The humble Class C has always been one of the best choices for family use, and the new Winnebago View 24M is no different. With an overhead bunk, Comfort Sofa/Sleeper and BenchMark dinette that converts to a bed, it can sleep up to six and has a total of five belted seats. Class C’s also tend to be a bit on the plain side, however, and this is where the View is a pleasant surprise. The décor is contemporary and inviting, and the 24M floorplan features an almost full-wall slide on the curbside that really opens up the living area.
he BenchMark dinette offers comfortable seating for four.
At 24 feet 6 inches, the View is just 5 inches longer than the ERA but its wider exterior, 7 feet 6 inches versus 6 feet 4 inches, means it’s not quite as city friendly as the ERA, but still very maneuverable. Its exterior height of 11 feet 3 inches and a cabover bunk make it appear top-heavy, but we were pleasantly surprised to find that the View rode comfortably and handled corners without drama.
Overall, the 24M floorplan is very well conceived. The aforementioned sofa and dinette are positioned in the slideout directly across from the 26-inch LCD TV located on the opposing wall, and the galley is nicely equipped with abundant countertop space, a large, round stainless steel sink, two-burner stove, microwave/convection oven, large two-door refrigerator and slideout pantry. Indeed, there’s very little a large Class C has that the View 24M doesn’t.
Quality materials finish a lav large enough for average-sized people.
This feeling even extends to the surprisingly roomy and nicely appointed rear bath area. It houses a large wardrobe, a porcelain toilet with sprayer and a generously proportioned shower that the average-size person can use. The stylish vanity has a round stainless steel sink, great countertop space and plenty of storage underneath. There’s even a nice medicine cabinet with mirror, and switches for the overhead light and water pump, which is something every motorhome should have.
We truly found very little about the View that we didn’t like. The only thing that puzzled us was the cabover bed and sofa sleeper arrangement. The sofa bed requires you to bend and reach to pull it out causing back strain. A different handle location or some spring-assistance would definitely be appreciated here. And once the bed is deployed, it interferes with the ladder for the cabover bed. Simply moving the ladder anchor 1 foot to the curbside would solve this problem, so we can’t see why it wasn’t addressed at the factory level.
Exterior storage is adequate for most excursions, but most of the compartments are square rather than rectangular, so you’ll have to stow longer items inside. There is, however, a rear compartment that houses the water pump and plumbing, which makes servicing and winterizing simple tasks.
A sofa sleeper provides additional sleeping accommodations.
We were surprised to find that the View’s base price of $98,696 was just shouting distance from the ERA’s base price of $94,093. Indeed, the as-tested price with full-body paint ($6,006), stylized aluminum wheels ($2,135), a 3.6 kW generator ($3,143) and some other options brought the as-tested price of this motorhome to $115,557 – but if your primary objective is family fun, the View Class C offers the best value of the three in our opinion.
Winnebago 641-585-3535, www.gowinnebago.com. To find this RV or choose from more than 4,000 others, visit the online RV Buyer’s Guide.
The cockpit sports Sprinter dash and instrumentation, and the front seats swivel during mealtime and social hour.
Specifications
Performance
- Fuel Economy: 16.9 mpg
- Acceleration
- 0-60 MPH: 23 sec
- 40-60 MPH: 12 se
Chassis
- Model: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
- Engine: 3.0-L V-6 turbodiesel
- SAE HP: 188 hp @ 3,800 rpm
- Torque: 325 lb-ft @ 1,400-2,400 rpm
- Transmission: 5-speed automatic with manual tip-shift
- Axle Ratio: 4.18:1
- Tires: LT215/85R16
- Wheelbase: 170″
- Brakes: 4-wheel Hydraulic disc with ABS
- Suspension, F/R: Independent with mono-leaf spring and stabilizer/leaf spring with stabilizer bar
- Fuel Cap: 26.4 gal
- Warranty: 3 yrs/36,000 miles
Coach
- Ext Length: 24′ 6″
- Ext Width: 7′ 6″
- Ext Height: 11′ 3″
- Int Width: 7′ 3″
- Int Height: 6′ 8″
- Construction: Aluminum/steel framing, fiberglass skin and roof, polystyrene block foam insulation
- Freshwater cap: 38 gal
- Black-water cap: 32 gal
- Gray-water cap: 36 gal
- Water-heater cap: 6 gal
- LP-Gas cap: 13 gal
- Air Conditioner: 13,500 Btu
- Furnace: 20,000 Btu
- Refrigerator: 6 cu-ft.
- Converter/charger: 45 amp
- Battery: (1) 12-volt chassis,
- (2) 12-volt coach
- AC Generator: 3.6 kW
- MSRP: $98,696
- MSRP as tested: $115,557
- Warranty: 1 year/15,000 miles
Wet Weight
- (Water & heater, Fuel, LP-gas tanks full; no supplies or passengers)
- Front axle: 3,620 lbs
- Rear axle: 6,260 lbs
- Total: 9,880 lbs
Chassis Ratings
- gawr, F/R: 4,410/7,720 lbs
- gvwr/gcwr: 11,030/15,250 lbs
- roccc: 1,150 lbs
- (Deduct weight of passengers for net cargo capacity)
- gawr: Gross Axle Weight Rating
- gvwr: Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
- gcwr: Gross Combination Weight Rating
- rocc: Realistic Occupant and Cargo Carrying Capacity (full water, no passengers)
