2018 Winnebago Intent reviews

Our first day that we bought this motorhome, I drove it home on I-95 with 20 mile an hour winds. Not gonna lie, I was worried before I got on the highway. It drove like a dream. When 18 wheelers passed me by, I didn’t even feel them. This is literally our 18th motorhome in 20 years. We have owned everything from a small tow behind trailer, to a pop-up, to a diesel pusher and everything in between. This is by far one of the best layouts we have ever seen. The amount of storage inside is so well thought out, it is incredible. I only have a couple of negatives. One, is the dinette and sofa beds are too small for an adult. They easily could have put a wider sofa in as there is about 15 inches of space between the sofa and the passenger seat. We have solved that problem by removing the right arm of the sofa, which just involves a few bolts, it is just aesthetic. We have added a very inexpensive storage ottoman in between the sofa and the passenger chair on the floor. When you lay the sofa down for bed now, your feet can extend all the way. There’s really no way to fix the dinette, however, since this thing sleeps seven adults easy now, the dinette is not necessary. It is fine for a younger child. Unfortunately, they do tend to grow. ; D We looked all over trying to find a floor plan that included bunkbeds and a cab over bed with an outdoor kitchen. Oddly enough, it is hard to find. Generally, we found that you either got bunkbeds or an outdoor kitchen. So, when I found this model, we were super happy! Everything is really quiet inside. The air conditioner inside is pretty quiet, the generator is pretty quiet when it’s running, and the engine is pretty quiet as you’re driving down the road. It is a $100,000 motorhome, not a $500,000 motorhome. There have been some screws we’ve had to screw back in, and the construction is definitely on the lower end. However, I think it is fantastic. We are super happy! This fit in our budget, and gave us all of the same amenities and experiences that someone who bought a $500,000 motorhome will have…just without the granite countertops and real wood cabinets. : ) Show less

This has been a wonderful RV for our family. It is easy to drive, extremely functional and sleeps 5. One of the best and effortless motorhomes to own. Winnebago did a great job designing the Intent model. Show less

Motorhome is good only issue is it won't start, can't figure out why, drives good i had a front end alignment, àc is cold, dinette a little small, having swivel chairs helps, mattress isn't really a comfortable place to put your body, a piece of foam helps Show less

We purchased this unit used, with 4,800 miles on it. The chassis is still under Ford warranty, but the other parts are apparently only warranted to the original purchaser. That's fine with me. Overall we are quite satisfied, and the price certainly was right. I have a theory that people buy a new RV, and then quickly become disenchanted by the way they handle (or DON'T handle!), and the ridiculously low levels of dealer service. The first problem we encountered was the door latch, which snapped when I closed the door. This effectively imprisoned me in the unit, as the door could not be opened from outside or inside. I got a screwdriver and removed the latch unit. A quick trip to the local dealer parts department and I was back installing the replacement within an hour. Had to grind some parts to get them to align properly. No problems with the latch since then. Handling is another story. I'm pretty sure whoever traded this unit at 4,800 miles did so because it scared them to death. I can't blame them. Crosswinds and passing semi-trucks are a nightmare. After investigation, I learned that the fix is aftermarket front and rear stabilizer bars, and a steering stabilizer. Another problem easily solved. The black and grey water tanks are notorious for giving false readings on the control panel. I use a spray wand to clear the black water tank and pretty much guestimate the grey tank level. Ducted AC is great and fairly quiet. We added an extension to turn the jack-knife sofa into a queen bed. That has been the best modification ever! I fabricated it from aluminum and it stores flat in the overhead bunk. Extra cushions store under the main bed. Takes about two minutes to set up. We keep the slides lubed, and the slide seals sprayed with the recommended slide seal protectant. We use a Bulldog 30 amp electricity monitor, which works well for us in areas where lightning hits the ground (like Florida.) I can fix most anything that goes wrong, but if I need help I take the unit to a local truck repair facility. They are WAY cheaper than the RV dealer, and they are familiar with the Ford F53 engine and chassis. I think the only thing I would need to call an outside repair person on might be the heating system. I can work on the propane water heater, but the furnace is an enclosed unit and I feel more comfortable farming that work out to a professional. The bottom line is we are happy with the unit, and confident that we can keep it in tip-top shape doing much of the work ourselves, and getting professional (non-dealer) assistance when necessary. Show less

How could I have been so stupid to purchase a new 2021 Winnebago Intent 29L before reading these reviews. But I looked online for six weeks and never saw these bad reviews. If I had, I would never have purchased. We bought because the interior and floor plan were exactly what we were looking for. Drove it home from the dealer and two things broke by the time we arrived home; about a 25 mile drive. RV has less than 2000 miles on it. Dealer never told us how often to have our RV serviced and the Winnebago website has nothing on it at all. Winnebago's website doesn't have current owner's manual information, some of their pages do not work and others haven't been updated since 2017!!! Really? I thought Winnebago was a reputable company. I figured wrong. Preparing to leave on our first big trip from California to Washington for two weeks. Praying nothing will go wrong. Show less

Ride immediately needed improvement and have invested $4500 in doing so. Have enjoyed it and love our first experience at RVing. Exterior quality is very good and have had no problems for most part..,very minor improvements Show less

How to begin. This rv has either been in the shop or waiting to go more often then I've been able to use it. Sewer/gray water valve leak, times 3. Plumbing leak. Shop found lines did not have proper fittings from factory. New entry door. Had to install shims to fix, opening cut to large. Short in cable/satellite, plus satellite connection had no hole for coax. Sawdust pouring out of air duct. I had to take this apart and vacuum. Always friendly service. Takes a month or so to get it in, months to repair. Often repair wasn't completed. In the shop right now. Been there for two months. At least Winnebago is willing to fix all under warranty. Just a lot of monthly payments being made for a unit which can't be used 1/2 the time. Show less

The driving experience is horrible and this is after I had put a road master sway bar and steering stabilizer on the front of the chassis. But when small cars go by and the air from them pushes you two feet off the road something is serious wrong. I had to put sumo springs on both front and back before i felt it was safe to drive. I also have had to replace all the finger locks and key locks on the storage company’s due to rust in addition to the tens of hours I have spent under the chassis with wire brush scrapping and sanding the excessive rust off and the paint peeling off. I am not sure how many cans of rust-oleum I have purchased- I have contacted the dealer and Winnebago about the rust issue and they both point at one another saying it is each other’s responsibility to deal fix. Frankly the issue with the rust on the chassis appear to be a rusty frame painted over by Ford. Show less

Purchased a new 2018 Winnebago Intent. Have had same prob as I'm reading from others. Very poor quality. Extremely long waits to get in for a warranty repair. Longer wait once the service dept gets it. I've been told a week, took months. No other reason than the part was never ordered, although I cont to call and ask. I had to call the factory to find this out. Constantly dealing with repairs. Now the rollout shade is beginning to come apart, and the passenger's night shade won't budge, up or down. Same prob as others with entry door flying open as I'm driving down the road. Added SumoSprings for a stable ride. Upgraded bed. Going to add TV over entry door. Looking to replace front seats for something comfortable. Since our purchase, the service dept has had it longer than I've been able to use it. At least now I'm out of warranty and will go somewhere else for repairs... Which seem to never end. Show less

So, we have had our intent for 3 days on the road now and have had nothing but problems! Entrance door flies open when driving, bottom step sticks terrible. Leveling jacks malfunctioned and wouldn’t retract. Side window won’t close and latch. Screens don’t fit properly and fall out. Rear breaks are stuck on. Bed above seats is way to close to the ceiling. USB port in front cab doesn’t work. Light switch for led front lights has short. Front grill fell off while driving. Inverter doesn’t work. Steering out of alignment. No weather proof boxes around your hydraulic systems or the wiring and the house batteries or wiring, just so they can create more revenue for the service dept. tank light indicator doesn’t work. NOT MADE Well at all!!! We haven’t made it home yet to get it in for warranty work so not sure how that’s going to be. Will update as we go Show less