Transcript
Tested
Winnebago Whitehaven
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KNIGHT
Winnebago’s new Whitehaven slide-out is a step apart from previous models.
In brief... Nearly 8m (26ft) motorhome Fiat Ducato cab with Al-Ko chassis Offside slide-out with both dinette and island bed Full-width rear bathroom
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Winnebago Whitehaven
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innebago isn’t a new name in Australia, that’s for sure. However, since a court judgement a few years ago, it now belongs to a new manufacturer, Apollo Motorhomes. Apollo used to manufacture motorhomes under the name Talvor, but now do so under the Winnebago name. That might be confusing for some people, especially as some of the motorhomes now built as Winnebagos were Talvors in another life. But the good news is that there are some new models available, such as the Winnebago Whitehaven reviewed here, which has a slideout as one of its principal features.
WORDS AND PICS MALCOLM STREET
Clockwise from right: The slide-out houses the dinette and bed; two 4.5kg gas cylinders are stored on the nearside; external storage on the offside; the swivelling cab seats are separate from the dinette.
Measuring up Pros Great external storage capacity Under-bench drawers in the kitchen Shelves in some overhead lockers Extra space created by slide-out Bedside shelves Different bathroom setup
Cons Access to rear bathroom is restricted with the slide-out closed The fridge is between dinette and front seats which impacts on the dining/ lounging area The under-seat powerpoint isn’t in a great spot
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In the Winnebago line-up, there are motorhomes with both Mercedes-Benz Sprinter and Fiat Ducato cab chassis and, for the Whitehaven, the latter has been chosen, bolted up to an Al-Ko chassis. That means it comes with a 4490kg GVM rating, still driveable on a car license but allowing for a good load capacity, given the Tare weight of 3880kg. Like the rest of the Winnebago fleet, the Whitehaven is built using composite marinegrade fibreglass walls, with mouldings for the front and rear. Both the interior and exterior are finished in a gelcoat. Around the exterior, there are a number of external bins of various sizes. There are two along the nearside, the one beside the entry door containing the battery, charger and assorted electrics but also offering space for camp chairs and the like. Further to the rear of the nearside, the second bin contains two 4.5kg gas cylinders. On the other side of the motorhome, there are three bins – well, two-and-a-half really. One built into the slide-out gives access to the under-bed area, the second towards the rear is for a washing machine (with access from the bathroom) and the bin at the rear is actually for the toilet cassette but it’s recessed, thus allowing storage space in front of it. However, I reckon you would only use it for something easily removable and definitely waterproof.
AUSSIE-STYLE Having a slide-out increases the internal living space no end. With this layout, Winnebago has opted to put the dinette and the east-west bed into the slide-out. That leaves room for a fullwidth rear bathroom and a nearside kitchen bench opposite the dinette. Directly behind the driver’s seats are a small wardrobe and the 190L fridge with the microwave above. Although the Whitehaven carries the US
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Winnebago Whitehaven
Winnebago Whitehaven Weights and measures External length 7.88m (25ft 10in) External width 2.27m (7ft 5in) Internal height 2.1m (6ft 11in) Travel height 3.06m (10ft) Tare 3880kg GVM 4490kg
Engine
Base vehicle Fiat Ducato Multijet 180 Engine 3.0L turbodiesel Gearbox six-speed AMT Max power 132kW@3500rpm Max torque 400Nm@1400rpm Brakes ABS Disc
External Fresh water 100L Grey water 50L Batteries 1x100Ah Solar Optional Air-conditioner Truma Aventa Gas 2x4.5kg
Internal
Clockwise from above left: The kitchen has all the essentials; a fridge, microwave and wardrobe sit between the cab seats and the dinette; cafestyle dinette in the slide-out.
Winnebago name, it is built here in Australia and that is quite obvious in the general decor – it doesn’t have that ‘stateside’ look many US RVs have. Winnebago has played it safe with the timber-look for the cabinetry work and lighter colours for the walls and ceiling. Natural light levels are quite good and the windows give good airflow, with the exception being the bedroom, where I felt an extra window would have been nice. Some of the windows
have pelmets but none have curtains. There is a generous seating area with both the front cab seats swivelling around and the cafestyle dinette built into the slide-out. However, with the fridge and microwave in between, it doesn’t really mesh together as a communal area. Additionally, the raised floor and lower ceiling of the slide-out makes getting in and out of the dinette a bit awkward. I understand it’s like that for engineering reasons rather than ergonomic ones, though. Between the dinette seats, the table is a simple affair that clips to the wall and has a hinged leg at the inner end. Under the forward seat are both 240V and 12V power outlets. Winnebago isn’t the only manufacturer which does this and
I know that slide-outs make positioning things like this awkward, but this placement always irks me – while they are convenient to get, they are also extremely vulnerable to having leads sticking out that can be tripped over. There are no surprises in the kitchen. It offers a three-burner cooktop with grill/oven below and, alongside that, a stainless steel sink. There’s no drainer and instead you get a bit of precious benchtop working space. Under the bench are five drawers of various sizes, along with a wire basket slide-out pantry and a single cupboard. However, most of the cupboard space is taken up by the Truma water heater. In the air space above there are two overhead lockers but part of one is taken up by the rangehood venting
and part of the other is used by the electrical switching panel. The shelves in both lockers are welcome features.
GREAT DIVIDE Between the dinette and bedroom on the offside and the kitchen and bedroom on the nearside are semicircular partitions which provide a neat break between the front and rear of the motorhome. The bedhead is set into the offside slide-out, leaving plenty of walkaround space when the slide-out is open but somewhat less when it’s closed up. Indeed, you can get to the bathroom by lifting the bed but there isn’t much space. That’s because much of the nearside bedroom wall is taken up by
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Options fitted None
Price as shown $159,410 (on-road, Qld)
Enquiries To enquire about this motorhome, please visit www.caravanworld.com.au/spec or phone (07) 3073 8472 On CaravanWorld.com.au
What’s in a name? SEAT
TABLE
SEAT
QUEEN BED
FRIDGE
TOILET
Holidays has acquired the exclusive rights under the name Winnebago RV Pty Ltd to use ‘certain Winnebago trademarks on motorhomes, campervans and caravans across Australia and New Zealand’. Winnebago RV Australia Pty Ltd now manufactures a range of motorhomes in Australia using the Winnebago name, as well as importing fully-assembled Winnebago caravans from the US. Winnebago RV Australia Pty Ltd has no connection with Avida RV.
More pictures Specs to compare
ROBE
The use of the Winnebago name in Australia is a bit complicated. It was formerly used by Avida RV and, for many years, Winnebago had been synonymous, particularly in America and Australia, with motorhomes and was often used as a generic term by those not in the know. However, that all changed a few years ago when the US manufacturer Winnebago disputed the use of the name here in Australia. Since then, Apollo Motorhome
Cooking Thetford three-burner, grill and oven Fridge Dometic RM8551 190L Microwave Camec 25L 900W Toilet Dometic cassette Shower Separate cubicle Lighting 12V LED Hot water Truma 14L
OVER CAB BED SHOWER
TV
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Above: The full-width bathroom is a little different than the norm. Top: The east-west bed is in the slide-out, with a wall of robes on the nearside.
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cupboards – low-waisted items along the underwindow area with a full-height wardrobe in the rear corner and a small diagonal cupboard using the air space at the forward end. That same cupboard is used as the mounting point for the flatscreen TV which can easily be seen easily from the bed but not from the dinette and front seats. Getting a bedside shelf or cabinet is often a bit tricky with a bed in a slide-out but Winnebago has solved this to some degree by putting a set of narrow shelves above the bed head on either side. A bit higher than desirable but certainly much better than nothing at all. As someone who likes a bit of ventilation on warm nights, I thought the lack of a window in the offside wall might be an issue. There is a large roof hatch in the bedroom area but it’s set almost against the nearside wall. In the bathroom, designers have made an effort to come up with a design that’s a little different to the normal arrangement. The shower cubicle in the nearside corner has an angled door, while the opposite corner is entirely fitted out with a wash basin, cassette toilet and space for a washing machine.
In short, a full-width rear bathroom but one with a difference!
THE BOTTOM LINE In many ways, the Whitehaven is a noticeable step away from the Apollo rental motorhome design philosophy that was often seen in previous Talvor (now Winnebago) layouts. The addition of a slide-out is the most obvious feature but there are other items as well. In this price sector, in a market that is becoming more competitive, I reckon that’s a good thing.
Ratings 1. Value for money 2. Driveability 3. Setting up 4. Suitability for intended touring 5. Layout 6. Quality of finish 7. Build quality 8. Creature comforts 9. Innovation 10. X-Factor
