Winnebago Vista 29V Questions

[crah]

Looking at a new 2023 Vista 29V. Currently have a 2020 View 24D. Does anyone know the true wall thickness? I see in the specs the interior and exterior being 5.25 inches difference, so I'm assuming it's about 2.5 inches on both sides? Seems much better than the View at about 3.25 inches.

Do you think the roof thickness is the same? I know Winnebago uses a shallow plenum aka thinnner roofs.

How is the handling on these? It has a 190 inch wheel base but 30 ft overall length so decent amount of overhand in the back. When I did my research on my View, everyone said the mercedes sprinter handles great, but it was the worst handling coach I've ever owner (this is 3rd one).

Curious if anyone went down this path.

[creativepart]

If you’re thinking thicker walls = good insulation you might be disappointed. Same with the roof.

Compared to the View I can’t say, but these motorhomes are not good in real hot nor real cold. Over 90 degrees it’s hard to keep the RV in the upper 70’s to lower 80’s inside. Below 40 to about 28 you’ll be ok with the propane heater running a lot. In the 20’s you’ll definitely be cold.

The drive characteristics of the Vista are very bad if left stock but can be improved with the application of a few thousand dollars worth of upgrades. The ride is dump truck rough and there’s not much you can do about that without spending $25k on a new suspension.

But still it’s a fun RV and the larger size can make staying out longer on trips much easier.

[crah]

Originally Posted by creativepart

If you’re thinking thicker walls = good insulation you might be disappointed. Same with the roof.

Compared to the View I can’t say, but these motorhomes are not good in real hot nor real cold. Over 90 degrees it’s hard to keep the RV in the upper 70’s to lower 80’s inside. Below 40 to about 28 you’ll be ok with the propane heater running a lot. In the 20’s you’ll definitely be cold.

The drive characteristics of the Vista are very bad if left stock but can be improved with the application of a few thousand dollars worth of upgrades. The ride is dump truck rough and there’s not much you can do about that without spending $25k on a new suspension.

But still it’s a fun RV and the larger size can make staying out longer on trips much easier.

Thank you. Yes it seems the insulation is a challenge on these RV's. I figured suspension improvements are needed no matter what. I see the 2023 come with Sumo Springs as an option. I wonder if liquid springs or Kelderman is an option on the 30V floorplan. I'll have to call both and see what is available. the rough ride is secondary, the sway, white knuckle driving in wind is actually my bigger concern. I should have probably posted this in the class A section. My shortcut on my desktop automatically puts me in the class C section from my View 24D past posts.

[creativepart]

Steering stabilizer, aftermarket sway bars, Sumo Springs, rear track bars, etc all help with the driving characteristics quite a bit. I have all but the rear track bar and unless you have terrible high winds these help a lot with sway and seesaw steering.

In my reading of other’s experiences Liquid Springs seem to be the sole answer. Lots of recent positive reviews on www.irv2.com.

I don’t know if you can get the 29V with 50amp service and two A/Cs but if you can, do it. That would also come with a 5500w generator. Which it may already come with.

[LCJ]

I own a 2019 Vista 31BE which I believe is a “first cousin” of the 29.

I’m not sure of the wall thickness, but I recall it was 2”; but I wouldn’t make a bet on my recollection. I can confirm the insulating value isn’t great. I have used mine in temperatures down to 20-25 degrees and the furnace runs almost continuously. If you are in the low to mid 90’s, the air conditioning works hard.

Regarding the handling, there are a lot of negative comments about it’s handling. I don’t find it handles that bad. I’ve driven it through the mountains, freeway, and city traffic. My prior experience was driving a 25’ class C. It certainly drives better at 60-65 mph than 65-70 mph. Maybe if I had some upgrades, I’d feel different.

[CarpeDiem]

Originally Posted by creativepart

Steering stabilizer, aftermarket sway bars, Sumo Springs, rear track bars, etc all help with the driving characteristics quite a bit. I have all but the rear track bar and unless you have terrible high winds these help a lot with sway and seesaw steering.

In my reading of other’s experiences Liquid Springs seem to be the sole answer. Lots of recent positive reviews on www.irv2.com.

I don’t know if you can get the 29V with 50amp service and two A/Cs but if you can, do it. That would also come with a 5500w generator. Which it may already come with.

Our 29VE has two a/c units and is 50 amp. I have only “had to” run the generator twice and didn’t need to use 2nd a/c but I’m sure it would have run both. We have 2 small space heaters and almost never use the onboard propane furnace.

[DustyDude]

I have the 2022 Sunstar 32M which has the new V8 and it appears that the suspension was beefed up by Ford and/or Winnebago. The anti-sway bars are much thicker than the older model which helps a lot. I added a rear trac-bar which nearly eliminated any tail waggle from wind or passing trucks. I also added Sumos to the front which eliminated the bottoming out problem, so I would recommend purchasing that option. At this point I really do not feel I need a steering stabilizer.

However, Creative is correct about the ride. It is never going to be as smooth or quiet as an SUV, but the updated version won't scare you to death anymore. I'm over 65 and have driven mine more 8 hours several times without more fatigue than driving our Jeep.

Creative is also right about the insulation. We added 1" foam to the walls inside closets and cabinets which seems to have helped some, but it could just be wishful thinking. However, I found the outside TV had no insulation and put a layer inside the box behind the TV which I'm certain did help.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by creativepart

I don’t know if you can get the 29V with 50amp service and two A/Cs but if you can, do it. That would also come with a 5500w generator. Which it may already come with.

Our Sunstar 29ve came with 2 ACs and 5500 watt generator. It was a requirement for us because the Intent only had 1 AC and 30 amps. WBGO profusely argued against my wanting to add a 2nd AC or modify the electrical? Maybe liability?

As you know, 2 ACs in Texas is critical over 28 / 29 ft or so. I have around 300 hrs on our generator. Some of it is driving with generator and both ACs on. i.e. we turn on the AGS (EC-30) with thermostat set point like 76 degrees and start our drive with usually just the coach AC on. If / when the the main cabin starts to get warm the generator fires up and the ACs maintain the the entire RV. Works great.

I have tended to notice that when inside gauge shows outside ambient temp around 92 we will start to get warm inside. Sun location is also a factor.

[BobC]

You should be able to measure the wall thickness at the entry door.