Winnebago Access 31J or similar - questions (bunkhouses)

[TriumphGuy]

Hi all,
We went to the "local" RV show yesterday - and learned a lot. Here's the clif notes version and more to the point, my questions:

We're leaning towards looking for a Winnebago Access 31J, which came out in 2008:



Similar floorplans from Jayco (Greyhawk 31FS) and Forest River (Sunseeker 3170DS) came out in 2009 and 2010, respectively:






- Anyone with experience with this floorplan?
- Any idea if you can reach the main bedroom / bunks / bath with the slide in? Looks like it is possible but a tight squeeze. Bath access may depend on which way the door opens, it appears to be a little different between the three.
- Has anyone got a scale weight of one of these?

Of the three Winnebago is a front runner for the moment as they came out with it first (more affordable on the used market) and their online owner support looks amazing. I've never been able to look at parts lists (even with drawings!), plumbing schematics etc online for past models of anything else I've owned. FR doesn't even let you look up previous brochures from what I could find, at least Jayco has an archive.

- - - -

The longer story ...

We started by looking at MB (Sprinter) based C's thinking that 24' for parking etc would be the ticket for us. Our 35' 5er is wonderful but along with our truck is about 50ft of something that has to be parked somewhere, and DW just isn't comfortable driving it.

However reality set in as we walked into a couple of these models. They looked great for two of us. But there aren't just two of us ... and also the rear corner bed was just plain small. We realized we've grown accustomed to a walk around queen MBR and a couch + dinette in the living area for the family. On top of all that the MB models are more pricey.

Next we looked through E450 based class C's. I checked out the driver's seat first and felt very much "at home" - similar to my F250. Not as sweet as a setup as the MB but it's basic and it works. And I'm more comfortable with servicing the V10.

My first thought before yesterday's show was that we'd get something like a 2008 Winnebago Outlook 29B. It has no bunks but we thought it would be an acceptable layout, given the cabover and fold down couch etc. We looked through a couple 2015s which were like this and gave them the "yeah this could work" feeling.

Before I go further, here's the layout of our current 5er:


You can probably figure that we're used to bunks...

Then we stepped into the FR Sunseeker 3170DS and that point became very clear to us - I had no idea this BH plan existed or had been around for a number of years. Shows how ignorant I've been of the MH market! Bunks for the kids means not converting the living area for sleeping, and they have their own space. Cabover bunk gives flexibility for more kids / bringing friends.

Upon reflection I can think we'd be giving up (vs our 5er) some counter space, a bit of kitchen storage, a larger corner shower, and a recliner. Additionally our Cruiser has a 15k AC, 10gal WH that seems to never run out, and an 8cu ft fridge. But gaining MH flexibilities seems worth it. DW can drive as well - she didn't seem fazed at all by the driver's seat or the width in the mirrors.

Our original plan of going 25ft is out the window but I think on the balance, a 31ft class C is still shorter than our 50ft combination. True, that's less of a difference if I bring a toad, which may happen from time to time, but I think this may be a good middle ground for our future plans of being on the road and park hopping.

Edit: The sunseeker came out in 2010

[TriumphGuy]

Ok I found some pictures to reference:

rear storage on the Access 31J:


rear storage on the Greyhawk 31FS:


The FR Sunseeker current model is like the Greyhawk 31FS storage but I thought I'd seen an earlier model year with a setup like the Access.

Tough to say no to more outside storage!

[TriumphGuy]

RedJeep wrote:
I've also started looking at the used rental market like Fleetwood 34n bunkhouse and Thor Hurricane 34b(I think). El Monte RV carries the big class A's. I'm still on the fence about buying a rental though.

I'm hoping to go toad-less and rent cars when we need to.

that Hurricane 34b looks like a great layout if we were looking for an A!

I'm also looking at the toad situation. None of our cars are flat towable and I'm going to need another daily driver in the next year or so. Adding up all the expense of tow bar / baseplate / braking system etc is quite a bit! Makes car rental look a little better. The trips I'm planning on would be less "stay and play" and more wandering.

mgirardo wrote:
We have a 2009 Jayco Greyhawk 31FS. ....

Our Greyhawk handles great right off the showroom floor. I normally drive around 70 mph and have no problem with trucks passing. I drive with 1 hand, actually usually just a few fingers, on the steering wheel. Although now that we have a toad, we aren't suppose to exceed 65 mph (limited by the toad) which stinks because most of where we drive has 70 mph speed limit.

-Michael

thank you so much Michael for your perspective. Stuff I will be thinking about. It's also nice to hear how easy yours is to drive. As nice as towing a 5er is, it seems to me a single vehicle without the hinge in the middle (hitch) would be more stable.

[TriumphGuy]

Thanks everyone for the responses! Great feedback ... I stumbled on this video of a family packing up their Greyhawk 31FS with the slides in. Looks a lot easier to get around than I thought:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p82QCqM1mGI

I am 6'3" and the short queen will probably be an issue with the slide in but I think I can work around that.

Looks like the Jayco and FR have a front cap, while I think the Winnebago does not. OTOH the Jayco has a rubber roof while the others have fiberglass.

The rear storage bay is really small on the Winnebago, and the earliest FR that I can find, but Jayco in the pictures of the 2009 I could find has a big bay that looks like my 5er basement storage.

I probably like the interior of the Greyhawk the best, and the small counter spot next to the range is handy for things although the couch is shorter to accommodate it. And I like the sliding "pocket" doors instead of folding doors.

I'm trying to find some pictures of the rear storage bay(s) of the Access 31J. The outside storage might be the deciding point for me - or whichever I find the best deal on, can never tell what you'll find out there 🙂

[mgirardo]

We have a 2009 Jayco Greyhawk 31FS. The motorhome is completely usable with both slides in. However, with the bedroom slide in, the wardrobe is snug against the bed, so if you are tall, that could be a problem. I'm 5'11" and my feet just barely touch the wardrobe. The bathroom door also does not fully open, but I'm a big guy and can just squeeze into the bathroom with the slide in.

When we first bought our Greyhawk in 2009 our kids were 8 and 6 and they loved the idea of the bunk beds. They used the bunks for about 3 years. Now they both complain they are too small. Actually they are too narrow. Our bunks are 29" wide, so an inch narrower than the Winnebago and 3" narrower than your FVer. I think a standard twin is 38" wide.

They do not use the bunks anymore. They are used as storage and/or for guests. However, we are thinking of having a custom made twin size mattress that is as wide as a normal twin but short enough to fit in the motorhome's lower bunk four our daughter. We'll just use plywood to support the extra 9" width. The mattress should not impede the bathroom door because there is about 6" or so of empty space between the edge of the bed and the end of the slide and there is plenty of room between the door and the slide when it is open.

Our Greyhawk is 32' 2" long. It has a single ducted 13.5k A/C unit. I have always wished it had a second one in place of the thermostatically controlled ceiling fan in the bedroom. Just a small one, like 5k-8k so that we could close off the ducts in the bedroom. I think that would help the main unit cool the rest of the motorhome. As for heat, our Greyhawk only has 1 heating duct in the main living area and it is below the sink. When we winter camp our son uses a heated blanket on the cab over bed because the heat doesn't fully warm that area. I've talked about getting a small space heater, but my wife doesn't like that idea.

I have been in the Aspect and the Sunseeker, but I did not drive them. Our Greyhawk handles great right off the showroom floor. I normally drive around 70 mph and have no problem with trucks passing. I drive with 1 hand, actually usually just a few fingers, on the steering wheel. Although now that we have a toad, we aren't suppose to exceed 65 mph (limited by the toad) which stinks because most of where we drive has 70 mph speed limit.

-Michael

[colestat]

We went from a 5th wheel to the Forest River 3170DS last year and Love it. We love the flexibility we now have. We have been on a few trips with 8 people so far (kids love bringing friends). We can tow our Jeep if we want to or we can tow a motorcycle trailer. So many options we did not have with the 5th wheel. Good luck in your search.

[RedJeep]

We're basically in same boat as you; switching from a big fifth wheel to a motorhome. We had been looking at the same models as you. However, I'm now looking at some slightly larger units like the 35j. I've also started looking at the used rental market like Fleetwood 34n bunkhouse and Thor Hurricane 34b(I think). El Monte RV carries the big class A's. I'm still on the fence about buying a rental though.

I'm hoping to go toad-less and rent cars when we need to. It seems that there are plenty of compromises in going to a motorhome from a big fifth wheel, but we have many 3k+ mile trips on the horizon and feel that a Moho will be more comfortable.

Good luck and share with us what u get.

[Hank85713]

Cant answer directly as we have an ASPECT Cl B+. But yes you can get into the bathroom and I would think you could with the access even by looking at the floor plan. Might not open all the way but enough to enter. With our front slide in and the 'round table it is a close squeeze to get by but is doable.

Its just the 2 of us so we dont worry about 'others' grand kids if ever can use the dinette. Go back to the dealer and have them close the slides and then check it out its the only way to really answer your questions.