Winnebago is a USA carmaker founded in 1958, now part of Winnebago Industries. The cars themselves are another matter: across 1 VIN prefixes on record they came off lines in 1 country — the United States 100%. 12 models are tracked here (1995–2026). Reliable? yes, and comfortably so — 4.3 out of 5 across 12 rated models, though the spread between model years is far wider than the badge suggests (every model ranked →).
Who makes Winnebago
Winnebago Industries, Inc. is an American manufacturer of recreational vehicles, commercial vehicles, marine boats and outdoor equipment, headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota (corporate) with primary RV manufacturing in Forest City, Iowa. Founded in 1958 by John K. Hanson and a group of Forest City businessmen as Winnebago Industries (taking the name from the local Winnebago tribe), the company became publicly traded in 1966 and was the first US-listed RV manufacturer. Winnebago produces Class A, Class B and Class C motorhomes, travel trailers and fifth wheels under the Winnebago, Grand Design (acquired 2016), Newmar (acquired 2019, since divested to Thor Industries 2024), Chris-Craft Boats (acquired 2018) and Barletta Boats (acquired 2021) brands. The Winnebago-branded Class A Adventurer, Class A Vista, Class B Travato (Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis), Class B+ View, Class C Forza and Solis Class B+ represent core product lines. Winnebago Industries became the second-largest US RV manufacturer in 2017-2019 before slipping behind Forest River. Winnebago Industries trades on the New York Stock Exchange under WGO. Recall data for every Winnebago VIN (across all subsidiary brands) sold in the US is reported to NHTSA. ForCar.org decodes any Winnebago Industries VIN to surface trim, factory options, open recalls and original delivery price.
John K. Hanson founded Winnebago Industries in February 1958 in Forest City, Iowa, by reorganizing his Modernistic Industries (a small Iowa furniture manufacturer) into a travel trailer business. The 1966 IPO made Winnebago the first publicly traded US RV manufacturer. The 1975 Class A Brave was the brand's breakthrough product. Winnebago survived multiple industry downturns and acquired Grand Design in 2016 ($500M), Chris-Craft Boats in 2018, Newmar in 2019 ($344M), and Barletta Boats in 2021 — building a multi-segment outdoor recreation conglomerate.
| Winnebago | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1958 |
| Founded by | John K. Hanson |
| Headquarters | Forest City, USA |
| Owned by | Winnebago Industries |
| Listed as | WGO |
| Slogan | «A Way Forward» |
| Assembled in | 1 countries |
Technology it is known for: TrueComfort+ memory-foam mattresses, WinnConnect telematics, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis (Travato), Lithium battery + solar package, WiFiRanger 2.0 connectivity.
This page covers Winnebago Industries, Inc. (the publicly traded RV and outdoor recreation company) — not the Winnebago Native American tribe (after which the company is named) or Winnebago, Wisconsin (a small US city).
Where Winnebago cars are actually built
A badge says where a company is registered, not where its cars were bolted together. The first three characters of any VIN — the world manufacturer identifier — say the second thing, and that is what we counted: 26 vehicles on record, 1 distinct manufacturer codes.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| the United States | 54C | 2014–2024 |
Read your own: the first character is the region, the first three together identify the plant's manufacturer. A Winnebago beginning 54C was assembled in the United States.
All Winnebago models 12
Every Winnebago model we track, grouped by body type. Click any model for its VIN decoder, recalls, MPG, safety and ForCar Reliability Score — broken down by year.
Winnebago RVs & campers 12
| Model | Years | Recalls | Complaints | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winnebago Micro Minnie | 2015–2026 | 21 | 15 | — | 3.5/5 |
| Winnebago Class C | 1995–2026 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Winnebago Minnie | 2011–2026 | 32 | 10 | — | 4.0/5 |
| Winnebago Thrive | 2026–2026 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Winnebago Hike | 2015–2026 | 5 | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Winnebago Access | 2024–2026 | 9 | — | — | 4.0/5 |
| Winnebago Voyage | 2011–2026 | 11 | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Winnebago Spyder | 2015–2026 | 3 | 1 | — | 4.5/5 |
| Winnebago Destination | 2011–2026 | 2 | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Winnebago M Series | 2024–2026 | — | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Winnebago Winnie | 2015–2026 | 1 | — | — | 4.5/5 |
| Winnebago One | 2011–2014 | 3 | 2 | — | 4.5/5 |
Winnebago by the numbers
What the federal records say about the marque. Each line links to the full breakdown by model and year.
| Topic | Winnebago | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 87 campaigns | Most recalled: Equipment:other:labels |
| Owner complaints | 28+ filed | Most reported: Micro Minnie |
Compare model years like a dealer does.
- Full research report on any model year
- Market chart: how this model holds value
- Exact values with mileage adjustment
- Price-drop alerts on the trims you're watching
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Get a Winnebago window sticker by VIN
Recreate any Winnebago's original Monroney label — MSRP, factory options, EPA MPG and safety — free from the VIN.
Winnebago window stickers →How to read a Winnebago VIN
Every Winnebago built since 1981 carries a unique 17-character VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). It encodes where and when the vehicle was made, its engine and body — here's what each part means:
- WMI (1–3) — country & manufacturer. Tells you it's a Winnebago and the country it was built in (real Winnebago codes below).
- VDS (4–8) — model, body style, engine, trim & restraints. The 8th digit is the engine code.
- Check digit (9) — a math check that proves the VIN is genuine.
- Model year (10) — the year it was built (e.g. R = 2024, S = 2025).
- Plant (11) — which factory assembled it.
- Serial (12–17) — the unique sequential production number.
- USA1WT · 1WV · 1WW
The remaining digits — engine (8th), model-year letter (10th) and plant — follow the universal SAE standard. The whole position-by-position breakdown — year codes 2001–2026, country codes, stamping locations — lives in our VIN decoder tool.
Who owns Winnebago, and what you get
Winnebago belongs to Winnebago Industries. Winnebago Industries competes in the US RV market against Forest River (Berkshire Hathaway) and Thor Industries. The Winnebago-branded RVs target mid-market positioning, while Grand Design (acquired 2016) handles premium travel trailers and fifth wheels, and Newmar (now divested) handled premium Class A motorhomes. The Chris-Craft Boats and Barletta Boats divisions diversify Winnebago into marine markets. Combined RV unit volume runs approximately 4-5% of US RV sales, well behind the 35-40% market shares of Forest River and Thor.
| Winnebago | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | USA |
| Ownership | Winnebago Industries |
| Stock ticker | WGO |
| Basic warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
| Powertrain warranty | 5 years / 60,000 miles |
| Assembly countries | United States |
⚠ Worth knowing before you rely on it: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, while basic cover here runs 3 years / 36,000 miles. See when Winnebago models actually start to break →
Winnebago — frequently asked
Is Winnebago usa?
Winnebago is a USA company, headquartered in Forest City and founded in 1958. The cars are a separate question: 100% of the Winnebago vehicles in our records were assembled in the United States.
Where are Winnebago cars made?
Across 1 manufacturer codes on record, assembly splits as: the United States (100%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the manufacturer and plant country — that is where these shares come from.
Who owns Winnebago?
Winnebago is part of Winnebago Industries.
How many Winnebago models are there?
We track 12 Winnebago models spanning 1995–2026. The full list is above, ordered by how often each is searched.
What is the Winnebago warranty?
New vehicles come with 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Terms vary by model year and market — confirm with a dealer.
Is Winnebago reliable?
It depends far more on the model and year than on the badge. Every Winnebago model is ranked by complaint rate here, along with the age at which each starts to fail.
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