bspurling
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Re: Six months full-timing in the Winnebago Travato
We've not had any freezing weather since February in Mississippi, which the Travato survived admirably (although I have no idea how - we were newbies back then and had NO clue what we were doing!). We have every intention of staying ahead of the cold weather as we drive south down the Atlantic seaboard, but I'm sure it'll catch up with us sooner or later. It's certainly not that warm where we are now! I'd have to read the manuals again to fully winterize, but there are three easy-access drains under the slide door that empty different parts of the water system. They allow you to empty the pipes without emptying the tanks as well. We used them once up in northern Minnesota - useful when you think it might drop a bit below freezing but not enough to freeze the tanks. The biggest problem is the fan heater: it's either on or off and the van isn't very well insulated. Consequently you get big undulations in temperature. Not ideal, but we just wrap up warm and wait for the sun to come back out :)598Views0likes0CommentsRe: Six months full-timing in the Winnebago Travato
Firstly, Davydd: yes, we're definitely of a mindset that tolerates inconvenicnes. Also worth noting we quit our jobs "mid-career" for a once-in-a-life-time year of opportunity and excitement. We had just a couple of weeks of RV shopping to choose a vehicle that could take us on our trip... we were always going to be willing to compromise. That said, we feel we hit the jackpot! Davydd, also love your point about whether we're actually full timers. Hadn't really thought about it before like that. I /could/ full-time in this indefinitely, but I probably wouldn't choose to. But then I'm not sure I would choose to full-time indefinitely in anything! Maybe I'm just not the type :). We've got used to cold showers over the summer, but they're beginning to get a bit too much. Winter IS coming :). Like Wincrasher, we're starting to time our generator for the last 10 to 15 mins of our driving. Easy if you're on the road all the time; troublesome if you like to stay put for a few days in a row. wincrasher/erip: Everybody's different on their water usage, of course, but we've gone 8 days before without pumping out (that was pretty extreme!) We manage 4 or 5 fairly easily now, but it used to be a push for three at the start. Erip: glad to hear we're not the only ones "stealth camping" on the street. Just came through Chicago and didn't spend a cent on camping fees. The Travato is great on that front.298Views0likes0CommentsRe: Finally saw the Winnebago Travato
For everybody interested in the issue of an electric water heater in the Travato, I just got the following feedback from the Travato product manager at Winnebago who came across my review website: "There are two constraints that currently prevent us from installing an LP water heater. Codes require that all fuel burning appliances be at least 36” away from the vehicle’s fuel input. The Promaster has a structural beam and exterior cladding that provides additional challenges for a proper location. We are working with our appliance suppliers to develop an alternative hot water solution for those customers that spend the majority of their time away from power hookups, but we can’t promise that this will be a quick fix available anytime soon."583Views0likes0CommentsRe: Six months full-timing in the Winnebago Travato
bobojay5 wrote: Some of your issues have been addressed for 2015. Watch the video... 2015 Travato Nitpicky I know, but the Winnebago VIA/Reyo line is a Class A, not B+. There is no such animal as a B+. It's a marketing term only.... By the way, read your review. Nice write up.... My original text said "Class A/B+/B, depending who you ask", but I decided to get off the fence - perhaps I came down on the wrong side :). I was staggered by the ambiguity and uncertainty of all the dealers we spoke to about the Via! Thanks for the 2015 link - last time I looked there was nothing that detailed out. Looks like some definite improvements, but it's the behind-the-scenes stuff they really need to fix. Like the shower drain pump filter! I will add a 2015 page to the website to give a complete picture. B335Views0likes0CommentsRe: Six months full-timing in the Winnebago Travato
wsfurrie wrote: After reading the issues and problems I think I would pass until Winnebago has time to straighten thing out. Wayne Yeah, you have to really want the good points to settle for the bad points. From our point of view, the good points are life-changing while the bad points are niggles that we have to work around. The Travato was - and still is - a no brainer for us. But that's subjective, of course, and Winnebago need to spend some time living in their own coach designs for more than two days if they want to sell to the whole market .335Views0likes0CommentsRe: Travato vs. used Leisure Travel?
topless wrote: I have 2 things that would keep me away from the Travato. Fiat and Winnebago, the proud maker of the famous LeSharo. Nothing against Winnebago, but they have picked some very poor chassis to convert to RVs IMHO. Maybe Fiat builds better stuff nowadays, but I would wait a couple years to see the reliability of the chassis. I seriously doubt any MB vehicle would cost $30k in repairs, the difference between the 2 vans. And being that the Travato is a new van chassis, finding good service in rural areas might not be as easy as you think. But, I've been known to hold a grudge for a long time and the 1 Fiat I owned was a pos, and it cost me more money in 7 months that I owned it than any vehicle I've ever owned. Besides, I hate FWD. I understand your concerns, and I have no experience to argue otherwise. We've been very fortunate to be able to buy new, so don't really expect any chassis issues in the first year. And we haven't had any yet, either (sliding door excepted). We've been to a couple of dodge dealers, which seem very easy to find - thanks to the incredible proliferation of Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep in the US. But we visit for a service, not a breakdown, so we've not yet been forced to find help outside of an urban area.718Views0likes0CommentsSix months full-timing in the Winnebago Travato
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. Brian22KViews0likes72CommentsRe: Travato vs. used Leisure Travel?
Maybe a bit late to the conversation, but don't rule out the Travato for full timing! RE the water heater. It would be a dream-come-true if they'd made it work off propane. But they didn't. So we've become accustomed to cold showers. Occasionally we run the generator whilst driving towards a camping spot, but now that it's summer we don't even bother with that. There's a full review and details of all the good points and bad points, discovered over 6 months and 20,000 miles, here: travato2014.wordpress.com.267Views0likes0CommentsRe: Finally saw the Winnebago Travato
We bought a Travato back in January and have been full-timing in it ever since. 21,000 miles on the clock now. It's brilliant. Riddled with issues and design flaws, but brilliant nonetheless. I've written up all our experiences into a website, for people who want to read a detailed review. Feel free to get in touch if you have any quesitons, comments, or your own experiences to share. travato2014.wordpress.com583Views0likes0Comments
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