First impressions on a 2016 Winnebago 40R

[BVThunder]

As a point of reference, our previous class A was a 2007 Holiday Rambler Endeavor which we owned for eight years. We selected the Winnebago 40R based primarily on the floor plan and standard features after looking at all comparable brands in the price range . We would have purchased a leftover 2015, but we couldn't find anything but white interiors which is totally impractical.

Freightliner chassis and drive train: The Winnebago drive train is quiet and smooth. Its performance really shined on the 18 mile hill between Phoenix and Flagstaff on I17. The slowest speed I saw was 55 mph in fourth gear. The exhaust break is quiet and effective. Because of time and weather constraints, I was forced to drive the Winnebago at the speed limit of 75 mph for two days. It was able to drive with one hand at times to vary driving positions. The Freightliner chassis drove and handled like a huge pickup truck rather than a multi-ton beast. The brakes are very capable and have a good feel and linear application.

House systems and appliances: All lighting is tasteful, small LEDs. Lights are well placed and allow you to have a much or as little lighting as you want. One of the nicest features is the backlit switches. On the passenger consol and in the bedroom over the bed are switches labeled "master." It allows you to turn all interior lights on or off with one touch. One of the best features of this coach is ONE KEY fits everything or at least the important stuff.

The entertainment and sound system is well integrated. The switching system is digital HDMI. The HDMI switching system can be switched manually between sources at the box or with small remotes at each television. The cabinet housing the Blu-Ray player, satellite controller, switching system and satellite receiver has room for additional components; however, it is tight for my 722 Dish receiver. The three LG TVs are high quality. The digital over the air antenna has reception as good as the Winegard HD dish. The sound bars on the lounge and external TV are nice for an RV but not audiophile quality. There is a total of 11 remotes controlling everything from the fireplace to the LG sound bars. Add a satellite remote and you have an even dozen!

The dash sound system is actually listenable at highway speeds and has reasonable fidelity. The large touch screen is easy to see and use. The Rand McNally GPS is logical and has a vast amount of information and capability. The rear and side cameras have a wide viewing area.

The macerator toilet in the master bath sounds like a blender which I guess in actuality it is. It does use a lot of water even when using the water saver button. If you do a lot of dry camping or camping without a sewer hookup, then you are forced into some work arounds. The kitchen sink needs a full half gallon to go from cold to hot. The shower requires a quart to get hot although it is only a foot or two from the water heater. We collect the extra water for pets, coffee and drinking. To stretch the black tank capacity, we use the conventional stool in the half bath when dry camping. The water pressure/volume in the kitchen sink is lacking. The stackable washer/dryer combo is very nice. The Whirlpool residential refrigerator is a pleasure. There is plentiful ice and cold water.

The heating and cooling system has two gas furnaces, three air conditioners and two heat pumps. The heat pump/air conditioners are much quieter than the units in our 2007. We discovered a nice feature with the galley/lounge heating system. When the heat pump is active and you call for a multiple degree rise in temperature such as first thing in the morning, the gas furnace comes on as well until the set temperature is reached. We thought the fake fireplace would be a joke, but it actually provides some additional heating capacity.

We opted out of the overpriced 1.1 cubic foot basement freezer. Instead, we put a much less expensive1.3 cubic foot freezer purchased at Walmart.

Interior space and livability: We like the understated interior as opposed to the rolling bordello design with mirrored ceilings of many coaches. The 40R floor plan is very open because of the 25' room slide. It is very easy to live in for extended periods of time. The pilot and copilot seats are very comfortable and swivel. The copilot has a small integrated laptop desk. The galley has adequate counter space and lots of storage. We bought a small trolley to put at the end of the sink for the coffee maker. The lounge and bedroom storage is more than adequate. We still had empty storage after packing for a three plus month trip. There are seven 110 volt outlets in the galley/lounge area and three in the bedroom. There are numerous 12 volt outlets in the dash area and USB charging ports.

The off brand air bed is almost as comfortable as a Select Comfort except the controls are wired and they get in the way. The lounge couch is comfortable and well positioned for TV viewing. The dining table has two leaves and has a several foot fore and aft positioning. The rear bath is spacious and very usable. It has a huge amount of linen storage.

Down under storage and utilities: The huge double doors and equally large sliding storage tray are very usable. The wet bay is simple and well laid out. There is a storage bay aft of the wet bay big enough for a large tub for the stinky slinky, water softener, water hose storage and gray water tote. The electrical bay is large. I put a small two drawer storage chest in that bay to hold extension cords, surge protector and various adapters. As with inside storage, there is more room underneath than we had stuff.

Overall build quality: My trained eyes see workmanship defects quickly. The fit and finish quality were among the best we've seen even in higher priced units. The cabinetry is very well made. There just isn't any shabby construction that we've found.

Problems/defects: Considering the complexity of this unit, the problems are minimal. The control board on the front furnace failed the first night, and we nearly froze to death. A mobile tech fixed it and billed Suburban. La Mesa agreed to cover the service call. Everybody missed checking the keyless door lock which wasn't working. I fixed some loose wires in the door contacts. I shimmed the half bath door because it wouldn't stay shut. I had to fix a couple of stripped out cabinet latch screws. The only thing that caused us some real head scratching was that the labels for the gray and black tank handles in the wet bay were reversed. There are some minor sloppy exterior paint defects.

Shortcomings or what we wish it had: There are some standard features that other units in this price range had or options we wish Winnebago offered. Number one is a dishwasher! Others include a power real for the 50 amp cord, adjustable shower head height bar, central vacuum/rechargeable Dyson and hose bib in wet bay.

Special note for cat owners: If you have a cat who likes hidey holes, be aware that there are some problem spots. Small cats can get under the bed and into the utility chase under the floor. They can also get under the couch in the lounge and get behind the kitchen cabinets. You'll have to figure out your own fixes!

[Gordon Dewald]

Thanks for the detailed review. Our Tour has the same characteristics. Any issues were quickly taken care of by Lichtsinn our dealer.

[Saber77]

We have a 2015 40R and agree with your comments. It's a great floorplan, especially the spacious split kitchen. Enjoy your new coach!


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[Trynforpar]

We purchased a 2016 Meridian Itasca 40R as our first motorhome and absolutely love it. Had a few minor warranty issues that became a nightmare mainly because the dealer was completely incompetent but other than that we love the unit and cant wait until spring. Good luck with yours.