Winnebago Travado thoughts?

[wincrasher]

I stumbled across this Class B on the new RAM (FIAT) chassis on youtube.

I like the floor plan - it's very similar to my tag-along and probably just fine for me as a single traveler with sports equipment.

The price looks good - msrp $86k, probably you can get it for around $70k.

Looks like a budget/value class RV in this class. But it has adequate tanks, a generator and standard NAV. Looks like no solar or inverter option. If I read it right, the water heater is 110v only and 4 gals? This seems like an odd choice. LP tank is small too - 6 gallons.

The chassis has a 286 hp V6 and nearly as much torque. I don't expect it to be a barn burner, but theoretically should be adequate.

Has anyone looked at these or better yet, driven one? Thoughts on it or experience to share?

[IamJerryP]

Originally Posted by wincrasher

Has anyone looked at these or better yet, driven one? Thoughts on it or experience to share?

We looked at them last weekend, and as van RVs go, my wife thought it was OK.
She liked the sofa seating, I hated it, She likes straight backs seating, I like some angle.
Neither of us saw much point on the bench seat in the doorway, even though it has a water tank in it.
We liked the bedroom bath side by side setup, except for the sink in the bath, as we saw no point of a sink in the almost too small already bathroom, with a kitchen sink right beside it.
Probably her favorite of the panel van RVs. Most of which are not set up well. I would like to look at one again, but think she is more inclined towards B+ model, which are really small Cs.
I am still looking for the perfect floor plan, but thought this was better floor plan, than some others.
Winnie View with slide outs was her preferred one of the B+.
Mine too, but I want the maneuverability, and milage of the Bs

[Graham]

For us, that rear bed is just too narrow.

[wincrasher]

Too narrow for what? I think you could pretty much cover the karma sutra on that size.

[IamJerryP]

Originally Posted by wincrasher

Too narrow for what? I think you could pretty much cover the karma sutra on that size.

It is pretty small at only 46" wide

[Graham]

Originally Posted by wincrasher

Too narrow for what? I think you could pretty much cover the karma sutra on that size.

We need lots of room!

[wincrasher]

my tag along has a corner bed that is 48. So this would work for me. Definitely like the flip up feature - makes bringing a kayak or a bike much easier to deal with.

The price is certainly right - I can get one for $73k - probably less. Certainly a lot more for the money than you'd get with a Roadtrek 190 or 210.

My biggest concerns are the 110V only water heater and if the engine has enough power for a 10K lb van.

A review of the base van I watched claimed they got 18mpg in mixed driving with an unloaded van (in high country around Denver). So down in the low-lands, but with all the weight of the interior & equip, would you get about the same?

[wblynch]

Don't these have the loft bed that drops down from the ceiling? Or is that only in the class-c?

[gonational]

I know the Trend has the drop down bed. We are picking up a Travato this month. We like everything about it for a scale down..It's just the two of us so it should be adequate. I like the new outside look..nothing else out there like it..it's new innovation. We chose the gold which is very sharp looking.

[wblynch]

Originally Posted by gonational

... We are picking up a Travato this month...

We look forward to your reports and photos of your new Travato!!

[gggplaya]

I plan on buying one of these in a few years(used), perfect for fishing trips with my son. I just love the floor layout, i'm not a fan of the roadtrek's style bathroom, i want a real private bathroom. It would be nice if they had a version with a front top bunk as well. I plan on doing a 4x4 conversion to any VAN i get, this one is done in europe and it's called the DENGAL 4x4, which has an automatic Awd system with rear locker.

I like that it has the same 3.6L engine as most of chrysler's vehicle lineup(Ram1500, Durango, Cherokee, Charger, wrangler, 300). That means any dodge/jeep/chrysler dealership can service the engine. Also, some parts will more likely be stocked at your local auto parts store. I like how it has a 3 part front bumper which comes off very easily making service of all your pulleys/alternator/water pump etc... a breeze. A large problem with vans in the past was getting to any of the engine parts for service.

As for not having an inverter, you can probably have the dealer install one along with a transfer switch so you can run the water heater. However, i would be careful since an 1800w water heater would suck about 150amps from your house batteries.

But if all you wanted it for was to run water heater, i would just opt for the built in 2800w onan generator. Running a generator for a few minutes a day isn't going to kill you on gas. It's also much easier to fuel up on gas than swapping out propane tanks somewhere(110v/propane water heater). Plus a generator will just come in handy sometimes.

[wblynch]

A pretty noisy, smelly and inefficient way to heat water.

It would have to have a propane water heater for me. Or perhaps a solar system?

[wincrasher]

I am going to go and look at one of these at my local dealer tomorrow.

The price is certainly right. I am hesistant about the water heater - I have a tag-along with a 12v 3 liter water heater that works great - I'm surprised they didn't use something like this instead of the 110v only.

Another thing I want to look at is underneath behind the rear axle. The generator, lp tank and house battery is back there. I would rather have 2 house batteries and want to see if there is room to add one. As to how you service the generator, considering where it is, is anybody's guess as the manual doesn't say anything about it or show pictures.

[wincrasher]

I went and looked at the Travato today. Suffice it to say, I was quite impressed with it.

Smooth ride and very solid feeling. More than enough power. Handled very well on the highway. Today was a bit breezy and there were plenty of big trucks on the interstate. You could feel a little buffeting, but it wasn't pushing the coach around. Tracked true and handled rough pavement very well. Hill climbing was good. Think you could just put the cruise on 65 and drive this thing all day. Engine was noisy if you put your foot in it, but for just cruising, it was very quiet.

Frankly, it just drives like a big minivan. Very car-like and certainly easier to drive than my 3/4 ton pickup. Seats are comfortable and have many adjustments, but they are all manual, which is fine for me as a single driver.

The mileage indicator was showing 16.9 mpg average. Don't know how long it had been driven to get that, but the odometer had 1200 miles on it.

Other items -
Since it's just me, the bed is OK. Being able to flip it up and use it as a cargo van is a huge plus to me. I can see throwing my kayak and big grill in there and spending the weekend down at the lake.

Looks like there is plenty of room underneath for a second battery. I would need to find a proper bracket, or have one made.

The tanks and drain pipes underneath are not insulated. To use this in cold weather, some modifications would be needed.

The wet bath is terrific. Plenty of room to sit on the john or take a standing shower. I think having a sink in there is silly, but it's there. Dry storage in the bath is good to have. No surfaces that really need protecting from shower spray - no exposed wood to worry about like in the fancy MB vans. So the shower curtain could be ditched.

The kitchen is tiny though. There appears to be enough cabinet space above for your dishes and glasses. Below are drawers for utensils and some supplies. The remaining lower cabinet is either good for pots and pans or a trash can, but not both. Pantry space is sparse. You either need to use the clothes locker or one of the upper cabinets in the rear for dry goods. The fridge is large, so perhaps you can fill it with items you normally might not refrigerate, but need to store somewhere. Like the design of tall and narrow, but deep compared to the usual fridges you see.

I think I'm going to buy it.