Winnebago 2108DS 1 year review.
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- čas přidán 24. 07. 2024
- This is a one year review of our Winnebago 2108DS travel trailer. In this video I show the features that we like about the trailer and describe a few of the problems we have had since purchasing the trailer new.
- Hudba
I have a 2021 2306 BHS and I agree there is no quality control at Winnebago. I like the components of the trailer, they just need to build them better and put quality back into their ptoduct.
I dont believe any trailer had any quality control. They blow them out and let the customer debug them. We bought a keystone hideout and it was an unfathomable disaster of broken pieces. Not sure any trailer is worth the money.
Great video. I've been researching trailers lately and had Winnebago on the short list, so I'm really grateful to you for saving me from making a big mistake. I spent several years working in quality assurance, so I have no tolerance for a mature company selling a product this bad.
Thank you Wayne, I had thought that Winnebago was one of the better brands but every time I was in the dealership their were several people in the waiting line with a similar story as myself.
there is no perfect rv company out there they will all come with stuff you will have to deal with sooner or later..
@@austingipsysite
I just finally decided on buying a winnie. Until i came across your video. I have zero love for poor quality. I work way to hard for my money. Thankyou so much for taking your time and making this video
You're welcome, thank you for watching! The poor quality and after sales service have been a real disappointment for sure. Glad to hear I saved you the headaches!
My Winnie 2015 2101DS travel trailer is doing great...nine years down the road.
Really appreciate and respect how you're pointing out these issues and you're on top of things thank you thumbs up
Thank you for your video! A 1 yr walk through tells you alot! And you have been plenty patient with those repairs! Ill be looking at the dometic appliances with open eyes now!❤❤❤❤
Great info from a mechanic's perspective thank you. Best realistic review. I'm looking at buying someone's 2021 this morning and this will give me some things to ask about and watch out for.
This video was SUPER helpful!! Thanks so much and I wish you many happy adventures!
Thank you!
It was nice to watch and listen to the opinions of a fellow mechanic. I work on a lot of remote jobs and have lived in trailers away from home for years at a time, no matter what you buy or how much you spend the components they use seem to always be trouble, and the dealership service is often a disappointment. I usually just contact the manufacturers warranty department and have them ship the parts to me direct to fix it myself. The only thing worse than the manufacturers QC is the dealership service department’s QC.
Yes, I've learned that all manufacturers have the same sorts of problems, then as you said service departments are lacking qualified "techs" to do the repairs, now that it is off warranty I'll be doing the repairs myself. This is about the 7th RV that I've owned it's been the most trouble.
I don’t anything about trailers but them red wires hanging down in the back aren’t confident inspiring
Most good mechanics I know start working for themselves. Dealership techs tend to be new, less than competent, or don't want the hassle of running their own business. You can only hope you get the latter. I bet it's the same for RV techs. On the plus side, the independent guys will usually come to you and be done in a fraction of the time.
A lovely thorough review that is nicely balanced between the good and the sometimes bad. As others have mentioned, the message to Winnebago and the dealer should be better quality control. But lots to like. After looking at many trailers in this size range the 2108DS ticks more boxes than most in terms of storage, light inside and towability. Thanks for this 1 year review.
Thanks for being so candid about your trailer. I'm glad you still like it even though you have had numerous problems. I totally blame it on the current suppliers of components because you can find the same problems on every brand right now. We still like the way these are built compared to some and they're on our short list. Fit and finish is important to us. It' just the RV industry in general right now. A person just needs to really inspect before buying and try the slide several times. Also, we are fortunate to have a great dealer close by.
Yes I think you're safe buying one if you have a good dealership that will check it over well before you pick it up and look after any other issues down the road. I don't think any brand is trouble free.
Purchased 2021 Winnebago 1708 fb … dealer had everything prepared when I arrived. My first trip out a week later ? Water heater quit!! I kept burning out the safety diode ??? I cleaned burn tube and it’s ok now .. I also noticed the ladder in the rear? Screws coming out ? Had to repair that.when you level the trailer … my screen would not stay latched.. had to fix that. The grey water button not working? Took that apart and there was not enough clue on back …Next time after 4th trip ? Heater will not light… sail switch is on the way from Amazon now. Didn’t need heater this summer.. I’ve been doing the work myself . Dealers are months out.. basically any trailer will need repairs !! I also believe Winnebago has a good product. The price is dometic is garbage . Basically every time I take it out something breaks ..
Last year we purchased a pre-owned 2019 2106DS. Ours has been pretty much problem free. It is a lot better trailer than our prior 2017 Rpod that we purchased new as far as size, layout, storage, quality of materials, and quality of construction. We never really had any issues with our Rpod and were surprised how much better we liked our Micro Minnie.
I think many of the problems you are having is because of the huge demand for RVs after Covid that resulted in poor quality control.
Yes, the pandemic was definitely a factor.
Excellent video. For that price point you’d expect better. Should not have left the factory, much less the dealer with those problems.
Thanks Austin! Being a first time buyer, such an informative video. BTW, awesome pick up truck!
You're welcome, I'm glad it was helpful. And yes I love my old truck too!
Wow, Thank Goodness i watched this video. I was definitely going to buy this exact model in a few weeks but now im totaly going to avoid this model or any other product made by Winnebago. I was always under the impression that Winnebago made Great Rvs and motorhomes. After seeing this i wouldnt buy a picnic table made by them. Thank You So much for this eye OPENING Video.
Just watched this video. I've owned a Winnebago 1708FB for over a year and have 50+ nights with it with absolutely no issues. There is definitely quality control issues in the RV industry in general, not just Winnebago. Like the video said---make sure you get a Pre Delivery Inspection.(PDI) and you'll be fine.
Bought my 2108 in Jun 2023, one drawer stayed open while towing, slide is a little wonky, no leaks, havent used the heater yet, AC fine, switches all work. But I'm not a mechanic. Appreciate your vidoe, I will do a detailed underbelly inspection.
Thank you! Definitely check the underbelly for any openings, rodents don't need much of a gap to get inside.
Thanks for such a frank video; it confirmed for my wife and I that we did the correct thing by skipping the RV’ing in retirement and instead just buy a new Jeep Wrangler JLU to go on long term camping trips where we use the money we saved not needing a big truck nor have bought the RV to just rent hotel rooms. Thanks again, good luck!
Yes that definitely will save you a lot of money and headaches.
So you don't go camping ?
Great video! I like the old Ford better than the trailer though! How about a nostalgic review of that baby?! Nice to have a review done by someone with mechanical knowledge as well. 👍
Thank you very much! And yes I could do a video on the Ford as well it gets a lot of attention these days. Not too many of them left.
Winnebago is definitely off my list of a decent trailer to buy.
Great review
Thank You very helpful
Quality control is terrible. I have been looking into purchasing something like this. Thank you for the video and honesty. Thin I am going with the saying, "Less is more" after seeing this video.
Great overview, thank you
We had a very similar situation on our brand new 2023 Cruiser RV MPG 2100RB. We have had it about a year now and I have had to fix switches, the water heater blew a fuse link, the refer blew a fuse link, The bathroom cold supply line blew off and almost flooded the camper. Lots of other little issues as well. We have a warranty on it like you but we have decided to not continue with it because of the lead time on parts and service. I am still waiting for them to call me about the refer but I have since repaired it myself as they misdiagnosed the issue (they said the control panel was bad and it was a inline fuse). All in all if you buy a camper get ready to fix it yourself and stay away from their warranties as they are not worth it at all.
Nice little Trailer! but looks like Winnebago needs way more QUALITY CONTROL things seem rushed and cheap!! Hello from Alberta and grew up on Saltspring Island. Happy camping
Yeah nice design but definitely missing the quality control. I was born and raised in Alberta 😁
I have a 2019 1808fbs and it has been a very good trailer, I would rate the quality as very good, a couple of cosmetic issues with interior wallpaper but that's about all.
That's good to hear, I think my trailer was one of those "covid trailers" people talk about.
I just spent $1200 to have my slide repaired- new wiring harass and switches. I had a recall on my cabinet handles. I noticed that you still have the original handles. The fake trim on the bottom of all of my cabinets are falling apart. I have not been able to get Winnebago to respond to this problem. I like the swivel on the bathroom sink. I put in a taller faucet thinking that would solve the problem but it did not. I found foldable cloth baskets to put on the shelf above the bed and they fit perfectly to hold some of our smaller things. I have a new water heater, fixed the stove and heater, and with the slide fixed I I will keep this trailer until I buy my motor home. It works for me and the dog to get away.
I have some ongoing issues with my slide as well, I'm waiting on an evaluation of it at the dealer. In regard to my door handles... I cut my leg on one the first time we had it out so I took a small file and some sandpaper and removed all the sharp edges. I got the recall notice in the mail and called the dealer, they told me that the new handles don't line up with the original holes, so they would have to drill new holes. I decided to pass on getting them done. Sounds like you have had your share of defects too.
I have one one leak when we first got it which we fixed wasn’t tightened
Otherwise it’s great love it
Thanks for this honest feedback. It seems all the brands are laden with problems.
That's true I've talked to dozens of other RV owners and they have similar stories no matter the brand.
Good info on this video. $48K plus for these trailers, and this is unacceptable.
We had the same problem call Dometic they send a replacement free.
great review. I really like the hooks and stuff you added throughout to organize things better especially what you added in the bathroom. Can you share what is the organizer you added to the bathroom medicine cabinet?
Thank you! and yes I'll make sure I mention the added items.
Nice video. Sad to hear about all those gremlins in a brand name that usually means quality when purchasing. I will definitely request a PDI before I buy one and I might consider a different brand which disappoints me being from Packerland where everybody and their mother has a Winnebago in their driveway.
I had a similar new 2019 Winnie and it was a constant problem. Roof antenna leaked, furnace needed constant maintenance due to poor unfiltered intake air, tv was doa and had a best buy refurbished sticker on the back when we took it down, vent over stove never worked, light in slide quit working, bathroom vent fan quit working, entry door hinges froze.
I have the same trailer and have the same water heater with the same problem, I was told it was a bad batch of thermo couplings and the dealer gave me a couple of new ones and said that will fix the problem. Trailer is winterized and in storage now so once spring is here I will see if that fixes the problem.
The thermal break was replaced in mine about 6 or 8 times (the first time was when they demonstrated the unit for us), nobody ever found a cause. They run it in the shop and it doesn't fail but when in use outdoors a slight breeze causes the burner to flutter and then it back fires. It keeps blowing out then restarting until the thermal break melts. The last time I had it in the shop they removed the bead of silicone that is between the housing and the water heater access cover. That was at the end of the season so I won't know until this spring if it made a difference. I have a video of it popping and restarting if I do a follow up video I will add it.
May want to see if can replace water heater with truma aquago...heard good things about it,.... like its a company been around since the late 40s in Europe. Lakeland Fl or Elkhart Indiana service center might be able to exchange it out for you.
Thank you, I'll research that brand.
I agree with many of the comments. Sadly, nearly all the RV manufacturers use poor quality parts and even worse quality labor. The old saying, "don't buy something built on a Friday" is usually true. The dealers are nearly useless for repairs and Always busy and slow to fix anything. Don't get one unless you have the ability to make many of the repairs yourself.
if it works once and then quits, that's what mine did, move the high temp fuze-link to the side with a short jumper wire.. when they redesigned them to use one control board for both gas and electric they just start failing all the time..
Nice truck
I attribute lots of these issues due to the collateral affects post “C”. The shortage of work staff, part shortages, lack of quality checks due to rush out door to meet demand. All co$t the consumer. Its why I postponed any purchase and prefer a used 2018 or earlier than new rig. Sorry for your troubles.
I have a micromini 2020 I am having trouble with the frame it is cracked in the front, and I heard in your Video you, said the Bolts were loose on the frame, mine were two. And I tighten them up. It got so bad where the siding was coming off on the side. I have talked to several dealers and no one will fix it.
Winnebago should definitely be looking after that, the frame shouldn't be cracking. I'll have to keep an eye on mine too. I would write them a letter.
Nice Ford !
If you don’t mind me asking , what brand tires do you have on there? They look pretty good. 👍 thanks for the info on this camper.
They're called Westlake CR857+ / 6 ply. They seem to be holding up and wearing well. No complaints on them 😁
@@austingipsysite hey I appreciate it 👍
When we bought our trailer, not a miniwinni, I sent them my PPI list and told them I expected it all to be completed before we show up. They did a great job I will say. The only thing so far is we had them replace the kitchen sink. Cheap China crap. Otherwise no issue with our Forest River. Good video though.
Thank you! I came close to buying a Forest river but it was located on the mainland the Winnebago seemed easier at the time.
Pretty much all the same problems with my 2108tb. The next owner will love this thing though lol now that warranty is up I’ve torn it apart fixing all the small things. Been through water heater thermal cutoff switch, furnace breaking due to dirty sail switch, upgrading to lifepo4 and changing the converter, multiple leaks from the water lines in kitchen and bathroom, adding weather seal on all the cabinets for better insulation. Also I’ve owned it a year and every time I tow it more saw dust appears in the cabinet areas from the lazy installers drilling holes and never cleaning up. Still planning to weld up a tire carrier that mounts to the front and then putting batteries in storage area, add some more solar etc. already invested now so whatever lol
I feel the same, the trailer is exactly what we wanted so once I've repaired all of the defects it will be great. Who'd have thought we were buying projects? :) Funny thing, I was checking out the control box for the slide drive motors (for when one fails) and in behind the access cover there were several left over pieces of electrical wire and wood waste.
my god. Has this stuff been fixed under warranty? Its got a lot of problems.
Nice ford truck looks good
Thank you, it's a great old truck!
I have had an issue with my slide-out twice now and it is only a year and a half old
Does it bind when you're moving it in and out? Mine turned out to have a broken H frame.
Ya getting into the dealer to get things fixed is a joke and getting reimbursed by winnebago for mobile mechanics takes forever. Warranty is worthless. I’ve been just fixing all my own stuff but I am getting it dialed in and liking it.
Yeah I bought mine thinking I wouldn't have to work on it. 😂 I already have enough projects on the go, but well one more now.
Well, you convinced me to stay away from Winnebago. Thank you for the informative video. Good luck with your camper.
Did you add the range hood or it came with the trailer?
It came with it.
Getting one of these in April, Can you fit two type 27 batteries on the battery channel? Or could you only fit two 24s? Thanks
At the narrowest point of the battery tray it measures 23 1/2" and I think a type 27 is 12" in length. So just a half inch too narrow. It would be possible to move the tray (Not really a tray just two pieces of angle iron welded across) back towards the body of the trailer though.
I wanna know what shelf and hooks you have
My wife got them at the dollar store. The one above the bathroom sink I mounted using the factory screws under the medicine cabinet. All of the hooks are stuck on with double sided removeable tape that we got on Amazon. www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08LNHFVDG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (I didn't want to put any holes in the walls). The hooks on the slide trim are an S shape that just hook over the top. Glad to hear you like your trailer they can't all be bad. :)
What did you have to do to fix the furnace?
The dealer repaired it, as far as I know they just replaced the pressure regulator at the tanks.
Boats and RV, better to buy lightly used. Let the first owner work out the inevitable Quality Control issues. One or two years old will have things fixed, little upgrades installed and cost less. Just my two cents.
I agree with you there, I've never purchased a new vehicle or RV in my life but at the time prices were going crazy and people were asking as much for two or three year old Winnebagos as I paid for this one. I thought having a warranty would be a benefit.
I'm looking at trailers now. I guarantee I can find quality issues that are visual in every trailer I've looked at. This just seems to be common in the RV industry. Its not a recent development. Seems like its just a part of the industry historically.
Yeah I guess it's a sign of the times, I've owned several different brands of RV over the years and I've never seen such poor quality.
Wow, I'd be mad as hell to have so many issues in a NEW trailer. Uffda.
Yeah, Winnebago got a lengthy letter from me.
I guess my question is what would you have gotten instead of this? Especially at a similar size/weight
Glad you asked! In January we replaced the Winnebago with a 2024 Flagstaff 21FBRS, size weight and layout are very similar. I'd say you get a lot more for the money with the Flagstaff and we've had it out on several trips for a total of 26 day/nights and we haven't had a single problem with it. There's lots of good videos here on YT that show the construction of the Flagstaff if you are interested.
@@austingipsysite thanks for responding, I was looking at the micro flx as a full time rv. but now im kinda having issues finding a full time rv site in ohio. Thinking more now of buying a mobile home or prefab on a plot. very informative video :D
@@notoriousshizzane2696 I think the mobile/prefab would be a better choice during the winters. Even with the "cold weather package" travel trailers still need to be skirted to keep them from freezing up.
If the heater wasn't working correctly why didn't they replace it under warranty?
The furnace they repaired but they didn't say what was wrong with it. And the water heater was an ongoing problem that took almost a year to get repaired. The thermal cutoff was blowing (like a fuse) and they would just replace it, not knowing why it blew.
@@austingipsysite The whole trailer is suffering in some way and should have been replaced a real shame you got treated like this, cheers from Australia.
What year was this one made?
2021
😊
Schwintek slides are problematic. You’re not supposed stop in the middle of deploying or retracting the slide. It will throw the motors out of sync. There’s videos on CZcams to show how synchronize the motors.
I'll check that out. When the dealer demonstrated the slide he stopped and started it a few times midway. Told me they synchronized themselves. Hard to say how many times it's stopped on it's own. :/
@@austingipsysite if it’s stopping on its own then there’s a problem and should be checked out by a tech.
@@markreams3192 Thank you Mark, my trailer spent two weeks at the selling dealer and then another 6 weeks at another dealer getting all of the defects repaired. The slide was normal in their opinion. So I guess that speaks to the quality of the unit.
Purchased 2108DS December 2020. 6 failed water heaters, failed furnace, several failed waste tank valves, cupboard doors fell off, door lock fell off, water leaks, refrigerator failed, underbelly came loose, prpoane gas leak, inside light switches failed. All within a few months of purchase. Nightmare.
Wow that sounds worse than mine, sorry to hear. this weekend while de winterizing I found a water leak in the line to the water heater and the back splash on the wall behind the sink is delaminating. Can't wait to see what else this years camping season brings.
I cant believe that u buy something brand new and it doesn't work!? Thats insane.
I had a 2022 and traded it for a 2023 Flagstaff 21FBRS, so my answer is NO!...
I own a 2022 winnebago 2108ds like this one and love it! I did have a number of different issues to have fixed , however I had a 2021 forest river Ibex and the quality of the interior and exterior were really bad! So I traded it after one year and got the Winnebago. At least the quality of materials used are much better, eventhough the workmanship is not the best!
I don’t mean to sound negative but it seems like there’s so many things wrong with your trailer right from the get go
Any pandemic era travel trailer is having problems, very poor quality control during that time.
That makes sense, its unfortunate that Winnebago wouldn't be more helpful.
Wow, that’s just not acceptable to me, the underneath, the water heater, the jacks etc… you paid big money for that Winnebago, their reputation for me is 🤮. I’m sorry you have to deal with all their incompetence on a brand new TT. Thank you for doing this video, companies who throw these together have no business being in business !
Definitely not acceptable, unfortunately I didn't find all of the defects until I got it home and tried using the trailer. When I called the dealer they literally said "Welcome to RVing" then they said they couldn't look at it for at least 3 weeks.
Frustrating that you have hot water and stabalizer switch problems. Ive seen other vids on the same problem. Its a known problem.
Yes, very frustrating. One stabilizer has recently stopped working altogether. And I've heard many people with the same water heater issues.
I hate those switches. I had to replace mine too. They had to be the same switches. Garbage
I will Never buy something that has a broken track record ,thanks but as far as winnebago ,I will take the Zero.
The last few years, RV companies seem to have adopted Chinese quality control practices (as in, none at all). Used is probably the smart move these days, as the first poor bastard hopefully fixed everything the factory screwed up. Speaking of screws, loctite is your friend, especially in something that vibrates as much as a RV. Shame the factories don't agree.
At the prices they are charging for RVs today there is absolutely no excuse for using those cheap Chinese garbage components. All these crap parts together would amount to maybe a couple hundred dollars difference to the manufacturer compared to better (normal) quality components. And the lack of quality build control is just plain laziness combined with greed. It's not just Winnebago, or whoever is pretending to be Winnebago today, it's pretty much all RV manufacturers. We are in serious need of RV lemon laws in the US. As it is now there are really no consumer protections. Warranties are useless if you can't trust the company. And I can't name a single modern RV company I would trust with my money.
I too bought a 2108DS in December 2020. Total lemon, everything broke, EVERYTHING. Trash. Winnebago did not honor the warranty. Yes it tows well which is the only positive thing about it. AVOID WINNEBAGO.
Just think if you weren't a mechanic. this thing would have fallen apart.
Yes it was ironic how I purchased it with the idea it would be something new that I wouldn't have to work on, but it ended up being one of the most expensive projects that I ever took on.
2 weeks at a dealership? Then a place in Parksville who has been working on it on and off for a year!? Seriously? Hope you haven't spent much......
Kind of a disastrous review for what people would think would be a good trailer. They really need to do better.
100% serious, definitely not what I had expected from Winnebago.
so cheaply made , just looks nice but it falls apart the more you use it sasd
Yes and I've learned that they all have the same problems. Whenever I was at the dealer service department there were always a few other people in line with the same story but different brand of RV.
So it’s a POS.
I would never own these big brand names again , they're just crap, horrible workmanship, and , no excuses , they've had decades to solve all the leaks , delamination and complete lack of vision in upgrading to modern needs , not worth a dime .
Won't buy one now. Junk like all the rest.
A lot of poor quality overall. I.E. underside falling down, water heater not working, bath sink flow poor design, rusted drain valves and cheap switches all around. I thought this brand was better than this ! Also have a friend wt a 1705 model tandem axle and the axles were delivered out of align which wears the tires out really fast. Also interior appliances are coming loose from mount points inside so shawty workmanship. 2015 and 2023 models.
Finally parts taking for ever like the cheap fridge handle. oh my God !
Yes, Winnebago has definitely shown to be a disappointment all round.
Sound like a cheap, piece of crap with NO quality control and with so many things not working to begin with I would have left it on the dealers floor. Sad to say so many things manufactured today are just about worthless. How could the dealer look you straight in the eye and take your money knowing that travel trailer was a piece of junk and everything was not working as it should be...I guess no ethics any more, all about big bucks....the cheap Chinese switches that they want a fortune for says it all!...No Winnebago for me, ever!!!
Yeah in hindsight I feel pretty dumb for trusting them, when you buy something new it's not surprising to see a couple of issues but I had no clue just how bad the quality could be and then to have such poor after sales service was pretty insulting. Unfortunately they had our money before we found all of the problems.
@@austingipsysite I wonder where it was manufactured?
@@Vikingman2024 I'm not sure, I'll see if it's labeled anywhere.
@@austingipsysite would be nice to know...thanks!
What is a PDI ?
what a terrible dealer.
Don't buy any RV that was made during the pandemic. Pure junk. They pushed those things out as fast as they could. Didn't care about anything but making a sale. Let the dealer fix the problems later.
That seems to be true, and I don't think the labor force has recovered yet because employers are having trouble finding skilled workers.
Appears to be a piece of junk ! Winnebago is notorious for poor quality.
I have a 2021 2108 ds that is junk .Just a dam lemon
I just received a safety recall from Winnebago for the interior door handles. They have to be replaced because they have sharp edges. About six months ago I cut my leg on one (sounds like I'm not the only one) so I chamfered all of the sharp edges. If they were to recall for all of the problems they would have to rebuild the whole trailer.
too drawn out - tried skipping to find the answer - no cigar - fail