Winnebago Winnie Drop Thread

[spo-vegas]

Hi there. New member, new TT (Drop) owner.

While I was researching my purchase, it quickly became evident that there was no specific online "gathering place" for current and prospective Drop owners. This thread is an attempt to create that place.

Yes, the R-Pod Forum exists and is a great resource for answers to many Drop questions, but it's also important to acknowledge that there are significant differences between the two manufacturers and the rigs that they produce.

For chocolate and vanilla reasons that don't really matter, parent company Winnebago and their Drop appealed to me, and I would love to have a place to hang with other Drop enthusiasts.

So let's talk!

[spo-vegas]

There are a few past iRV2 threads addressing specific Drop questions, that I think might be of value here:

Towing, General

Covers

Water Connections

Shower Problem

[spo-vegas]

I had a problem with my TV and sound system that took me quite a bit of digging to get to the bottom of, so thought I would post up the solution, in case it saves someone else some time and frustration.

We brought our new 2016 Drop from the dealer and that night, we wanted to hang out in it in the driveway and watch TV. We noticed that when watching a DVD, the sound came through the sound system stereo speakers, but when watch TV with a cable or antenna signal, the sound was coming through the TV speaker instead of the sound system stereo speakers. I wanted the sound to come through the stereo speakers, but an initial google search didn't turn up any quick solution. I went back to the dealer and they told me that there was no way to get the sound to come through the stereo speakers. This didn't make sense to me, since there was audio cable plugged into the "audio out" jacks in the back of the TV.

I dug into the TV and sound system manuals, but found nothing. So a deep dive into google ensued. I finally came across a fairly obscure post on another RV forum that led me down the path to a solution. The entertainment system in my Drop is a Jensen AWM968 and the TV is a Jensen JE1914.

This solution doesn't make a lot of sense, but it's what worked for me:

1. Make sure that the audio cable red and white plugs are plugged into the audio out jacks on the back of the TV.
2. Use the 'Menu' button on the TV remote, and then navigate to the Audio Menu.
3. Turn 'TV Speaker' to 'Off'.
4. Turn 'AVC' to 'On'.
5. Use the AUX button on the sound system to select the 'AUX 1' source.

[spo-vegas]

We got our new Drop out for the first time a coupla weeks ago. Quick shakedown overnighter from Spokane, WA to the Lewiston, ID/Clarkston, WA area in the Snake River valley that sits at an elevation above sea level of about 750' - we went there because it's a few degrees warmer, which is a big deal around here in March!. The round trip was ~240 miles which entailed an overall elevation drop of about 1700' on the way there (due to the descent down the awesome Lewiston Grade just outside of Lewiston) and the same gain on the return trip. With lots of rolling hills in between.

We're towing with a 2013 Nissan Frontier, with a 4.0L V6 that puts out somewhere around 260 HP and 280 Ft-Lbs of torque, both at relatively high RPMs. We were fighting a strong headwind on the way down, and got 9.5 MPG. On the way back it was quite windy as well, but not so in-our-face, and we got 10.

The truck has 6-speed auto transmission, and the owner's manual says to disable overdrive when towing, which leaves me with five gears. I spent time in 3, 4 and 5 while on the highway doing between 60 and 65 (speed limit was 60) on this 2-lane state highway. I like not being "that guy" that is holding up traffic, even though I know I could increase my MPGs by travelling a little slower, especially up hills. Choices. I haven't had it out on a 4-lane, 70 MPH interstate yet, but it's clear that wind resistance is going to be a pretty big deal with this setup. Travelling at 70 is not going to be an option, so I'm preparing myself, mentally, for life in the slow lane.

We've been towing a tent trailer for the last 4 years, which the truck doesn't even know is there. Now, the truck has a 'real job'. As the driver, I also have one, since it takes some attention to manage gear selection, as someone who is wired with a fair amount of "mechanical sympathy". It's kind of hard trying to get used to operating the truck generally in the 3000-4000 RPM range, when I'm used to operating in the 1000-2500 RPM range while running around town unloaded.

We're working-stiff weekend warriors and so we stick pretty close to home, which is good. Can't imagine travelling in this setup across several states, but I think it will serve us well within a 200-300 mile radius.

We're in a pretty urban environment, and owning a 1/2 ton or bigger truck doesn't appeal to me because of the hassles with parking and the generally bigger footprint. The revamped Frontier is rumored to be available in 2018 with a small turbo diesel. The Chevy Colorado already has that option. With higher torques and towing capacities, I'm wondering if these trucks might not be the perfect small-footprint tow rigs for a Drop on longer expeditions.

Would love to hear what you are towing your Drop with and what your experience has been.

[jason330i]

Hello. I am shopping for a new RV and looking at the Winnie Drop 170S, Jayco Hummingbird 17RB, and the R-Pod 180.

All of these are very similar but one thing I do notice is that the Winnie Drop has its fan inside the bathroom, while the others have it above the kitchen.

Seems like a fan in the bathroom is a better idea, no?

[spo-vegas]

Originally Posted by jason330i

Hello. I am shopping for a new RV and looking at the Winnie Drop 170S, Jayco Hummingbird 17RB, and the R-Pod 180.

All of these are very similar but one thing I do notice is that the Winnie Drop has its fan inside the bathroom, while the others have it above the kitchen.

Seems like a fan in the bathroom is a better idea, no?

Probably a matter of personal preference. I'd like to have both, but if I had to choose between locations, I'd want the fan in the bathroom. The bathroom door has gaps at the top and bottom, so even when it's closed, air can pass. For ventilation, which is particularly important when you are closed up in the trailer in the cooler weather, we've just been cracking one of the windows in the front and turning on the bathroom fan so that air flows from front to back. I think I much prefer that to pulling air out of the bathroom into the main compartment. That said, I don't have any experience with that setup, maybe it works great.

[ledenfield]

Hi! We are new owners of a 2016 Winnie Drop! We are looking forward camping soon!

[spo-vegas]

Originally Posted by ledenfield

Hi! We are new owners of a 2016 Winnie Drop! We are looking forward camping soon!

Right on, ledenfield! Let the good times roll...

[spo-vegas]

I dewinterized the water system in my Drop for the first time this past weekend, from what I assume was the factory shipping condition. However, I suppose the trailer also could have been winterized by my dealer. At any rate, it doesn't really matter.

I ran into a hiccup that took me some time to work through, so I thought I would post up about it, in case it saves anyone some time and frustration.

I followed the instructions in the (rather generic) Winnebago Towables Manual and hooked the trailer up to city water, and flushed the pink anti-freeze out of the lines, opening the faucets one-by-one. Then I added the sanitizing bleach solution to the fresh water tank and topped it off. So far, so good.

The next step was to turn on the 12V pump and start pumping sanitized water through the lines. The pump was running and running and running, but nothing was coming out of any of the faucets or toilet. Krap. (Pun intended. )

When the dealer tech did my walk-through at delivery, I asked about how to access the water pump, and he didn't know, for this particular trailer, and I didn't push for an answer. So I was now left to figure it out on my own. As it turns out, there are 6 phillips-head screws holding on a panel section at the bottom of the slideout. 3 are at the top of the long, skinny vertically-oriented panel, and the other 3 are on the smallish horizontally-oriented surfaces at either end of the slideout section.

Once I got this panel removed, the problem was immediately obvious: There are 2 lines that tee into the pump intake. One is fed from the freshwater tank (the one on the right in the pictures below) and the other is for drawing anti-freeze into the system during winterization (valve on the left). Both lines have an in-line valve and both valve handles were oriented so that the long axis of the handle was perpendicular to the line (valves closed). The pump was working hard to pump something, but the valves were closed and had it starved. I opened up the tank draw valve and the pump started doing its thing. Good times.

[ledenfield]

Thanks!

[spo-vegas]

The OEM tires on Winnie Drops (and most other trailers), are not of the highest quality, IMHO. I've had a trailer tire explode while at speed on an interstate freeway, and the experience of getting over to the shoulder and then changing out the flat with the spare while traffic is blowing by you inches away at 70+mpg is something that I would like to avoid repeating, at pretty much all costs.

There are no guarantees, but I wanted to upgrade the tires on my Drop to give me confidence in a higher level of quality, and was getting a bit frustrated with the lack of options. After calling around to a few tire shops, the general message that I was hearing was that my only option was Chinese-made replacements.

Fortunately I eventually ran into a tire shop that was a little more informed...

Goodyear is now producing an "ST" (Special Trailer) tire called the "Endurance", which is made in the good 'ol USA. I ordered a couple and had them installed on my OEM Drop wheels, along with high-pressure valve stems. All up, it cost me around $300. For me, it's a small price to pay for the added peace-of-mind. The Tech that mounted my new tires told me that there was a noticeable difference in stiffness between the tires removed and the tires installed, especially in terms of the sidewalls. FWIW.

It's also worth noting that the Goodyears are rated at Load Range D, versus the OEM tire Load Range C rating. One of the other options I looked at was the Maxxis, which has a great reputation, but which was also rated at Load Class C. This swayed me to the Goodyear. The difference in load capacity between Range D and C is 2040 vs 1760 lbs, respectively, which is a difference of 560 lbs, across the axle. Kind of a big deal. The D needs to be inflated to 65 psi, while the C needs to be inflated to 50 psi. So two different tires, in my mind.

I realize that others will be fine with their confidence in the stock tires and that there is plenty of evidence to support the fact that the stock tires are very adequate, so not intending to disparage them here.

Just thought I would post this info in case it's of value to any other tire nerds/worry-warts out there.

[AlP]

We picked up our new Winnie Drop in January, and have spent 25+ nights in it so far. We've had a few issues, but the most significant relates to the microwave oven. The first time we put two potatoes in it, it shut down and the display went completely blank before it finished the two-potatoe cycle. The display came back on in about 15 minutes, but then shut down again when we tried to finish cooking the potatoes. This has happened other times when heating items for long cooking times. I called High Pointe service, left a message, and got a call back in several days. They suggested that the magnetron fan was not getting enough ventilation where the unit was mounted and it was shutting down when it overheated. Has anyone else experienced this problem? If that is the problem, then an new microwave will not correct it.

[spo-vegas]

Ground-clearance issues with rear stabilizer jacks.

[spo-vegas]

Given that we want to use our Drop throughout 3+ seasons, it didn't make sense to me that it came set up with one propane tank. I converted to a 2-tank system with automatic changeover. Total cost was in the neighborhood of $100. Hopefully the pics are self-explanatory.