Looking at Winnebago View

[DanLee]

Hadn't even considered one of these until we went to look at a $120,000 used 38 ft Class A. And then, we went into a new Winnebago View on the showroom floor. Impressive and 15 MPG is a consideration! So, now we are wondering, could we spend a month at a time in one of these? Our thoughts are we would trailer a motorcycle behind it and use the motorcycle for most local transportation, and use the View for transportation on rainy days. Would welcome thoughts regarding others' experiences with any of this. thanks

[magrred]

DanLee wrote:
QUOTE Our HWH levelers are automatic. Push a button to deploy and level and push a button to retract. They level the MH but do not reduce ground clearance. The HWH levelers on our larger MH were air levelers on the wheels and did not have jacks. You could reduce ground clearance on those. Cost for the View was $4700 but in my opinion well worth it. But as I said before and also someone else, go to the HWH factory in Iowa to have them installed. Great people and know what they are doing.UNQUOTE



Do the HWH levelers void the warranty of the Sprinter Chassis?

The answer I got to that question was no because HWH does not alter or modify the frame. No drilling or welding. All bolt on. The HWH is engineered specifically for the MB 3500 chasis. Some of the other levelers are generic and do require drilling and / or welding. I was told by HWH that because of the sensitivy to MB they also take power from the house batteries and not the chassis batteries. Also, the deployment of the jacks are done in a manner so as to not twist the chassis.

[Dakzuki]

DanLee wrote:
QUOTE Our HWH levelers are automatic. Push a button to deploy and level and push a button to retract. They level the MH but do not reduce ground clearance. The HWH levelers on our larger MH were air levelers on the wheels and did not have jacks. You could reduce ground clearance on those. Cost for the View was $4700 but in my opinion well worth it. But as I said before and also someone else, go to the HWH factory in Iowa to have them installed. Great people and know what they are doing.UNQUOTE



Do the HWH levelers void the warranty of the Sprinter Chassis?

The only way a warranty would be voided is if the modification materially affected the chassis and there was a failure due to the modification.

[DanLee]

QUOTE Our HWH levelers are automatic. Push a button to deploy and level and push a button to retract. They level the MH but do not reduce ground clearance. The HWH levelers on our larger MH were air levelers on the wheels and did not have jacks. You could reduce ground clearance on those. Cost for the View was $4700 but in my opinion well worth it. But as I said before and also someone else, go to the HWH factory in Iowa to have them installed. Great people and know what they are doing.UNQUOTE



Do the HWH levelers void the warranty of the Sprinter Chassis?

[magrred]

DanLee wrote:

magrred wrote:
Before we down sized to the View 24G, we had a 40 ft, triple slide DP and our rule of thumb was ( cocktails for 6, dinner for 4, sleeps 2) now with the View our rule of thumb is (cocktails for 4, dinner for 2 unless outside, and still sleeps 2). For comfort and convenience, we replaced the sofa/inflate a bed with 2 recliners and installed HWH levelers. The creature comforts for the View are a comprimise over the larger MH but for 2 we could be comfortable for an extended trip. Just done a 1 weeker with no problems.

Do the HWH levelers deploy by jacking such as a bottle jack? Or do you push a button? Do they significantly reduce ground clearance? Cost? Greatly appreciate your reply.

Our HWH levelers are automatic. Push a button to deploy and level and push a button to retract. They level the MH but do not reduce ground clearance. The HWH levelers on our larger MH were air levelers on the wheels and did not have jacks. You could reduce ground clearance on those. Cost for the View was $4700 but in my opinion well worth it. But as I said before and also someone else, go to the HWH factory in Iowa to have them installed. Great people and know what they are doing.

[PhilR_]

When we leave town in our View, we don't worry about how long the trip is. We know that as we are not full-timers, we will eventually come back home. We have no problem with the overall size of the View, but we also know that we would not FT in it......

[fortytwo]

We downsized from a 35' Class A after a dozen years of averaging 6 months on the road each year. Did the same in the View for 2 years. We towed a Saturn Wagon with 2 trikes, a RideKick trailer for the wife's trike, and a 16' inflatable Sea Eagle Kayak in the wagon. With imagination you can find lots of space in the View, and exceed it's weight rating if not careful. Found stuff in the Class A that hadn't moved in a dozen years when we changed. Same happened when we sold the View last year. RV's are "stuff" magnets. Corps of Discovery took less than many of us carry!!

The only caution I have, and it applies to any RV, is to be sure the floor plan accommodates your lifestyle. You can do anything needed in the View, but only one thing at a time. If one is an early riser, the other a sleep-in it can be an issue. Was for us after the wife developed chronic fatigue and required much more rest than I. The dinette and couch are also your living & eating area. Space was never a problem for us; need for concurrent use was.

Maintenance on the Sprinter can be a real problem on the road. Many trivial issues can generate a code that puts the engine in protective "Limp Home Mode". Mercedes does not make the software and test equipment necessary to reset the codes available to third parties, nor do all Mercedes dealers have them. Your road service can't help exceot for a tow. Most never have the problem, but if it happens on Saturday morning and you're supposed to join a tour a thousand miles away on Monday it can (did) make for a stressful weekend. Not uncommon to face a tow of 100+ miles to get repairs. ScanGauge will NOT reset a Sprinter code.

[nomad_289]

tpi wrote:
I will say these smaller rigs are best for travelers. If you plan on planting the RV in one place for weeks at a time, consider larger. The View would be ideal for touring..narrow and more direct handling.

X2

[AprilWhine]

We own a View and took it on a four month trip to Alaska in 2013. We towed a small car and averaged over 14 mpg.

It was the hubby, me and our two cats on the trip. We did not feel cramped and as you can see by my sig, we know how a large RV feels. 🙂

[tpi]

I think your capacity to spend extended time in the View just depends..

I strongly considered the View before buying a 24' Lazy Daze. I personally have no problem being in my 24' indefinitely or would have problem in a View. But there's just me.

I will say these smaller rigs are best for travelers. If you plan on planting the RV in one place for weeks at a time, consider larger. The View would be ideal for touring..narrow and more direct handling.

Pulling a motorcycle on small trailer is great. I have Harley Sportster. Love it here in sunny CA. I no longer do long rides but for in town and 30-50 mile tours it is great.

[neschultz]

I believe HWH levelers can be bought with a manual controls on a control panel inside but don't know details. Ours is the 725 auto level model (you can push one button to auto level or store the jacks or raise\lower them by pairs). Ours don't reduce ground clearance....there is a bar I would have to remove to get the spare down. They do use some of your weight capacity. Cost is in the neighborhood of $4000. It is recommended that they be installed by the factory in Moscow, Iowa or Chuck Stuart in Elkhart, Indiana. We used Stuarts.

[DanLee]

magrred wrote:
Before we down sized to the View 24G, we had a 40 ft, triple slide DP and our rule of thumb was ( cocktails for 6, dinner for 4, sleeps 2) now with the View our rule of thumb is (cocktails for 4, dinner for 2 unless outside, and still sleeps 2). For comfort and convenience, we replaced the sofa/inflate a bed with 2 recliners and installed HWH levelers. The creature comforts for the View are a comprimise over the larger MH but for 2 we could be comfortable for an extended trip. Just done a 1 weeker with no problems.

Do the HWH levelers deploy by jacking such as a bottle jack? Or do you push a button? Do they significantly reduce ground clearance? Cost? Greatly appreciate your reply.

[magrred]

Before we down sized to the View 24G, we had a 40 ft, triple slide DP and our rule of thumb was ( cocktails for 6, dinner for 4, sleeps 2) now with the View our rule of thumb is (cocktails for 4, dinner for 2 unless outside, and still sleeps 2). For comfort and convenience, we replaced the sofa/inflate a bed with 2 recliners and installed HWH levelers. The creature comforts for the View are a comprimise over the larger MH but for 2 we could be comfortable for an extended trip. Just done a 1 weeker with no problems.

[burlmart]

it is as big as many motel rooms, and it has a kitchen.

[Butch50]

We have a 2015 View Profile 24V and have not found it small. We still have some cabinets that are empty. As far as staying in rig this size we find it very roomy even with the slide out in the travel position. Works when you are dry docking it for a night in route to someplace.

In 2013 we went to Alaska for over 2 months with 2 people and a 43# dog in a Northern Light slide in truck camper with no slides. We stayed ever night in the camper and never in a hotel. So we find the View very roomy after that. We also hit some weather in Alaska of very high temperatures (96 and 99* range) and then rain. Unless you really covered yourself with insect repellant you had to spend more time in the camper. So I would latter up and go outside and sit even though it was very hot, just enough breeze most of the time to help you cool off but there never seemed like enough to keep the misquotes away as they were always there.

We would have no problem staying for a month or more in our View.

We have also had 40' 5th wheels with 3 slides and MHs all the way up to a 36' DP so we have had some bigger rigs to go by for experience and I think the View is a prefect size. If you want to not tow a toad you can just take the MH as it is small enough to go almost anywhere.

On Edit: The newer Views have a 5000# hitch with 500# hitch weight. Now if you go with their rating if you are at your GVWR then you only have a little over 4000# towing capacity.