Considering a View/Navion 24D

[Riverbend]

Hoping for some owner insight please. Currently own a 2019 Isata 3 24FW and am considering moving to a 2020-21 Winnebago. The biggest reason is the newer MB chassis, as our Isata came on a 2017 chassis. I'm not entirely sold on the Isata; it's a really nice motorhome but the OCCC isn't the greatest. I've been looking a lot lately online to see what's available and a few of the specs are vague in what I've seen. The questions I'm hoping for help with, in no particular order, are these:
1. Is the awning really only a "sun shade" and not to be used in the rain? I caught that from one sales video and it seemed preposterous.
2. How quiet are these rolling down the road? Is the over cab sleeper really all they claim it is in reducing road noise?
3. Is the two point latch in the house door a good thing, and does it reduce road noise? I notice they went back to a more standard RV door in the '24. How is the function of the screen door in the '20 and '21?
4. How do you like the pocket door in the bathroom, and can you stop it from rattling?
5. How easy is the roof access thru the hole provided behind the TV?
6. Do the refrigerators run on gas and/or shore power?
Thanks in advance to anyone for taking the time to answer.

[MRichaud]

Originally Posted by Riverbend

Hoping for some owner insight please. Currently own a 2019 Isata 3 24FW and am considering moving to a 2020-21 Winnebago. The biggest reason is the newer MB chassis, as our Isata came on a 2017 chassis. I'm not entirely sold on the Isata; it's a really nice motorhome but the OCCC isn't the greatest. I've been looking a lot lately online to see what's available and a few of the specs are vague in what I've seen. The questions I'm hoping for help with, in no particular order, are these:
1. Is the awning really only a "sun shade" and not to be used in the rain? I caught that from one sales video and it seemed preposterous.
2. How quiet are these rolling down the road? Is the over cab sleeper really all they claim it is in reducing road noise?
3. Is the two point latch in the house door a good thing, and does it reduce road noise? I notice they went back to a more standard RV door in the '24. How is the function of the screen door in the '20 and '21?
4. How do you like the pocket door in the bathroom, and can you stop it from rattling?
5. How easy is the roof access thru the hole provided behind the TV?
6. Do the refrigerators run on gas and/or shore power?
Thanks in advance to anyone for taking the time to answer.

Mornin' -

We have a '23 View 24D and are quite pleased overall. Here's my take on your questions:

1. The awning does its job both rain and shine. However, like just about all awnings, I imagine it wouldn't take much wind.

2. Noise level on the road is very low. (But then, our previous coaches were Class A's built on the F53 Ford chassis - Thor, then Jayco.). Don't know if the overhead bed helps or not. DW and I can carry on a conversation without yelling, with very little road noise at all.

3. Entry door seems OK, but I have noticed daylight in the upper right-hand corner; will be addressing that when the weather warms a bit. Screen door on ours slides in and out of its "pocket" very nicely. You do have to be sure not to close the entry door when the slide is deployed, as the storage bin will damage it.

4. Bathroom pocket door: We've cut a "pool noodle" and stuffed a couple pieces to try to secure it and quiet the rattle. And though it helps a bit, there's still a rattle that seems to be coming from the pin that rides in the upper track. Another warm weather project to tackle. Otherwise, no complaints.

5. No experience with the roof access; can't help you there.

6. Refrigerator is 12 volt only. Works great on shore power and running down the road. Cools down quickly; like it!

Hope this helps!

Mickey

[lenore]

I come from the Vita model of the Sprinter series, you might want to consider it as the load carrying capacity is more than the Navion/View. We have a pocket door in our 24P model and it is great, no noises. Our refrigerator is 110 volt only, all of the other features work great. take a look, you might like it.

[Riverbend]

Originally Posted by lenore

I come from the Vita model of the Sprinter series, you might want to consider it as the load carrying capacity is more than the Navion/View. We have a pocket door in our 24P model and it is great, no noises. Our refrigerator is 110 volt only, all of the other features work great. take a look, you might like it.

Thanks, though I'm pretty sold on the layout of the 24D. Amazing what they accomplished with the extra foot of length, as well.

[Morich]

One of the really great things for shopping may be overlooked as it is listed as a "parts catalog" and many of us are not yet shopping for parts!
What is often missed is that the parts catalog will give much more than parts info.
Things that you may want to know like where and what size for all those hidden items?
Layout drawings to refresh the memory on where small things like TV are mounted?
How big is the bed? How big the dinette or the shower?

https://catalog3d.winnebagoind.com/menu/Parts.htm
Click this snip for better view!

Or maybe you want to drill down to where the tank drains are found? It's all there if you take a bit to learn how to work the controls, you can find tons of things without having to crawl around!



And then the owners manuals can give lots of info on how and where to find things like the drains, so don't skip over reading about the one you are looking over:
https://www.winnebago.com/
Look under the owners tab for the specific RV!

Winnebago does a great job of posting the info but we have to know where to look to dig it out!
Happy hunting and I wish you the best of luck as shopping can be a trek!

[cgflyer]

I also own a 2020 Vita which actually came on a 2018 MB chassis. Not sure of the differences with the 2017 you have, but the "18 rides very nice, quiet, and gets great fuel mileage. I know Dynamax is a top shelf manufacturer through Forest River, which I've owned,(Coachmen), I believe Winnebago ranks up there as comparable. Good luck on your search.

[Riverbend]

Originally Posted by Morich

One of the really great things for shopping may be overlooked as it is listed as a "parts catalog" and many of us are not yet shopping for parts!
What is often missed is that the parts catalog will give much more than parts info.
Things that you may want to know like where and what size for all those hidden items?
Layout drawings to refresh the memory on where small things like TV are mounted?
How big is the bed? How big the dinette or the shower?

https://catalog3d.winnebagoind.com/menu/Parts.htm
Click this snip for better view!
Attachment 188111
Or maybe you want to drill down to where the tank drains are found? It's all there if you take a bit to learn how to work the controls, you can find tons of things without having to crawl around!
Attachment 188112


And then the owners manuals can give lots of info on how and where to find things like the drains, so don't skip over reading about the one you are looking over:
https://www.winnebago.com/
Look under the owners tab for the specific RV!

Winnebago does a great job of posting the info but we have to know where to look to dig it out!
Happy hunting and I wish you the best of luck as shopping can be a trek!

Great reminder to dig! I've done a fair share of trying to gather even small details, as you suggest, relating to day to day use of the different options. I still feel pretty young at almost 67 yrs., but the usage and maintenance of an RV can be challenging. I consider compartment access of great importance, and when it comes time to use the wet bay or drain the tanks in particular. I have an appreciation, as well, for the trade-offs involved, of which there are many. This will be our third RV should we move forward, so I'm getting better at whittling down and weighing the choices. Biggest thing for me at this point is gaining OCCC over our Isata for some extended traveling we hope to do in the near future. We also travel with pets, 2 dogs, which factors in.

[Morich]

Since I've opened the box, I might pass along a couple tips to speed the learning process on the interactive controls?
It takes some play to get better but I still have to back out of a view at times when I get it so turned over I get dizzy!

click for better view!



You can also spot what you might want on the list and then repeat clicking to make it flash yellow on the drawing! Handy if you know the name to spot it on the list when having no idea where or what it looks like!

Having had RV before, you likely know how to find the drains by crawling around underneath to find a tube sticking out?
do you see them on this drawing and much easier?

[Riverbend]

Originally Posted by Morich

Since I've opened the box, I might pass along a couple tips to speed the learning process on the interactive controls?
It takes some play to get better but I still have to back out of a view at times when I get it so turned over I get dizzy!

click for better view!

Attachment 188114

You can also spot what you might want on the list and then repeat clicking to make it flash yellow on the drawing! Handy if you know the name to spot it on the list when having no idea where or what it looks like!

Having had RV before, you likely know how to find the drains by crawling around underneath to find a tube sticking out?
do you see them on this drawing and much easier?

Appreciated! Thankfully I'm fairly capable tech-wise, so I'm usually not intimidated by such things. I was the one setting the clock on my parent's VCR!
I've done the Lithium upgrade on our Isata, plus most of the maintenance and winterizations, so I'm pretty comfortable...so far!

[Morich]

We never know what the other folks do/don't know, so I'm inclined to put info out there and hope they know to ignore what doesn't help!

[Riverbend]

Another question I forgot to ask: Are the upper rear lights functioning tail & brake lights?
We sometimes haul 2 e bikes on a swagman carrier, and with the cover on in inclement weather, the taillights on our Isata are blocked, which necessitates an additional light set for the cover. It would sure be nice to not need that.

[MRichaud]

Originally Posted by Riverbend

Another question I forgot to ask: Are the upper rear lights functioning tail & brake lights?
We sometimes haul 2 e bikes on a swagman carrier, and with the cover on in inclement weather, the taillights on our Isata are blocked, which necessitates an additional light set for the cover. It would sure be nice to not need that.

Check page 3 of this diagram - looks like the upper lights are for brakes...

https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File.../000158615.pdf

[Riverbend]

Originally Posted by MRichaud

Check page 3 of this diagram - looks like the upper lights are for brakes...

https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File.../000158615.pdf

Thanks much! There's an RV show coming up in our neck of the woods in January, so hopefully I can get some answers. Although I have found that most salespeople are way short on product knowledge beyond a few main points. Best to get behind one and turn on the lights and see for myself.

[Morich]

Yes, this drawing is in the install drawings and I have mixed feeling on them most of the time.
They are "some" help as they show the actual locations of things but then when I try to trace the little black lines for the wires, It gets way over into guessing at times.
If we look close enough, this shows the wiring comes in near the right , near the bottom and then crosses over to left before heading up and across the top!
This one is kinda okay but if you look at one for the wiring inside the RV, it gets into a blur pretty quick!

[Gator1975]

I have a 2022 View 24D and have had many issues and we only use it about 4 times a year... First, the automatic transfer switch went bad, the entry door window came loose and almost fell out, the sky light in bathroom was cracked and allowed water to slowly leak down the entire left side of the coach (didn't see this until we noticed staining on the front curtain). The worst was the GE A/C (if you can, don't get a coach with a GE - it SUCKS...) that stopped working twice and they finally replaced the entire unit, thank God it has a two year warranty! The one issue I can't seem to resolve is the vibration in the rear when you're underway, makes it real difficult to nap in the back on the couch while the wife drives. I've had the rear wheels re-balanced with no luck. There's probably more but I can't think of them right now. I have the local RV Mech on speed dial and when I call Winnebago I tell them it's the guy with the coach that was built on Friday during a Frat party with lots of hunch punch, beer and grain alcohol...

1. Sun shade works in the rain just fine.

2. She's Not real quiet and I have never slept up top.

3. You can see light around the door so not a good fit in my opinion.

4. Pocket door is nice and I don't notice it rattling that bad.

5. Not sure what you're talking about. There is no roof access on mine from the inside.

6. Good large fridge that runs on electric and doesn't run down the batteries thanks to solar set up.

One last thing, they advertise 18 MPG. That's total BS, I'm lucky if I get 11 MPG and I don't tow anything...

[Riverbend]

Thanks for sharing your experience, and I'm sorry that you've had so many issues. Believe me when I say that regardless of the name or supposed quality behind the name, they all have issues. Our Isata had quite a long list of fixes. One that comes to mind is from when we took delivery. The "tech" who gave us the approximately one hour walk thru could not have been more uninformed. The solar controller was flashing the whole time and he insisted it was because of snow on the roof. When I got it home, after stopping to see why the steps kept extending and retracting while on the road (wire short, which I was able to fix), I discovered that the solar panels were wired backwards. The toilet was also loose from the floor. All this, and more, leads me to believe that just like most businesses, they struggle to find workers that are competent.
The #5 question refers to the supposed access hole behind the TV that is connected to a removable plug in the roof exterior for wiring additional roof mounted components. I hope that you have the chance to get your View in the condition you were expecting when you bought it. It can sure be frustrating at times. I've found these forums to be a great source of information towards that end.

[DeltaRome]

We bought a 24D in May 2020 from camping world. It had upgraded driver and passenger seats, paint on outside, and a few other minor add ons.
It came with typical manufacturing defects from assembly of cabinets, cabin door fit, leaking bunk window and overspray paint on hood.
During first road trip, turbo charger actuator fell off and spent 10 days waiting on parts in Omaha at our expense.
I am an engineer and do all maintenance myself as dealer and Mercedes are not quick or cost justifiable.
I bought a shop manual from Mercedes for the 2019 and newer sprinter 3500XD.
I use online info from winnebago as others have mentioned. If buying used, you want service records. Mercedes says oil changes are at 20,000 mile intervals. I do not agree. I buy MB oil change kit on Amazon. Don’t use other oil specs and brands for filter and oil. I have a diesel gen set and change oil earlier than the 50 hour intervals and annually. I installed lithium iron phosphate batteries and sold orig acid bath batteries. I don’t overload chassis. Towing is included in gross. The sticker gives you not to exceed numbers. Just because you can store it doesn’t mean you can carry it. Suspension is at MB max. It handles accordingly. Plastic in sun doesn’t last. I store indoors when not using it. Continental tires last 45000 miles if aligned, balanced and kept inflated to 61 cold. I installed a tire pressure monitoring system off Amazon. I use ceramic wax for sides and cab.
The over cab roof is for small kids or one adult. Seatbelts for 4 max. Sliding door rattles. I use rubber door wedge when driving. Roof over shower skylight is junk plastic. Cover with white paint. Coleman heat pump leaked Freon after three years. Bought newer version. All are 12 volt and run off inverter.
There are MB and Winnebago recalls. Check to see if done. Noise is not sedan and related to objects flying around in cabinets and chassis. Keep roof cleaned and forget seam caulk and use tournabond tape.
Roof wiring comes into coach thru cabinet area behind tv roof. This includes antenna and solar panels. Orig flexible solar panels overheated roofing material. Raise panel with air gap or get flat panel. Upgrade charge controller if have more than 350 total watts at 12 volts.
Generator is air cooled single cylinder model on mine. Don’t get LP gen unless you like visit LP dealer or rarely use it as tank is limited to 13 gallons. I connected an outside grill to mine. I use induction cook top more than LP cooktop. Watts are limited so AC, microwave and induction top can’t run at same time.
Windows should remain glass and avoid double pane plastic ones as sun damages them and costly. I drive 65 max and get 14.8 mpg average. I have 30,000+ on my View. I think I addressed your questions. Contact me on any questions.

[Riverbend]

Lots of good information, thanks! I'm surprised to see your comment about the flexible solar panels overheating the roofing material. Was there damage? The environment beneath panels is quite complex, and varies significantly between manufacturers. I've got flexible panels, 2 @ 100W each, that came with my MH and I can't say that there was ever an issue with them and generated heat to the roof. I've got a 5.6 kW assembly at my house and I've spent a lot of time researching flexible panels and charge controllers and this is the first I've heard of the issue. Not disputing you, just looking for more information. And I've heard some horror stories about the plastic skylight material.

[lenore]

The flexible panels are at best low life. Replaced mine with solid panels and air space under them. They are more efficient when mounted that way. On the View/Navion the flexible would heat stress the plastic roof material. On our Vita with rubber roof no issue.

[Riverbend]

Originally Posted by lenore

The flexible panels are at best low life. Replaced mine with solid panels and air space under them. They are more efficient when mounted that way. On the View/Navion the flexible would heat stress the plastic roof material. On our Vita with rubber roof no issue.

I'm seeing more and more attention being given to this issue. I wonder if it's material-centric with the Winnebago roof construction? It's also one of those details that's hard to wring out of available specs. From pictures alone, it "looks" as though Winnebago started mounting rigid panels with airspace, but I've yet to confirm it thru my pretty simple research.