Patti’s Saga of an RV Rookie: Why Our 2006 Winnebago View Does It For Me: Can you say “22 MPG, boys and girls?”

Everybody has their favorite RV. But my favorite is Winnebago’s View for four specific ones: incredibly high gas mileage; superior engineering –mechanical ; non-ugly interior furnishings; and great re-sale value ( because used Winnebago Views are hard to come by and everyone loves them), unlike most other used RVs.

First of all, perhaps you don’t believe that phenomenal gas mileage. Well, you had better believe it, because I documented our mileage maniacally all the way from Arizona to Montana…I mean documented like a fiend-woman obsessed. There was only one instance when the gas mileage dropped to a low of 18 mpg; that was a straight-up hill stretch that we ran the air conditioning non-stop to meet my princess-esque needs for complete comfort. That 18 mpg was the only exception to our fantastic 22 miles per gallon.

Next, you must know that great gas mileage is a result of the View’s lovely engine .
• It boasts a premium 2.7-liter CDI five cylinder turbo-diesel Mercedes Benz engine and folks who know about stuff like that say that’s why it delivers such excellent power and mileage…that and 154 hp with 243 lbs of torque.
• And, it’s easy even for me to drive (well, other than the fact I ripped off the hubcaps the first time I drove it but that was another blog and had nothing to do with the View) because of the 23.5 foot turning radius. I like that turning radius. It makes the View easy to drive even in tiny Whitefish, Montana.

We also like the View’s five-speed automatic transmission, because it pulls a car weighing under 3,500 pounds (even though folks say you aren’t’ supposed to pull toads with automatics); we got a Honda Fit Sport which seems tailor made for the View. And speaking of a lovely View, let’s address the interior.

Regarding the View’s interior; it meets the high standard Winnebago sets for outstanding quality in design and furnishing. Our 2006 View is finished with a Euro-sleek look, featuring light maple wood trimmed in brushed chrome. The denim blue fabric, while not gorgeous, is acceptable…kind of cute actually, especially considering the enormous ugly factor of so many RV fabrics. But, more important than its looks, the View’s quality and structure are sturdy and comfortable. You can actually sit four hours at at the booth dinette and live to tell the tale with your back intact. Also, we’ve lived 24/7 in our View for over two months, and there’s nothing cheap about the drawers, doors, cabinets, shower, toilet, etc. It’s just great; everything is high quality and works well. My one small complaint would be the shower door. It was difficult for me to close from the inside, but once I got the hang of it I’ve done ok. I’ll skip the stories about hubby having to rescue me from the shower a couple of times!

And finally, one of the reasons we bought the Winnebago View is its unquestionable re-sale value. It was comforting to know that if we changed our RVing plans, the world would be interested in what we had to sell. And, read closely, that could happen. We are looking at needs our son has that could turn us back in to stick home people for awhile, or at least require us to lay off RVing for a bit.

In conclusion, our 2006 Winnebago View is a winner, with its sky-high gas mileage, Mercedes diesel engine, Winnebago over all quality, and high re-sale value. If you’ve thought about the View before, continue giving it some thought. I’m betting most folks would say they’re glad they made the Winnebago View their second home.

Happy tales,

Patti