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. 🙂

[Iceman567]

bobcat66 wrote:
A Winnebago Trend - Itasca Viva Yahoo group has been started.

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Viva-Trend/conversations/messages

Let's see if this one works.

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Viva-Trend/info

[bobcat66]

A Winnebago Trend - Itasca Viva Yahoo group has been started.

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Viva-Trend/conversations/messages

[Iceman567]

We are on an extended road trip right now. So far we have racked up over 2500 miles. All types of roads and terrain. I can't complain one bit. Handles well on the interstates, plenty of acceleration. Handles the back roads well also.

There was just a little bit of front wheel slippage in some rain but backing off the accelerator took care of that. Know better next time.

We've had two class 'A's and one 450 chassis 'C'. I'll take the Viva any day. We've made some adjustments with regards to storage, didn't need 2/3 of the stuff from the 'A'.

We are well with in the carry weight of the Viva and have been averaging 14-15mpg (6 with the A) at or under 65 mph.

We had a toad with the class A so now fuel stops are a breeze. Easy in, easy out.

We use this as a daily driver for sight seeing. It usually takes two parking spots end to end or just park in a remote area of a lot.

All in all-no regrets on our purchase.

[bobcat66]

It's less of a concern with a front wheel drive vehicle like the Trend / Viva.

I had a rear tire blowout while traveling 70+ mph in a front wheel drive heavily loaded Volvo station wagon and was able to bring it safely to a stop on the side of the road. Not sure I would have been as successful with a rear wheel drive vehicle.

[pnichols]

I guess the real test with single rear tires on a heavy rig might come with a rear tire failure.

We had an outside rear tire failure in our dually motohome and just slowed way down (5 MPH) and traveled along the highway edge to a town and had the flat fixed. It could have been real dangerous to have had this happen on a curvy mountain road. Dual tires also bring redundancy - for an extra margin of safety - into the picture. We don't want any more surprises than absolutely necessary in a vehicle as heavy as a motorhome. They are a long way from being a sedan or an SUV.

[Larry1946]

We bought our 2015 Viva last week and drove 160 miles home on two-lane straight and curvy roads in south Iowa. We had four adults, and a full tank of fresh water (27 gals). The tank is between the axles under the couch. No food or clothes, etc. One stretch has four almost 90' turns which I usually take at 10 mph above the posted speed limit. My Honda's don't lean much and neither did the Viva. I was very impressed with the overall driving experience. We experienced Semi's on the road and felt little sway. Much better than the 36' V-10 we had.

[ron_dittmer]

burlmart wrote:

bobojay5 wrote:
I've yet to hear someone that has actually driven a Trend/Viva criticize how it drives, handles or it has to little power.

Maybe 2/3 way into the video I linked above has the sales lady saying lots of the workers had very + driving comments. They drive a lot of diff rigs at that dealership

I would think any motor home with 4 tires (as compared to 6 tires) being driven off the lot, will have a very car-like driving experience. But the real test is when loaded up with people and all the rest, and driven up and down scenic byways with steep grades and sharp turns. Also on highways with a gusting 40mph side-winds. Just adding a full tank of fresh water can change the handling or ride of a small rig, especially if 41 gallons is sitting over the rear bumper like ours is.

When I drive our rig empty to the local auto show on Father's Day at our church, it rides differently than when loaded up on a trip and towing our Jeep Liberty. Fortunately, loaded or empty are both good with all the upgraded suspension work we had done years ago.

Since our day, the manufacture relocated and reoriented the water tank to address that condition, but now with less outdoor storage. It was a trade-off.

[burlmart]

bobojay5 wrote:
I've yet to hear someone that has actually driven a Trend/Viva criticize how it drives, handles or it has to little power.

Maybe 2/3 way into the video I linked above has the sales lady saying lots of the workers had very + driving comments. They drive a lot of diff rigs at that dealership

[Gsetter]

We recently made a drive down to FOrest CIty to look at the Trend/Viva. THey had the 23L floorplan (which I prefer). I have been researching small motorhomes for use as day trip and touring RV. Really liked the Viva...I liked the outside strip coloring on the Itasca over that of the Winnebago. Otherwise they were the same. Didnt do a test drive. One concern my husband had was the generator was under the coach and not very accessible. THe sales gal asked if we do our own maintenance...well no, but we check fluids and stuff. Not a deal breaker, but it could be for some. Outside storage was limited. I like the large bins on the regular class C coaches with a similiar corner bed floorplan. Even a lawn chair would be hard pressed to fit except for a bag style chair. I am looking for something to replace my full size van and it needs to go down the road well. I think this would drive better then a regular cab over type C, and better then the regular B+ since it has the bed in the ceiling. My list is a Phoenix Cruiser 2350, Viva and a 22' corner bed class c. I need the corner bed floorplan for dog kennels. SO even though I want a daytrip RV I need a bed, go figure. 🙂

[bobojay5]

I've yet to hear someone that has actually driven a Trend/Viva criticize how it drives, handles or it has to little power.
Only issue I have with the chassis, and it's a purely subjective opinion, is that the tires are just too small. I know they have plenty of weight capacity though.

By the way, owners that buy these with the Continental tires, expect a relatively short lifespan out of them. Maybe 30k miles. This is based on many Continental equipped Sprinter RV's experiences, including our 2. They are just too soft of a compound tread, and just basically junk tires....

[Larry1946]

We looked at the three dealers mentioned by bobojay5 and Lichtsinn was the lowest. We bought at Bowling RV though it was #1550 higher because it is so close to us. Our previous MH was a 36' V10 and when we emptied it, not even half the stuff was needed or used. I drove the Viva for 160 miles the day we got it and really liked the handling. We traveled a two lane road in the rain with 4 adults. It did not sway on sharp curves, nor did passing semi's have much of an effect. I recommend on buying this MH, but each to their own.

[bobojay5]

szn8tt wrote:
Viva 23B advertised for $67.9K
getting cheaper

Probably could get one for $60K

You won't find one for much cheaper if at all than at Lewis RV in Dayton, OH. Maybe Lichtsinn RV in Forest City, IA or LazyDays in Tampa, FL would meet or beat slightly this price.
These 3 are consistently the price leaders in this country of Winnebago products.
My choice has been Lichtsinn for our 2 Winnebago products. Price, service, family owned and operated and the fact that they are right down the street from the factory for zero delivery miles makes it for me. (Even though we have a 2 dealers within 50 miles of us)

[bobcat66]

Winnebago was the first in the US to build on the Sprinter chassis and now there are many brands on that chassis. I expect this will be case for the ProMaster chassis as well.

Other manufactures likely have plans on the drawing board or even prototype units. They may be waiting for the updated chassis (new front end design) due in the US this fall before going into full production. This will be a very popular chassis as evidenced by it's success in Europe and elsewhere.

[burlmart]

Very Informative