December 19, 2021
By Bob Kelly

Introduction

The 2008- 2010 Winnebago View/Navions are built on the NCV3 Mercedes-Benz Chassis. Mercedes-Benz acquired the Chrysler Corporation in 1998 and later divested them in 2007. As a result, the Sprinter chassis was sold by the Dodge division of Chrysler. The chassis was manufactured in Europe as an incomplete chassis, and shipped to the United States, where Winnebago remanufactured it into a motor home.

The vehicle should be registered as a Winnebago, and the year of manufacture should be the year Winnebago completed the motorhome, not the year the incomplete chassis was manufactured in Europe. Due to the economy between 2008 and 2010, there isn’t always a one year separation between manufacture of the incomplete chassis and the manufacture date of the Winnebago motorhome. All Winnebago View/Navions between 2008 and 2010 were produced on a Dodge branded chassis. None of the vehicles require the use of DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) to reduce emissions.

Among owners of the 08 -10’s there is the opinion that they are some of the best Sprinter chassis motorhomes produced. However, as with any machine there are several mechanical issues that are problematic.

Problems

Y Cable

The Y cable is a cable that connects the Starter, Alternator and Battery. It’s called a Y cable because of it’ shape. Due to faulty manufacture, the cable gets hot, occasionally the wire in the cable melts and the chassis battery is no longer charged. This fault often presents itself as a faulty alternator. The key to a successful diagnosis is to measure the voltage of the alternator at the alternator, and then measure the voltage at both the battery and the starter motor. If there is any difference in the voltages between the three locations, the cable is bad.

With the Y Cable, it’s not a case of if the part will go bad; it’s a case of when. Fortunately, there is no reports of a replacement cable failing.

Turbo Hose

There have been several iterations of the Turbo hose, to eliminate the problem of the hose rupturing. The intercooler (Lower) hose has been redesigned so as to eliminate the problem. If you can locate the hole, a temporary fix can be made to assist in making the vehicle operational.

Boost Solenoid

The Boost solenoid, the relay that combines the chassis battery and the coach batteries, to allow both to charged by the alternator. This is another case of when, and not if, the part will fail. When the relay fails, the coach batteries will not charged by the alternator. This is occasionally difficult to diagnose if the motorhome is always plugged into line voltage, the generator is used extensively, or the motorhome is equipped with a solar charging system.

The original relay, a Trombetta, can be identified by the single small gauge electrical post on the front of the relay. The replacement, a Cole Hersee 24213, has two small gauge posts on the body of the relay. The case of the Trombetta’s was used as a ground, and the single small gauge post was used to activate the relay.  The Cole Hersee 24213’s case is not used as a ground, and has two small gauge posts, and a ground wire must be connected to one post for activation. It does not matter which post is used for a ground.

Cabover Bunk

The Cabover bunk is affixed to the RV with two hinges and two gas struts. The hinges are actually hooks that clip over a rod and bracket fixture in the front of the Cabover. The gas struts hold the bed in place by pulling the bed to the rear, and keeping the bed hinge engaged to the rod and bracket fixture.

The original Cabover bunk mattress hinges were not designed properly. The old hinges do not have a welded gusset. The old style hinges are stamped and folded without the weld. As a result, metal fatigue causes the hinge to break and the bunk to come loose from the rod and bracket fixture. If one end of the bunk protrudes more than the other, or the bunk appears crooked, it is likely that the hinge is broken. The redesigned hinges have welds.

Additionally, the gas struts have enough holding power to keep the bunk in a raised position under all circumstances. The bunk need not be affixed to any of the clips in the roof. If the bunk slowly comes down, or comes down after a bump, the struts need to be replaced.

Microwave mounts

The microwave sits on a tray over the stove and is affixed to the RV by two vertical pieces of metal. Metal fatigue causes those vertical pieces, the mount, to fracture, and as a result the microwave is only attached by the bracket on one side. The tray and the trim assists in keeping the microwave from leaping from the cabinet, but the microwave should not be loose at all.

The repair has been made by purchasing nailing plats at a hardware store, and reattaching. Winnebago will also sell you the two mounting brackets.

Solar & Add On’s

It is easy to upgrade the 08 – 10 V/N’s so that they have more of the creature comforts that come standard in later models. It is east to add solar panels to the roof, and run the solar charging wired down the rooftop refrigerator vent. There are a number of articles on the View Navion Motorhomes Facebook Support site at http://www.viewnavionmotorhomes.com  that deal with solar charging systems, materials, and electrical consumption.

Systems

Slide Mechanism

The slide(s) on 08 -10’s are generally a single drive motor that engages a shaft with two drive gears. The motor has a lock that allows the motor to be disengaged from the drive shaft. The fit of the gears on the drive shaft to the track are loose enough, that the assembly requires no lubrication. To move the slide, the parking brake must be on, and it is recommended that the engine be running to supply sufficient energy to the slide motor. Additionally, there is a safety lock, that must be set to on. The safety lock was discontinued in later models.

If the slide cannot be retracted or extended, it is possible to extend or retract the slide by disengaging the slide drive motor, and using a crescent wrench to extend/retract the slide. The drive shaft is a square shaft.

Propane Appliances

It is highly recommended that the coach be fitted with screens over the propane furnace vents to reduce the chance insects will build a home in the orifice or flue. Occasionally either the propane furnace, refrigerator or propane water heater may not light. After checking to make sure that propane is available, the burner should be examined to ensure that nothing is shorting out the igniter, and that there are no cobwebs in the flue. Blowing out the flue with compressed air once a year, or as required is recommended.

Repair, Maintenance & Upgrade

The vehicle is out of warranty both with Winnebago and Dodge. It is not a Mercedes Benz product, although MB will gleefully provide service at great cost. After Mercedes Benz divested Chrysler, most/all of the Mercedes trained techs left Dodge and went to Mercedes Benz or an independent shop. If there were techs left behind at Dodge, it is likely that Mercedes Benz did not want them. Keep that in mind.

Additionally, any service provided by Mercedes Benz is warrantied in a different fashion than other MB products. Sedans and SUV’s have a 2 year, unlimited mile warranty on any work completed. Sprinters fall into the truck warranty of MB and are warrantied for three years or 36,000 miles whichever comes first.

Sprinters have been used in delivery fleets for years, so an alternate repair location would be a good truck repair company. Ask a Fed-Ex driver where they brought their Sprinter for service. A business that provides alignment services for 24’ box delivery trucks is an excellent place to have the vehicle aligned. When you align the RV, make sure that camber bolts have been installed. MB does not provide an incomplete chassis with camber bolts. Additionally the alignment location is an excellent source for recommendations on where to have the vehicle serviced.

Would you still bring your 13 year old Toyota to the dealer for routine service work?

Television

The RV came equipped with a 12V flat panel television. There has been a significant change in televisions in the last 12 to 14 years. Over the air television broadcast still exists, however streaming, in place of cable, is gaining ground. Replacement of the TV with a smart TV is far easier than it seems. 12V televisions are available for anywhere from $275 to $600. An Insignia 1080p 120V television is available for about $160. The original TV came with a VESA mounting panel on the rear, so it’s a simple case of attaching a new TV to the old mounting plate.

The old 12V power cable can be used to attach a small 120V inverter (new TV’s draw an amp or less) that will turn on and off with the old TV power switch under the entertainment radio/DVD/CD device. The connections to the entertainment system are identical (an adapter may have to be used for audio).

To use the antenna, the booster should be on. It’s difficult to see, but there is a small black on black button on the faceplate that has the green LED on signal. A newer King Jack or Wineguard HDTV antenna is suggested as a replacement over the batwing TV antenna.

Towing and being Towed

Winnebago installed frame rail extensions to the chassis. The towing capacity of the coach is 3,500 pounds and the hitch weight is 350 pounds. Please refer to the GV weight when towing a vehicle.

If the RV is to be towed, it should not be placed on a flatbed, as the height of the RV and the distance off the ground combines to make the arrangement an oversized load.  The RV should be towed ONLY from the front, and only after the drive shaft has been disconnected. Towing from the rear has the potential of bending the frame rail extensions and bending/delaminating the coach body.

Capacities and Tankage

Fluid	Change	Description	Part #	Specification
Power Steering Fluid	PRN	Mobil ATF+4 Mopar	05013457AA	236.3
Rear Axle	10Y – 180K	BP Energear Hyep DC 80W-90 Mobil Delvac Synthetic Gear Oil 75W-90 Mopar	04874469	235.20
Motor Oil	1Y – 10K	There are many compatible oils. Check MB’s fact sheet (use the 229.52 oil) NB* Torque the oil filter cap to 30Nm, 22 Ft#, and make sure the O ring is properly placed.		229.51 229.52
Coolant	15Y – 180K; Thereafter 5Y – 90K	Zerex G05 – Valvoline Zerex G48 – Valvoline Mopar	05066386AA	325.0
Brake Fluid	2Y	Intac B026E Mopar MS-9971	04549625AC	331.0
Transmission Fluid	60K	Shell ATF 3403 Shell ATF 3403 Mopar	05127382AB	326.10 236.12
Fuel	PRN	Ultra-low-sulfur diesel (ULSD) Do not add anything to the fuel, unless the vehicle will be operated at temperatures lower than 14֠ for extended periods of time. The fuel system has a fuel pre-heater.
Air Conditioning	PRN	Refrigerant R-134A

Parts

Part	Capacity	Description
Chassis Battery	Cranking Amperage ~ 900A	Group 49 AGM Battery H-8 AGM Battery
House Battery	Total Usable AHr > 100	Type 31 Flooded, AGM, Dual 6V GC, Lithium Lithium batteries require new converter, conditioning of the battery space, and a DC to DC Charger in place of the Boost Solenoid.
Fuel Tank	100L – 25 Gallons	The tank includes a reserve of 20L, or about 5.3 Gallons
Windshield Washer	7.4 Quarts
Headlamps		H7 Lamps for both high beam and low beam sockets. Current LED H7 lamps will fit in the low bean socket, but will not fit in the high beam space.
Fog lamps		H11 Lamps
Parking Lamps		WY5 Lamps
Turn Signal	Mirror	PY16
Turn Signal	Headlamp Assembly	PY21
Espar Heater		The Espar heater is located on the driver’s side of the cab, on the outer portion of the undercarriage, if equipped. The Espar heater burns diesel fuel to rapidly increase the temperature of the engine. There is a button on the left side of the steering wheel that is referred to as “Wavy Gravy” or “Bacon button”.   There is a thermocouple on the Espar heater. It will only turn on when the temperature is low.