Six months full-timing in the Winnebago Travato

[bspurling]

We bought our Winnebago Travato right at the start of 2014 when it was fresh off the production line... and we've been full-timing in it ever since.

At the six month mark we'd clocked up over 20,000 miles, covering most of the Deep South, South West, and the Pacific Northwest.

If you’re looking for a great combination of small and self-sufficient, the Travato is brilliant. But it’s aimed at a specific type of RVer - one who prefers mobility over space! It has its fair share of design flaws and issues too, as a number of other topics on this forum have discussed.

We have loads more details - the good and the bad - on our website: travato2014.wordpress.com

With the Travato’s floor plan Winnebago have done something wonderful. They’ve taken a floor plan only found in the class C View 24J (aka Navion, if it’s an Itasca) or the class B+ Via 25P (Itasca: Reyo), and ingeniously crammed it into a Ram ProMaster chassis. This floor plan has four great features:

1. Self-sufficient — We wanted to be able to go at least a few days without hooking up, and not by relying on campsite showers either.
2. Mobile and discreet (relatively!) — We didn’t want to look too much like an RV. Big white curvy lines scream “RV”; the extra width of a class C’s coach makes tight parking impossible.
3. Permanent bed — We’re full-timing, so we couldn’t be doing with turning our table into a bed every time we wanted to sleep.
4. Booth-style dinette — We’re not just travelling, we have things we want to do. Things that require laptops, or pen and paper. Tiny little removable tables perched uncomfortably far from leather sofas… Not going to cut it. We wanted a permanent table, with the extra space afforded by the booth-style.
5. Corner shower and corner bed — We prioritise mobility and style over queen-size beds with a foot of space around it. Anything other than a corner bed with a corner shower room squeezed in beside it is a colossal waste of space by our reckoning.

There's loads of other great features, and HUGE design flaws too! As mentioned, it's all on our website. Would be happy to answer any questions from anybody considering the Travato, or pick up any feedback from others already using the van.

Brian

[cjscotty]

My Roadtrek wrote:
Scotty, the problem arises when you say a B+ is slightly larger than a B, but not as big as a Class C.
There are 30' Class C's with 3 slides that the "manufacture" calls a B+. RIVA does not recognize any RV as a Class B+, they are all Class C's.
RIVA consumer web site. Click on any RV picture for its definition.
It would have been nice if you would have started a new thread, and left this one to the OP's original topic.
Hopefully it can get back on the topic of:
"Six months full-timing in the Winnebago Travato".

I'm not the B Moderator, but I was for about 8 years.

Thanks. As far as me starting a new topic, I was not the starter of taking it off topic and discussing B+, so may be better to address that to that person. I don't think how I described it is a problem. I think the term B+ confuses people as it is a version of a C which is why you may read it called a C at times. I did edit that out that people get confused after the rude comments, but certainly wasn't meant to be nasty. Thanks.

[Escargot]

erip wrote:
Scotty.
Try to disregard the snarkiness of other members. Many people have nothing better to do than critize others knowledge and denegrate RV's different than theirs.

For the record: The insults and snark originated with the dudette. She must have thought better of it because she edited at least two of her insulting posts, twice.
Don't be so quick to call the kettle black without having followed the thread.

peace. out.

[My_Roadtrek]

Scotty, the problem arises when you say a B+ is slightly larger than a B, but not as big as a Class C.
There are 30' Class C's with 3 slides that the "manufacture" calls a B+. RIVA does not recognize any RV as a Class B+, they are all Class C's.
RIVA consumer web site. Click on any RV picture for its definition.
It would have been nice if you would have started a new thread, and left this one to the OP's original topic.
Hopefully it can get back on the topic of:
"Six months full-timing in the Winnebago Travato".

I'm not the B Moderator, but I was for about 8 years.

[stan909]

Imagine if the mythical Diesel ever shows up. For the extra $5000 you could get 25 mpg in a Travato but I guess there would have to be a gas tank or extra propane added for the genny since there is currently no diesel genny small enough to fit under the Promaster.

[erip]

Scotty.
I own a travato and am very happy with it and would be happy to answer any questions you have. Try to disregard the snarkiness of other members. Many people have nothing better to do than critize others knowledge and denegrate RV's different than theirs.
I owned a 22 foot b plus for 8 years and now that i am back in a B, i am driving on roads that i couldn't go on for years. I don't know where in ny you are, but any disadvantage of size you out weigh in drivability, if you live near lots of parkways, limiting your ability to get around.

[cjscotty]

stan909 wrote:
The Pleasureway floor plan of the Pro Master has been around for a long,long,long,long time.The Travato as you well know is a brand new(relatively speaking)floor plan for North America.I would think they want it for the same reasons as you Windchaser.That being said.I too would like to know.I liked it right away because of the floor plan but the dinette space kinda turned me off.It seems they might have cured that aspect and made the bed wider but now I can only get silver and not the nice tan color.Oh and that ugly wide black stripe down both sides,Bleah !!!!

I know, Europe does incredible things with the designs and better than the Travato. I saw one where you walk thru the bath with 2 doors in the front and back, where the walking path is where u shower, (you lift up the section of floor) and this allowed for a larger flip up bed in the back, and they had option of a sofa flipping up on the side too, love to be able to use the back section to sit also. I agree also the silver is so bland. The tan is pretty. We actually like the crazy red too, saw one at Hershey lol.

[stan909]

The Pleasureway floor plan of the Pro Master has been around for a long,long,long,long time.The Travato as we well know is a brand new(relatively speaking)floor plan for North America.I liked it right away because of the floor plan but the dinette space kinda turned me off.It seems they might have cured that aspect and made the bed wider but now I can only get silver and not the nice tan color.Oh and that ugly wide black stripe down both sides,Bleah !!!!

[cjscotty]

wincrasher65 wrote:
Scotty - did you look at the Pleasureway Lexor on the Promaster when you were there?

I'd like to hear your thoughts as to why you would prefer the Travato over that coach.

The Promaster is a very similar floorplan to all the B's. Very small storage. What we like about the Travato is the flip up bed that allows us to bring more of the stuff we have, we do sporty active things. It also has sleeping for 3, we may occasionally bring my young niece. Also, if you need to haul things like in a truck, you can. We have two dogs, we can fit them under the bed in their beds out of the way, etc. It has a MUCH larger bathroom than any B we've seen. Downside, the tanks are small. The Travato has multiple uses. We usually go weekends, or just daytrips, with one or two week long trips a year, where we use hookups. Right now we have an older 25 ft B+ (narrow C without overhead cab bunk), BUT many times wish it were a little smaller, parking can be tight sometimes, as can the roads and towns on the east coast where we live, and being able to drive roads that ours isn't allowed is very appealing also.

[wincrasher65]

Scotty - did you look at the Pleasureway Lexor on the Promaster when you were there?

I'd like to hear your thoughts as to why you would prefer the Travato over that coach.

[cjscotty]

Escargot wrote:
Yes, I'm the brand new member of this forum who barged in headlong and headstrong to redefine what a B Conversion Van is, while insulting a very knowledgable member along the way. Yep. That's me alright.

Here. This where you belong:

Class C Motorhomes
This forum is for all of the class C Travelers including B+'s and Super C's

Categories: All, Class C, B+, Super C

Good luck, and
try not to alienate any more members.

Dude, don't tell me where I need to be. I'm looking at the new B Travato, and unless you're a moderator back off. Never tried to redefine anything, I am a very knowledgeable owner of a B+, looking to upgrade to another B+ until we saw the Travato at Hershey. The Travato is the first B we're actually interested in. Love the design of it, and it may take us off our B+ path, and into a B. So I'm here trying to learn more about it. Saw one at Hershey and we loved it.

[Escargot]

Yes, I'm the brand new member of this forum who barged in headlong and headstrong to redefine what a B Conversion Van is, while insulting a very knowledgable member along the way. Yep. That's me alright.

Here. This where you belong:

Class C Motorhomes
This forum is for all of the class C Travelers including B+'s and Super C's

Categories: All, Class C, B+, Super C

Good luck, and
try not to alienate any more members.

[cjscotty]

Don't understand the nastiness. :E Hope more manufacturers jump on copying the B version ProMaster Travato, and the B+ version Trend, giving us different floor plans, etc., to choose from, as we ourselves are in the market to upgrade our B-Plus Trail-Lite (says B-Plus right on it if anyone wants to argue semantics). Wish they still made them. Love ours, but it's getting older and it may be time. Don't want a C, like the more sleeker, easier to drive, better gas mileage B+'s, but now DO like the new B Travato, as it offers more storage and options with that flip up bed. Brilliant!

[Escargot]

They probably should have tho, just to help people like yourself who seem to get so confused.

omg... Davydd is the last person on this forum you want to accuse of being confused regarding RV designations, and more.

We, "B" owners, have been through this discussion ad nauseum. Do not be surprised if no one jumps at the opportunity to counter your numerous rationalizations / false claims with regard to what makes a C a "B+", etc.

Edited to add: My comment was posted while the above comment was being edited for the 3rd time.

[cjscotty]

Davydd wrote:
Round and round we go. The Trend and the Pursuit are built on cutaway chassis. They are by the definition of RVIA and RV.net Class C RVs. What part of "Class B - Camping Van Conversions" mast heading of this forum do people not get?

They are a form of a C that's why. I just went to the Hershey show, went to MANY dealers that sell them, and all of the people that we spoke with that not only represented the dealers, but represented the manufacturers themselves, called them B+ also. We personally would NEVER own a C, don't like them, but love the B+'s. The term helps people differentiate the differences and were made for people that wanted better gas mileage, didn't need the overhead bunk, wanted something a little more than a B and a little less than a regular C. I'll end it with that bc this goes nowhere, but honestly don't understand the anger or meanness.

[Escargot]

There is a B+. A B+ is slightly larger than a B, usually have larger tanks, is easiest to describe as a C without the overhanging front cabover bunk area. We own one. They are usually lower and more narrow or streamline than a regular gas C. Ours gets better gas mileage than most C's on a Ford V10. An example of a B+ is the Winnebago Trend, or the Pleasureway Pursuit. They are actually closer to a C than a B tho, so many B+ nowadays sometimes are termed as C's, but there are real differences in a C and B+, and a knowledgeable salesperson will let you know the differences. On the MB's, the View Navion when made without the overhanging cabover bunk area, is actually a B+ also. And Yes, they are closer to a C, but have never been called a C- as some seem to want to rename them on here. The Reyo is an A but a similar shorter length, so can be thought of as another option to people that are looking at the above, in an A (more bus like) design.

Ugh. Here we go...