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04-03-2017, 08:47 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: West Linn, OR
Posts: 145
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Winnebago Feedback
So many times here, as with most forums or yelp type review sites, everyone is so quick post horror stories, complaints and negative feedback. Being in customer service myself, I get it...It's par for the course, even I'm guilty of it once or twice. I'm trying to do a better job of providing positive feedback and spread the word when a company or rep does something positive.
We purchased our first RV back in December of 2015, a Winnebago Vista. For the most part we've been pleased. Minor issues here and there, some trim, a speaker, a water valve, some minor mechanical issues, etc. Nothing out of the norm for a new coach. However toward the end of the year we had some issues with the leveling jacks (lippert). After being in the shop for about 6 weeks they were finally fixed (had to have all 4 replaced along with the pump). All has worked fine since, although with all the rain we've had in California I would have liked to have tested more but whether didn't allow us.
Fast forward about 5 months after the jacks were replaced, 4 months after the warranty expired and We have another issue with the jacks. This time it's low voltage error. After contacting Winnebago, they've been very helpful. They've helped me try and troubleshoot, sent diagrams of what to look for and test, etc. Unfortunately we still haven't found the issues. Winnebago offered to pay the cost of the repair with the caveat that it must be at a dealership. That's where the problem came in. I purchased my coach at a dealership about 2 hours away because it was the only dealer within 150 miles that had the model and colors we wanted. They're always booked out at least 3-4 weeks and to be honest, it's never the most convenient situation. The only dealership within an hour tends to not play nice if you didn't buy from them and make it pretty hard to make an appt, etc. I have an extended warranty with Good Sam but would still have to pay the first $500. At this point I'm don't know how big or small the repair is but what I do know is that I want to be back on the road ASAP and the best option for that is to take it to a local reputable repair shop which is within 15 minutes from me.
After the Winnebago rep said my only option was a local dealer I decided to email Winnebago's president to voice my displeasure with the options given to me. I will say, my email wasn't laced with "I'll never buy a Winnebago again" or "fix this or else" but rather letting him know my displeasure. I let him know the reps had been very responsive and tried to be helpful but that the options weren't to my satisfaction. Being almost 40, my hope is that we'll purchase a few more RVs in our lifetime, I would hope they would make an effort to make this right so that when we do upgrade down the road, it would make it more difficult for us to consider other reputable brands.
I emailed him on Friday and by Saturday I had a response from Michale Happe the President who wrote a nice email and informed me he would be forwarding this to their VP of the Motorhome Division and their Director of Customer Service. First things this morning my phone rang with a number from Forest City, IA and my representative from last week had received a note from management to authorize my repairs at a non-dealership. They just asked that I pay up front and they'll reimburse me (since it wasn't a dealership).
I must say, this may turn out to be a small fix but even so, they don't know that at this point. I'm pretty impressed at how quickly it's being resolved. I know some other manufacturers have been know to do the same thing but I felt it was worth a mention to write about Winnebago making this issue right. And them being as responsive as they've been.
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2016 Winnebago Vista 31BE| 2017 Jeep Cherokee TOAD|Roadmaster Sterling All-Terrain Towbar|RVI3 Braking System
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04-03-2017, 08:59 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: SoCal
Posts: 1,512
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Sounds great. Be sure to update this post with the results, both of the repair and the reimbursement.
__________________
You don't stop playing because you grow old...You grow old because you stop playing!
2004 Itasca M30W
'20 Can Am X3 X RS Turbo RR, '85 ATC250R, '12 Husky TE310
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04-03-2017, 09:00 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: North America somewhere
Posts: 30,652
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I'm glad you had a positive experience! IMO, the majority of RV owners either do not know how, or are reluctant to interact directly with the manufacturer of their RV; complaining is the easiest route. Many manufacturers have a customer service dept. expressly for satisfying customers, with repeat buying the end-goal.
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2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD , ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG 11B5MX,Infantry retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA. " My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. John F. Kennedy
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04-03-2017, 09:39 PM
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#4
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"Formerly Diplomat Don"
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Moorpark, Ca.
Posts: 23,922
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You handled it perfectly. Many start ranting and raving and talking about attorneys. This gets you nowhere. I had a paint issue that needed repair and Newmar wanted me to drive to Indiana from California in the dead of winter for a free repair. That didn't make sense. I involved my dealer and they eventually agreed to pay for the repairs in California. I was out of warranty.
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Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 (Freightliner)
2019 Ford Raptor
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04-03-2017, 10:48 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Sixes, OR
Posts: 258
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I had a thermostat problem with my new at the time 2012 Itasca Eclipse. I'm 3 hours from the dealer and Winnebago service took my word for the troubleshooting results and sent me another one no charge. Appreciated the quick tesponse.
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04-04-2017, 06:04 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Oregon
Posts: 2,728
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Patients is all it took and a few kindly worded e-mails. But as far as not taking to a dealer that Winnebago wanted you to take it to, I'm confused. All you needed to do was hook up your TOAD take it there and leave it until it was fixed. Even if the appointment was 3 weeks out, dropping it off early would have allowed them work on it during slower periods. They always have times when a job might be on hold due to parts issues or just not taking as long as allotted.
But I guess that's just the way I work.
__________________
Retired Navy Submariner
2014 Itasca Sunstar 35F; 5 Star tuned; 2014 Jeep Cherokee TrailHawk
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04-04-2017, 06:54 AM
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#7
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Community Moderator
Winnebago Owners Club Freightliner Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Weyauwega, WI US
Posts: 8,660
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David;
Thank you for taking the time to post something positive about your Winnebago experience. I have always been treated that way from Winnebago.
My father told me many times "you catch more bees with honey than with vinegar." It works and that is why I own my 3rd Winnebago.
Don
__________________
Don & Bev Morgan Weyauwega WI, 05 Itasca Horizon 40KD, 400 HP Cummins, Adopted by a great couple, Toad 07 Saturn Vue AWD, Air Force One, TST 510 TPMS, Mayor of Weyauwega 2007 - 2013, Waupaca Co Board Supervisor 2010 - 2014
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04-04-2017, 08:12 AM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: West Linn, OR
Posts: 145
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperGewl
Patients is all it took and a few kindly worded e-mails. But as far as not taking to a dealer that Winnebago wanted you to take it to, I'm confused. All you needed to do was hook up your TOAD take it there and leave it until it was fixed. Even if the appointment was 3 weeks out, dropping it off early would have allowed them work on it during slower periods. They always have times when a job might be on hold due to parts issues or just not taking as long as allotted.
But I guess that's just the way I work.
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You're right, now with the toad it's easier but still not convenient. It's still a 2 hour drive each way, they are booked out on average 2-3 and even longer if I need a weekend drop off which I do (work, kids, etc). We're trying to get on the road ASAP. This fell right into our kids spring break and already had to cancel a trip which had to be booked 6 months out. We're trying not to cancel two other trips we have planned over the next month, which is why I'm taking it to the local shop. If this was at another time, I may have been more flexible. Can't control when these things happen (murphy's law) but so far I'm impressed with Winnebago's handling of the situation.
__________________
2016 Winnebago Vista 31BE| 2017 Jeep Cherokee TOAD|Roadmaster Sterling All-Terrain Towbar|RVI3 Braking System
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04-04-2017, 08:19 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Denver, CO
Posts: 1,522
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It is good to hear some positive feedback from a negative situation. Did you consider using blocks to manually level your coach instead of relying on the automatic system? It isn't as easy, but it has been done for years and years. It could give you the option of waiting to take it back when convenient and not miss out on fun times.
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04-04-2017, 08:29 AM
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#10
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Registered User
Winnebago Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Jamestown, NM
Posts: 1,262
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I had a minor issue two years ago while my Minnie Winnie was still under warranty.
My experience in dealing with Winnebago was great and they were very helpful, just wished that the authorized repairer was just as helpful. But, thanks to Winnebago, I got the needed repairs done and I've had no problems ever since.
As far as I am concerned, Winnebago's customer service staff are top-notch!
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04-04-2017, 12:15 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,965
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Your "low Voltage error" may in fact be a non-issue. You haven't explained how or when the code occurs, but there are a warnings in the operators manual that cover the subject.
On page 10-3 of our 2013 Adventurer manual under the heading "Slideout Rooms and Leveling" there is the following note:
NOTE: We recommend that you KEEP THE
ENGINE RUNNING WHILE
EXTENDING OR RETRACTING
SLIDEOUT ROOMS so the engine
alternator can provide maximum power
for proper operation of the slideout
mechanisms.
(This same warming appears on page 10-1 of the 2015 Vista owners manual)
This warning also appears on the same page of the 2013 Adventurer manual:
• Start the engine so the alternator can provide
maximum power for proper operation of slideout mechanisms.
There is also a Lippert Bulletin: "Winnebago Leveling Quick Reference 0231"
This bulletin recommends the engine be running to supply the minimum of 12.7 volts required to operate the leveling jacks.
ATTENTION! • Auto Level requires 12.7 volts to start, if low voltage message occurs, run the engine.
If you follow these procedures and still get an error code I would agree you have a problem. However if you don't have the engine running when extending or retracting the room slides and jacks the code may appear because the slide and leveler motors require more amperage than the battery alone can supply.
Sometimes you may be able to get by without the engine running, other times you may not be as lucky. On some occasions we have been able to extend and retract our slides without the engine running and haven't gotten an error code. On others the code has appeared and we've had to start the engine.
__________________
Hikerdogs
2013 Adventurer 32H
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04-04-2017, 01:03 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: West Linn, OR
Posts: 145
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hikerdogs
Your "low Voltage error" may in fact be a non-issue. You haven't explained how or when the code occurs, but there are a warnings in the operators manual that cover the subject.
On page 10-3 of our 2013 Adventurer manual under the heading "Slideout Rooms and Leveling" there is the following note:
NOTE: We recommend that you KEEP THE
ENGINE RUNNING WHILE
EXTENDING OR RETRACTING
SLIDEOUT ROOMS so the engine
alternator can provide maximum power
for proper operation of the slideout
mechanisms.
(This same warming appears on page 10-1 of the 2015 Vista owners manual)
This warning also appears on the same page of the 2013 Adventurer manual:
• Start the engine so the alternator can provide
maximum power for proper operation of slideout mechanisms.
There is also a Lippert Bulletin: "Winnebago Leveling Quick Reference 0231"
This bulletin recommends the engine be running to supply the minimum of 12.7 volts required to operate the leveling jacks.
ATTENTION! • Auto Level requires 12.7 volts to start, if low voltage message occurs, run the engine.
If you follow these procedures and still get an error code I would agree you have a problem. However if you don't have the engine running when extending or retracting the room slides and jacks the code may appear because the slide and leveler motors require more amperage than the battery alone can supply.
Sometimes you may be able to get by without the engine running, other times you may not be as lucky. On some occasions we have been able to extend and retract our slides without the engine running and haven't gotten an error code. On others the code has appeared and we've had to start the engine.
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Thanks, Hikerdogs. My low voltage error is laid out in another thread. I've gone through all of the above with Winnebago and Lippert and read the manual prior to contacting them. Everyone seems to think it's either a high amp fuse (somewhere under the coach, near the pump), a circuit board in the exterior control panel or a bad harness. All of which are beyond my technical abilities (which isn't much).
This thread was just to compliment Winnebago on their customer service with regards to having it looked at further and working with me to get on the road ASAP.
__________________
2016 Winnebago Vista 31BE| 2017 Jeep Cherokee TOAD|Roadmaster Sterling All-Terrain Towbar|RVI3 Braking System
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04-18-2017, 01:27 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: West Linn, OR
Posts: 145
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 4x4van
Sounds great. Be sure to update this post with the results, both of the repair and the reimbursement.
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I just got the coach back yesterday. They had to replace the main wiring harness as well as the harness to the solenoid. That was the initial guess by the Winnebago and Lippert support techs.
Emailed all the documentation to Winnebago and they let me know it should take 3-5 weeks to process the check. Hoping I won't have any more leveling jacks issues but glad Winnebago stepped up.
__________________
2016 Winnebago Vista 31BE| 2017 Jeep Cherokee TOAD|Roadmaster Sterling All-Terrain Towbar|RVI3 Braking System
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