# Winnebago vs Damon!



## G2EWS (May 1, 2006)

OK this might ruffle a few feathers!

I would like to ask this question and get both personal opinions and any factual evidence that may be available.

Is Winnebago better than Damon?

I have heard this said but do not know.

Looking forward to your polite answers!

Chris


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Overall, yes, I'd say, but not enough to sway me if the right Damon layout or deal suited.

Winnebago is competent, middle-of-the-road stuff - well, I suppose you have no choice with these wide things 

If I were to buy an RV now (I won't, but might on retirement) this is my choice:
http://www.winnebagoind.com/products/winnebago/voyage/floorplans.php

Dave


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## tel999 (Aug 17, 2007)

Hi G2EWS
Are you sitting comfortably.........yes........then I will begin
First let me say I am biased, but as you wil see there is a reason for this.
I retired a couple of years ago and decided to make a small business from my hobby. My hobby was RV's
I felt it prudent to deal with the experts to make sure i was going to deal with the right product, and therefore continue my "Easy Life".So off to the USA.
I spent 10 weeks researching the subject, mostly in Lazydays. I spent my time with the tec's not the suits, I had lunch with them and drank with them after work. I talked to the Chassis Tec's, Habitation Tec's, Bodyshop Tec's, Carpenters, and Mechanics, and Chuck the service manager with manic eyes became my best friend.
After 10 weeks I had the required information. I had the Holy Grail.and FOC I will give it to you.

Tiffin is the finest RV with the best backup bar none. Anyone can talk to Bob Tiffin he has the time of day for everyone and has a passion for his product. He spent an hour talking to me about the new Air Con venting system they had just put in place, this was a result of his son spending 8 days in there lead in model and only being able to fault the AC noise.

Second Winnebago, and for a thousand reasons. MOST OF THEM YOU CAN'T SEE.
Every Winnebago has the super strong body framework and built in roll bars. They drop them from 20 feet onto there roofs to check structural integrity, there adverts used to show a Golf driving over the roof of a Winnebago. When you pull out a drawer you will find it is manufactured from 5 ply the runners ate stainless steel, and behind the drawers you will find plained wood strengtheners.I have seen 5 grown men do pullups using just the outer edge of the overhead cabinets. Check the fibre glass cup holders at the front and you will find a whole steel sub chassis supporting it. The list goes on and on.

To support the info I was shown RV's very popular in the expectancy that had a life expextancy of 4 years. I was invited into a superb LOOKING Rv only to find that if the Motorhome was over 2 degrees out of true you could not retract the slides.
I was taken into one of the 43 full sized habitation shops and shown a 2 year old Coachmen that was having huge amounts of wall panels being replaced, when I asked why it transpires the end grain of the panels exposed to the road are never sealed properly.
So I ended up purchasing the Winnebago products and have done ever since .
To be precise this is the information gleaned from the people who work on them day in and day out, and I am sure I will appear on some hit list for slagging off other products, but this is NOT THE CASE. 
If you have an RV you are happy with that is all that matters and what I or anyone else says it of no importance.
Hope this helps.
Regards
Tel


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## tel999 (Aug 17, 2007)

Hi DAburleigh

You have chosen, in my IMHO one of the very best 32' layouts
I have decided to treat myself and it should be with me in June. You are very welcome to come and look.
Regards
Tel


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

Hi Chris, I don't know, I can only say we are very happy with our winnie. Its now done 37,000 miles, 24,000 of them we have done and to date the only problems we have had were a slight water leak at the front cap, fixed with some sealant of Duncan, a relay on order now £32, and the outside light has blow a couple of bulbs.

I have added various extras, and have been impressed with the construction in places that you wouldn't normally see. As tel says its plywood or solid wood most places you look, and that's screwed not stapled.

Olley


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## Arizona (May 9, 2005)

Nice layout Dave, except for where they've positioned the couch in relation to the TV!

Arizona


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

Hi Arizona, you would have thought they would have sorted that by now, especially after all this time, I get an awful crick in my neck watching it.

I have tried pushing the seat right back but I can't then reach the steering wheel or the pedals. :wink: 

Olley


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Arizona said:


> Nice layout Dave, except for where they've positioned the couch in relation to the TV!
> Arizona


As I'd have the optional 70" sofa, it looks ideal to me. Just like home with feet up 

Dave


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## G2EWS (May 1, 2006)

Fantastic advice so far,

Thanks Dave, Tel superb write up and very interesting and Olley.

There is a lot more of us out there with either Winnebago's or Damon's. So lets see if anyone else tells us more.

Regards

Chris


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## damondunc (Feb 14, 2006)

Hi Folks, 
please bear in mind that this is my personal opinion, all RV manufacturers have various levels of quality, varying from entry level to high line, a lot of winnebago's now have split level floors with all the pipework,wiring and other ancilliary equipment running underneath the main floor very good for insulation but what a pig to work on! Damon and Winnebago have good names for quality the only thing that I would definately say is quality across the board has gone down in recent years as costs and the urge to make more profit have increased. I am sure that all RV owners are generally happy with the quality of the products that they own, and I would say that a lot of it is up to personal choice, and layout preference, all of the ancilliary equipment, fridges ,water heaters,furnaces etc, are the same in most american RV's and the chassis's are manufactured by a small number of large manufacturers and then bought and built on by the coachwork manufacturers. In short therefore there is no real answer to the question I would say they are of similar quality, Olley sounds happy with his winnebago, and we are happy with our damon. The reason we went for what we have is simple: a balance between cost and level of standard equipment, water tank size and inside layout. Dunc.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Further to my musings on nice layout, this is also good:
http://www.gulfstreamcoach.com/products/gas-motorhomes/independence/8330.htm

and this is the start of hopefully a good trend, a decent garage in an RV, without having to go to the lengths, literally, of a toyhauler. I wouldn't want to go to 35ft, but no reason they can't do it in shorter ones too - and with 2 sofas ;-)
http://www.gulfstreamcoach.com/products/front-engine-diesel-motorhomes/crescendo/325.htm
(note the steps at the base of the bed)


















Tel, I liked the Tiffin quality, but not their layouts, unless you can get them to do this AllegroBus layout 7ft shorter 

Dave


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## tel999 (Aug 17, 2007)

Dave
As we all know size is everything......
I eas lucky enough to spend half a day in a Zephyr, it was enough to make you sell up, move to the US and live in one.
Don't ask about the 45' Tag Axle Country Coach with 600 BHP
Regards
Tel


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## dangerous (May 1, 2005)

Hi Chris,
Interesting question, but still down to personal choice. We all rate slightly different criteria as important when choosing motorhomes, quality should be high on that list.
I would say Winnebago build very good quality products, we have not suffered any problems in 18mths, nothing has fallen off or broken. We had a flat battery, but that was replaced by Dudleys, no problem.
The vehicle is really well put togrther, I have crawled all over and under it,very solid.
The thing that really clinched it for us was the exterior lockers, a huge amount of space with really solid doors on gas struts, the lockers also come out with the slide so you dont have to crawl underneath to get your gear. Another big plus was the large payload and still keeping to 7.5t.
Yes we are quite pleased with it.............. 8) 8)   
Dangerous.


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