Workhorse Is Difficult To Work With....

ROMAD · 06-21-2010, 02:50 PM

In November last year I noticed a loud wine coming from the rear of our 07 Winnebago Adventurer 39-T (W24) and I took it to our local WH service center (Arkansas Traveler RV, Cabot, AR) to have it checked out. The shop said it was the differential that was the source of the problem and to return in a couple of weeks and it would be replaced under warranty. I took it back on 4 Dec and the blame game with WH started. The shop had to purchase an inclonometer and do a bunch of measurements. Then WH said I needed to contact Winnebago and get them involved. WH contends that since Winnebago stretched the frame and added an additional drive shaft that it must be the cause of the problem. This has gone on until last week when WH had the service center remove the differential and take pictures. The owner said the diff had excessive back lash and some strange wear marks and WH replaced the differential. The service center also has to replace 2 u-joints and shim a couple of the carrier bearings but WH will not pay to have these repairs! As the customer and a former service manager, I resent the being jerked around and slow rolled by WH for 8 months! I think that WH should have repaired the motorhome and worked out who owes what between them and Winnebago. It would have left me a much more satisfied customer and about $450.00 better off. I am not sure what is my recourse other than to do as others and bad mouth WH for the ordeal I have had to endure. I am not content to let this go away without a fight. Does anyone know how to get in touch with the WH National Service Manager? I haven't had much luck dealing with the regional manager. Any help would be appreciated.

squeak · 06-22-2010, 06:07 AM

had a fiend and he had the same thing replaced it 2 times finley traded it in tired of the repairs

Fred and Bonnie · 06-22-2010, 12:19 PM

I was surprised Winnie had to stretch the frame, WCC makes long WB chassis. Possibly a bridge too far?

DriVer · 06-22-2010, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fred and Bonnie

I was surprised Winnie had to stretch the frame, WCC makes long WB chassis. Possibly a bridge too far?

Fred and Bonnie, WCC makes a 208, 228 and a 242 in a W Series. Winnebago Industries has been using a 248" wheelbase for many years in fact I had a 248" WB on our 2001 37G Adventurer. WGO more than anyone of the other fabricators has got this stretch thing down to a science because they do it in house. I've been there and I have seen the process and its totally amazing how quickly its done and how the chassis incrementally continues through the frame shop.

I am unwilling to assign blame to anyone unless it can be proven one way or another however WCC has typically fixed these types of issues and they've figured it out after the customer gets their rig back.

ROMAD · 06-25-2010, 01:24 AM

Seems like I have to eat a little crow

. Picked up the motorhome today and got the "rest of the story" from the WCC repair center that was doing the repairs to the differential and drive line. In addition to the differential being replaced, seems that the alignment of the drive shafts was more than a little out of spec. After talking with the Winnebago Chassis Engineer, the carrier bearing mount had to be cut off and repositioned and 2 others had to be shimmed to get all 4 sections to be in correct alignment. Not sure how much the misalignment had to do with the excessive back lash in the differential, but I am confident it was the cause of the failure of the 2 u-joints on the Winnebago installed section of drive shaft. I do know that the coach is a LOT quieter than before and all of the rear end/drive line noise is gone. Also, the Regional Manager for WCC called as I was picking up the coach and agreeded to pay the cost for all of the repairs and work out who owes what with Winnebago. My hats off to Chris Akin (WCC RM), DriVer, and the folks at Arkansas Travelers RV for getting the bottom of the problem and not just replacing the differential which would have been the expedient route but one that would have come back to haunt me down the road. Having been a service manager for almost 10 years, I am beginning to think that I should have had an adult beverage and let the experts do their thing, and my wife thinks I am too old to learn......

DriVer · 06-25-2010, 08:23 AM

Congratulations on having achieved the resolution that you were expecting from your service center. It great to hear that you're out the door and have gotten this issue closed out.

1 more thing to do would be to Rate The Service Center on Workhorse.com if you chose to do so. It's important.

ROMAD · 06-25-2010, 12:39 PM

One step ahead of ya, did it last night....... Thanks again.

DriVer · 06-25-2010, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROMAD

One step ahead of ya, did it last night....... Thanks again.

√

scoutmstr · 06-29-2010, 07:01 PM

For what it's worth. I had my '03 W20 third member replaced under warrenty. Was a Dana problem. Learned later from a real differential shop I could have taken additional steps after the replacement to reduce the whine I now have. By real differntial shop I mean one who earns their living by rebuilding diffs. According to them (and you'll get a lot of input from those who say it's not needed) is the slow break-in of the rear axle gears. Since the pinon is a worm gear it actually slides across the surface of the ring gear as it turns. After the wear pattern is established it makes no difference. However until then (about 500 miles) the recommendation is to initially drive 50 miles let it cool down drive 100 miles cool down etc to 500 miles. Then change the fluid and you are done. I know almost no one who does this (big pain) but it allows the wear in without any bad results. Based on the noise in mine
I wish I had done it. Nothing bad is happening as far as I know but the noise will be there from now on.

edgray · 06-30-2010, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scoutmstr

..... According to them (and you'll get a lot of input from those who say it's not needed) is the slow break-in of the rear axle gears. Since the pinon is a worm gear it actually slides across the surface of the ring gear as it turns. After the wear pattern is established it makes no difference. However until then (about 500 miles) the recommendation is to initially drive 50 miles let it cool down drive 100 miles cool down etc to 500 miles. Then change the fluid and you are done. I know almost no one who does this (big pain) but it allows the wear in without any bad results. Based on the noise in mine
I wish I had done it. Nothing bad is happening as far as I know but the noise will be there from now on.

SCOUTMSTR:

Unless we are able to PU a new coach from the coach builder, almost none of us will be able to personally perform this break-in procedure, probably until it is too late.

You can bet the delivery drivers taking the coach to the dealer from the coach builder are not going to do it for us, and many have more than 500 miles on them at the dealers.