2014 Winnebago Travato

[ontheroad]

The more I read up on it the more excited I'm getting and I'm not the one buying it.
I may need to convince DW we need a second toy

Off Topic: Is there a spellchecker on this forum?

[Davydd]

A B vs a trailer is an entirely different subject that has been discussed in this forum but not in this thread. Mike did a lot of research and soul searching on that subject and I am sure he can fill you in.

I had an Airstream trailer before I bought a B. I love Airstream trailers but two things came up. First, I hated to pull anything. Secondly, it came very clear that the task was to get some place and park it. As a 40 year tent camper our style was more to tour and be on the road a lot and make spontaneous daily decisions.

Generally, I think most all Bs have a better fit, finish, enclosure and equipment integration than trailers with the exception of the very expensive trailers like Airstream. There are no substandard major B converters in business right now that I would reject for quality considerations. The Bambi Airstreams, Casita and Scamp trailers are all comparable in size to a B and have equivalent exterior enclosures with all fiberglass or aluminum but their interiors are not of equal quality. I kind of wonder if B interior quality is because you are inside your enclosure driving down the road and they've gone the extra mile to contain shakes and rattles. With a trailer it is like if a tree falls in the woods...

Footprint wise and driveability the Travato would not be much different than driving a large tow vehicle like a pickup truck. The only difference would be height restrictions. Most pickup trucks can still get inside parking garages with 7 ft. clearance limitations.

[Mike]

Spellchecker?
Yep.
Me, so watch it!!!

You may be pleasantly surprised when you get to see one up close and personal. Regarding fit and finish, there are going to be some differences in them, but those are generally differentiated by price range. There are some top end class B van conversions being priced in the $150,000 range these days, and we speculated that the prices were only going to rise, until the advent of the newer Promaster and potentially the Ford Transit chassis options. If your friend is interested in what looks like a decent offering at a great entry level price, you probably couldn't go far wrong with a long look at a Travato. The new Chrysler and Ford chassis options were born and bred in Europe and are being introduced here for various reasons, and the North American van converters probably couldn't wait to get a chance at creating a good product for a lot less money than some others in the peer group.
As for the differences between TTs and class B vans, it still comes down to dollars spent, in my opinion. More $$$ seems to equal better quality inside and out, whether it's a travel trailer or a class B motorhome, but there are usually exceptions. I'm sure that if I spent $100,000 on a travel trailer, it would be the Taj Mahal of trailers, and every bit as nice as it's equally priced class B motorhome.

[bobojay]

Originally Posted by ontheroad

Greetings all.
A friend is very interested in purchasing aTravato. She asked me to look it over to see what I think. I am quite familiar with TTs and 5ers but have never owned a B. The unit should be delivered to the dealer some time this week. What are the not so obvious things I should consider?
Thanks. Dave

The small water tanks, compared to a Sprinter B, and the 4 gallon 120v only water heater is about the only ?? to me. Otherwise, for the price, and ultimate selling price, it's hard to beat.
As far as Travato issues, the only ones showing up so far seem to be squeaky brakes and squeaky rear suspension bushings. The gas drivetrain is a proven pair w/5yr 100k warranty. Might be a bit short on accessories for awhile though

[Fastpaddler1]

Just joined this site and I like it a lot. As this is a long thread my only observation re Travato from Youtube video i saw is that I do NOT like the flip down bed, laying crossways and,my wife would need to be on the outside so I would have to back out of the vehicle and find a bush in an emergency. I went through the corner bed types and bought a Sprinter PW with rear electric bed:single or a double and clear way to bathroom for both of us. Sorry if this was noted earlier as too many pages to read.
Greetings to all & Happy New Year.

AL

[stanw909]

Heads are expected to be at the back doors while sleeping so you would back out and use the nice bathroom on board.

[Mike]

I'm still thinking the potential benefits of the fold up bed for temporary, mobile, storage of larger items like boats and bikes might outweigh the potential negatives that some have mentioned re north/south versus east/west sleeping, and possible disruptive night time toilet access. This preference also assumes that when you bed down for the night, you have some where secure outside of your vehicle to stow those items, to allow you to use the bed for sleeping, in either aspect (n/s e/w).
As Stan says, the Travato floor plan suggests a north/south sleeping position. Pillows towards the rear.

[markopolo]

It's too narrow to sleep across the rear bed. Sleeping is rear-to- front. Also, remember there's the option to set up a second bed. In typical Class B fashion it is very versatile yet has its share of compromises.

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by Fastpaddler1

Just joined this site and I like it a lot. As this is a long thread my only observation re Travato from Youtube video i saw is that I do NOT like the flip down bed, laying crossways and,my wife would need to be on the outside so I would have to back out of the vehicle and find a bush in an emergency. I went through the corner bed types and bought a Sprinter PW with rear electric bed:single or a double and clear way to bathroom for both of us. Sorry if this was noted earlier as too many pages to read.
Greetings to all & Happy New Year.

AL

I know you saw the pillows that looked as if you would have to sleep crossways but I doubt you could unless you were both extreme embryo sleepers. So the bush is not necessary.

The bed is only 46" wide which would make it a very tight fit for two people sleeping front to back.

Here is an idea they probably should consider...

[bobojay]

Heck of an idea for the bed(s). I've seen some pics of bed setups like this in some European B's and small C's

[markopolo]

Video from Lichtsinn Motors:

[youtube:24q256zt]rVcvwo2Q7DE[/youtube:24q256zt]

17 minutes so grab a snack!

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by bobojay

Heck of an idea for the bed(s). I've seen some pics of bed setups like this in some European B's and small C's

I got a tour a a German CS Reisemobile DUO Sprinter in Canada on our Alaskan trip in 2012. This was the bunk bed setup.

[ontheroad]

Good mod ideas.
Thanks

[ontheroad]

I'm considering addressing the 110V 4 gal WH with an inverter. I can only assume the element is 1000 - 1400W.
Would it be unwise to power this with a 1500W MSW inverter while driving? I have not found the Promaster alternator output but it may be fine with the aid of the charged group 31 battery. I would have to devise some sort of transfer switch to assure it is turned off once the engine is turned off.

Is a Class B house battery charging system generally robust enough for this?

I'm also suggesting a 300 - 400W PSW inverter to power everything else excluding the MW. The 1500W MSW dedicated to the WH while driving and the smaller PSW while boondocking.

[markopolo]

Alternator was listed at 180 amps.

From what I've seen the water heater is an Atwood Marine Water Heater http://www.atwoodmobile.com/water-heate ... eaters.asp

Installation instructions say to allow for minimum 1400 watts. There appears to be two 4 gallon models - EHM4 - one is electric with a heat exchanger that you plumb into the engine cooling system. The second is electric only.

The unit with the heat exchanger would be convenient as you get "free" hot water just by driving. You stop the van and you have hot water. I had that in my Bigfoot Class C.

I don't know if Winnebago installed the water heater with the heat exchanger or not. You might be able to order it as an option if they did not.

You'd be looking at a 120 amp DC draw if trying to run it off an inverter. That would probably mean #2 gauge wiring. I doubt that the single battery would handle that load. 4 batteries should work as each would share the load (approx 30ah each). Maybe 2 group 31 batteries would work but I wouldn't bet on it. My guess is that it would be cheaper to get the water heater with the heat exchanger.

Another way to approach this would be to quiet the Onan generator as much as possible. Onan sells a resonator. You might be able to add sound proofing.

[bobojay]

I'll guarantee you Winnebago is NOT installing the heat exchanger model. They don't do exotic stuff like that on their low end RV's. It's the 120v electric model only.
Myself and one other poster on here, mlts22, have wondered about changing the one that comes with the Travato for an Atwood on-demand propane model. There's already propane on board, and it fits the same hole, so all there'd be it seems like is the propane plumbing and inside switch. I believe that's what I'd do.

[markopolo]

The level of documentation and detail provided by Winnebago is impressive.

The main site for owner manuals and electrical and plumbing diagrams starts here: http://www.winnebagoind.com/resources/manuals/

Detailed 2014 Travato and Era Plumbing Diagrams are here: http://www.winnebagoind.com/diagram/Plumbing.htm

Detailed 2014 Travato and Era Wiring Diagrams are here: http://www.winnebagoind.com/diagram/Wiring.htm

2014 Travato and Era Operator Manuals: (7th Character in Serial Number is 2) http://www.winnebagoind.com/resources/m ... 2014-2.php

Some ERA manuals (7th Character in Serial Number is 1) are here:
http://www.winnebagoind.com/resources/m ... 2014-1.php

Two thumbs up to Winnebago for having the manuals and support documentation ready to go as the coaches show up on dealer lots.

[Mike]

From the 2014 Travato Owner's Manual, "Systems Monitor Panel" section,
"You can start the generator or turn on the water
pump and water heater. Indicator lights tell you if
the water pump is on or if the water heater pilot
light is out."

That "pilot light is out" indicator light is going to glow steadily, methinks.

Farther along in the same manual,
"PROPANE GAS SUPPLY
The propane gas system supplies fuel for the
gas range/oven, water heater, furnace, and
refrigerator (while in gas mode)."

Oh well, nobody's perfect. I wonder if all their doc is cut and pasted like this one?

IMO, the "heat" issue is not as big a problem as the 4 gallon tank capacity. It is puzzling that in a motorhome that seems to be targeting young families (>2 people per trip) with some of it's features and floor plan, that they would minimize the availability of something which everyone uses.
Regarding the heat part, either you stop somewhere and plug in long enough to heat a tank, or you run the generator long enough to heat a tank. With 4 gallons, you might have to run the generator a second time for more hot water, which isn't a great situation, unless as the tank empties and cold water replaces it, the heating element can keep up with the demand for heating it and you just keep running the generator while using the hot water. I'm skeptical about that.
Both of these issues are head scratchers, and make me think Winnebago designed this part of the plumbing for a serviced campground and/or with public use showers, or a remote boondock location away from others, with lots of time to heat and reheat the hot water supply with the generator for use by multiple campers.
I guess in the boondock scenario you could get one of these....just use the on board propane.
http://www.campingworld.com/browse/skus ... _campaign=

[bobojay]

Originally Posted by markopolo

The level of documentation and detail provided by Winnebago is impressive.

The main site for owner manuals and electrical and plumbing diagrams starts here: http://www.winnebagoind.com/resources/manuals/

Detailed 2014 Travato and Era Plumbing Diagrams are here: http://www.winnebagoind.com/diagram/Plumbing.htm

Detailed 2014 Travato and Era Wiring Diagrams are here: http://www.winnebagoind.com/diagram/Wiring.htm

2014 Travato and Era Operator Manuals: (7th Character in Serial Number is 2) http://www.winnebagoind.com/resources/m ... 2014-2.php

Some ERA manuals (7th Character in Serial Number is 1) are here:
http://www.winnebagoind.com/resources/m ... 2014-1.php


Two thumbs up to Winnebago for having the manuals and support documentation ready to go as the coaches show up on dealer lots.

Yeah, I downloaded all the manuals and diagrams before we even ordered our 2013 ERA, so I knew that model inside and out, and how everything worked and was located. Compared to the PleasureWay we had, there's no comparison....
You can also find your Winnebago data sheet that tells you the part number of everything that was used on & in your unit to build it

[ontheroad]

Thanks for the documentation. Impressive indeed.

I could be wrong but it appears the coach battery charging system is limited by a 50A fuse. That may kill my idea of 12V HW.