Winnebago Minnie 25B - good choice?

[Veik]

I like the floor plan, and the fact that is has no slide out (weight, eventual leaks, chances of failure)

I understand that its the the most basic C-class Winnebago offers.

Anything I should be aware with this model? Any potential shortcomings? Thank you.

[mlts22]

I like a dinette for sitting, since it gives more comfy tablespace to spread out with the laptop and food. For watching TV or a bed, the couch is better, since most couches tend to be air mattresses.

My favorite configuration is the rear slide queen, or the corner queen. Simple, but for one person, there is no worry about climbing over another, and the dinette can remain in use for the laptop and food. Of course, the cabover winds up being a nice place for storing bedding as well.

[Veik]

Well, if you sleep in it only, or eat outside all the time, you can have your dinnete converted to bed and sit on that 🙂

but its a pain

[Jopops]

Couch to me is HUGE. What's the point of a motorhome if you don't even have a COUCH ?!

[Veik]

I will be taking a test drive of the 25B this weekend. Will need to go up to Philly area to look at one...

I briefly looked at 22R last night before dealer closed, and its just a bit too tight inside for family of four. They didnt not have 25B in stock

I wonder if the extra couch will make much of a difference...

[j-d]

That Chevy 4500 chassis seems like such a natural in a mid-size Class C. I wonder if something else is going on. GM has been tentative/fickle/halfhearted in the RV business while Ford has been all-in. I wonder if Chevy is focusing their efforts elsewhere now. Maybe ambulance chassis, where they can exploit the availability of the Duramax Diesel. Dodge ruled years ago and after that was over I learned that Chrysler's financing arrangement for chassis was more favorable than Ford/GM. So in effect they bought the RV business.

[Jopops]

If you're looking at that size, I would seriously look at the Redhawk offerings of similar size. I didn't get a Jayco primarily because for the bunkhouse model I wanted for my family, the Jaycos were just too heavy and didn't buy me enough OCCC for my tastes. That's the only reason I don't own a Jayco. Hands down, the Jayco was FAR more comfortable inside than these Minnie Winnies - premier package or not. The cushions, seating, cabinetry, etc. All better. But better comes with a weight penalty - a penalty you could probably absorb in a shorter coach.

YMMV. I obviously own a Winnebago and I've been happy with how it performs and happy with my 3k pounds of OCCC in a 32' rig. However, it definitely feels rental grade when compared to the Jayco. I'd rather have it this way and drive w/o fear of overloading though. If I go shorter next time around, it'll likely be in a Jayco.

[johnnyrv]

the 25b might be our next mh. small class c with a sofa bed is great if you have kids. only concern is uneven entry steps and freezer too high. also engine was noisy so take a test ride first. you are smart to avoid slides.

[Jopops]

I don't think Chevy is going anywhere. Just recently Jayco started offering their Redhawk line in either Ford or Chevy.

http://www.jayco.com/products/class-c-motorhomes/2015-redhawk/floorplans-and-prices/

[MobileBasset]

mlts22
No I don't know why the Chevy was phased out. I just assumed that Ford underbids them because their chassis are cheaper:) I bought my Chevy 25B ahead of my schedule because there was only one left on the market in my neck of the woods.

[pconroy328]

We've got a Chevy platform too. There's a lot of *speculation* on why but I'm not sure anyone here actually *knows* why.

[mlts22]

MobileBasset wrote:


The Chevys were phased out in 2014 so you will only find them on used models

Pardon my cluelessness, but do you happen to know why Chevies have been phased out?

The reason I ask is that I was looking at some Sunseekers, and the RV salesperson said the same thing, that Chevies are history as a chassis option. In the Sunseeker line, I can buy a Ford, or a MBS (I'm guessing they want to fold the Solera line in with the Sunseeker/Foresters eventually, but I could be wrong...)

I personally prefer the Ford because I am more familiar with them, and it is a little bit shorter (although the doghouse is bigger, but with the Winnebago slimline beverage holder, 147623-01-02A, it helps mitigate the size of it.)

I've not heard anything bad about the Chevy chassis, so I'm curious why it isn't used anymore.

[winnietrey]

Veik wrote:
I like the floor plan, and the fact that is has no slide out (weight, eventual leaks, chances of failure)

I understand that its the the most basic C-class Winnebago offers.

Anything I should be aware with this model? Any potential shortcomings? Thank you.

Everyone has their own opinion. But I would not want a small MH without a slide. They add a lot of room. I have never had a problem with ours.

[Veik]

pnichols wrote:
Note that Winnebago offers this line in a basic Minnie Winnie configuration, and in an optional configuration with their "Premier" package. I would recommend that one opt for the Premier package. Their Itasca Spirit and Itasca Spirit Silver models may be exactly the same in build quality and features - although I would study the Minnie and Itasca models very, very carefully to make sure to see if the Itasca models don't include some very subtle upgraded features or different construction techniques as standard. If so, I'd go with the Itasca "equivalents", instead.

HOWEVER there may be a red flag: Looking at the front end photographs of the Minnie Winnie, Minnie Winnie Premier, Itasca Spirit, and Itasca Spirit Silver models, I see that their one-piece fiberglass roofs appear to be completely, or almost completely ... flat instead of crowned, and .... that the side edges of the roofs do not appear to be rolled downwards over-lapping the vertical walls from front to back. In other words regarding rolled edges, there may be a seam all along the sides where the roof joins the side walls. This is not the best way to configure one-piece fiberglass roofs for long term leak-proofness with minimum maintenance, although most every manufacturer using one-piece fiberglass roofs may now build this way because it's less costly for them to do so. (For some reason, our 2005 Itasca Class C came with a crowned single piece fiberglass roof with rolled over side edges.)

When considering a purchase, after studying extensively in these forums I would very inspect carefully in person any model of Class C to make sure of what you were getting ... inside and out, up and down. You'll see long lists of what to look for in these forums.

I was up on the roof of 25R, and I think you are right, they are rolled in the back, but there are seems on both side walls.

Good point, thank you.

[pnichols]

Note that Winnebago offers this line in a basic Minnie Winnie configuration, and in an optional configuration with their "Premier" package. I would recommend that one opt for the Premier package. Their Itasca Spirit and Itasca Spirit Silver models may be exactly the same in build quality and features - although I would study the Minnie and Itasca models very, very carefully to make sure to see if the Itasca models don't include some very subtle upgraded features or different construction techniques as standard. If so, I'd go with the Itasca "equivalents", instead.

HOWEVER there may be a red flag: Looking at the front end photographs of the Minnie Winnie, Minnie Winnie Premier, Itasca Spirit, and Itasca Spirit Silver models, I see that their one-piece fiberglass roofs appear to be completely, or almost completely ... flat instead of crowned, and .... that the side edges of the roofs do not appear to be rolled downwards over-lapping the vertical walls from front to back. In other words regarding rolled edges, there may be a seam all along the sides where the roof joins the side walls. This is not the best way to configure one-piece fiberglass roofs for long term leak-proofness with minimum maintenance, although most every manufacturer using one-piece fiberglass roofs may now build this way because it's less costly for them to do so. (For some reason, our 2005 Itasca Class C came with a crowned single piece fiberglass roof with rolled over side edges.)

When considering a purchase, after studying extensively in these forums I would inspect very carefully in person any model of Class C to make sure of what you were getting ... inside and out, up and down. You'll see long lists of what to look for in these forums.