It’s now been 16 months since we purchased our van Coopernicus – a 2016 Winnebago Travato G.
Over that timeframe, the van has been our daily driver, our get-away adventure vehicle, our shuttle craft and our hurricane escape pod.
We’ve taken Cooper on a long extended cross country trip (all the way to Arizona!), and on many short excursions to state parks. It has been an essential tool for helping us stay sane in this Covid-mad world.
We consider ourselves van-life veterans now, having probably spent close to six months worth of nights actually sleeping on board. We’ve logged far more van time than we anticipated by this point.
And…
We’re ready for something different.
But I’ll get to that in a second minute.
We’ve shared all the things that we love about the Travato G design, our first impressions after our first few trips, and even the mods we have made – all detailed in past posts and videos.
Now it is time to share some of the not-so-love side – what we consider to be ”design flaws” in the Winnebago Travato.
Yup this post is the ‘Chris and Cherie Complain About Everything’ episode.
Winnebago Travato Design Flaws
Admittedly – some of these are nit-picky.
But some are major ”what were they thinking” issues, and many others are just more evidence of the RV industry overly focusing on cost over quality and durability.
Also – keep in mind that our Travato is a 2016 model – and some of these issues have been addressed in more recent model years.
But some of these issues remain unaddressed even in 2021 models – so we hope that Winnebago is listening!
Video Version
ProMaster Issues (Mostly outside Winnebago’s Control)
Winnebago builds the Travato inside of Dodge Ram ProMaster van shells, and there are some issues that are thus mostly out of Winnebago’s control.
Here are a few ProMaster issues that bother us…
- No Modern Driving Systems – The ProMaster is an old design, and it is lacking in modern smarts and safety features like adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assistance, or even blind spot traffic alerts. The 2021 ProMaster chassis is being upgraded with blind spot warnings and automatic emergency braking options, but it is unclear if Winnebago will order shells with these features. We sure hope so!
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We replaced the default navigation system with a JVC head unit with support for Apple’s CarPlay! Awful Navigation System – The stock dash radio and navigation is honestly abysmal. It is so so bad and user unfriendly that it is worse than useless. One of the most critical upgrades we made was replacing this stock system with a better unit with CarPlay integration. Winnebago should be doing this from the start.
- Poor Suspension – The ProMaster once loaded down and converted into an RV is awkward to drive, bouncing and swaying uncomfortably on the factory suspension. So many Travato owners upgraded the suspension with Sumo Springs (which we did last Fall – HUGE difference) that Winnebago actually made this a standard feature in mid-2020 – a smart move.
Climate Issues
Trying to manage summer camping in Florida in our Travato has often been downright unpleasant. The van heats up like an oven, and it is hard to keep cool.
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AC placement over the rear bed means hardly any airflow to the front of the van. #vanlife Roaring Loud Air Conditioning – The stock Winnebago AC is WAY too loud, inside and outside. Inside – you can’t hold a conversation or watch TV comfortably with the AC on. Outside – it is embarrassing to be walking around a campground loop, and to have our little van roaring so loud you can hear it three sites away. In mid-2020 Winnebago switched to the Coleman Mach-10 NDQ AC model that is reportedly much quieter and more energy efficient too. This is a long overdue and very welcome upgrade. Unfortunately, it’s out of stock so a swap out this summer wasn’t possible for us.
- Bad Airflow – The AC location in the rear right above the bed leads to uncomfortable airflow at night with cold air blowing right in your face while you are sleeping, and poor airflow during the day while you are up front. Half of the airflow vents are directed towards the back door, and wasted. Meanwhile – hardly any air reaches the front dinette.
We have to use tape to keep the rear vent closed so we’re not cooling the back door. The cheap vent adjustments that are possible for aiming the AC don’t even stick without using tape to hold the adjustment arms in place. We consider the AC to be poorly designed all around. We found USB fans to be an essential airflow aid – and wish the AC had been mounted mid-van instead of in the rear.
- Heater Vent – The Truma Combi heating system is overall awesome, and super quiet. But putting a heater vent in front of the fridge door seems less than ideal. Why put the warmest spot in the van right under the fridge?!?
Interior Issues – Kitchen
Kitchens in a van-sized space are inevitably compromised. But there are some compromises in the Travato G that are especially maddening.
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Our freezer door recently broke at the cheap plastic hinge. Sub-Par Fridge – The Dometic propane fridge is big for a van, so that’s a plus. But the manual “click” ignitions system is hard to light, and the fridge does not stay lit reliably while underway or if it is windy outdoors. Because of this, you can’t trust the fridge to keep food safe on gas without constant monitoring. And the fridge thermostat is unreliable too – it seems to keep temperature relative to the outdoors, so a given setting during the day might be fine but at night might freeze your lettuce. We also discovered the door on the overly-tiny freezer has hinges made of cheap plastic, snapping off and breaking the door way too easily. For such an essential appliance, Winnebago and Dometic could have done much better. Newer Travato’s have a compressor fridge instead of gas, which we expect will be an improvement.
- Toy Sink – The “cute” tiny shallow round sink with foldable faucet is laughable for doing dishes in. How it looks on the dealer lot seems to have won out over practicality.
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A pantry is so much more practical than a hanging closet (especially when there are already two large overhead storage bins well suited to clothing…) Stovetop – The gas stovetop is OK, but induction would be a big improvement. Less of a design flaw here than a wish for something better.
- Smoke Detector Location – Speaking of the stovetop – guess where the smoke detector is? Right over the your cooking area!? Seriously – it would have been smarter to put this absolutely anywhere else inside the van than here.
- No Pantry?!? – By default, the cabinet next to the fridge is set up with a bar for hanging clothes instead of shelves for storing groceries. Why? Shelves would be vastly more practical – and Winnebago could have designed the shelves to be removable for those that really want to hang up a shirt. Retrofitting shelves after the fact is never going to be as good as having them properly anchored and built in.
Interior Issues – Bathroom
We love the layout of the Travato G, and the back corner bathroom that crams a lot of functionality into a very minimal amount of space.
But…
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The layout of the Travato G is just about perfect for a small van – as long as you don’t mind a narrow bed made for cuddling. Shower Drain Disaster – The top of the grey water tank is higher than the bottom of the shower floor, making it necessary to pump the water to drain the shower. That is fine – and is a reasonable design compromise. What is not fine is using a water pump designed for clean fresh water, and not soapy hairy grey water. The pump inevitably clogs after just a shower or two, and it is a royal pain to dismantle the pump strainer to clean it. Why didn’t Winnebago use the right pump for the job?
- Backward Light & Mirrors – The bathroom light is located behind your head if you are looking into the bathroom mirror – making the mirror nearly useless. It would have been smarter to mirror the cabinet doors, and/or put a second light over the mirror itself.
- Awful Sliding Door – The curved bathroom sliding door is great looking, and functional when it works. But it is so cheaply constructed that it is destined to start falling apart with even light use. Our door is held together with packing tape at the top, and we avoid closing it unless absolutely necessary. Slightly higher quality components would give such a better experience!
We’d hope that Winnebago would be looking to improve here – but we have friends who bought a brand-new KL and they report that the hinge on the folding sink in their K’s bathroom has already rusted and separated from the wall after just a few months of ownership!
Apparently Winnebago skipped over using a stainless steel hinge, and used a sink hinge that is not engineered to actually get wet.
Huh?!!?
Travato Electrical System Issues
We have been spoiled by living with lithium batteries and Victron components for over nine years now. Stepping back to a stock RV electrical system has been painful in so many ways…
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A whole wall of non-integrated panels – which are in practice mostly useless… Ridiculous Control Panel / Big Ugly Zamp – There is no reason that a huge chunk of prime wall space should be wasted for any ugly cluster of non-integrated control panels. In particular – the big ugly “Zamp” solar controller is mostly useless, and looks way out of place. Ideally everything should be integrated into a single system dashboard. Winnebago’s ”One Place” should live up to its name.
- No Real Battery Monitor – Despite all the gauges – there is no real battery meter in the Travato. Metering by voltage in the “One Place” is next to useless. A simple Victron BMV would improve things dramatically. Fortunately the Travato GL models with lithium have a proper battery gauge.
- Useless Propane Gauge – The gauge for the propane tank on the Travato is notoriously inaccurate, which is especially frustrating considering the van has such a super tiny tank and so many systems relying on it (heat, fridge and stove). People resort to regularly crawling under their vans to see the real physical gauge on the tank since the remote gauge just can’t be trusted.
- Power Control System – The system that lets you set a shore power limit is great in theory, but a 20A / 30A toggle does not allow a power limit that is low enough to run off of side-yard outlets without risking blowing a breaker. A 15A limit would have been more practical to match a van’s ease of driveway surfing .
- Awful Generator – The stock Onan generator is terribly loud, and needs to be run monthly to avoid the generator gumming up and requiring a very expensive ($1,700!)) overhaul. Expecting people to keep on top of this monthly is totally unreasonable – and unacceptable. Fortunately just this past month we hear that Winnebago has switched to using a new generator design that is reportedly a lot quieter, and hopefully less prone to gumming itself to death.
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Power cut off switch.. right by the door?!? Battery Switch Placement – The battery switch that cuts off all power inside the van is placed right inside the door, right in a location that is extremely easy to accidentally kick. Whoever put this switch in this location has clearly never spent a night in an RV! A better spot would have been inside the hidden winterizing chamber just a few inches away, safely away from accidental shutoffs.
- Unprotected AC Breakers – The main AC breakers are only barely protected by a vinyl flap, and can also be accidentally bumped too easily.
- Lacking Key AC Outlets – For some reason, there is no AC outlet under dinette, the natural place to plug in tech in use at the table. Instead, there is an outlet under the upper cabinet – leaving cables awkwardly dangling.
Travato Entertainment Systems
The stock entertainment setup leaves a lot to be desired too…
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The new arm creates a GREAT workspace. TV & Mount – The stock TV is a low-quality screen. But even worse is the mounting location in the G – which lacks any reasonable adjustment. The swing arm we put in increases versatility 1,000% and allows the TV to be viewed from the front seats, the bed, outdoors, or even brought down to table-level to be used as a monitor. This was a cheap and easy upgrade that left holes where the old mount was. This sort of flexible mount should be standard.
- Jensen Stereo – The stock van stereo is overall awful to use – and feels like leftover components from the 1980’s. Also – any time the power resets (see that switch above that is so easy to kick) – the outdoor speakers get reset to being turned on, meaning the next time you try to listen to anything indoors you will accidentally end up blasting your neighbors outdoors. Whoops!
Interior Issues – Living Area
We do love the overall layout of the Travato G, so much!
But there are some things that could be so much better…
Screen Door Fail – The ridiculous slider screen door falls off its tracks easily, and when closed seals so poorly that it lets the cat out, and bugs in. The rear door screen is an issue too – we had to attach magnets so that it stays shut. These should have been integrated in from the start.- Cheap Fake Wood Veneer – The Travato has never aimed to be a high-end RV with real wood cabinets. But it could do better than the cheap veneer stickers that start to peel and look tacky after just a few years. The numerous consumer warning stickers can not even be peeled off without damaging the thin veneer underneath!
- Passenger Seat Lounge – The van passenger seat is blocked from turning all the way around by the water tank. With a slight redesign and an inch more clearance, the seat would be able to spin around 180 degrees which would make a super comfy chaise lounge.
Exterior Issues
On the outside of the Travato, we have a few more nits to pick…
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Rusting connectors. (Vote, eh?) Awful Outdoor Speakers – The stock outdoor speakers are low quality and not designed for surviving the elements. Ours have been trashed since we bought the van. There is really no reason for these awkward outdoor speakers and the ugly holes cut in the van for them. Bluetooth speakers are easy and portable for anyone who wants outdoor music.
- Rusting Outdoor Hardware – On our four year old van, everything ProMaster on the outside looks nearly brand new. And everything added by Winnebago (the outdoor RV system fittings) looks to be a decade old – with rusting screws, peeling caulk, and aged and brittle plastic. Clearly the RV industry needs to embrace automotive quality standards!
- External Solar Fitting – One of the rustier items is the external solar jack for adding an auxiliary solar panel. First off – it is on the door side of the van, the side you normally want shady. It would be better on the driver’s side. We’ve heard that Winnebago moved this power jack indoors on the new Revel and Solis – a way to avoid the jack getting rusty I guess. But that means you can only use a secondary solar panel when you are home and the rear van door is open. Hasn’t Winnebago heard of rain, bugs, or pets? Moving this indoors seems like a step backwards in usability!
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More stickers and rust! Overly-Prominent RV Stickers – A camper van externally should look as much like a ”van” as possible, to better blend in. Having a big blue black tank flush sticker on the center side of the van really looks out of place. And we’re definitely not fans of the newer ‘National Parks Foundation’ edition of the Travato that has graphical stickers all over the place.
- Dump Fitting Angle – The dump hose fitting has no downward angle to it – and the last dribbles when dumping can thus take forever to drip out. A slight 3-degree angle here would have made dumping a lot quicker and less messy experience.
Time For A New Van?
When we bought Coopernicus, it was an experiment for us. Buying a slightly used model was the perfect balance to see if our idea worked without shelling out a lot of bucks initially.
The experiment has been a resounding success, and despite all the issues documented here – we still absolutely love our van! (Seriously.. we do!)
We love van life so much, that we are actually wanting to invest in a replacement for our Travato that is an even better fit for our needs.
A 2021 Travato GL!
Yes – we still love the Travato G. No other van on the US market has this awesome interior layout that so perfectly fits our needs.
And the “L” stands for “Lithium” – and we have been really missing having a modern power system on our van.
We could retrofit a lithium upgrade into our 2016 G, but that would be major surgery and it would be really hard to equal the overall system integration that the factory-provisioned GL has with its 48V Volta power system that charges off the alternator and which is sized to even run the (quieter!) AC overnight.
The recent Travato models also have MUCH better wall insulation, optional dual-pane windows (similar to what was on our Tab trailer so long ago) that are a huge improvement over the default glass, and a ton of other fixes & upgrades over the years from Winnebago listening to feedback from customers.
Upgrading our current van just wouldn’t be worth the effort.
So this is what we are looking for…
Wanted: 2020.5 / 2021 Travato 59GL
Winnebago incorporated a lot of improvements into a mid-year 2020 update, so we are looking for a new or gently used GL that has these options:
Mandatory Options:
- Roof Rack & Ladder – We need easier roof access for antenna testing for the Mobile Internet Resource Center.
Options – Strongly Desired:
- Rolef Side Screen Door – Hopefully better than what we have from 2016!
- Front Window Shade – Gets rid of the need for storing the front window covers.
- Dual-Pane Windows – These windows tilt out for more airflow, and can be cracked open in the rain. These are a huge improvement over the standard slider windows.
Options – Nice to Have:
- Ultra-Leather Seats – Maybe more cat-proof than the stock fabric.. or maybe not?
- Heated Drainage – Someday we might go where there is snow… (what’s snow?)
Options – Not Desired:
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We love our new RockyMounts Backstage swing out bike rack! National Park Edition Graphics – We love the National Parks, but hate the idea of being a billboard. As we said – camper vans should look as much like stock vans as possible to better blend in.
- Bike Rack – We have a better Travato bike rack already than the factory option, so it would be a shame to find a Travato with this already installed only to ditch it.
Exterior Colors (in order of preference): Granite, Blue, Cherry, Silver. Not a fan of the White.
Van Shopping, Again…
We came to the conclusion that we wanted to upgrade our Travato mid-summer, and when we started hunting around for Travatos for sale we discovered that the RV market is on FIRE right now.
We had hoped to find a van in time for a potential cross-country trip that might start in October or November, but dealers were telling us that we could order now and not get a van until the end of the year. Or order a next generation model (with potential unannounced new features) and get one in March.
And of course – used models with all the features we wanted were a scarce commodity too.
So…
Maybe in response to this post, the ideal used Travato GL will pop up – if you have one for sale, let us know.
And if we don’t find a used one, we might just place an order for a new one to be delivered next spring.
We hope to have Coopernicus II ready for 2021 adventures!
Did the newer model solve any if your climate control issues? Can you keep it comfortable in the Florida heat?
We’ll have an update out soon!
Hello Cherie, My wife and i are contemplating purchasing a new Travato 59G to replace our 2016 59G and are in the process of deciding whether to purchase a 2021 or a 2022. We really like the additional safety feaures on the updated ProMaster 3500 chassis on which the 2022 Travato is built, however, we are concerned about some of the other changes,such as moving the fresh water inlet to the rear. We have also heard that some people do not like the revised design of the rear bed and the reduction in the size of the corner bathroom. We would appreciate hearing your assesssment, especially since you are going from a 2016 59G to the 2022 59GL. We are likely going to stay with the G and not go the the GL, posssibly replacing the OEM house batteries with heated Battle Born batteries.. Thank you
We actually got a 2020.5 GL (bought it used). And glad we did, we’re not fans of the changes to the living room layout of the 2022. It wouldn’t work for our office space needs. But we’ve not been in one to assess any further.
Not sure that i would agree that the engineers that are involved in the design of the European RV’s are better than the engineers in the U..S, RV industry, if the RV’s from Erwin Hymer are a any indication. I am not referring to Erwin Hymer North America, which was as disaster, either.
I think you have enough cloud in the RV industry to sit down with Winnebago why not visit their manufacturing plant And have a serious talk with the engineers at the same time touring their plant will give you a better understanding what’s really in line for your next van
Have you looked into any of the overseas European models my understanding they have better engineers and better talent when it comes to making something last In the RV industry
Be glad you’re not boating in New England down
We’ve shared feedback with Winnebago, and would love to tour the factory and meet more people there in the future. It is clear from the changes between 2016 and 2020 that they are listening.
As for European RVs – there are some awesome models! Maybe someday the designs will get brought to the USA. 🙂
I plan to downsize from a 30ft Airstream to a Van. The Travato was high on my list and remains so… but some of the 2021 changes are a deal breaker for me… like the INSIDE the back door city water fill point… are you kidding me? I’m almost 70 and I DO use city water hook ups from time to time… what were they thinking?
Also… can you link the small, outside, (Coleman?) grill that fits in a bag and how you like it? I need to downsize that too…
Finally… love your Technical tips and stories of your adventures… I look forward to the next one… Thanks in advance… Ed
The changes are to the 2022, not the 2021. We just got a 2020.5 GL and are loving it.
This is the grill – we love it (https://amzn.to/2ZdMj85)
Nice review on the Travato G everything mentioned is spot on. I currently have a 2020 GL NPF edition with the upgraded suspension and chasis. The truma system has just been replaced under warranty. Which is a discussion for another day. However everything now is functioning well. The engine and trans have been properly broken in with only top tier fuell used. This one seems to perform better than most PMs. Guess I’m one of the few that care about such things since no one else mentions it.
Considering selling because will possibly be needing more towing and off road capabilities.
Purchased new Feb of 2020 with 5,000 miles on the odo at this time. Well cared for vehicle.
D.F.
Chris, I just saw your comment about possibly spending $1,700 for generator repairs because your generator has only 3 hours use on it.on it. Strangely enough our 2016 Travato had only 3 hours on the generator when we purchased our 2016 59G a little over one year ago. I believe it is highly likely that the carburetor and possibly the fuel lines are gummed up as the result of old gasoline that contained ethanol sitting in your generator.. Before you spend the $$$ for repair, and assuming that you can at least get the generator started with no load on it, I would try to clean out the fuel system by running the generator on gasoline to which Seafoam, properly diluted, has been added. After running for about 15 5o 20 minutes with no load, i would start adding loads initially very small, perhaps 1 to 2 Amps, then in 20 minute increments add a few more Amps to the load, hopefully to the point that you can get the A/C to run without interruption. This technique has worked for many people,including me to get the generator running after lack of use. I have been able to keep our generator running acceptably by making sure that there is Seafoam in the gasoline supply to the generator when I exercise it each month. Now that I have found a source of gasoline without ethanol in it, I am also going to try to make sure that the generator has “no ethanol” gasoline in it when I am not going to be using the generator for a while.
Unfortunately our generator doesn’t even start anymore. I’ve consulted with Cummins, and the $1700 repair seems to be the only option.
We absolutely hate the sound of a generator running, so it is not something we are eager to even put any effort into. If we did get ours fixed, we’d then have to spend all that annoying effort to maintain it. *ugh*
I am so glad that Winnebago is retiring that old generator design!
One more thing you may want to try: Sometimes the generator will not start when powered by just the house batteries at 12.6 VDC, however, it will start with a higher DC voltage powering it. You may want to try starting the generator while your engine is running. This has worked for me.
Have tried that, and the engine only cranks and does not start. Seeing as the generator is a low-priority for us, it hasn’t been much of concern digging deeper to find a fix.
In my most recent reply, forgot to mention: The instructions for starting the Travato generator state to just press the “Start” switch then release it, to allow the “Autostart” function to start the generator. You may find it helpful to manually over-ride Autostart and hold down the start switch for about 5 seconds then release it to see if you can manually start the generator. There have been times,when I have had to repeat this manual start-up process as many as 10 times to get my generator to start. Now that I am periodically cleaning the generator fuel system using Seafoam, the generator usually starts using the Autostart function.
How about the new Coachmen Beyond Class B’s on the Transit Gas engine chassis? Yes, it’s 1 foot longer at 22′, but… Has all the newest driving safety features, a new quiet inverter generator, multiplex wiring, an awesome integrated control system, Tru Tank sensors, Sumos, Truma Combi, compressor fridge, induction cooktop and lithium battery options (basic, not like the T GL). As a long-time T owner who is looking around now too, I see a lot to like in it. Completely agree with everything you pointed out in your video. The new 21 PM chassis will get some of the safety upgrades, but from what I read, it’ll still trail the Transit and Sprinter in that regard. Amazing it’s taken this long for them to upgrade, and I’m not real confident it’ll actually happen with FCA rolling into the new mothership called Stellantis now.
The Coachman Beyond is interesting – but I really wish other RV manufactures would embrace the Travato G’s much more flexible layout.
In a small van, floorpan and space efficiency is everything – and no other vans seem to equal the Travato G in that regard (for our needs, at least).
Understand. The G floorplan is definitely unique. Keep in mind that if the 21 PM safety upgrades are important to you, it probably won’t be in T’s till the 22 Travato model year. Good luck!
Love your frank reviews. I have an old sprinter ltv I still love. I wondered how the promaster was. Also wondered about those round sinks. I have a square 15″ that I can put dish pans in so it works. I replaced my fridge with a compressor and so much better. I also get significantly more interior space because the propane fridge works take up so much room. Swapped to lithiums several years ago (thanks to you) and they have been terrific. A 48V system will be interesting to see how that works. My AC is also over the bed and I would like it better mid ship but I do get air up front. Your dinette L must block it. Thanks for all the details.
Thanks for the video. Your honest reviews are certainly appreciated and help us wannabees know better what we’re getting into. Have you had any thoughts on replacing the bathroom door with anything? What in your opinion would be a better option? I’ve rented a K model and we found the bathroom door to be the one of the first things that needed attention from a mod/replacement perspective. We’ve seen others do a curtain on the Ks, but I don’t think I’ve seen anything on a G yet. At least you’re keeping the packing tape manufacturers in business!
The curved door is so specialized I can’t think of any practical replacement, other than perhaps a curtain. But the door looks so much better than a curtain – we only wish it were better built!
Chris, Cherie & Kiki, I love this video and your sense of humor. I have yet to decide on an RV. I truly appreciate the pros and cons of the Travato. Thank you for all the Kiki cameos. Such a dear cat. I look forward to your videos. It is good to see you again. Glad you are staying safe out there.
Definitely look at all the forums on different choices before you buy. We have a 40 ft Class and bought a smaller 24 ft Leisure Van with a queen size Murphy Bed and a nice bathroom with separate shower set up. We found that it had a lot of storage. The main reason… it that there we very few complaints on new ones or old ones on all of the forums. It seems they just make a great product. Ours is a 2015 Unity MB and we love it. We also love our 2003 American Eagle… they made great RV’s in the old days and you see so many people on the forums complaining about the new ones.
The LTVs are great – but way too big for parking in marina parking lots and as a second vehicle at our Co-Op park. 21′ was our absolute largest size we can consider and still meet our needs. We’re very active in the Travato Owners Groups, and did tons of research before settling on the model.
Enjoyed reading your review. Spot on in all aspects. Had a 2015G for 3 years before going full time 2 years ago in a class A. Hated the rough riding chassis that amplified every bump and rut in the road. As you said, the refrigerator couldn’t keep up in hot weather and the flame would go out in moderate winds. One end of the cheap bracket that holds the dinette table to the wall broke, and the table wobbled. The microwave was not supported properly and would vibrate and squeak like crazy while moving. I installed some wood pieces behind and under it that helped a bit. Hated to run the loud generator and AC. Added a stick-on, battery-powered LED light above the mirror in the bathroom for some forward light. Taped down a square piece of fine mesh screen over the shower drain to catch the hair and lint. Someone on the Travato Facebook group swapped out the shower pump for a model that doesn’t clog. Looked like an easy job. Mine was a pre-Truma model, so it had a standard propane furnace which sounded like a freight train was coming through. Ear plugs while sleeping helped some. The newer ones surely have some attractive upgrades. Good luck with yours when you find it. When I get out of the class A, hopefully not for a long time, my top choice for a replacement is a Leisure Travel Van on the new Ford Transit chassis with gas engine. A very powerful engine and supposedly a much smoother ride than both the Promaster and Sprinter.
There are some extremely nice Leisure Travel Vans! If we were interested in something larger, we would definitely be taking a close look there.
“Battery Switch Placement — The battery switch that cuts off all power inside the van is placed right inside the door, right in a location that is extremely easy to accidentally kick. Whoever put this switch in this location has clearly never spent a night in an RV! ”
My comment: …or traveled with a dog lol. My dog kept knocking the switch as he bounced around. Finally j out a cage around it.
It boggles my mind anyone even contemplated that was a good place for a switch!
Unless they changed manufacturers the ladder and roof rack were poor quality on my 2018. The ladder rusted and it was cheap metal. Better to find an after market source for those like Prime Design or others. Happy hunting!
That is disappointing to hear – I hope they have improved in more recent years!
As an owner of a 2016 Travato 59G, I concur with essentially all of your comments. Fortunately, as you have deduced given that you’re looking for a newerTravato, is that Winnebago does listen and react although not necessarily as quickly as some of us would like them to react with improvements to the Travato. I would add that the very steep angle, essentially vertical, orientation of the ladder on the back door makes it a bit dangerous to use to access the roof. Also, I would like to see more 12 V DC outlets throughout the interior, especially on each side of the bed of the 59G. Speaking of the bed, I would also like to see an AC outlet on the bathroom side of the bed so that I can plug in my breathing machine. A fold-down shelf on this wall, so that I can place my breathing machine somewhere other than under my pillow would be nice, also. The strap that so many of us add to the latch, that is an almost unreachable area behind the rear wall of the bathroom, on the rear door for use in the event that an emergency exit is necessary, should be standard equipment. Revising the receiver hitch mounting so that the hitch is actually structurally connected to the chassis would be very nice and eliminate the need for so many of us to fabricate our own components to strengthen the receiver hitch mounting. Finally, and perhaps Winnebago has already done this, the lightbulb in the ceiling fixture in the bathroom should be LED, not incandescent. Icing on the cake would be such things as providing a means to recycle gray water to be used to flush the toilet.
Great suggestions – and indeed, it is clear by the annual improvements that Winnebago is indeed listening. I do appreciate that about the company!
We had such a hard time finding a gas 4×4 van we went to sports mobile for our van. I love it. Built on ford transit
I’ve always heard good things about Sports Mobile – especially for people looking for a 4×4. I don’t think they’ve ever done a layout like a Travato G though.