Winnebago Trend - First Drive Impressions

[bobcat66]

My wife and I recently test drove a 2014 Winnebago Trend 23L (same as the Itasca Viva) and were very impressed. As previous View owners that was the benchmark for our comparison. We then drove a new 2014 View immediately following the Trend drive as a refresher.

The Trend drove like a large van or SUV and my wife was very comfortable driving it. Below are the overall impressions we came away with:

Chassis Comments
Pro’s
- Peppy take off
- Smooth and easy steering
- Tight turning radius
- Very good visibility
- Much quieter than the View
- Large outside mirrors – both sections of each mirror individually controlled
- Good road manners – less affected by cross wind, trucks and tar strips than the View
- Brakes had a good feel and worked well
- Noticeably less “rock & roll” than the View
- Controls well laid out and easy to read and figure out
- At 6’ tall I was able to stand up in cab making for easy ingress and egress
- Adequate leg room in both driver and passenger seats
- Nice looking alloy wheels and exterior silver paint
- Six air bags
- Cab seats are firm but comfortable

Con’s
- Wind noise from above – could be from around skylight
- Could not get seat backs to adjust forward or back
- Funny looking front end (IMO)– Dodge ProMaster front will be updated later this year

Coach Comments (23L)
Pro’s
- Very space efficient layout
- Lots of interior storage including under the bed which is also accessible from outside
- Cab seats swivel very easily and are at chair height
- Relatively large grey and black tanks
- Reasonable outside storage space
- No noticeable rattles
- Table configuration very user-friendly and can seat 6 if necessary; table is very stable (no rattles or instability)
- Thought of everything in the bathroom (towel hooks, hangers, storage, etc.)

Con’s
- Small freezer
- No MCD solar shades, only blackout shades
- Generator and coach battery only accessible from underneath
- Front outside storage compartment has small door and is difficult to access – limited to small or flexible items like cords, hoses, leveling blocks, door mat, etc.
- A window over the galley would be a nice feature for more daylight
- No personal need for the drop-down bed, but could be used if we have company

Would like to hear from any Trend / Viva owners to see what they think. 🙂

[Bill_Lynch]

I'm waiting for other manufacturers to some out with their versions to see more choices.

[bobcat66]

szn8tt wrote:
Probably could get one for $60K

I wouldn't count on it.

[szn8tt]

Viva 23B advertised for $67.9K
getting cheaper

Probably could get one for $60K

[bobcat66]

I saw a Leisure Travel Van Unity with the murphy bed with an OCCC of 921#.

Yikes:E

Yup, that's the one I was referring to.

[szn8tt]

bobcat66 wrote:
We looked at a Sprinter-based Leisure Travel Van Unity model with less than 1000# OCCC! That could be a problem.

I saw a Leisure Travel Van Unity with the murphy bed with an OCCC of 921#.

Yikes:E

[bobcat66]

I have been away from the Forum for a few days since I posted my First Drive Impressions and glad to see the lively discussions! Also glad to hear from two owners; one Viva (Trend) and one Travato (same chassis) which was the original purpose of the post.

Thanks Iceman for your owner observations – I sent you a PM - hope to hear back.

Thanks bobojay for attempting to get the topic back on track! - seems to be a common “trend” with many threads. LOL 😉

Just a few comments after reading the replies and comments:

Coach battery access- In the 2015 model the coach battery can now be accessed from inside via a flip up panel between the cab seats. Interesting to hear there is room for a second battery.

OCCC– The carrying capacity is higher than that of the 2007 View that we are coming from and that was never an issue for us. And we found we carried stuff we never used. We tend to be travelers and not campers, staying 1-3 nights in any one place so we don’t need a lot of “stuff” - just the basics. We looked at a Sprinter-based Leisure Travel Van Unity model with less than 1000# OCCC! That could be a problem.

Towing– we did not tow with the View and we do not plan to tow with our next MH so not an issue for us but could be for others. We prefer not to tow for the way we travel.

Any more Trend / Viva owners out there? If so, come on in and share your experiences! 🙂

Cheers,

[mumkin]

szn8tt wrote:

decent mileage (twice that of any existing gas C or small A)

Not quite true. On this thread the mileage was reported as 14-16. My Chevy based C which is a foot longer has averaged 12.8 in the three years that I have driven it.

So while better, certainly not twice as much.

[Desert_Captain]

szn8tt wrote:

Desert Captain wrote:
Lots of quality C's out there for less than $90,000 that have far more capability and features than the trend.

Name one, link one, describe the features.

One year ago I made a similar request here and a member was kind enough to refer me to Nexus RV.com. I am happy to return the favor per your request. I was an eyelash away from flying to Elkhart to buy a new Phantom 23P when our 2012 popped up on the internet with 6,205 miles (8.8) on the generator), right here in Tucson. Needless to say I bought it that day.

It is not my intent to do a commercial for Nexus... though I easily could(I will send you a PM outlining many of my favorite features). Go to the website with an open mind, compare/contrast the Trend and the Phantom side by side and see for yourself. They currently have two nicely equipped Phantom 23P's for just under $60,000 in their available inventory.

An earlier post noted that the prices for the Trend are "trending" down (sorry I could not help myself), and that can only be due to the market balking at the original pricing structure. I think Winnebago (Itasca), make excellent coaches, some of the best around. The Trend is a different animal, somewhat limited in its abilities when compared to the conventional Class C's out there and until the price gets in line with those limitations I think there are better choices available, ironically some from Winnebago and Itasca... not to mention Nexus.

As always... Opinions and YMMV.

:C

[gmctoyman]

For szn8tt
Clicky Thing

[TravellingTrade]

Desert Captain wrote:

szn8tt wrote:

Desert Captain wrote:

szn8tt wrote:

Desert Captain wrote:

The problem I have with the Trend is its ridiculous price for what you get.

Compared to what?

It is $40K less than Sprinter-based C's.

I have seen a lot of Sprinter-based C's but none that even approached $130,000. Lots of quality C's out there for less than $90,000 that have far more capability and features than the trend. IMHO: If the Trend was selling for around $50K I think they would move like hotcakes but with its smalls size and numerous limitations $90K is a joke.

:C

I've been shopping the Minnie Winnie 22R and the Trend 23L. The Trend 23L is often quoted on RV Trader at $79k and I've seen it as low as $74k. In the 6 weeks I've been looking the price has been dropping. It looked like Winnebago couldn't make them fast enough for the demand at first and the price was high. Now the price is definitely dropping.

If it were in the low $60's we would be buying the 23L instead of the Minnie Winnie 22R. As it is, the $22k price deference would take us a little over 12 years to pay for itself assuming the E350 gets 9MPG and the Trend gets 15.

[szn8tt]

Desert Captain wrote:
Lots of quality C's out there for less than $90,000 that have far more capability and features than the trend.

Name one, link one, describe the features.

[szn8tt]

Brand New Trend advertised for < $70K:
Trend

MSRP from Winnebago is $88.6K:
Trend MSRP

[Desert_Captain]

szn8tt wrote:

Desert Captain wrote:

szn8tt wrote:

Desert Captain wrote:

The problem I have with the Trend is its ridiculous price for what you get.

Compared to what?

It is $40K less than Sprinter-based C's.

I have seen a lot of Sprinter-based C's but none that even approached $130,000. Lots of quality C's out there for less than $90,000 that have far more capability and features than the trend. IMHO: If the Trend was selling for around $50K I think they would move like hotcakes but with its smalls size and numerous limitations $90K is a joke.

:C

[szn8tt]

Dakzuki wrote:


For an RV that size it is quite workable. Lots of folks don't carry massive amounts of stuff when RVing.

THIS.

2 summers ago, my wife and I did a 3 week cross country car camping/backpacking trip out of a Cadillac ATS - which is a small 3500# performance car.

We are looking to not sleep on the ground. We are not looking to carry all our worldly possessions.

We are looking for a rig that is nimble on the road and in camp.
The Trend is:
short (length)
short (height)
simple (no slide outs to break and eat up cargo capacity)
gas motor and gas generator (+ and +)
decent mileage (twice that of any existing gas C or small A)

I am really looking forward to more manufacturers using this Fiat Ducato chassis and giving us more choices. I am sure that Winnebago will also refine it.

The European up fits are stunning...

[szn8tt]

Dakzuki wrote:
The RV has decent OCCC for its size so two 6 volt AGM batteries would be ideal (if the space could be made available).

I have the same thought about adding a 2nd coach battery.
Researching it, it seems like there is room next to the OEM battery location.

See the operator manual photo of the battery location on page 6-7:
Battery location

Also, based on the wiring diagram:
battery installation

Lastly, I emailed Winnebago and asked if there is room for a 2nd battery.
The response:
"Thank you for your inquiry and interest in our Trend product. Yes, there is room for an additional battery to be added."

When I asked if it was something that might be offered as an option, the reply:
"No plans in the near future."