r/GoRVing • u/Unixroot42 • 1d ago
Recommendations
Hello! My wife and I are renting a Winnebago Vita (24') this week to see if this is something we want to do. I have heard so many horror stories about RV quality that I'm very. very hesitant to put money down should we decide to go forward. That being said, the recommendations I'm getting are 1) Avoid anything THOR owned (which is like 80% of the industry) 2) Avoid models in the 2021 to 2023 range as the pandemic produced a demand which the manufacturers could not meet so they hired less than competent labor 3) Avoid all models assembly lined where workers are paid by the unit. So...I've been looking at a Gulf Stream Conquest and a Winnebago Minnie Winnie. Even though our rental has a slide out, I don't want a slide out if we purchase a unit (again, so many horror stories). I want to keep to 25 feet or less with either a Ford, RAM or Chevy engine (can't afford the maintenance and headaches of a Mercedes Benz motor).
Am I accurate in my concerns? Do you have other brand/model suggestions?
Thanks!
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u/LeftyLynn99 1d ago
Following this post. My husband retires in 2 years and I keep going back and forth on getting an RV or staying in Air BnBs. I've heard all the things you have mrntioned and more and as much as a lot of things about it appeal to us, I don't know if we want to deal with it even though my husband is very handy. We are looking at Canadian built RVs to avoid a lot of the issues that people experience with American made. A pull behind Bigfoot is the one we're leaning toward, if we get an RV.
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u/Great_Chest_5737 1d ago
I think your concerns are fair, but I wouldn’t rule out an entire brand or model year based on reputation alone. Even two RVs of the same model can have very different build quality and maintenance histories. I’d focus on finding one with no water damage, a solid service history, and getting an independent pre-purchase inspection. Avoiding slides makes sense if you want fewer moving parts to worry about, too. Renting first is a smart move!
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u/Dilbert_55 1d ago
Do yourself a favor and go watch some YouTube videos by Liz Amazing. You will be horrified by the crap being put out nowadays from the top manufacturers. Not all are junk, she has a buyers guide on what to avoid and what is good (not sure if it's any good though). One common theme from her and others is to avoid the top three AKA - WTF. (Winnebago, Thor and Forest River).
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u/LowBarometer 1d ago
She isn't so great. She says to avoid multiplex systems when they, in fact, increase quality and reduce the likelihood of failure.
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u/Unixroot42 1d ago
I have mixed reviews on her. And yes, it is largely junk but there are reputable sources who have major disagreements with her.
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u/ShipshapeMobileRV 9h ago
You're going to hear horror stories about slides simply because no one shares successful stories about slides. I have three Schwintek slides in my own 2017 RV, and two of them have never given an issue. The third one, though....keep reading.
Yes, slides can be problematic. They all have pros and cons. When installed and maintained properly they increase your useful floor plan significantly.
Things to look out for:
Schwintek slide mechanisms used on very long (over 10') rooms, or very heavy rooms, or rooms that extend more than 24" (my own RV has a kitchen slide that's about 12' long, and has much of the kitchen and cabinetry and a pull-out sofa on it, making it pretty heavy...). Schwintek makes one of the cheaper systems out there, and when it's installed according to Lippert's specs it does just fine. However because of the price too many builders slap them into places that exceed the specs (including mine). When the mechanism crashes it's invariably out of OEM warranty, so Winnebago/Thor/whoever leaves Lippert holding the reputation and you holding the bill. Schwintek systems can be rebuilt in the field, but the parts are often custom built, which means expensive and not fast to ship.
Slimrack slides. Another Lippert product, designed around the lessons learned from the Schwintek system. These have been pretty good so far, but there's not a lot of long term reliability data on them yet.
Hydraulic slides. These need a very good battery, and you need to keep the fluid topped off according to manufacturer specs. And keep an eye out for leaks. Otherwise these aren't too problematic.
Cable slides. You arent likely to run into these on a motorhome. They're predominantly used on lightweight towables. Decent mechanism, but won't handle a lot of abuse like potholes, bouncing in the room when it's extended (since these are often used in bedrooms, use your imagination), etc. The cable tension needs to be checked frequently.
Electric through-wall slides. This will be often be a bedroom slide with an electric motor and gearbox under the bed, or a living room slide with the mechanism under the couch. You'll loose a fair amount of otherwise useful storage space. And just like with hydraulic slides you need a really good battery. These are fairly trouble free (until they aren't; the gearboxes tend to be the biggest failure point, and they cost a pretty penny. You aren't likely to encounter these unless you go up to a diesel pusher or super C.)
Rack and pinion slides. About as simple as they get. These need a strong battery, and the rack is touchy about cleanliness and lubrication. They can handle about as mush weight as you can stack on them, but they also drift over time and you have to readjust the room or it'll sag and the seals on the top will leak.
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u/Penguin_Life_Now 1d ago
Overall these are good points, the one thing I would add is that any RV owner needs to be a DIY'er or at least have the ability to fix things on the move when traveling. We have owned a motorhome for 10 years now, (28 ft gas Class A) and can't think of a single trip of over a couple of days where something did not break, sometimes it is stuff that can wait until we get home to fix, other times its not. Last summer we took a 5 week long 3600 mile RV trip and had 3 things break on the trip that would have been real headaches if I were not able to fix them myself, on the first night of the trip just a few miles short of stopping for the night my right rear brakes started dragging and overheating, then on might 5 walking back to the RV from doing laundry just as rain drops were starting to fall I saw a big puddle of water under the RV (the fresh water tank drain valve had let go and dumped all the water on the ground, easy 15 minute fix as I had a spare valve), then the last night of the trip the Starter gave out (even though I just replaced it in 2021) when starting up in front of the office at the RV park to pull into our site (again I got lucky, the nearby auto parts store had one in stock, and I was able to get there 15 minutes before closing, and changed it out early the next morning before driving the last 200 mile to get home).