Winnebago Trend - First Drive Impressions
My wife and I recently test drove a 2014 Winnebago Trend 23L (same as the Itasca Viva) and were very impressed. As previous View owners that was the benchmark for our comparison. We then drove a new 2014 View immediately following the Trend drive as a refresher.
The Trend drove like a large van or SUV and my wife was very comfortable driving it. Below are the overall impressions we came away with:
Chassis Comments
Pro’s
- Peppy take off
- Smooth and easy steering
- Tight turning radius
- Very good visibility
- Much quieter than the View
- Large outside mirrors – both sections of each mirror individually controlled
- Good road manners – less affected by cross wind, trucks and tar strips than the View
- Brakes had a good feel and worked well
- Noticeably less “rock & roll” than the View
- Controls well laid out and easy to read and figure out
- At 6’ tall I was able to stand up in cab making for easy ingress and egress
- Adequate leg room in both driver and passenger seats
- Nice looking alloy wheels and exterior silver paint
- Six air bags
- Cab seats are firm but comfortable
Con’s
- Wind noise from above – could be from around skylight
- Could not get seat backs to adjust forward or back
- Funny looking front end (IMO)– Dodge ProMaster front will be updated later this year
Coach Comments (23L)
Pro’s
- Very space efficient layout
- Lots of interior storage including under the bed which is also accessible from outside
- Cab seats swivel very easily and are at chair height
- Relatively large grey and black tanks
- Reasonable outside storage space
- No noticeable rattles
- Table configuration very user-friendly and can seat 6 if necessary; table is very stable (no rattles or instability)
- Thought of everything in the bathroom (towel hooks, hangers, storage, etc.)
Con’s
- Small freezer
- No MCD solar shades, only blackout shades
- Generator and coach battery only accessible from underneath
- Front outside storage compartment has small door and is difficult to access – limited to small or flexible items like cords, hoses, leveling blocks, door mat, etc.
- A window over the galley would be a nice feature for more daylight
- No personal need for the drop-down bed, but could be used if we have company
Would like to hear from any Trend / Viva owners to see what they think. :)
The Trend drove like a large van or SUV and my wife was very comfortable driving it. Below are the overall impressions we came away with:
Chassis Comments
Pro’s
- Peppy take off
- Smooth and easy steering
- Tight turning radius
- Very good visibility
- Much quieter than the View
- Large outside mirrors – both sections of each mirror individually controlled
- Good road manners – less affected by cross wind, trucks and tar strips than the View
- Brakes had a good feel and worked well
- Noticeably less “rock & roll” than the View
- Controls well laid out and easy to read and figure out
- At 6’ tall I was able to stand up in cab making for easy ingress and egress
- Adequate leg room in both driver and passenger seats
- Nice looking alloy wheels and exterior silver paint
- Six air bags
- Cab seats are firm but comfortable
Con’s
- Wind noise from above – could be from around skylight
- Could not get seat backs to adjust forward or back
- Funny looking front end (IMO)– Dodge ProMaster front will be updated later this year
Coach Comments (23L)
Pro’s
- Very space efficient layout
- Lots of interior storage including under the bed which is also accessible from outside
- Cab seats swivel very easily and are at chair height
- Relatively large grey and black tanks
- Reasonable outside storage space
- No noticeable rattles
- Table configuration very user-friendly and can seat 6 if necessary; table is very stable (no rattles or instability)
- Thought of everything in the bathroom (towel hooks, hangers, storage, etc.)
Con’s
- Small freezer
- No MCD solar shades, only blackout shades
- Generator and coach battery only accessible from underneath
- Front outside storage compartment has small door and is difficult to access – limited to small or flexible items like cords, hoses, leveling blocks, door mat, etc.
- A window over the galley would be a nice feature for more daylight
- No personal need for the drop-down bed, but could be used if we have company
Would like to hear from any Trend / Viva owners to see what they think. :)
