First timer who needs help purchase a Winnebago View

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Frobert

Frobert

Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2017
Posts
7
Location
Alexandria, KY
Looking at purchasing an RV for wife, one child, and myself.  We started  out looking at 30 footer gas then saw the Winnebago View, which is a diesel.  I like the 24 G and wife likes the 24J.  I felt cramped in the 24J bed.  Anyone out there have any thoughts.  Who owns one, what do you think? 

I was on a site that said go with gas instead of diesel.  I am really getting lost in everything.  If you have owned something in the last few years any advice will help.  We have done lots of research and reading.  We bought the Motorhome comparison guide (223 pages)  and hoping to find someont that can give advice.

Thanks

Richard Frommeyer
 
Welcome Richard. There's a Yahoo View-Navion group you might want to join and ask questions, link in the Winnebago and chassis resources 'sticky' near the top of this board.

What are your intended uses of the rig? Weekending? Summers/winters in a better climate? Fulltiming? We have always loved the design and layout of the View/Navion but there is such limited storage we could never make something that size work for extended travel.

As far as gas vs. diesel there are opinions on both sides of course. I am 100% for diesel - good fuel economy and good torque. The diesel will develop its torque at maybe 3000 RPM (my Cummins max torque is at ~1900 RPM) and a gas engine will be screaming along at 5,000+ RPM.  Large Class As with gas engines get miserable fuel mileage.

The Mercedes Sprinter chassis is extremely popular and has been around for quite a few years, highly recommended.
 
Let me just say this about the gasoline vs diesel debate, I have a diesel F-250, own probably close to a dozen pieces of diesel powered equipment, have worked around medium duty diesel trucks, yet when I went to buy a small Class A motorhome I ended up buying a gasoline powered model and so far it has worked out fine.
 
I second joining the View-Navion Yahoo user group.  it is also free but dedicated to those owners of RVs on the Sprinter chassis.  I have had a 2008 View H (diesel) and now a 17 Navion J (diesel).  The vast majority are diesels.  Nice rigs but can be touchy with the DEF diesel exhaust fluid additive and the EGR exhaust gas recirculation systems.  I think 2012 was the last non-DEF diesel Sprinter.  The newer View/Navions (really the same rv) increased the length to 25.5 and that was mainly to add additional length to the bed.  It is a little tight against the two walls but better than pulling out the couch each night in the 08.  As with everything you have tradeoffs.  The G model will give you less total capacity to carry items since it weighs more with the two slides.  The V model is a better option but my wife liked the J model as the floor is more open without the large bathroom wall at the end of the sofa.  Excellent power, extremely quiet running diesel engine.  If you want more specifics feel free to contact me direct at [email protected].  And of course the Yahoo user group View-Navion members will all share their opinions.  The Mercedes Sprinter is more expensive to maintain and the dealerships that offer Sprinter service are not all that plentiful so be sure you have one near you.  Happy looking and take your time evaluating what to buy. 
 
Welcome, Richard,
I'll second, or third, or fourth the Yahoo recommendation. Great learning tool.
The wife, BB Hardbody and I have owned our Winnebago 24G for almost 3 years now and put 32,000 miles on it, camping mostly in the northwest on trips similar to those you plan to take.
I don't think you can go wrong with the 24g or any of the View models. The engine is as good as anything I've found and delivers around 14-16 mpg for Us. I could probably get better, but have a leadfoot.
If there's one thing I'd look for in an RV that the view lacks,it would be a bed that does not require a slideout, which makes retracting the slide mandatory every time you drive somewhere. If you're camping anywhere off-grid or travelling every day, it might be a trial to retract the slides every time you want to go somewhere.
I'd rate this as a minor inconvenience, at best, but it is something you might want to consider. We'll probably end up getting a lightweight tow vehicle, which leads to a whole new bunch of questions you'll find answers to here and at the Yahoo group.
Good luck in your rv search and travels!
-Seabury Blair Jr.
 
In April 2016 i purchased a winnebago 2003 sightseer 30b gas with 57,000 miles. I searched high and low and found a remarkably clean rig. I had a great mechanic go over my rig top to bottom changing all belts and hoses, fluids and filters, servicing generator, new tires , checked brakes,  immediately put $ 7,000 in it as I planned to. I did this because I did not want to have problems on the road. Keep that in mine when you buy even a clean used rig. We have been full time RVers since and have had relatively few problems and love it.
Diesel is more expensive to buy and maintain. Every mechanic I spoke to said diesel needs to be run. If you only going to do 10-15,000 miles per year gas is the way to go.
enjoy
 
I have a 2016 View G.  When deciding on which View consider the floor plan and then the load carrying capacity.  Learn about something called OCCC.  On each unit in the driver's side door are all the weights for each vehicle.  This varies even within models due to configuration (i.e. Bunk, generator type, etc.)

OCCC is simply what "stuff" you load into the vehicle.  So if the OCCC is 1000 pounds, people, cargo, propane, water (8.1 lbs per gallon), propane, tongue weight of any tow is the limit you can load.  In Views this can run from a low of about 960, (G with bunk, diesel gen) to about 1200-1300 for others.

There are other weight numbers but I did not want to make this too complicated.

Good luck
 
We just purchased the 2018 View 24V.  The beds do not require a slide.  We like that they can be used as couches or a bed.  We can make them into one larger bed, or use as two twins.  We are still connected at the head, and can talk easily (shaped like a U).  My husband has a horrible back issue and sometimes needs to get up often in the night to stretch.  He could never get out of the bed in the 24 J.  He would have to "scootch" down to get out, and as he says, his "scootching" days are over.  We liked the 24G, but didn't want to have to use the slide every time we wanted to lay down.  We pick it up on Monday, so I'll have more feedback soon.  We spent a lot of time in each floor plan, just imagining day to day activities, where we would store things, the bathroom vanities and storage for stuff (mostly mine), and it just clicked for both of us that the V was our fit.  Hope you find yours!
 
Congrats on your purchase.  Hope you will be happy with it.  As I recommended earlier, be sure you join the Yahoo View-Navion user groups.  Wealth of specific information and lots of View/Navion owners experiences to learn from.  Lichtsinn RV has a very good video on a walk thru which I recommend as a starting point.  Be sure you read the owners manuals (can be very daunting) and get familiar with your various systems, especially the Chassis battery and disconnect, the Coach batteries and disconnect, the hot water heater, filling and draining fresh water, how your electrical system works including the generator,  how to fill and manage the DEF system (beware of contamination in our rigs; very sensitive), what Mercedes recommends for the max of BioDiesel (I recommend trying to avoid), etc.  Much to learn and the best way to learn is ask the owners, read the manual, watch the video, go camping locally and test things out.  Be sure you run your engine when moving your slide in/out as it needs the alternator voltage.  Do not stop it part way and hold the button a few seconds after extending/retracting.  Happy to share my personal knowledge of these and all the owners on the View Navion Yahoo User Group have a wealth of experience to pick their brains.  I love the RV Forum Community and the Yahoo groups for all their helpful and friendly advice.  All the best for you and the new RV.  Take your time to learn it well and you will enjoy it.
 
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