Winnebago VIA 25T Loft Bed or Driver Side Door

neshultz: I agree about closing the drivers door and putting one hand up high near the bottom of the window and slamming the door closed. Exactly what I do. If you have any problems with wind noise, try the 1" door gasket in the channel inside the door frame. Love the Via.

I agree on getting what YOU need. I see this very typically with car salesmen. They convince you to buy a car to accommodate a big crowd of people, which in reality hardly ever happens. This leaves you with driving way more car (plus fuel) than you actually need. Double expense, no real benefit.

Personally another exit is a very good thing.

Thank you all for your insights. You've helped us make a decision to choose the driver's door instead of the loft bed. I'm going to find a way to use a raised full-size airbed up against the sofa, covered with a mattress topper and sheets to make a quasi-queen bed for the occasional guest. Seems do-able.

Happy Trails!

Rkymtn - I had that same noise and at least a similar problem. When we first got our Via, I noticed that the top of our drivers door was not in as far (closed) as the bottom and was just about ready to take it in for service when I discovered that you need to almost slam the door to get it to close properly. Putting your hand high when you close it from outside....about the bottom of the window helps a lot. Since then I've noticed the same thing on every new one I've seen.

+1 on driver door. Makes it easy to refuel, and if you get diesel on your shoes, you won't track it through the coach.

Like Norman above, out Via 25T came with the driver door, and about all of the Via/Reyos I have seen on dealer lots or online have the driver door option. Only a few have the loft bed. I did see one on a 2011 25T and I don't think your college age son would be comfortable up there, certainly not two of them. We bought ours for us alone, although we did struggle with the grandkid bit. Decided that they have only come with us twice in five years, and if they come again they can camp outside in a tent. We love the Via 25T and the huge storage space outside. In the large back area we carry chairs, tables, bbq, tools, cleaning supplies, extra clothes & shoes, and still have some room. Love the way it drives and we are getting 15 to 16mpg in Colorado and 17 to 18mpg in the flatlands. I only use the driver door when I get diesel. There was some wind noise at 65mph so I bought some 1" window/door gasket at Walmart for $5 and stuck it in the channel around the door. Nice and quiet now. We just completed a trip to Washington, going off highway from Olympia around the Olympic peninsula then down the Oregon coast. Then headed inland to Silver Falls state park and then up to the Columbia Gorge. You have a beautiful state. Hope you get your via. You may also want to check out the Yahoo forums for Via & View: Via Forum. View/Navion Forum. Also a general forum on Sprinter: Sprinter Forum. Let us know if you have any more questions.

We've got the drivers door, because it was on our Via P at the dealers, and only use it when getting diesel. Otherwise all of us go in and out the main door. So I wouldn't order one for myself. I'm not sure about the T but on our P, there is more outside storage w/o the door. I'm also not sure if you have the three storage cabinets at the front if you have the loft bed. If you have the door it also precludes having the powered sunvisor and the storage unit like on the passengers side.

What ever you decide, I'm sure you will enjoy the Via.

Norman

I have a drivers door and use it often. I really like the fact that I can exit and fuel without going through the side door. I also have grand kids that sometimes travel with us at times and probably would give up my drivers door for a loft bed, even though we have a sofa bed, Flip a coin.

BobR, you're right. At some point, I need to quit feeling like I always have to accommodate my children. They're adults, for heaven's sake. What was I thinking? If, and when, grandkids come my way, there's always the air mattress option, right?

Two exits may be better than one. Thanks for that input.