thoughts on 2009 Winnebago era 170 rl

[Zwillingsmama]

We are going to look at a 2009 Winnebago ERA - any thoughts on it. The good the bad the ugly? this would be our first RV - we are recently retired and would love to explore the US. Any things we need to watch out for? Any thoughts are appreciated. I read somewhere that cargo is an issue. Do many of you know how much cargo weight is allowed?

[mkguitar]

well... we we started our search the ERA ( 2009 or 2010) was the first one we went for- I was big on the sprinter and it drove just great- amazing.


however, lifting the rear cushions showed that the construction of the interior was to a poor standard using poor material.
There were rough cut edges on the plywood, gaps and blind screws ( where the screw is driven through a piece of wood but misses catching the other).


The more we looked at the cabinetry, the layout of the plumbing and electrical systems the more issues we saw.


the sprinter drove great though.

[N147JK]

Originally Posted by mkguitar

the construction of the interior was to a poor standard using poor material.

Seems like there are only 3 options if one wants a well-built van.

1. Some of the older vans are well-made, if built back when manufacturers cared about such things. But many of these are run-out and/or poorly maintained.
2. Spend a LARGE amount of money for a SMALL camper van (a poor-value equation).
3. Build it yourself (the only guaranteed option).

[Alfa2600]

I have a 2012 Winnebago ERA with 132,000 KM on it and has been relatively trouble free. Plenty of storage, handles great. I tow a Jeep TJ with no issues at all.
The only item is the thermocouple on the Dometic 3 way fridge is gone and is no longer available. Just runs on 120 or 12v.

[Engdavis]

We shopped for a long while before buying our 2015 ERA 170C. We bought it for some reasons that were important to us. First, it has a dry shower. We previously had a Pleasure-way that had a "wet" bath and we hated it. It's true that the dry bath takes up more space, but in Class B land, every inch comes at a price. Secondly, we liked the extra room that the slide out provided, even though the fold and tumble bed is not very comfortable and small for two people. Lastly, the size of the fresh water, black and grey tanks is impressive and, I think, still the largest in this market segment. Additionally, we love the mileage provided by the sprinter and love the way it drives. Routine maintenance is pricey if you take it to a Mercedes dealer, but it's been very reliable and a joy to drive. I hope this hellps.