Hi all,
Thought I'd finally take a moment to introduce myself... My name is Bill, and my wife, Sandra, our daughters, Zoe (14) and Jesse (9), and I just picked up our new class C this past Saturday. It's a '06 Winnebago Minnie Winnie 31C, and we're just champin' at the bit to get her (she doesn't have a name yet) on the road. We're planning a couple of short runs over the next several weeks to get the hang of her, but come December, we'll be taking her cross country to North Carolina for the holidays.
First, let me thank all of you for the great information we've found here. We've been lurking for some time, doing our research, and your knowledge and expertise really helped us sort out the issues - there are many, aren't there, when it comes to buying an RV - and arrive at a choice we're very happy with and excited about.
For us, a class C was a no-brainer - well almost. We looked long and hard at several class A rigs - really liked the spaciousness - but it ultimately came down to sleeping arrangements. With the cabover bunk, the girls have a relatively roomy, comfortable place to sleep without taking up floor space and without getting in the way of the early riser of the family - me - when I get up to make coffee and start the day. I'll be stumbling over the dogs as it is!
First impressions? Well, this is from all of a 60 mile trip home from the dealer and then from sitting in it the rest of the weekend, but the handling was terrific. I'd been reading with some dismay about the propensity for class Cs to wander. There was none of that. Even when semis blew by me, the Minnie Winnie was solid and steady on the road. She proved very easy to drive. And while not overly powerful - I don't think we'll be smokin' down the road at 75 mph - she had plenty to get us up La Bajada Hill on the way home to Santa Fe from Albuquerque. The cockpit is a little noisy, but not uncomfortably so. It was a bit difficult to hear people in the back, so perhaps I'll figure out some sort of "comm link."
Workmanship and quality? I remain convinced that among class Cs, the Winnebago/Itascas are one of the better lines out there in terms of quality materials and assemby. I've yet to find anything that would cause me to say it was "done on the cheap." And we spent a lot of time in a lot of RVs - and saw many examples of just what "on the cheap" can mean in an RV. The features that drew us to the Minnie Winnie: First, the domed fiberglass roof. We had a 5er with a rubber roof some years ago. I really didn't want to deal with that again. Second, high quality basement doors with gas shocks (I noted Winnebago doesn't do this anymore. In the '07 Outlook/Spirits, the door aren't quite the same and don't have gas shocks). Third, plenty of storage space. The large, contiguous space under the slide will hold all our ski gear. We can practically put a kayak down there! Finally, it just feels solid and well built to us. Nothing feels or looks flimsy.
Sorry to have gone on so - I guess I am excited! Thanks again for all the help. I hope we'll be able to return the favor.
Happy Camping.
Thought I'd finally take a moment to introduce myself... My name is Bill, and my wife, Sandra, our daughters, Zoe (14) and Jesse (9), and I just picked up our new class C this past Saturday. It's a '06 Winnebago Minnie Winnie 31C, and we're just champin' at the bit to get her (she doesn't have a name yet) on the road. We're planning a couple of short runs over the next several weeks to get the hang of her, but come December, we'll be taking her cross country to North Carolina for the holidays.
First, let me thank all of you for the great information we've found here. We've been lurking for some time, doing our research, and your knowledge and expertise really helped us sort out the issues - there are many, aren't there, when it comes to buying an RV - and arrive at a choice we're very happy with and excited about.
For us, a class C was a no-brainer - well almost. We looked long and hard at several class A rigs - really liked the spaciousness - but it ultimately came down to sleeping arrangements. With the cabover bunk, the girls have a relatively roomy, comfortable place to sleep without taking up floor space and without getting in the way of the early riser of the family - me - when I get up to make coffee and start the day. I'll be stumbling over the dogs as it is!
First impressions? Well, this is from all of a 60 mile trip home from the dealer and then from sitting in it the rest of the weekend, but the handling was terrific. I'd been reading with some dismay about the propensity for class Cs to wander. There was none of that. Even when semis blew by me, the Minnie Winnie was solid and steady on the road. She proved very easy to drive. And while not overly powerful - I don't think we'll be smokin' down the road at 75 mph - she had plenty to get us up La Bajada Hill on the way home to Santa Fe from Albuquerque. The cockpit is a little noisy, but not uncomfortably so. It was a bit difficult to hear people in the back, so perhaps I'll figure out some sort of "comm link."
Workmanship and quality? I remain convinced that among class Cs, the Winnebago/Itascas are one of the better lines out there in terms of quality materials and assemby. I've yet to find anything that would cause me to say it was "done on the cheap." And we spent a lot of time in a lot of RVs - and saw many examples of just what "on the cheap" can mean in an RV. The features that drew us to the Minnie Winnie: First, the domed fiberglass roof. We had a 5er with a rubber roof some years ago. I really didn't want to deal with that again. Second, high quality basement doors with gas shocks (I noted Winnebago doesn't do this anymore. In the '07 Outlook/Spirits, the door aren't quite the same and don't have gas shocks). Third, plenty of storage space. The large, contiguous space under the slide will hold all our ski gear. We can practically put a kayak down there! Finally, it just feels solid and well built to us. Nothing feels or looks flimsy.
Sorry to have gone on so - I guess I am excited! Thanks again for all the help. I hope we'll be able to return the favor.
Happy Camping.
