New Winnebago on Ford Tansit

[Nvr_lost]

Check it out. Coming to a theater near you.
http://www.rvbusiness.com/2015/10/winnebago-launching-fuse-class-c-at-louisville/comment-page-1/#comment-180643

[JT]

Which is the same gross weight as the original View/Navions and they pulled it off.
---
Really? Any real life, "loaded for the road", documented weight figures to back up this statement?

[Dakzuki]

carringb wrote:
Keep in mind the Transit Cutaway is NOT available with the EcoBoost. The gas model will be the natural-aspirated 3.7L. Which has plenty of horsies, but won't have the down-low, never-need-to-downshift torque of the EcoBoost or Diesel. Which probably was the right decision. Full-profile motorhomes would take a lot more power all the time, putting the motor in boost more often than not. Once you apply a full-time big-block load, it gets full-time block gas mileage.

Both Thor and Winnie are offering theirs with the diesel and a 6 speed transmission.

[Dakzuki]

ron.dittmer wrote:
As a few of you might recall, I am not a lover of slide outs. But that rear slide making a walk-around queen bed is quite nice, as long as the bed remains a bed when pulled in. I would want a real bed, not a couch bed back there. I might be persuaded to consider that. But the added weight is always concerning on the lighter rated chassis like the Transit, Sprinter, and E350. A short 24 footer with that rear slide out would put me at ease if it were built on the E450 chassis. Nothing less.

Another up side of that slide is it doesn't stick into the street if you are curb camping (like I do). Down side is it sticks into your campsite.

Looking forward to seeing some real numbers on this...like OCCC.

[Dakzuki]

JT wrote:
It would be very interesting to *weigh* this thing as it comes off the line. The maximum GVWR of the 350HD DRW is only 10.360 lbs. Depending on how Winnebago jiggers the numbers, I suspect that the "Fuse" would be overweight before adding a can of beans.

Which is the same gross weight as the original View/Navions and they pulled it off.

[carringb]

Keep in mind the Transit Cutaway is NOT available with the EcoBoost. The gas model will be the natural-aspirated 3.7L. Which has plenty of horsies, but won't have the down-low, never-need-to-downshift torque of the EcoBoost or Diesel. Which probably was the right decision. Full-profile motorhomes would take a lot more power all the time, putting the motor in boost more often than not. Once you apply a full-time big-block load, it gets full-time block gas mileage.

[tatest]

mrshowtime3 wrote:
Yes finally. Cant wait to see the twin bed layout. So far for the floor plan we like at the length we want, only Coach House, LT and Phoenix make one like it. Two of those 3 being way too expensive. This could be just what we want. 26' or less twin bed setup with a front couch or dinette on a Transit gas Ecoboost. Would prefer no slideout though.

Am I wrong that the Promaster carries less weight then these Transits? I know on a few of the Promaster B+ models like the REV, once you get water and two people one board you are about over capacity. I figured the Transit would not present these same problems.

The Promaster here has about 2000 pounds less GVWR than Transit or Sprinter. The Ducato from which is derived is in Europe one truck class smaller than the DRW versions of Transit or Sprinter. Ducato market is shared directly with a Renault van and VW Transporter.

Daimler and Ford have tried to cover that under 3500 Kg class by using down rated versions of a larger van. M-B has just recently introduced an up-sized minivan to approach it from the other direction. VW manufactures both classes, Transporter to compete with Ducato and Renault Master, and a Sprinter-based Crafter to compete with Transit and Sprinter in the next size up.

That particular vehicle class, light-duty commercial under 3500 KG, under 7 meters length, does not exist in our commercial vehicle licensing systems. Class 1 (we used to call it 1/2 ton) stops at 6000 pounds, and only a few compact trucks now fit. Our current "1/2 ton" trucks now have higher capacities, which is why model numbers got changed from 10, 100, or 1000 to 150 and 1500. Halfway into Class 2.

Class 2, the next one up, now goes to 10,000 pounds, all our 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton trucks fit here. The biggest RAM Promaster is targeted to this, FCA upgraded its capabilities to just reach to top of the category.

[tatest]

It fits in the size market that once belonged exclusively to the Sprinter here, under 24 feet and under 11,000 pounds, roughly. Class C motorhomes were once all in this weight class (with lengths up to about 29 feet without slides) until "super duty" van cutaways let them grow to 14,000 pounds.

I think we've still got a way to go, to catch up with what they've been doing in Europe, putting similar functionality for two people in "profile" models, and accommodating families of four with the overhead bed, yet keeping weight under 3500 KG and length at seven meters or less. It is not that our manufacturers can't do this, more that they are not convinced enough people here would buy it.

Closest we come today is the Trend/Viva which is 1500 pounds heavier than what gets built in Europe on the same chassis, to accommodate features we still think we can't do without, like a week's capacity on waste tanks, air conditioning, and an on-board power plant to run that A/C. Of course, if you are not really camping, A/C can be a necessity in North America, while in most of Northern Europe private residential spaces do not necessarily have mechanical cooling.

What I've seen so far on the T350 is a step back toward "bigger and heavier" like what got built on the E-350/G30 cutaway platforms at 5 1/2 - 6 tons GVWR.

[mrshowtime3]

Yes finally. Cant wait to see the twin bed layout. So far for the floor plan we like at the length we want, only Coach House, LT and Phoenix make one like it. Two of those 3 being way too expensive. This could be just what we want. 26' or less twin bed setup with a front couch or dinette on a Transit gas Ecoboost. Would prefer no slideout though.

Am I wrong that the Promaster carries less weight then these Transits? I know on a few of the Promaster B+ models like the REV, once you get water and two people one board you are about over capacity. I figured the Transit would not present these same problems.

[ron_dittmer]

As a few of you might recall, I am not a lover of slide outs. But that rear slide making a walk-around queen bed is quite nice, as long as the bed remains a bed when pulled in. I would want a real bed, not a couch bed back there. I might be persuaded to consider that. But the added weight is always concerning on the lighter rated chassis like the Transit, Sprinter, and E350. A short 24 footer with that rear slide out would put me at ease if it were built on the E450 chassis. Nothing less.

[Nvr_lost]

IAMICHABOD wrote:
Thor also makes one on a Transit.

Has some interesting Specs,don't think you can get much into it.

WOW. Nice interior. I see Thor is only building it with the diesel engine. Winnebago lists diesel and gas engines.

[DrewE]

coolmom42 wrote:
It also lists a payload of 4560 lb.

http://www.ford.com/trucks/transitvanwagon/specifications/view-all/

That's for the cargo van with the full body from Ford. The cutaway model has a payload of up to 6020 pounds, depending on the specific model and options. http://www.ford.com/commercial-trucks/transitchassis/specifications/

Of course, that's before the addition of the house by the RV builder. Once it's built into an RV, it's anybody's guess how much of that payload remains for you and your stuff, but I'm guessing it's not an especially large number.

[burlmart]

that both the intros are B+ styles, as w/ the Ducato trend, reflects the lighter payloads of these new chassis entries. B+s typically run smaller and have less exterior storage than a family style C

that slide on the winnie looks pretty heavy

[IAMICHABOD]

Thor also makes one on a Transit.

Has some interesting Specs,don't think you can get much into it.

[coolmom42]

It also lists a payload of 4560 lb.

http://www.ford.com/trucks/transitvanwagon/specifications/view-all/

[JT]

It would be very interesting to *weigh* this thing as it comes off the line. The maximum GVWR of the 350HD DRW is only 10.360 lbs. Depending on how Winnebago jiggers the numbers, I suspect that the "Fuse" would be overweight before adding a can of beans.