Winnebago minnie construction
Long time reader first time poster. My family of four is in the market for a travel trailer. We have quite a bit of experience with travel trailers as we have always had free access to a forest river ...
Forum Discussion
Sweedish15 wrote:
The two units I am debating are the coachmen apex 245bhs and the Winnebago Minnie 2455 bhs. I've researched both in depth and begun talking with dealers. The coachmen is almost 1000 pounds lighter which I assume is because it is only a 7.5 ft wide unit compared to the normal 8. I also like that the coachmen has 6 sided aluminum and is built with azdel walls instead of luan. Coachmen seems to boast these features.
Sorry for the long post, but I have been trying to find out if the Winnebago also has aluminum rafters and azdel walls or luan.
The Winnebago is quite anbit more expensive but is the preferred interior by my wife. I also think it is a better looking unit inside and out. Can anybody add some insight on the Winnebago construction.
Don't sweat the Coachmen Azdel, its just marketing and would not sway me one way or the other. The only place Coachmen uses it is for the outer layer of substrate behind the filon of the side wall. Not the inner layer of the sidewall, the front or back walls, the floor or roof, or anywhere else.
The Coachmen will be on a Lippert frame, the Winnie on a BAL/ Norco NXG frame. Personally I would lean towards the Winnie for that reason alone. Just do a search for Lippert Frame, and then BAL NXG frame and compare the hits you get.
Look at the wheel wells. Coachmen will be plastic, Winnie sheet metal.
Coachmen is a Forest River brand, as is yhe 17 Rockwood which we currently own, and after our experiences with both Forest Rivers Rockwood division and their Palomino division a few years back, I will not recommend them to anyone. Certainly they have sold their last RV to us.
Good luck
