2003 WINNEBAGO BRAVE — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

MY 2003 WINNEBAGO ONLY HAS 9800 MILES ON IT AND IS KEPT UNDER SHELTER. OBVIOUSLY IT HAS HAD LITTLE USE. THERE IS A WINDSHIELD LEAK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, WITH RUST PARTICLES FALLING ON THE DASH. ACCORDING TO INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET, THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE WINNEBAGO/ ITASCA CLASS A MOTORHOMES. I SUSPECT THE COMPANY IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE, AND HAS MADE NO EFFORT TO RECALL AND HELP CUSTOMERS WITH WHAT COULD BE A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. MY FEAR IS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY,HITTING A BUMP IN THE ROAD, AND HAVING THAT WINDSHIELD FALL IN ON MY WIFE OR ON THE HIGHWAY, NOT TO MENTION THE WATER DAMAGE OR MOLD POTENTIAL. THIS IS MY 3RD WINNEBAGO. I BOUGHT IT NEW AT A COST OF OVER $100K. I'VE TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF IT , KEEPING IT UNDER ROOF WHEN NOT IN USE. THE COMPANY TOLD MA THEY CAN NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I ALREADY REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AFTER IT CRACKED MYSTERIOUSLY. I THINK WINNEBAGO/ITASCA OWNERS SHOULD BE NOTIFIED OF THE POTENTIAL, AND THE WINDSHIELDS SHOULD BE REPAIRED OF RUST ON THE INSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD FRAME, AND THE GLASS RESEALED AND REINSTALLED. I KNOW OF MANY SAFETY ISSUES THAT NHTSA HAS TAKEN CARE OF IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY. THIS SHOULD BE NO DIFFERENT. RV MANUFACTURERS SHOULD BE HELD AS RESPONSIBLE AS THE AUTO COMPANIES. FOR THE MONEY THAT IS SPENT ON THEM, THE CUSTOMERS DESERVE BETTER CONSIDERATION. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. THANK YOU

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 WINNEBAGO BRAVE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHUDDER AND HESITATE BEFORE SUDDENLY STALLING AND SHUTTING OFF. DURING THE INCIDENT, AN ELECTRICAL BURNING ODOR WAS PRESENT INSIDE THE CABIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRICAL WIRES CONNECTING THE IGNITION SWITCH WERE FAULTY AND A PROTECTION KIT WAS INSTALLED TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,462.

TL* THE CONTACT 2003 WINNEBAGO BRAVE CLASS A. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER PARKING HIS VEHICLE HE APPLIED THE PARKING BRAKE. AFTER EXITING THE VEHICLE HE NOTICED THAT IT STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS. HE IMMEDIATELY GOT BACK INTO THE VEHICLE AND DEPRESSED ON THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE WAS LATER TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SWITCH FOR THE PARKING BRAKE WAS BLOWN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,018. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,518.

I PURCHASED A NEW WINNEBAGO BRAVE MOTORHOME IN 2003 WITH A WORKHORSE CHASSIS. IN OCTOBER OF 2006 I BEGAN FEELING THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKE WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO THE MOTORHOME. I REMOVED THE FRONT WHEELS AND DISCOVERED HUGE CRACKS IN THE DISC BRAKE ROTORS. I REPLACED THE FRONT DISC BRAKE ROTORS AND THE DISC PADS ON 10-31-2006 (I HAVE RECEIPT). I ALSO DISCOVERED, WHILE REPLACING THE BRAKE PARTS, THAT THE CALIPERS WERE BINDING AT THE SLIDE PIN. I CLEANED THE PINS AND APPLIED SOME WHITE LITHIUM GREASE SO THE CALIPERS WOULD MOVE SMOOTHLY AGAIN. APPROXIMATELY 1 AND A HALF YEARS LATER I DISCOVERED THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE REAR BRAKE ROTORS AND BINDING OF THE REAR CALIPER. ON 03-10-2008, I REPLACED THE REAR ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS. I ALSO LUBRICATED THE REAR CALIPER PINS. THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENT PARTS WERE APPROXIMATELY $600(I DID THE LABOR MYSELF). LAST WEEKEND (02-22-2009) I SAW THAT THE LEFT REAR CALIPER WAS LEAKING FROM THE PISTON BOOT. I CALLED THE DEALER AGAIN AND ASKED THEM FOR A PRICE OF A CALIPER REBUILD KIT. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE CALIPERS COULD NOT BE REPAIRED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED WITH NEW CALIPERS. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE FLUID IN THE MASTER CYLINDER HAD GELLED FROM THE EXTREME HEAT OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM. AT THIS POINT I WAS COMPLETELY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE BRAKE SYSTEM OF THE MOTORHOME. ALMOST EVERY PART WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. I LOOKED UP MY PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET AND DISCOVERED THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH WORKHORSE CHASSIS BETWEEN 2001-2005 I CALLED THE MANUFACTURER OF THE CHASSIS, "WORKHORSE" AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM WITH THEIR PRODUCT. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BRAKE PROBLEM BECAUSE MY MOTORHOME DID NOT HAVE A VIN # THAT WAS PART OF THEIR RECALL. EVEN THOUGH IT FELL IN THE 2001-2003 YEAR. THE TECH MANAGER AT WORKHORSE, GREG DID NOT WANT TO HELP ME WITH THE REPAIR OF MY MOTORHOME AND DID NOT WANT TO DISCLOSE ANY INFORMATION REGARDING OTHER MOTORHOMES WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY 2003 WINNEBAGO ON A WORKHORSE CHASSIS THROUGH AUSTIN TEXAS ON A HIGH TRAFFIC EVENING I HAD A BAD OVERHEATING PROBLEM IN THE FRONT BRAKES TO THE POINT THAT BOTH WHEELS WERE SMOKING. I PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND WAITED HOURS FOR THE BRAKES TO RELEASE SO THAT I COULD PROCEED TO MY DESTINATION. AFTER READING THE BLOGS ON VARIOUS SITES I AM SURE THAT I AM EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM THAT OTHER WORKHORSE CHASSIS OWNERS ARE HAVING. I KNOW THAT I AM LOOKING AT A BIG REPAIR BILL THAT WILL NOT NECESSARILY SOLVE MY PROBLEM... PLEASE LETS GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS SITUATION. I DON'T HAVE A DOLLAR AMOUNT ON REPAIRS YET. THANKS *TR