New to Forum - I bought a Travato!

[wincrasher]

Hello,

I'm new to this forum and Class B's, but not RVing in general. I've had big class A's, tag-alongs and 5th wheels.

I've been lurking for awhile to read up on the Travato. Despite the clearly negative comments (some dripping with distain) I still was interested in this model. Well my dealer finally called that he had one come in.

Yesterday I bought a brand new 2015 Winnebago Travato. Got the Sandstone color. They come with very few options - namely a front floor mat, bug screens and cabinetry finish.

I went to just look and hoped to drive one. I was pretty certain it would be underpowered and it would handle poorly on the interstate. Boy was I wrong on both points. It has plenty of power and can climb hills. It was also quiet and smooth riding. It was fairly windy and there was some buffeting in the wash of semi's, but no pushing the coach around. Tracking is true. Rough pavement no problem. The independent suspension all around is a huge plus in my view. I can see the benefits of having front wheel drive and surely is helpful in the rain and any slush you encounter.

The floor plan is great for me as a single traveler. I can even see taking extended tours with this. Having a second bed is also great for on those occasions I take a nephew or a buddy with me. Full-timing for a couple? I think this may not really be suitable for that use. The bed is a bit tight, unless you are the type that spoons all night.

I really like the fact that that bed flips up and you can store gobs of bins, or boxes, kayaks, bikes, whatever in that space. To me that sells the unit and makes it appealing or helps justify it as a second vehicle for a family.

The wet bath is bigger than the competition and clearly more thought out. The fancy vans have wood doors, some have wood vanities and window treatments that all have to be protected with a shower curtain. The Travato is all fiberglass and the door is aluminum. So spray water everywhere and no problem. I had no trouble standing in the shower area or getting to or sitting on the commode (5'10" and 200#).

A nice surprise was that the TV, antenna and sound/dvd system all work on 12v. So only thing you need inverter would be for the microwave. So I'll probably never need an inverter.

Oh, and the price. Easily $25k to $40k cheaper than a Sprinter base B, depending on brand. The cheapest alternative at my dealer was a Pleasureway Plateu discounted to $93k. They had Luxors for around the same money (~$70k) - but those were way too small in my view - lots of head-knockers.

The downsides? Yes there are some quirks.

The generator is smack dab underneath in the middle of the coach behind the rear wheels - I'd say axle, but there isn't one as this is front wheel drive. I'm not certain how easy/difficult servicing the genet will be in this location. On the plus though, the control console inside has an hours meter, so no guessing when you need to attend to things. Clearance between the ground and the bottom plate on the generator support is around 6 inches. You need to bear that in mind if you cross open fields or go down log roads.

The 110v only water heater is definitely a drawback. I think I can manage around it. Too bad they didn't opt for a 12v water heater like I had in my tag-along. It works really well.

The build sheet shows different capacities that the specs on Winnebago website. Not sure if these are errors or not. Shows 15 gallon black, 11 gallon gray, 23 gallon fresh and 16 gallon LP. I couldn't confirm if the LP is right - that would be a huge plus if true. 11 gallons on gray may be tough - I'm still working on managing my water use in the tag-along. At least if you are in a tight spot you could dump gray on the ground without causing an environmental disaster depending on location.

Only one house battery. It's an AGM group 31 and is hung underneath the coach in front of the rear wheels near the sway bar. Looks to me another would fit, but would require a custom bracket, which is not too tough a project. With regular usage a single battery is probably OK for a weekend trip unless you are using the furnace blower all weekend.

This coach is not suitable for winter usage currently equipped. The tanks and drainage piping are all un-insulated and exposed. I suppose you could put 12v heat pads on the tanks and spray foam them and the piping. I don't find cold weather camping all that appealing, so not an issue for me really.

So there it is. Pick it up Friday morning.

[gerrym51]

sounds great. i agree the travato is excellent for 1 person-probably not for 2 . good luck

[Rok]

Thanks for the report, Wincrasher,

Hopefully you'll continue to update so we can see how you feel about the rig after a few months of camping.

When we were looking, had the Travato been available, it might have been our choice due to price.

If two people were using both beds, that might be doable, no?

We'll have to stop in for a look at a Winnie dealership just for curiosity--we just bought our GW last year, so it will be quite some time before we change.

....Rocky

[accrete]

Wincrasher...congrats on your new arrival and here's to many happy & safe adventures. I too will be hoping for followup reports as i'm curious as to the rig's potential as a base unit for a DIY build.

Cheers,
Thom

[accrete]

I will be curious to see how active the after-market vendors may become on this rig also.

I know on our AWD chevy we were able to put a 3" lift kit on the rig, but basically all this did was give the existing ~32" tires more wheel-well clearance which was welcome. The only way we can get more actual "ground clearance" over the ~11" we have (measured from the lowest point on dif. housing) would be to get larger tires on there and i'm not willing to do that as our existing tire size works well.

Personally, i like the Promaster, i think it shows promise...but being me i'd have to have a mechanic under there putting a lift kit and taller tires as our ~11" on existing rig is about minimum we want to go with as we are off pavement on nearly every trip.

There's gotta be a way to fit bigger tires in there...just sayin'


Happy Trails,
Thom

[wincrasher]

That's a crazy Sprinter! Not sure I'm up for a lift kit at this point though.

I do like the bumper and the light kit - I can see how those would be nice additions.

I'm very excited to pic up my new van on Friday. Price was a huge consideration, but when it came down to it - floor plan was the primary reason I chose the Travato. I'll probably go out for a shakedown trip next weekend.

Probably the first mods I'll do is an extra battery and solar. Have to figure out where the wiring will be routed before I put anything on order.

[booster]

Originally Posted by accrete

I will be curious to see how active the after-market vendors may become on this rig also.

I know on our AWD chevy we were able to put a 3" lift kit on the rig, but basically all this did was give the existing ~32" tires more wheel-well clearance which was welcome. The only way we can get more actual "ground clearance" over the ~11" we have (measured from the lowest point on dif. housing) would be to get larger tires on there and i'm not willing to do that as our existing tire size works well.

Personally, i like the Promaster, i think it shows promise...but being me i'd have to have a mechanic under there putting a lift kit and taller tires as our ~11" on existing rig is about minimum we want to go with as we are off pavement on nearly every trip.

There's gotta be a way to fit bigger tires in there...just sayin'


Happy Trails,
Thom

The Express can take a 265-75-16 tire upsize from the stock 245-75-16 stock size, without any real modifications. We have it on ours and really like it, especially since we solved the wheel offset problem at the same time.

Details here

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=2084

[accrete]

you mentioned the light bar and lights

There might be some simple aftermarket solutions like what OutsideVans in Oregon is doing for the Sprinters. I would imagine they are gearing up their shop to take on the Promaster.

they've got several on their website...


or...


or...look at some of their amazing builds. some fun ideas you should be able to incorporate over time.

Enjoy,
Thom

PS...booster...THX for the info!

[Fastpaddler1]

Congratulations Wincrasher. They are very attractive and quite a good design, I am used to LP useage in my PW Plateau and missed it if you have that facility. Price is a lot better than we have been seeing with escalating B prices.

AL

[Dahai]

wincrasher,

Congratulations on the purchase. How do you like it by now?

Future solo traveler, retired, 59, avid traveler, former tent camper but never slept one night in an RV. About ready to pull the trigger on a Travato, but still wanting to hear owners' opinions on how it fits their needs.

You picked the right color, for sure. I'm wanting a 2015 in the Sandstone color, but the Winnebago website says it's not available for 2015. Three versions of silver and one red. How were you able to get yours in Sandstone? Was it a special order?

After having it for a few months, would you recommend it? What are the pluses and minuses so far?

Thanks.

[bobojay]

The sandstone was only available for early production models. Who knows why they don't have it anymore unless it's a Chrysler deal.
That red.....no comment

[wincrasher]

Originally Posted by Dahai

wincrasher,

Congratulations on the purchase. How do you like it by now?

Future solo traveler, retired, 59, avid traveler, former tent camper but never slept one night in an RV. About ready to pull the trigger on a Travato, but still wanting to hear owners' opinions on how it fits their needs.

You picked the right color, for sure. I'm wanting a 2015 in the Sandstone color, but the Winnebago website says it's not available for 2015. Three versions of silver and one red. How were you able to get yours in Sandstone? Was it a special order?

After having it for a few months, would you recommend it? What are the pluses and minuses so far?

Thanks.

I think, as a single traveler, you would love a Travato. My 2015 was built in March 2014, so it was labeled a '15, but didn't have all the new features, or color schemes. The chassis is a '14. I would have loved to have the black bits painted, along with the faux window look. I guess that can be done by a decent body shop. Not sure it's worth the expense, though.

The pluses:
I'd say driveability and economy are at the top. The my gas mileage has been 17 to 18 mpg. Very easy to handle, good on-highway characteristics. Plenty of power to climb hills and pass cars. I like the front wheel drive very much. Not tippy, or top heavy feeling, and not pushed around by passing trucks. Easy to park. Nice backup camera.
Price! This van was cheap. About the same price as a fully loaded Suburban.
The size is great. Wider than a Sprinter inside and those few inches make a difference. Much bigger, with standing headroom, than the Chevy based vans for a bit less money than those. I was looking at a Pleasureway Luxor and the Roadtrek 190. The headroom and tiny bathroom were the deal killer for me on those. Not as tall as Sprinter, about the same as a Chevy.
Keeping the size under 22' feet was also a goal. Wanted to be able to use a standard size parking space. The Sprinters are just much too long for me, plus about another $30k to $40k more expensive.
The layout. I like that the bed can be flipped up and you can use the van to haul a substantial amount of cargo if you had the need. Makes it a reasonable dual purpose use vehicle. Initially, I was using that space for bins for all my gear. I eventually got a hitch mounted box for that stuff and keep the interior space for my bike and a kayak on some trips. Depending on your pursuits, you can go either way.
The TV and entertainment system is native 12v. LED lights. You don't really need an inverter for anything.
The refrigerator is huge. Probably bigger than you need, but you can always fill it with other food items you would normally just put in a cabinet and save that space.
The bathroom is big and the shower does not need a curtain to protect fancy woodwork.
So far I think build quality is top notch. The finishes aren't high end, but they are durable. No particle board that I can tell. Plywood with laminate finishes.
So far I have not had any warranty claims, or needed any repairs.

The cons:
The tanks are smallish compared to the Sprinters. It's on par with the others.
The front dinnette layout is not very usable as a bed (maybe OK for a kid) or really for having a bunch over for dinner. As a single, I usually sit in the passanger seat flipped around, or on the water tank bench in the doorway. It's a good place to sit with your feet hanging out the door. The table is fairly large though, and the flip out section is useful. I've done some work with my laptop on that table, and also as overflow prep space while cooking.
The 110v only water heater is inconvenient. There are work-arounds as some have mentioned, like only getting it luke warm and using full hot spigot. Otherwise you need to run the generator for 20 mins to fully heat water (unless you have shore power). It does stay hot for quite a long time, so once you heat up, you are good for several hours.
The pump out for the gray tank is odd, but necessary for this layout. It's not doing any macerating, so it may have a long service life without having problems. If it does fail, I'm not worried about the mess to deal with it like you'd have on a black tank pump.
The bed is a bit tight for two, unless you are seriously canoodling. 46" wide. It is comfortable though.
The kitchen space is small. That is a negative if you are big into cooking indoors. If you cook outside, or visit restaurants mostly, then it's no big deal. I've found plenty of room to store all the cookware, pots, etc and dry goods.
Only 1 house battery. It would be nice to have 2. I'm using the engine battery for my laptop and phone charging. Getting by for 24 hours, running the tv and lights all day, refer on gas, etc., has not been a problem. Running a furnace blower all night might be iffy if you've been running everything else all day.
Low ground clearance behind rear axle. The generator is about 6 1/2 inches from the ground. So far it is not a problem, but you have to keep it in mind and tread carefully over unpaved surfaces, speed bumps and potholes. It is protected by a steel plate.

Changes I'd suggest if I had any sway with Winnebago:
Make a generator free version of this van. Use the space for batteries and put solar on that huge roof-space. Air conditioner shore power only.
12v water heater. I've had one of these in a travel trailer and it worked great.
Move the switches down and put in a flip-up counter extension.
Bigger propane tank. Better yet, a removable cylinder like in the european vans.
Add 5 gallons to the fresh water capacity. 10 gallons to the gray.
Traditional RV stove/oven combo, delete the microwave.
Change the TV mount to be fully articulating instead of just flip-out.
Make a space for a satellite TV decoder. Under the dinette bench would be a good place. The space should also contain a drawer or a cubby space for storage.

[Dahai]

wincrasher,

Hey, thanks for the thorough reply. Great info there. Yeah, I figured the 2015 Sandstones must be the somewhat newer models built this year. I'm with you on disliking the black bits, but I could get used to it. I just wish Winnebago offered the current 2015 builds in the full body paint Sandstone in addition to silver. The changes for 2015--the additional storage under the higher bed and the vanity in the bathroom--might be nice to have, but I'll opt for an older version to get the Sandstone.

I plan to go half-time in it, maybe one month on, one month off, with the ultimate goal to sell the house in a year or two and go full-time in something bigger. Never having owned an RV, I'm not sure about this whole endeavor, and selling the house now would be too big of a step.

So, the large refrigerator and plenty of storage under the bed are the main selling points to me for a month's travel, especially the freezer being larger than the tiny ones in most Bs. I'd have it filled to the max. I plan, or should say hope, to haul a 12-foot portabote inside the van on the floor, if there's a straight stretch of floor space that runs twelve feet. Forgot to measure it when I saw the van in person, but can do it this weekend. The boat folds down to four inches thick, like a surfboard. Plus a bicycle, BBQ grill, fishing gear, small outboard motor, on and on. It's probably nuts, but I'd try it. Or sell the boat and get an 8-footer or inflatable.

The only potential deal-killer is the 110v-only water heater, but like you said, there are work arounds. Seems that one has to be versatile when traveling in any kind of movable home, and I should be satisfied if I can get about 80% of the "wants".

[wincrasher]

I think you should carefully consider your travelling style before committing to a B. If you are going to just park in commercial campgrounds or state parks, a more traditional style RV may suit you better for full-timing. If your plan is to park in places other than campgrounds, then a B is the way to go.

A porta-boat may be tough to carry around day-to-day. I don't think there is a 12' long section to place it - maybe if it were to sit on edge (the 4" part) and is no more than 16- 18" tall. You also have to think about crawling over and around it in your day-to-day travels.

You might want to consider an inflatable pontoon style boat. You can dissassemble the frame and the pontoons into a package around the size of a foot-locker. That may be easier to deal with. I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1. It's a bit fiddly to set up, but it works pretty well for fishing.

[rtz]

Originally Posted by accrete

There's gotta be a way to fit bigger tires in there

Jack it up and put 66" monster truck tires on it if you want. No limits on anything. Just a matter of lifting and/or cutting!

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[Dahai]

Originally Posted by wincrasher

I think you should carefully consider your travelling style before committing to a B. If you are going to just park in commercial campgrounds or state parks, a more traditional style RV may suit you better for full-timing. If your plan is to park in places other than campgrounds, then a B is the way to go.

A porta-boat may be tough to carry around day-to-day. I don't think there is a 12' long section to place it - maybe if it were to sit on edge (the 4" part) and is no more than 16- 18" tall. You also have to think about crawling over and around it in your day-to-day travels.

You might want to consider an inflatable pontoon style boat. You can dissassemble the frame and the pontoons into a package around the size of a foot-locker. That may be easier to deal with. I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1. It's a bit fiddly to set up, but it works pretty well for fishing.

Thanks for the tip on the pontoon boat. Nice looking setup. Yesterday I spent a long time studying the Travato at a dealer show at the Rose Bowl. A 12' porta-bote will fit on edge on the floor from the back door to the passenger seat. Fine for short trips to the lake but not good for lengthy travel, especially when hoards of other gear are piled in.

The Travato still appeals to me more than most other Bs, primarily because of the storage under the bed, the larger bathroom and refrigerator, and a dedicated, albeit small, living area in front. The living area is psychological with me: I don't like to live in the same area where I sleep. Granted, the entire van is a confined, one-room space, and the great outdoors will be my living room most of the time, but I want to sleep in a separate area. If not, my brain gets confused! Plus, having to fold out a bed at night and take it up in the morning would not work for me.

I've been evaluating my traveling style for hours a day, every day, for the past five months. Reading books, forums, websites, talking to people, spending hours inside all shapes and sizes of every style of RV from trailers to As to Bs to Cs, learning everything I can about this whole RVing thing. So far it's all book knowledge, since I've never owned one. The only thing I know for sure is I won't know for sure until I get out there and do it. I've always loved road trips, but I've been more of a tourer/traveler than a sit-in-one-place camper. Whatever RV I end up with, I doubt I'll want to stay more than two nights in one place, and I'll want to explore cities as much as the narrow, curvy forest roads. But when I want to drive down those curvy roads, I want something that will fit and easily get me there.

I've got two choices: (1) Sell the house and buy something big enough for full-timing but not with take-anywhere ability or easy driveability, or (2) keep the house and buy an RV that has to squeeze through an 8'3" space between my chimney and the neighbor's wall to get to the back of my lot. Renting a storage space at $150 to $200/month in Los Angeles ain't acceptable. So, a Travato it is.

[wincrasher]

Sounds like you've thought it through pretty well. There are always compromises to be made and no RV is perfect. You just research the best you can and get the best fit of what is available.

There is always the Sportsmobile route, which is both time consuming and more costly than buying an RV like the Travato, or a used one of another type.

I'd strongly suggest you keep you house and buy an affordable RV. Selling everything to travel for a few years is a huge commitment and you may decide it's not for you. If you just buy an RV and later decide to stop, at least you have your home and stuff to go back to.

My personal plan for retirement is to downsize the house to something more sustainable on a retirement income (hopefully no mortgage - I'm getting close now!) and travel in my small RV. Maybe not full time, but extended trips and then periods at home.

Hope it works out for you.

BTW, if you are going to keep your RV at home, it's worth it to build a carport, or a tall shed to keep it in. Sitting out in the weather can do a number on an RV if it's just sitting there.

Good luck and post some pictures of that boat stuffed in there!

[Dahai]

Well, a year later, but better than never. Have had the Travato for almost a year, but didn't put the boat in it until recently. Easy to slide in there, but it does take up the entire floor space all the way to the back of the passenger seat. No way to travel day to day like that. But if you plan to camp in one place you can stuff your other gear around it for the first day of travel, then set it up at a lake and leave it out until you're ready to go home.

Wincrasher, thanks for the advice last year. The Travato really suits my needs. Have lived in it 27% of the time in the past 11 months and put 14,964 miles on it in various wind and weather conditions. Haven't regretted the decision.

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[Dahai]

Whoops! Pictures are sideways. Sorry. I'll try to correct that.

[Dahai]

Hope these are right side up.

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