Winnebago Travato thread here

[BobB]

Originally Posted by eric1514

Edit: That picture they show of that guy shoving that cargo box onto the roof is deceiving. What's he gonna do about securing it? Access up the back ladder isn't going to help him up front and how is he going to get that box back down?

The cargo box was also probably empty when they shot the advertising photos I would like to see him do that when loaded up with gear!

How much weight will the roof take? Can you walk on it, without, denting it? Or maybe stand on the rack which would distribute the load?

[wincrasher]

The roof is dented fairly easy. I'd recommend throwing down some mats to walk on. Anywhere you put down a knee or an elbow will result in a dent 100% of the time, so matter the spot.

My new van will not have the roof rack, period. It's just a useless accessory in my view.

[Scottbaldassari]

Originally Posted by wincrasher

My new van will not have the roof rack, period. It's just a useless accessory in my view.

Thank you.

I had heard about the denting, and figured it must be awful tough to do much of anything up there. It's really helpful to hear opinions from experienced owners.

[eric1514]

Originally Posted by wincrasher

The roof is dented fairly easy. I'd recommend throwing down some mats to walk on. Anywhere you put down a knee or an elbow will result in a dent 100% of the time, so matter the spot.

My new van will not have the roof rack, period. It's just a useless accessory in my view.

The rack would be a good no-drill frame for solar panels but not much else.

Eric

[eric1514]

Just got back from a round trip from Boise to Reno and managed 17.4 mpg overall. Drove the speed limit or slightly below and part of the trip is through Oregon which has a 55 mph limit (drove 60 through OR). I'm happy with that. It's not diesel mileage, but it's almost twice what I was getting in my V-10 Class C.

Eric

[bobojay]

That sounds good. Same mileage our 2 Sprinter RV's have gotten with all their expense

[riplips]

My Travato 59g (gas model) finally arrived-- just in time for fall in Pennsylvania.

I am hoping the group can answer some questions for me.

But first a few comments:

We got the Granite graphics delete. it looks really nice and industrial, and is in line with what I wanted. plastic bumpers, Full racks

The Truma gets an A+

Rear bike racks for our top-of-the line Mountain bikes gets an A-

WGO fit and finish gets a C... Toilet inlet plumbing leaked profusely, many of the penetrations and subsequent connections are not square and neat, but seem structurally sound.

The deletion of rear shoulder belts to accommodate the Truma is disappointing, as we have a young family that we travel with.

Zamp solar gets an A

Generator gets a B. its noisy and clunky, but it works

Promaster drives great-- B+ (uconnect is a piece of !@#$)

New stereo in the coach by jensen- C- Let me get this straight- I have sirius sat radio in the chassis but not the coach? seems myopic...

window shades B. they work. clumsy? yes. fancy? No. totally adequate.

Here are my questions:

should I drain the coach after every weekend excursion? (we will be using it weekly until thanksgiving when i will store it until spring.)

When disconnecting the batteries for storage, is it necessary to get under the coach?

Has anyone driven their travato in the snow? it seems like it could be horrible.

Thanks for your help.

[wincrasher]

If you can't leave your RV plugged in to keep the battery charger going, then hit the disconnect switch. There is no reason to disconnect the battery terminals or remove the batteries.

[eric1514]

Originally Posted by riplips

...should I drain the coach after every weekend excursion? (we will be using it weekly until thanksgiving when i will store it until spring.)...

I empty the black and grey water tanks if the van is going to sit at home for any length of time because it's easy and convenient for me to do so. I do not drain the fresh water system but once a season. I will use as much remaining freshwater as I can to fill the black and grey tanks prior to dumping so that I maximize the amount of chlorinated fresh water I add to the system.

Eric

[riplips]

The facility that will house my van for the deep freeze is underground and requires that batteries are disconnected.

This, i know will be tricky with the Zamp controller...

[riplips]

Thank you. I always empty the holding tanks, and use the built in flush.

I was referring to the freshwater which you answered for me.

[mlts22]

One side note -- If the facility is underground, humidity can be a major issue. I'd recommend putting some Damp-Rid containers (the large ones) in a plastic tub or bucket (so any leaks are contained), and have the containers arranged in a way where they can't turn over even if the van is moved.

For the solar panel, I'd consider disconnecting it at the roof receptacle (and securing the cord up top where it is plugged in.) That way, you can disconnect the batteries physically at the terminal without them being under any load. Make sure to set a reminder to plug the panels back in before moving the van.

[riplips]

Thank you for the excellent input.

[JKatfish]

Just FYI here. While I was reinstalling the right side taillight on my 59g, I dropped my 3/8 ratchet into the black hole right in the corner. There is almost no way to retrieve easily, so I just left it there. Forward 4 weeks, I go out and there is my ratchet laying outside on the ground. Checked underside and there is a small opening where after closing the rear doors many times allowed the ratchet to work itself out of the hole. Pleased to get my ratchet back, but wonder if anything living can also crawl up there .

[mass59k]

Now that it's storage time I'm going to have to check my K

[Vardo]

Hi. New to the group. I just ordered a Travato 59G. One upgrade I know I will want when it arrives is to add a good sized inverter. I am not sure where the best spot to mount the inverter will be, but naturally it will be desirable to have as short a run as possible to the battery. Has anyone done this yet?

[thefitrv]

On the floor in the rear most cabinet. That's about the only place we could find for ours. (2000 Watt) They're bigger than you think...

[ghosting]

Originally Posted by thefitrv

On the floor in the rear most cabinet. That's about the only place we could find for ours. (2000 Watt) They're bigger than you think...

What do you run off your inverter?

(BTW... I'm also new to the group and have a Diesel 59G on order)

[thefitrv]

Mostly the microwave, but it'll run anything in the coach, including the AC. We just have to be careful of how much we run at once, and for how long.

[Vardo]

Thanks, James. So it sounds like you connected your inverter via a relay (built-into the unit?) into the house wiring. If you have any pics or documentation I'd love to find out more about the wiring and wire-routing you did.

By the way - I have followed your blog on TheFitRV for quite a while and it has been very helpful (and entertaining). My wife and I have been researching Bs and Cs for about a year to replace our Rialta. I had ruled out the Travato until they made the upgrades on the current model (i.e better bed, better dinette, and most importantly the Truma).