Question:
My wife and I have a 1999 Rialta and so far have been pleased with it. Nice layout and very maneuverable. Haven’t found the motor to be under powered (however, we have not been to the Rocky’s yet…). Needless to say, there is a tradeoff between good gas mileage and power, but so far it seems a reasonable tradeoff in the Rialta. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Anyone out there own a Winnebago Rialta? We are considering buying one but one owner told us it doesn’t make it up the hills with the VW 6 cyl engine. We like the size and would think we would get better gas mileage . What kind of gas mileage have you experienced? Any other problems you have encountered? Would you recommend one? Thanks for responding.
Response:
Anyone out there own a Winnebago Rialta? We are considering buying one
—- snip —– Janice, you may want to take a look at the GTRV Westy – similar to the VW, but built on a Ford Econoline 150 platform with V8 engine. Over 40,000 miles, averaged 16.2 mpg. I’m very happy with my GTRV, check out my web site Carl http://pages.prodigy.net/chainnj/Journal.htm
Response:
Hi Janice, We have a ‘98 Rialta, the one with the 103 HP Volkswagon engine. There were a couple of times that she fell to 50 mph or so going through the rockies on I-70, but we were still way ahead of the trucks. We love the VW part of the RV. However, the Winnebago part is horrid. We have had more problems than anyone could imagine, with every major system failing on the unit within the first year. The last thing was a stress fracture in the windshield caused by the headliner not being trimmed properly. Winnebago’s customer care told us to sue them. I kid you not. Do yourself a big favor and stay away from the Rialta. Far, far away. BTW mileage fully loaded 14.5 mpg, empty 16 mpg. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Anyone out there own a Winnebago Rialta? We are considering buying one but one owner told us it doesn’t make it up the hills with the VW 6 cyl engine. We like the size and would think we would get better gas mileage . What kind of gas mileage have you experienced? Any other problems you have encountered? Would you recommend one? Thanks for responding.
Response:
Anyone out there own a Winnebago Rialta? We are considering buying one but one owner told us it doesn’t make it up the hills with the VW 6 cyl engine. We like the size and would think we would get better gas mileage . What kind of gas mileage have you experienced? Any other problems you have encountered? Would you recommend one? Thanks for responding.
Response:
Anyone out there own a Winnebago Rialta? We are considering buying one but one owner told us it doesn’t make it up the hills with the VW 6 cyl engine. We like the size and would think we would get better gas mileage . What kind of gas mileage have you experienced? Any other problems you have encountered? Would you recommend one? Thanks for responding.
Many owners are heppy with them, but… The engine is actually one from Audi (it’s the same firm as VW in germany). But the rig is underpowered for many hilly situations. More importantly it has so little cargo ability (difference between empty weight and max GVW) that four people, water and fuel do not leave any extra for food, cloths, etc. There are many other Class B and small Class C that have better numbers — RV and Camping FAQ http://kendaco.telebyte.com/rlindber/rv If Windows is the answer I would really like to know what the question is
Response:
This rig is a very pricey class B/C hybrid that has an underpowered and not-very-reliable engine and coachwork that’s often sloppy. For less (in some cases, much less) money, there are some options: class B – Sportsmobile, Roadtrek, etc.; class C – Born Free or Chinook (this last is also what I consider a "hybrid", but it’s classified as a class C; there are two models.) Look around; you will probably find other makes and models that offer better value than the Rialta.
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: Anyone own a Winnebago Rialta. I like the looks and size etc., but the : fact that it has a Volkswagon engine doesn’t impress me. One person : told me they can’t make it up hills very well and as I want to travel : across country, need to get over the Rockies. Would appreciate any The Rialta has a VW EuroVan drivetrain and front end. ‘95 and earlier models had a five-cylinder Audi engine. This provided marginally acceptable power for the light EuroVan. I suspect it would be very sluggish in the heavier Rialta. I own a ‘97 Eurovan. It has the VW VR6 Engine. This 6-cylinder engine has plenty of power to keep the EuroVan’s speed up to that of car traffic going up steep hills, though it still won’t win any drag races (except against RV’s or trucks). I’ve zipped across the Rockies a few times in it. I don’t have any experience with the Rialta, but I expect the 6-cylinder might provide performance comparable to most motorhomes. In other words, you’ll easily get over the Rockies, but perhaps with not as much pep as you might like. Make sure your VW dealer can service the Rialta. Some dealerships don’t have a lift capable of handling that size and weight. And ask to see the weight information BEFORE you buy ANY RV. Look at the vehicle’s net carrying capacity. Add up the weights of the people, water, propane, food, and gear you’ll carry, and make sure you’re well within the vehicle’s limits. I understand the Rialta is marginal in this area, but it’s certainly not the only RV that has weight problems. I’m extremely happy with my EuroVan, but if I were in the market for something bigger, I’d seriously consider a class B or small class C on an American chassis, for ease of parts/service availability. –Rich
Response:
had the ‘86 turbo diesel (renault power) and it handled hills fine. the gas ones then did well too. as the vw’s are bigger engines, i would expect them to be ok, but i have no personal experience with the vw’s. ben
Anyone own a Winnebago Rialta. I like the looks and size etc., but the fact that it has a Volkswagon engine doesn’t impress me. One person told me they can’t make it up hills very well and as I want to travel across country, need to get over the Rockies. Would appreciate any
Response:
had the ‘86 turbo diesel (renault power) and it handled hills fine. the gas ones then did well too. as the vw’s are bigger engines, i would expect them to be ok, but i have no personal experience with the vw’s.
Sorry, the Renault (LeSharo, Phasar) and the VW are completely different animals Anyone own a Winnebago Rialta. I like the looks and size etc., but the fact that it has a Volkswagon engine doesn’t impress me. One person told me they can’t make it up hills very well and as I want to travel across country, need to get over the Rockies.
The problem with the VW based unit is the old units (with smaller engines) didn’t have the power to climb. The newer units have more power, but no cargo ability. When you ad the weight of four people (no gear, food, water, etc) they are over weight. — RV and Camping FAQ http://kendaco.telebyte.com/rlindber/rv If Windows is the answer I would really like to know what the question is
Response:
Anyone own a Winnebago Rialta. I like the looks and size etc., but the fact that it has a Volkswagon engine doesn’t impress me. One person told me they can’t make it up hills very well and as I want to travel across country, need to get over the Rockies. Would appreciate any
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