Forum Discussion

tjfogelberg's avatar
tjfogelberg
Explorer
Aug 23, 2015

Retro Winnebago Brave

I'd like to hear from anyone who owns or has looked at the new Brave 26A. How does it handle? Are the single pane windows a problem (noise, cold?)? Are the seating areas and sleeping areas comfortable? I'm wondering how the loft bed with power lift feels to sleep in? With a traditional bed over cab you have hard sides around you vs the open feel of the bed that drops down. Does it feel like you are going to roll off or loose your covers? Is the corner bed in the back comfortable with a mattress topper on it? I like the floorplan and features. The ductless air, winterization package, power awning, leveling jacks, rearview camera, and front workstation are all features that catch my attention.

Currently in a '99 RB Lazy Daze and a few years away from buying new.

Todd

(Motorhome reviewed it last year and gave it good marks except the back bed)
Class A
  • dodge_guy's avatar
    dodge_guy
    Explorer II
    Sep 30, 2015
    reinerka wrote:
    We have a 2015 Brave 27B. We stepped up from a Forest River Solera. We love the look inside (IKEA anyone?). The storage is sufficient for the two of us. We've do,e upgrades (Solar & Inverter) to make it perfect for boondocking.

    The Ford chassis in my opinion is a step above junk and build quality and localbdealers are horrible. I wish Freightliner or MB had a better chasis in this class. The main chasis problem is lousy build quality and horrible engine/transmission match up. Anything but slightly downhill it shifts straight into 3rd gear with screaming engine noise.

    Reiner


    A quick call to 5star tuning will fix the transmission shifting issues!

    And believe me your better off not have a MB chassis!
  • reinerka's avatar
    reinerka
    Explorer
    Sep 30, 2015
    We have a 2015 Brave 27B. We stepped up from a Forest River Solera. We love the look inside (IKEA anyone?). The storage is sufficient for the two of us. We've do,e upgrades (Solar & Inverter) to make it perfect for boondocking.

    The Ford chassis in my opinion is a step above junk and build quality and localbdealers are horrible. I wish Freightliner or MB had a better chasis in this class. The main chasis problem is lousy build quality and horrible engine/transmission match up. Anything but slightly downhill it shifts straight into 3rd gear with screaming engine noise.

    Reiner
  • garymunson's avatar
    garymunson
    Explorer
    Aug 31, 2015
    We looked at the 'retro' models and were disappointed at the limited number of outside compartments and their small size... Might not be an issue for others.
  • wallynm's avatar
    wallynm
    Explorer
    Aug 26, 2015
    I currently own a 36ft 02 DSDP that the RV consumer Group rates as slightly less than worthless due to the wheelbase to vehicle length ratio. We have put a little over 85,000 miles on it and I still can not figure out what they are talking about. If I were you I would do my own test drive and just to make it interesting have them fill the holding and potable water tanks full.

    You need a little weight when test driving


    .
    tjfogelberg wrote:
    I updated my subscription to RV Consumer Group and answered my own question. The Brave 26A is not highly rated, handling being a major concern after reading the report from RV Consumer Group. Also, Motorhome Magazine's review raised a few issues. Cross it off the list.
  • tjfogelberg's avatar
    tjfogelberg
    Explorer
    Aug 25, 2015
    I'm going to test drive the 26A and look at it closely. I agree that we can't rely too heavily on RV Consumer group. They walk through Rvs at trade shows and come up with a report. They do also poll owners and provide a rating based upon that feedback. That is more reliable in my opinion assuming there are enough respondents and that the poll takers are owners.
  • cbeierl's avatar
    cbeierl
    Explorer
    Aug 25, 2015
    tjfogelberg wrote:
    I updated my subscription to RV Consumer Group and answered my own question. The Brave 26A is not highly rated, handling being a major concern after reading the report from RV Consumer Group. Also, Motorhome Magazine's review raised a few issues. Cross it off the list.


    Be aware, of course, that RV Consumer Group doesn't actually test anything. They just look at the specs and feed them into some equations of theirs to come up with their rating.
  • tjfogelberg's avatar
    tjfogelberg
    Explorer
    Aug 25, 2015
    I updated my subscription to RV Consumer Group and answered my own question. The Brave 26A is not highly rated, handling being a major concern after reading the report from RV Consumer Group. Also, Motorhome Magazine's review raised a few issues. Cross it off the list.
  • gbopp's avatar
    gbopp
    Explorer
    Aug 24, 2015
    I didn't know it had a corner bed. That would be a deal breaker for me.

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