had a heart attack, fell overboard from the boat and drowned. Since I was the only member of the family other than him to drive a motorhome I was asked to get the boat and coach. The coach had been sitting and I was not aware that the shift linkage was bound up and by the time I discovered I could not gear down the brakes were already fading. The coach was a late 90s Columbus on a Chevy P30 which was totally overloaded while towing the boat. Looking back I should have never attempted this but you do things under stress that you would not normally do.
Now I am so scared of bad brakes I probably go overboard the other way.

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdpreece Now I am so scared of bad brakes I probably go overboard the other way.

bdpreece, You have every right to be concerned because you're a dad just like me and so many other RV owners here. You are not going to want to place your flesh and blood in harms way.

If your son has any questions about a Workhorse Chassis, many of us here would like the opportunity to speak to him and at the end of the day you are going to see many more people support the ownership of the Workhorse than those that would rather not.

If he has a specific question about the particular chassis that he is looking at, I can help there by letting you know if it has any outstanding recalls. If he has the last 8 digits of the VIN# I can give you a good idea of what's under the hood. You can email or PM me for privacy if that matters.

[dajudge]

I have a 06 Allegro Bay 35ft on w22 chassis. So far, have not had any brake problems. I think the ones that have problems are the mh that are stored outside for a long period of time, then put on the road.

[az bound]

We are on our second Workhorse chassis and would not hesitate in buying another. We just came over the Bighorn mountain range on hwy. 14 going from Wyoming into Montana. Mostly 10% grade all the way down. Drop of 3600 ft. in 13 Mi. No overheated brakes and no brake failures. Do we trust this chassis?