Community Forums

aznancy · 08-11-2014, 02:44 PM

Is anyone having a problem with driving the Vista? I have a problem with it when driving over 40 mph. It is not tracking it goes all over the road and feel it is dangerous to drive.
I contacted Winnebago and they were no help!

Grandpere · 08-11-2014, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aznancy

Is anyone having a problem with driving the Vista? I have a problem with it when driving over 40 mph. It is not tracking it goes all over the road and feel it is dangerous to drive.
I contacted Winnebago and they were no help!

You do not say how old your Vista is, so I am just going to make some suggestions, please excuse me if you have already done these: how old are the tires, old tires can cause lots of steering problems. Do they still have lots of tread, not that this is a good indication of age but if they are wore out, this can cause handling problems. Have you checked the tire pressure to make sure they are at the proper pressure? Have you checked the steering joints? Are the ball joints tight? When was the last time the wheel bearings packed? Give us some more information and maybe then you will get better answers.

aznancy · 08-11-2014, 06:29 PM

I have a 2013 Winnebago Vista 26he I know have 5000 miles on it. We drove from AZ to NJ and it was all over the road. It was only about 1/3 full and tire pressure was checked before we left as recommended by manufacturer. I think it was 90. I just read a post that someone lowered it to 85 and the ride was better. I may try that. I would not recomend this vehicle because of the very short wheelbase. I love the comfort and layout but driving it is horrible. I can't wait to get rid of it. We do not feel safe in this vehicle!
It looks like people like the 27N I might try and test drive the Itahca Cambria or the smaller class C Navion. They both have a much better wheelbase ratio.
Thanks for any comments for a new RVer

DeWat · 08-12-2014, 01:50 PM

My previous '13 Vista 35B didn't drive "real bad", but it was still improved when I lowered my tire pressure to 90 psi all the way around.

BBQ Judge · 08-12-2014, 02:07 PM

We have the same rig, 21,000 miles on it since new, run my tire pressures at 90-92 psi for our 15,000 lbs. gross weight. My rig is so stable I can take my hands off the steering wheel for up to 15-20 seconds on a smooth level road and 55-60 mph. We love it.

Besides the other suggestions, have you had the front end aligned as suggested by Winnebago when loaded to your normal travel configuration?

Hopefully you can fix the problem and appreciate the rig.

osok · 08-13-2014, 04:50 PM

I never owned a Vista so this is my experience with another model. My previous coach Itasca Sunrise 33, was a white knuckle driving experience. Below are my experiences and they may or may not help with your issues.

Got coach weighed when in our normal travel mode(weight), and then set tire pressure by tire manf. recommended pressure for the weight. This helped some and was worthwhile getting coach weighed. This will also enable you to get the most life from your expensive tires. Running too much pressure can cause your front end to wander and if running to low pressure you can overheat tires that can cause a tire to experience a sudden failure. Not good. Get all four corners weighed individually.

Ensure your front end is aligned.

The next thing I did was install a rear Trac-Bar. Made driving the Sunrise a pleasant experience. This stopped the tail wagging the dog effect by about 80%. Greatly reduced the push I felt when an 18 wheeler passed. iRV2 sponsors (Brazels or Henderson's) sells Trac-Bars as do many other companies. They also have front Trac-Bars but I have no experience with one.

Another item for Ford chassis is what is called the Cheap Handling Fix. Do a search on this site and you will find information.

Last item that may help is Safe-T-Steer steering stabilizer. If I was to do any of these modifications this is the last I would do for your problem. This is designed first to assist with vehicle control under a sudden tire failure experience. Secondary many people have received normal steering help.

Winnebago makes a good product but I think your problem is the Ford chassis and yes Ford makes a good chassis. You just need to get yours tuned in. Recommend you do a lot of searches of past threads on your problem and also search by the suggestions above. I think you will be able to narrow down what would be best fix(s). I would also call Brazels and Henderson's and ask them what are the common fixes for your problem. The are both good companies and will work with you.

If you are a home mechanic you can install any of the above products yourself.

Good Luck.

osok · 08-14-2014, 01:21 PM

Forgot to welcome you to iRV2, so welcome.

Suggestion, I would ask your question about handling in the Winnebago Owners forum. Should get a lot of responses with thoughts and help. iRV2 is a great forum with many people, with a lot of experience and willing to help. I do believe you can get that Vista to handle well. Winnebago has a lot of them on the road and that would not be the case if all had handling issues.

Good luck and happy camping.

IdahoSRT10 · 08-15-2014, 01:13 PM

Your tire psi seems a tad high (80 psi with GY RV tire). Make sure your front wheel 'caster' is about 4.5 -5 degrees pos. Do the alignment first, mine was way off from the factory. Add suspension components to suit you needs...trac bar, steering stabilizer ect.

DieselTech39 · 08-31-2014, 10:05 PM

Better late than never they say. Glad you're aboard. Sorry to hear you're not liking your Class A. Hope you can find something you're comfortable with so you can enjoy your adventures and be safe.