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What is the status of the prior Country Coach?

Yahoo Message Number: 107249
I had occasion to want some information from the service department at Country Coach in Junction City which I know was bought out by Winnebago. I tried the telephone numbers for Country Coach and they are out of service. Is service on our coaches still being performed in Junction City?

Don

2008 Intrigue 12223

Re: What is the status of the prior Country Coach?

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 107250
You can get great service at OMC.

Barbara

11704 Intrigue 2004

Re: What is the status of the prior Country Coach?

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 107252
I don't know why the phones would be out of service because they still have a parts department and service techs for the CC line and are doing service. At the Northwest Area FMCA rally in Albany, OR, the plant head came and talked to our CC club. He said that CC would be a part of Winnie, that they were not going to rebrand the name, and that they expected to start building the CC line again but no firm date. Might be sometime in 2018. At the present, they are concentrating on building the pusher Winnies in JC

Don

'02 INtrigue 11427
'02 Intrigue #11427

Re: What is the status of the prior Country Coach?

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 107253
What is the quality of the Winnebago coach, is it anything like our Country Coaches.

Walt

Re: What is the status of the prior Country Coach?

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 107256
Not even close . Country Coach use to pride itself by following three F's. Fit, Finish, and Function. Winnie fails on fit and finish, but like Monaco is great with Bells and Whistles. They have tried any number of times to build a high line coach on others chassis. Each attempt has lasted few years and then is quietly discontinued. Our only hope is upper management has always had a dream to build a top of the line coach correctly. If they are not truly inspired it will probably be to our benefit if they don't make a half hearted attempt. The talent is their in Oregon if only Winnie will take advantage of it. Monaco people are there, Country Coach, Beaver, Western Alpine and Safari people, too. A truly inspired line of coaches could be built. But does the Big W have the leadership to pull all the talent together to to build a great coach? They haven't shown it in the past. TWI 2004 Intrigue 11731

Re: What is the status of the prior Country Coach?

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 107270
Walt, you have to be kidding. It takes about 5 minutes in a Winnie and you will know it ain't so.

Don

'02 Intrigue 11427
'02 Intrigue #11427

Re: What is the status of the prior Country Coach?

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 107274
I thought they may build a high end coach under another brand, not the Winnebago brand.

Walt

Re: What is the status of the prior Country Coach?

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 107275
Thomas I don't agree with your assessment at all. I have just left the Winnebago Grand National rally in Forest City Iowa. Yesterday I toured the Winnebago factory. We spent a bit over a week at the Grand National Rally which is only for Winnebago owners and owners of rigs bought by Winnebago. That includes Country Coach owners now. The just ended rally was the best organized large rally I have ever been to. And I have been to a few. The grounds where it was held are across the street from the several Winnebago plants. The grounds are perfect for this kind of event. All grassy sites. The electric sites were actual regular electric hookup posts connected to the power grid not generators. I cannot emphasis enough how warm and friendly people were to my wife and I.

But on to the Winnebago product. There were about 1,000 Winnebagos at the Rally. Many of them were newer largish 36-42' class A's. I spoke to a number of owners of these larger motorhomes. The rig next to us was 2 years old and the one behind us 3 years. Both 42'. I would say that their issues with their coaches are quite similar to ours. We looked in a number of the brand new Winnebago motorhomes large and small. I am very picky and know how to look at machines. I spent my entire work life in the machine business. To me the engineering and fit of Winnebago coaches is very good. You can tell touring their factory that they are very proud of their history and try to do a good job. They have huge facilities. And they make a very high percentage of what they use. For example, they have a separate shop just making tanks. They make their own so they fit into the space allowed better. They use very solid looking floors, walls, and roofs. They do their own stitch and cushion work. They precision cut solid insulation that fits in their walls and roofs. All of this is done assembly line style. Winnebago is trying to keep their quality high and their costs down. They want to compete in the most competitive parts of the market.

Where the Country Coach products differ significantly is the use of higher end and luxury components. For example my motorhome has a beautiful interior that is now 14 years old and has Koehler high end faucets and German ones in the galley. CC counter tops in my rig are Corian, Winnebago is no name (I believe), CC paint on my coach has 4 coats of clear coat on it. Winnebago is up to two. My coach new 14 years ago was more than the most costly 45' Winnebago Tour made today.

My guess is that Winnebago would like to answer the higher end Tiffins, Newmars, Entegras, and Feetwoods with higher end products of their own and CC. They also jam up their assembly lines with too many big coaches. Junction City is set up to make big coaches. And when Winnebago is ready Junction City can make those higher end component coaches. Also, in my opinion it will be easier to make the higher end coaches away from the assembly lines that crank out the lower end ones.

Winnebagos camp just the same as Country Coaches. Same way as Chevy will get you there same as a Caddy. I think Winnebago buying Country Coach is a good thing for them and us. But again, this is just my opinion. The day I learned that Winnebago bought CC I purchased some Winnie stock as I thought it was a good move. I still own the stock.

Bob & Barbara Affinity 2002, #6071
 

Re: What is the status of the prior Country Coach?

Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 107282
Yes by all means give them some time. I believe Mr. Ron Lee worked on a "prototype" coach for 7 years. I was also at a rally (2014) where he said "he wanted all of the Country Coach business" how did that work out? I have also bought WGO stock, nice to see what is really happening instead of want they want you hear.

Wally & Elta Mae

2007Allure 470 #31535