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11-16-2011, 05:23 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Idaho
Posts: 109
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Workhorse Issues
We have been kicking around and looking at class A coaches lately. A local dealership used MH salesman stated that the Workhorse chassis (GM 8.1/Allison combo) was a nightmare to service and it is extremely difficult to find anyone to work on them.
I am torn between the Ford V10 and the Workhorse, but have found a majority prefer the latter.
What kind of issues can I expect with this GM/Allison chassis?
Oh, I was also told it is inevitable that the electric odometer would fail, too.
Or should I be looking at the Ford Triton.
Can't afford a newer diesel, so It's gotta be one of the gas ones.
Thanks for the help.
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wife, 3 Scotties and an African Gray parrot - and they all terrorize me!
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11-16-2011, 05:27 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Sonoma County, CA
Posts: 6,398
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I have no trouble getting my Workhorse Chassis worked on. I would check on the availability of Workhorse Service Centers where you live or plan to travel. I wouldn't own a Ford, but that is just me. Others opinions may and will be different.
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Wayne & Roberta
08 Winnebago Destination 39W Gas UFO Workhorse Chassis......It's really weird being the same age as old people. I thought getting old would take much longer.
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11-16-2011, 05:33 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 5,314
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The workhorse.com website has a feature to locate service centers. There is one in Boise.
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Tom
2016 Newmar Bay Star Sport 3004
2021 Jeep Gladiator Sport Willys
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11-16-2011, 06:16 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Northern Nevada
Posts: 751
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We enjoy our workhorse chassis. Have not had any real big problems. Lots of power and great ride. Check for brake recall if needed. Good luck JP
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Just the Wife & Me!! & Lily our Yellow Lab
2011 Newmar Mountain Aire 4344 !!
450HP Cummins on a Freightliner Chassis !!
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11-16-2011, 06:27 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SOUTH LOUISIANA(GOD'S COUNTRY)
Posts: 645
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I love my Workhorse chassis. I have never had any problems in the two years I have owned it, except the brake recall. I like the ride and handling and it has plentyof power. I do not like the ford chassis and especially the v10. I owned fords for 25 years, but when they discontinued the 460, i changed my buying practices.
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07 PHAETON, FREIGHTLINER, CAT, FOUR SLIDES, JEEP WRANGLER TOAD
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11-16-2011, 06:29 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Warner Robins, GA
Posts: 2,613
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Jon & Sue Francis (Retired U.S.A.F.)
Lil Girl-Rescued, Abby Rescued, Peaches Rescued
06 Allegro 35TSA Workhorse Chassis
2013 Chevy Spark Dinghy
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11-16-2011, 06:31 PM
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#7
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: West Palm Beach, FL. USA
Posts: 27,563
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Sounds to me like a dealer who is trying to sell a rig on a Ford chassis.
There are plenty of Workhorse service centers, and most thngs can be fixed in any decent shop anyway. We had one for 5 years and getting service was never an issue, whether warranty or customer pay.
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Gary Brinck
Former owner of 2004 American Tradition and several other RVs
Home is West Palm Beach, FL
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11-16-2011, 06:52 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 335
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I don't think your going to find it any harder to find shops for the Workhorse vs the Ford. I also don't think its harder to work on an 8 cyl vs 10 cyl... but that's just my opinion with no practical experience.
If Workhorse had been an option when we bought ours I might have gone that direction as I like the power lower in RPM band. That said, FWIW, my Triton has been great and I've had no problems.
I think everyone makes a lemon once in a while. So how lucky are you feeling?
Find the floor plan you like, the quality you can live with, the options you want at the price you want. If its used have the engine, tranny, and suspension checked by qualified techs. If it's new then you've got a warranty.
I wouldn't let Chevy vs Ford stop me. There are way too many of both of these on the road.
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2024 KZ Durango D301RLT, with solar and LiFePO4
2019 Allegro RED 37BA, 2011 Allegro 35QBA, 2008 Eclipse Stellar TT23LL
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11-16-2011, 07:52 PM
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#9
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Community Administrator
Fleetwood Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Marquette, Michigan "Da UP" & Lehigh Acres Florida
Posts: 21,822
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I have to ask is the salesman selling both the WH and Ford and if so which one would have the higher commission, it sounds like the Ford
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John & Cathy R.
06 Pace Arrow 38L Workhorse W24
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11-16-2011, 07:57 PM
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#10
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Moderator Emeritus
Winnebago Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner Coastal Campers Carolina Campers
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Conway, SC
Posts: 23,641
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gaugeguy
We have been kicking around and looking at class A coaches lately. A local dealership used MH salesman stated that the Workhorse chassis (GM 8.1/Allison combo) was a nightmare to service and it is extremely difficult to find anyone to work on them.
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The salesman does not know what he's talking about. There are several hundred Workhorse Service Centers than can be searched for directly using this resource:
Find a Service Center
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03 Adventurer 38G, Workhorse W22
F&R Track Bars, Safety+ , Ultrapower, Taylor Extremes, SGII
TST 507, Blue Ox, SMI, Koni FSD, CrossFire
RV/MH Hall of Fame - Lifetime Member
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11-16-2011, 08:33 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 1,363
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salesman sounds like a first rate tool. Not to turn this into a ford vs chevy... but the gm is the king of gassers. Aside from the brake issue... chassis is no different to work on than any other moho.
You should ask "Why is the ford so easy to work on??"
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11-16-2011, 09:09 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Avon Lake, Oh
Posts: 2,958
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Some of the highest quality gas motorbikes are using the Workhorse chassis. If I was going the gas route, it wouldn't matter to me, they are both very good. Like another contributor on here said, choose a floor plan, and a coach with the best quality rep. In a gasser, the engine is usually the least of your worries.
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2000 HOLIDAY RAMBLER ENDEAVOR
40 FT--330HP CAT
2 SLIDES-TOAD 2012 focus
Fulltime-Home is where we park it.
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11-17-2011, 10:52 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Idaho
Posts: 109
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Thanks for all your assistance. At least I won't be afraid to chose anything with a Workhorse under it.
Yeah, I think the salesman's shop could repair the Ford chassis, but not the GM/Chevy. Hence the Triton favoritism.
Thanks again!
__________________
wife, 3 Scotties and an African Gray parrot - and they all terrorize me!
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11-17-2011, 12:03 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner Coastal Campers
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Monterey, Tn
Posts: 1,089
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It gets down to a personal choice and the best floor plan. I like the power and ride that the WH chassis and engine provides and the Allison transmission is outstanding. Some folks say that it is easier to have the F53 chassis worked on than the Workhorse. Where I live, i take my rig to a authorized service center in Knoxville,TN. It's a chevy dealer with a large truck shop. They do good work. A friend bought a new class A rig on a Ford chassis. There are Ford dealers in the two towns near us but neither one will work on a motor home. He has to take his rig to Knoxville to a Ford dealer with a truck shop. So, it's not necessarilly easier to get a Ford serviced.
We like our W-20, in fact I'm parked right on the water, in fact 30 feet from the water at Sigsbee Famcamp in Key West, Fl and my Workhorse got us here safely and comfortably.
__________________
2012 Tiffin Allegro 34 TGA
Ford V-10 22000 lb chassis
Brake Buddy Advantage,
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