Solis Winnebago Owners

[American Trekker]

Hello Friends,

A busy and exciting week for us “Soonabees!” My wife and I placed a deposit on our 2021 Solis 59PX with Conejo RV in Thousand Oaks. We consider our deal fair and reasonable at $114,990. And getting our Solis now and not waiting is priceless for us. We are willing to drive a couple of hours for a good deal, and our delivery is on 01/13/2021. They do a full walk-thru at their location or they make arrangements for delivery to a Dealership near you, but you don’t get a walk-thru.

Now we are planning our first camping trip to Anza-Borrego. In the summer we are going to San Mateo Campground! That Central California trip pacificstar took is on the to-do-list also. Additionally, we are checking out the free camping options in our area.

We sincerely look forward to hearing about everyone’s purchase and how the Solis is fitting in their lives. And on our trips, we will look for Solis, and we will make sure to say hello whenever possible.

Scrambling this week to get storage was not an easy task, which did not really surprise us that RV storage is in short supply right now. Everyone considering an RV purchase that lives somewhere they can’t park their RV at home, should consider getting storage a little in advance of the purchase. This week we contacted our first choice we found in October, and they are full now. And they are not keeping a wait list.

Happy Travels and Happy New Year!

[pacificstar]

coss370,

I totally understand the Solis Winnebago is not for everyone.

1. I really wanted a Mercedes Benz, I have owned many MB and loved them. However the MB was priced out of my reach.

2. We are only 2 travelers so the back seat was not a factor for us but I have sat there for a few drives and its just fine for me I am 5'2'. Most of the folks who purchase the Solis have children and they are very comfortable.

3. Having been a boat owner and cab over camper owner for the past 40 plus years we love the cassette toilet! Easy to dump, many options for dumping and no stinking smells.

4. I hear you with the adaptive driving features. We love them on our daily driver but the adjustment is easy when your up higher and the feeling of driving a mini bus. Of all your concerns this is the one I wish Ram would put in the Solis and I do believe it will be in the next years upgrades.

The solis provided us with everything we were looking for in a Class B van. Reasonable price, comfortable queen bed, privacy toilet, 2 burner stove & sink, spacious refrigerator, swivel from seats, out door shower for our dog after his beach runs and our sandy feet. We looked for 11 months and were so grateful to have something especially during Covid that we can excape to even for a glass of wine in our driveway.

I wish you all the best in your search and hope you find the right unit for yourself and it makes you as thankful as we are with our Solis.

[Brains]

I have been researching the Solis for months VS the Revel.

We are Mercedes people and my husband works on old Mercedes cars and G-wagens. Our friends with vans in the Mercedes Club enjoy them, BUT have a high cost of ownership and some have been inconvenienced by mechanical issues with the vans while traveling...complicated by some local Mercedes dealers who don't want to work on a camper van, or don't have a lift which can handle it.

We gradually gave into the styling of the Ram vans, which isn't the prettiest, because we want to travel for fun and don't need to make a fashion statement with an RV. Camper features, layout, dealer network, and reliability are more important considerations for us in a camper van than "looks".

The back seat of the Solis actually appears MORE comfortable than similar bench "behind the driver's seat" layouts (Revel, Thor Tellaro) which have flat, non-contoured back and seat cushions.

As someone who likes a firm, ergonomically contoured seat, the Solis 2nd row appears to be just that. We look forward to seeing and testing them.

The Solis seats are safely affixed to the van, and contoured with lumbar support.
The seats have three point belts and are crash tested.
Winnebago is now using those same seats in 3 models for 2021: Travato, Solis, and EKKO.

These safe, crash-tested heavy duty seats were originally designed for commercial transportation:

https://www.freedmanseating.com/seats/go-es/

The other thing about the Solis which is very appealing is that the pop top is a German-engineered pop top used on camper vans worldwide, made by SCA. SCA brand pop tops are being installed on the Metris camper van conversions being sold through Mercedes dealers, and are considered to be of the highest quality. This gives us confidence that it will not be difficult to find canvas replacement and service parts for the top down the road if needed.

We don't even use cruise control in our cars, and had never considered comparing adaptive driving features! We're 4x4 offroad people and love to drive and take long trips.

Everyone has different considerations and needs, it makes online forums so interesting!

[CBC]

Hi Pacific Star. I’m in San Clemente too! My husband and I are seriously considering a Solis. I saw you were open to providing a tour. I would love to see your Solis, if the offer is still available.
Just a little info:
When our sons were little we had a VW bus, pop top, then upgraded to a eurovan Westfalia. We took many trips up and down the coast and to surf contests-some really incredible memories. Now that boys are on their own, my husband and I hope to get back on the road.

We have lived in Forrester ranch for 19 years (San Clemente, for 30) and I have always wanted to move to SW. However, the move would mean we would need to invest another 600,000, even with all of our equity. I figure, with the van and our electric bikes, we can stay at state park and call it our summer place. So we would actually be saving money .

Happy New Year.

[BasenjiHiker]

My husband and I are awaiting delivery of a 2021 (or 22) 59PX in April, and have a few questions. We are planning on adding the Sumo springs ASAP and then the lift kit once the initial Winnebago warranty expires, but we are worried about getting mud and gravel in the generator shroud. Living on the east coast, we do a lot of back roads camping currently using a rooftop tent on a 2008 Honda Element and end up with a LOT of gravel, mud and debris all over the bottom of our car. Clearance for our Honda and the Solis will be the same until it's lifted.

After camping for the Christmas holiday in freezing/snowy weather, the bottom of the car and the backs of the mudflats were covered in frozen mud and gravel, which led me to worry about the same happening to the generator or worse, getting inside the shroud of the generator and us not being able to use it in freezing weather as we wouldn't have a way to safely remove the shroud and clean it out until it thawed. Researching online I couldn't find any covers for the generator that would stay on while going down the road. I owned a 1993 Holiday Rambler 20' class C, but the generator was tucked inside a cabinet on the coach, safely away from muck and freezing. I know that air conditioners should be covered during freezing weather to keep out ice, etc but I can't find the same for an under-mounted generator. Suggestions?

Those of you with the Solis with a generator, what if any anything do you do to protect your generator during freezing weather, especially while driving on wet/freezing roads? Many thanks!

[pacificstar]

Hello Basenjhicker,

I am active in the Solis Facebook Group and everyone has put on or is planning on putting on Sumo Springs. There are specific ones for our Solis so make sure you get the correct ones. We have only had our Solis for almost 2 months and took 1 week long trip in it. We are planning on putting them on in the next month or two. Its the number one topic and I think it has 100% agreement. Being a gal I am not in the know on the correct ones to purchase. Its been a 50-50 as to personally installing them or having them professionally done, my husband is going to have our mechanic install them.
Sorry I can't tell you anything about snow........I love in sunny Southern California. All the best! I know you will enjoy your Solis, we love ours!

[coss370]

Of course, I wasn't knocking the vehicle. I like the pop top and I like the price tag, but I couldn't force myself into it at the end. I think it will be a popular vehicle.

Originally Posted by pacificstar

coss370,

I totally understand the Solis Winnebago is not for everyone.

1. I really wanted a Mercedes Benz, I have owned many MB and loved them. However the MB was priced out of my reach.

2. We are only 2 travelers so the back seat was not a factor for us but I have sat there for a few drives and its just fine for me I am 5'2'. Most of the folks who purchase the Solis have children and they are very comfortable.

3. Having been a boat owner and cab over camper owner for the past 40 plus years we love the cassette toilet! Easy to dump, many options for dumping and no stinking smells.

4. I hear you with the adaptive driving features. We love them on our daily driver but the adjustment is easy when your up higher and the feeling of driving a mini bus. Of all your concerns this is the one I wish Ram would put in the Solis and I do believe it will be in the next years upgrades.

The solis provided us with everything we were looking for in a Class B van. Reasonable price, comfortable queen bed, privacy toilet, 2 burner stove & sink, spacious refrigerator, swivel from seats, out door shower for our dog after his beach runs and our sandy feet. We looked for 11 months and were so grateful to have something especially during Covid that we can excape to even for a glass of wine in our driveway.

I wish you all the best in your search and hope you find the right unit for yourself and it makes you as thankful as we are with our Solis.

[FrånVan]

Hi group! So glad to find you all. My family just put a deposit down on a 2021 SolisPX at our local RV dealership. We were originally interested in the P but they had a floor model of the PX and offered us a better price than we expected on it, so it looks like we better book some warm-weather trips to take advantage of the air conditioner!

Actually, our first trip is to FL (from WI) next month. We have barely left our house for a year (working from home while homeschooling two small children in a pandemic, like so many others) so we could not be more excited to hit the road for a (COVID-safe) adventure!!

Being a mom I have concerns about the safety of the bench seat (especially in a side-impact collision.) We did make sure our kids’ car seat/booster seat will fit side by side on it, and they do, but there are no carseat anchors so we have to attach the car seats via the 3-point seatbelts. We may try to attach an after-market car seat anchor ourselves. Has anyone done this? And anyone have experience with traveling with kids in these vehicles? Would love some feedback about that.

Happy camping!

Från

[Rlum]

Originally Posted by pacificstar

Hello Basenjhicker,

I am active in the Solis Facebook Group and everyone has put on or is planning on putting on Sumo Springs. There are specific ones for our Solis so make sure you get the correct ones. We have only had our Solis for almost 2 months and took 1 week long trip in it. We are planning on putting them on in the next month or two. Its the number one topic and I think it has 100% agreement. Being a gal I am not in the know on the correct ones to purchase. Its been a 50-50 as to personally installing them or having them professionally done, my husband is going to have our mechanic install them.
Sorry I can't tell you anything about snow........I love in sunny Southern California. All the best! I know you will enjoy your Solis, we love ours!

Hi: I have a 2016 PW lexor on Ram 3500. Just removed the existing black Sumo Springs and replaced with yellow ones. I do not know if the black ones will fit or even this is what your want to install on your Solis. If they are, you are welcome to them for free. I live in Southern California. You can DM me directly so you can come by for pick up.

This offer is available to anyone who wants them. First person to set up a pick up gets them. Thanks all!

[coss370]

Not sure if you are going to find any B van that is better. Airstream and Coachmen have center captain seat with 3 point seatbelt, the rest are just 3 point seat belt at the rear couch.

Originally Posted by FrånVan

Hi group! So glad to find you all. My family just put a deposit down on a 2021 SolisPX at our local RV dealership. We were originally interested in the P but they had a floor model of the PX and offered us a better price than we expected on it, so it looks like we better book some warm-weather trips to take advantage of the air conditioner!

Actually, our first trip is to FL (from WI) next month. We have barely left our house for a year (working from home while homeschooling two small children in a pandemic, like so many others) so we could not be more excited to hit the road for a (COVID-safe) adventure!!

Being a mom I have concerns about the safety of the bench seat (especially in a side-impact collision.) We did make sure our kids’ car seat/booster seat will fit side by side on it, and they do, but there are no carseat anchors so we have to attach the car seats via the 3-point seatbelts. We may try to attach an after-market car seat anchor ourselves. Has anyone done this? And anyone have experience with traveling with kids in these vehicles? Would love some feedback about that.

Happy camping!

Från

[kmessinger]

RVs are in short supply. Going to a large dealership helps but your new RV might be several hundred miles away. We have a 2022 Travato KL on order. It won't be here until May. There should be good deals on 2021's or even 2020's.

[coss370]

Doesn't the 2022 have all the big safety/convenience upgrades or not yet?

[kmessinger]

The 2022 is on a Promaster 2021 chassis so it has the latest Promaster upgrades. On the Winnebago side there are major changes. I haven't looked at the Solis but I think it would have some of the changes. https://www.winnebago.com/models/pro...torhomes/solis

[repsolracer22]

any updates from anyone on their Solis? My wife and I are very close to pulling the trigger on a 59PX pop top. We have 2 small boys, so having the jumper seats close to the front was a selling point.

we have class A diesel RV experience, so the van is suppose to be a nimble runner for overnights & little trips. Seems to check all the boxes. Just don't want to get buyers remorse afterwards because of something we didn't realize perhaps.

[coss370]

Sit and drive a Promaster to see if you can tolerate it

[DetroitRed]

I just picked mine up on the day you posted, a Silver PX. How can I help you? What questions do you have?

[tblank]

I don't have a Facebook account either, and so it would be nice to be able to exchange information on this forum with other Solis owners. We (my wife and I), purchased a 2022 Solis PX Hardtop (no pop top) the 3rd week of April, this year. So far we've put about 3000 miles on it and spent about 12 nights camping. Overall I like it. The ProMaster chassis is a little less sophisticated and underwhelming than I expected and the wind noise is pretty bad, and the gas mileage is less than ideal, probably going to average 17 to 18 mpg. Otherwise the driving and maneuverability have been fine, once we got use to driving it. The wind is a problem if the wind gust go up to 30 mph or higher. The 'wind assist' helps somewhat by braking on the side of the vehicle opposite the direction of a big wind gust. BTW we have Somo springs put on. Because we have a hardtop we have the fan on top as well as the AC. Have used the fan some but not the AC or generator. We have spent all our nights at undesignated camping spots and have never hooked up to power, but the batteries/solar have been fine in powering the refrigerator, lights, usb ports and fans. We initially spent some cold nights out (low of 26, with minimal bedding) and the ducted heating system worked great. Kept us very comfortable. The bathroom and hot water shower are about as expected - tight but works fine. The bed has been surprisingly comfortable for these old bones. My biggest complaint is the noise while driving; beside the wind noise in the cab, on any road that is not entirely smooth there is a terrible, loud persistent squeak coming from the bathroom walls. More than a squeak, but not sure how to describe it. There are of course rattles and bumps coming from the cabinets and kitchen, but this squeak/squeal goes beyond that. I hope to get it addressed under warranty, but the dealer (who isn't in the same area where I live) isn't very hopeful about getting it fixed. Anybody had an issue like this? Thanks

[coss370]

Good review, but don't have high hopes as the promaster is a noisy chassis to begin with. WB also use a lot of plastic, your best bet is to use a lot of velcro strips, soft plastic, vinyl. You can try to strength the chassis too, but I am sure most people don't want to spend that much money on their car

Originally Posted by tblank

I don't have a Facebook account either, and so it would be nice to be able to exchange information on this forum with other Solis owners. We (my wife and I), purchased a 2022 Solis PX Hardtop (no pop top) the 3rd week of April, this year. So far we've put about 3000 miles on it and spent about 12 nights camping. Overall I like it. The ProMaster chassis is a little less sophisticated and underwhelming than I expected and the wind noise is pretty bad, and the gas mileage is less than ideal, probably going to average 17 to 18 mpg. Otherwise the driving and maneuverability have been fine, once we got use to driving it. The wind is a problem if the wind gust go up to 30 mph or higher. The 'wind assist' helps somewhat by braking on the side of the vehicle opposite the direction of a big wind gust. BTW we have Somo springs put on. Because we have a hardtop we have the fan on top as well as the AC. Have used the fan some but not the AC or generator. We have spent all our nights at undesignated camping spots and have never hooked up to power, but the batteries/solar have been fine in powering the refrigerator, lights, usb ports and fans. We initially spent some cold nights out (low of 26, with minimal bedding) and the ducted heating system worked great. Kept us very comfortable. The bathroom and hot water shower are about as expected - tight but works fine. The bed has been surprisingly comfortable for these old bones. My biggest complaint is the noise while driving; beside the wind noise in the cab, on any road that is not entirely smooth there is a terrible, loud persistent squeak coming from the bathroom walls. More than a squeak, but not sure how to describe it. There are of course rattles and bumps coming from the cabinets and kitchen, but this squeak/squeal goes beyond that. I hope to get it addressed under warranty, but the dealer (who isn't in the same area where I live) isn't very hopeful about getting it fixed. Anybody had an issue like this? Thanks

[tblank]

Thanks. I wondered about stiffening the area around the bathroom to silent the squeak/scream, perhaps by putting shelves (unfortunately not provided by Winnebago for the Solis) in the bathroom. But that doesn't seem to help. I believe the noise is created by the bathroom insert's contact with the outside cabinet. Not sure what to do
Anyway, I agree the ProMaster chassis is not ideal, but not sure what would be better. The Ford Transit is rear wheel drive and the Sprinter, is expensive, but also reported to be having lots of mechanical problems and recalls.

[GeorgeRa]

Originally Posted by tblank

Thanks. I wondered about stiffening the area around the bathroom to silent the squeak/scream, perhaps by putting shelves (unfortunately not provided by Winnebago for the Solis) in the bathroom. But that doesn't seem to help. I believe the noise is created by the bathroom insert's contact with the outside cabinet. Not sure what to do
Anyway, I agree the ProMaster chassis is not ideal, but not sure what would be better. The Ford Transit is rear wheel drive and the Sprinter, is expensive, but also reported to be having lots of mechanical problems and recalls.

I used Thinsulate for acoustic attenuation and for insulation. It works great. You could entertain an idea to pack Thinsulate wherever you can, it will require some items removal. If you have a noise between rubbing element placing Thinsulate to separate them should work, Thinsulate has some low friction olefin fibers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq671waCndc