New to this site and know nothing about RVing

[skip1962]

So I have a question to all? My name is Mia my husband and I have been looking at RV's saw a beautiful 2015 Winnebago 35F Vista but been reading lots of negative reviews (ABOUT WINNEBAGO) any one give have any opinions of this particular model to educate me or opinions of which RV is best for new comers entering the wonderful world of Rving. We would love to hear from all. Thank you.

[soonerdave]

You can read negative reports on every brand made, no matter the price! Check the coach over before purchase. Most owners that have problems usually get them repaired in the first year while under warranty. If the coach has been cared for I don't think I would let negative comments keep me from purchasing.

[Mr_D]

from WA State!

You will need to look around and decide what appeals to you.

[Skip426]

Welcome to iRV2.

For someone who's never RVed before , I say , Rent before you buy !
It's a great life style , but it's not for everybody .
Rent for at least two weeks get a unit that's fairly close to what you think you're interested in buying , then take it on the road , you don't have to go any great distances , but a long enough drive to get used to the size and handling.
Then into RV parks and the set up and interior features , you can start to make a " must have " and a " would be nice to have " list to take with you when you shop.

[biggcrisp]

I would love to have that 35F sitting in my driveway because it would be an upgrade over what I have. Unfortunately it will not fit.

If you like big, go check it out and let us know what you think.

[MoCoTom]

Originally Posted by Skip426

Welcome to iRV2.

For someone who's never RVed before , I say , Rent before you buy !
It's a great life style , but it's not for everybody .
Rent for at least two weeks get a unit that's fairly close to what you think you're interested in buying , then take it on the road , you don't have to go any great distances , but a long enough drive to get used to the size and handling.
Then into RV parks and the set up and interior features , you can start to make a " must have " and a " would be nice to have " list to take with you when you shop.

Very good advise^^^

[pumper9x9]

I would advise that you go to rv.org lay out the $150 or so and buy their product. This is an excellent source of unbiased information and a wealth of tips on how to go about the process and reasons for buying rv's. Do your research on the front end and save yourself a lot of headaches down the road.
Good Luck

[hohenwald48]

RVs constantly have a series of little problems with a major issue tossed in every now and then just for fun.

Most bad reviews are written by folks who can't deal with the little issues without a trip back to the dealer. I can understand how that would cause RV ownership to be less than satisfying.

I don't want to sound discouraging but if you can't resolve things like a pump that won't run, a light that won't light or other minor issues you might want to consider something besides RV'ing. Otherwise, you will quickly be disappointed when your RV has to spend 2 weeks at the dealer every time it has a blown fuse or a loose plumbing fitting.

I've talked to so many folks who thought they were just going to drop $150k on a nice motorhome and ride off into the sunset. They now have something that has depreciated by half, a high monthly note, they can't get rid of it and it spends as much time at the dealer as on the road.

These thing aren't like cars. They have all the systems of a house and car combined and have to go down poorly maintained roads at 60MPH and are, for the most part, hastily constructed on fairly fast moving assembly lines. You're just going to have problems so plan on it.

Renting an RV and talking to folks you meet in campgrounds is an excellent way to find out how you like it and if you can handle it. Just my opinion.

[Waiter21]

Regarding motorhomes, I'm pretty far down the food chain. This is my perspective:

I bought an old truck and an old house. I'm able to do the vast majority of my own repairs. If I needed to pay someone $50 - $100 an hour to fix stuff, I'd be broke.

This isn't rocket science, but I must be willing to explore, research, learn, experiment, and do.

The truck and house has stuff that goes wrong , its old. But with preventive maintenance, its almost as reliable as a new one, at 1/10th the cost..

[Tall Tex]

Getting your feet wet with a rental unit is smart. Yes, rental is expensive, but so is the rv lifestyle. It typically takes three or four RVs before you figure out what you like. We are on number five and the second last one.

Once you figure out where you like to go, then the size and floor plan is very important. For example if you want to explore our national parks, then small is important because the camp sites do not accommodate the larger RVs.

If you plan to drive over 10,000 miles a year or drive in the mountains think about a diesel, because they are easier to drive and have engine braking which is safer on long grades.

Once you take the plunge, join a club chapter such as Good Sams to meet new rving friends that will help you enjoy your new life style.

Have fun and good luck.

[marjoa]

Whether the 35F is the RV that’s best for YOU entering RVing…I don’t know. It’s depends on what you’re going to do. There are just so many things to consider when buying a MH. But generally speaking and IMO I would say yes, because:

• It’s not a high dollar MH that will put you in debt up to your ears
• It’s a gas MH so it will be reasonably affordable to maintain (especially if hubby is mechanically inclined)
• It’s equipped with a proven & reliable engine & drivetrain
• If you’re only going to use it as a part time RV I highly recommend you store it inside while not in use. If you don’t, MH’s stored outside, not being used can go downhill quickly. If you do rent a storage area you need to consider that monthly fee also and it will need to be at least 40’ long. When I had my fully enclosed, concrete foundation storage area it was 13.5’ x 50’ to give me plenty of room to work on it. Cost $260/mo.
• The 35F has some wonderful features, a great layout, plenty of storage, good slide systems, it’s 50amp so you have 2 A/C units which will keep you cool in hot summers, very capable generator, lots of windows, comfortable to live in.
• Has very good weights and measures in all systems and chassis
• Has plenty of headroom. I’m 6’ 3” and have plenty of room
• Large shower in Master Bedroom Bath

With that short list, my wife & I love our 35F and we bought it to live in full time (FT) and travel in. Ours is a 2012 and doesn’t have the overhead bunk like the one you were looking at. For us, we didn’t need or like that feature anyway. We preferred the cabinet space overhead and didn’t need the extra bed.

The 35F is just the right length for the both of us @ 35’ 2” in length and 12' 3.5" in height. We love the 2 bath because we have our own space for getting ready after a shower or a quick clean up. Plus visitors can use the 1st bath without going through our bedroom. We do wish we had a little more counter space in the kitchen but what we have is fine. We removed the OEM, long fold out "J" couch and installed a double leather reclining love seats with console and then with the extra space on the end, I built a desk for my office equip. to run my business while on the road. The OEM couch is not comfortable, doesn’t recline, and is not really functional. Looks pretty, looks roomy, but not comfortable or practical as most OEM couches are. We also built drawers under the booth seats to increase kitchen/pantry storage and make it easier to access that space. I built them to match and look like an OEM install with matching front cabinet panels. I could could go on for hours on what we’ve done and the mod’s we’ve made to our 35F to prepare it for FT. You'll also probably find that you’ll want to replace the OEM queen mattress as well to a much better mattress. We did.

The other main thing about the 35F that we love is the CCC. (cargo, carrying capacity) This is very important. You really have to watch these numbers when you’re looking at ANY MH to buy. Now we don’t have a washer/dryer. Waste of space & money IMHO. But that being said, we have a dry weight of about 19K and a GVWR of 22K so we can carry 3K lbs. of stuff, water & fuel and there’s plenty of space in the cargo bays in the basement to carry a lot stuff. With a GCWR of 26K even if we did max out at 22K GVWR, we can still tow up to a max 4K vehicle. We tow a FORD Fiesta which is only 2,700lbs. So, rolling down the road, we are well below our GVWR and GCWR weights.

The 35F is a fairly easy MH to drive, park and live in. We have added some mods to make it even easier to drive and handle.

Winnebago (WGO) does have a unique roof. WGO uses a single fiberglass roof sheet that “rolls over the outside edge and tucks” under the drip edge gutter. You have to watch that area and maintain it. Check it every 6 months, perform proper PM that's easy to do. You can read more on that on this forum.

As everyone will tell you, EVERY MH has it’s own little quirks, and things to watch for, slide & leveling systems and so on. I’ve touched every inch of our MH since we bought ours in Sept. 2016, either upgrading it, maintaining it, PM procedures or what have you in preparation for FT, and I’m constantly amazed on how well built ours is and it’s ability to satisfy all our needs.

The Vista 35F IMO is a great coach and plenty of bang for your buck. But since you’re new at this I highly encourage you to look around a lot, read this forum a lot, gain understanding of not only what to look for in a MH, but what it takes to travel and maintain one. Then, as you grow more confident of what you want/need and what you’re willing to do—and pay for—the answer of “what’s best” for YOU will come into focus. But the 35F is great start.

[marjoa]

A few more pics...

[marjoa]

and a couple more...

[Jerrilynn]

Marjoa, thank you for this information. I have also been looking at the Vesta XL 35F. Along with the OP we have yet to purchase an RV. Love your mods!