Winnebago RV 5th Wheels Are They Any Better

Winnebago RV 5th wheels are they any better than the rest probably not due to the way they are manufactured. You see these 5th wheels are put together using the same materials and methods every other manufacturer uses which means that in short order the travel trailer will not last that long compared to an Airsteam which are not made the same way and are around for over fifty years.

You will find these 5th wheels will only be around for twenty to thirty years if their was no built in faults during the manufacturing process then the time will be shorter. This is a sad fact you will not find in a motor home either because different rules apply to them because they are not a trailer but a motorized vehicle.

The difference is you do not need to be as stringent with the manufacturing because the rules are a lot more open to interpretation where they are not in a motor home. This allows the industry to create a Winnebago RV 5th wheels that for you, just complies to the trailer rules and that is it.

It means they can get away with giving you a crappy trailer that looks good for a short while before deteriorating. This is why the warranties are so short to protect the company not you the customer.

Winnebago RV 5th wheels Limited Warranty

This is where most think they are safe. They call their warranty second to none when it is the same limited warranty as all the rest. It is a standard industry warranty which is limited to protect the company from full liability for their mistakes. 

This is how it is for you the customer so do not think there is protection from faulty workmanship which has been tossed in the to hard basket because it will cost to much to repair.

Here it is:

• 12-month/15,000-mile basic limited warranty

• 36-month/36,000-mile limited warranty on structure

• Standard 10-year limited parts-and-labor fiberglass roof warranty

All of these are limited in nature which means you have not got much protection at all once you purchase one of their travel trailers. For you the buyer this sucks but it is great for the company. Why, because it means they can limit the amount they will spend repairing their mistakes that happen during manufacture of their Winnebago RV 5th wheels.

Winnebago RV do give a continued warranty when the Winnebago RV 5th wheels are sold before the warranty expires. This only applies though if the trailer has been regularly serviced by a Winnebago RV agent. If it can not be proven the 5th wheel has been serviced by Winnebago then the warranty is null and void even though it might be within the warranty period.

Minnie Plus And Micro Minnie 5th Wheels Only

There are only two Winnebago RV 5th wheels available new and that is the Minnie Plus and the Micro Minnie. The Minnie Micro is a new addition and has been introduced for a specific market segment. This particular 5th wheel is only seven feet wide instead of the traditional eight feet.

It is also shorter in length as well coming in at twenty four feet making these Winnebago RV 5th wheels much lighter at five thousand pounds and suitable for most medium sized trucks on the market today. This is the market that 

Winnebago wants to go after and is why they introduced the Micro Minnie for this particular market in 2018. Before that there was only the Minnie plus range of 5th wheels in different floor plans. This has now been changed with the introduction of the Micro Minnie range of 5th wheels for the medium sized truck which is a large section of the market now. You now have a new choice if you are in this market.

Available floor plans in the Minnie Plus and the Micro Minnie range:

• Minnie Plus Fifth Wheels - 25RKS, 28RLTS, 27REOK, 28RRG, 29MBH, 29RBH

• cro Minnie Fifth Wheels - 2405BH, 2405BHDB, 2405RB, 2405RG, 2405RL 

Winnebago RV 5th Wheels Spyder Range Deleted

There has been a change in the Winnebago RV 5th wheels available for purchased in that you will find that the Spyder 5th wheels are no longer available. These have been dropped for one reason or another.

The main reason will probably prove out to be low or no demand for theses 5th wheels. What has happened is that the Micro Minnie has been introduced to replace the Spyder 5th wheel range.

There is no more Spyder 5th wheel floor plans available on the website making them officially unavailable to the public. The reason may not be immediately apparent but Winnebago maybe rethinking whether they want to stay in the 5th wheel market for the long term.

This is of course a guess and pure superposition at this point but only time will tell and will be driven by sales results.  If you the customer decide not to purchase their Winnebago RV 5th wheels then they will disappear from the market because of lack of demand. Will this be a bad thing no because they a poorly made anyway.

Final Thoughts

If you can go on a Winnebago factory tour where they make these both the travel trailers and the 5th wheels notice how much wood is used in the making of these trailers. Notice the quality of the wood being used and how the plastic sheets are bonded to a thin wooden sheet.

Also look at how the joins are held together with a sealant which will give way over time. Notice also that the walls are held up by the cabinetry and get their strength from more wooden materials. These trailer disintegrate in an accident and are usually right offs and are not found in motor home wrecking yards.

Ask if you can one of the workers whether they would purchase one of the trailers they are making and if the answer is no ask them why they won't. The answer you get could be interesting because they work there and know what goes on in the factory. If you ask them how good are the trailers they are making and there is a long pause you know what the answer is in their mind.

A factory tour before you buy can be an eyeopening experience  if you are aware of the reality going on in front of you. If you are shaking your head with the realization that the trailers are made poorly with the cheapest materials they can get away with then it is more than likely you are not going to purchase any Winnebago RV 5th wheels or travel trailers any time soon.

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