General Category > PHOTOS OF GENERAL INTEREST (NOT TOOLS OR SHOP RELATED)
My 2021 Winnebago View Motor Home.
oldcarguy:
Not sure where I should put this thread. Gotto believe this may be best.
I have owned RV's for sixty years. And have always been my preferred lifestyle of traveling. Two of the biggest benefits of a growing family are kids and pets are always welcome in your travels. And no need for pit stops for the kids. Years ago there were no seat belt rules and they could simply go to the bathroom on beckon call. The Winnebago name was synonymous with motor homes with their unique split angled slant back windshield. The first Winnebago rolled of the production line in 1966. Pictured below was their 17' model built on a Ford pickup F350 chassis with a 300 cubic in straight six cylinder engine and three-speed transmission.
1966 Winnebago , first year model..
I purchased my first A Winnebago some fifty years ago. It was the 1974 24' long Indian model. It was on a Dodge M300 truck chassis with a 413 V8 gas engine and three-speed Touqeflite transmission. The main fuel tank was 50 gallons and the auxiliary was 22. On level roads get 12 MPG.
The 1973 oil embargo wiped out most motor home manufacturers; but Winnebago somehow survived the crisis. But in 1978 I ordered a new Pacearrow 29' class A motor home on a Dodge chassis with their 440 engine. Then I purchased a 1988 Exectutive 36' class A motor home with a Chevy 454 engine. In 1990 I purchased a new 40' Gulf Stream diesel pusher with Cummins ISC 500 cubic inch. Lastly I have a 2007 American Eagle 45' diesel pusher with a Cummins ISX 15 liter engine. That I still own today.
January 2021 I purchased my first class C motor home. The “C” are built on a van chassis with the sides and top expanded to make larger living quarters. It's a Winnebago View 24J Motor Home. It's on a Mercedes Benz M3500 chassis with twin turbo 3.0 liter V-6 diesel and nine-speed transmission. It has a GVWR of 11,030 lbs. And has averaged 17.6 MPG over the 20,000 miles since I purchased it new. It has backup camera, GPS with speed limit sign reading, stay in lane technology, adaptive cruise control with auto braking even for pedestrians, rain sensitive wipers.
Slide out view
Floor plan, mine is setup with theater seating
Interior view with slide out
Kitchen area with double bowl sink, counter top stove, two-door 12 cubic foot refrigerator, and 32" TV
Theater seats reclined
Bunk over cab,, child size
Driver's compartment view from coach
Dash gages
This wasn't my first rodeo rather my eight. And didn't go into this blindsided. Like most everything that I own, many modifications were added to make it better suited for my pleasure. The Mercedes has but a 24.5 gallon fuel tank. Since it was ordered with a 3.2 KW Onan Cummins diesel generator that also feeds off the same tank. I knew the OEM tank capacity would be too small. Neither the manufacture nor the dealer were about to address the issue. So within a week I jacked the Winnebago up and added a second 30 gallon fuel tank. Now I can almost make 1,000 miles on a fill-up.
Removed spare tire and added 30 gallon fuel tank
Place aux fuel tank gage and controls above the shelf above visor
Fuel filler cap, it's actually 6" above the top tank level care must be taken at truck pumps
Before I even plunked my hard earner money on this baby. I knew from test driving 24J. And I concluded the MB chassis was unsafe at any speeds. And after doing research many voice their concern of its' handling. The best solution by many was simply stay out of crosswinds as the weather sets in … Or take it on back roads at lower speeds. My solution was to add a second anti sway-bar to the front side of the rear axle. The OEM is 1 1/4” the added is 1 1/2” Plus replacing the four OEM Monroe shocks with Koni special red adjustable. Lastly I add four Sumo helper springs. The heavier duty capacity Yellow series to the rear axle. While the milder capacity Blue series to the front. These helper springs lifted the rear about 1 1/2” and the front less than an inch.
The new sway bar is in front of the rear axle, The yellow Sumo spring between axle and frame, Along with the red Koni shocks
Added blue Sumo helper spring, and replaced shocks/struts. I put marks to place the new strut hopefully keeping it aligned. Then checked using tape. Seems to be right on by driving. But will have it checked at the next service interval...
These modifications made the handling far safer. When a semi passed, it was no longer swayed four feet over. Far better holding lane in cross winds. Would never think it was the same coach! The downside, on rough road surfaces, the vibrations are felt more. Actually it rides no harder than my 2006 Avalanche 2500.
I'll post the rest of the mods later.
muddy:
Very nice looking rig!
Sent from my Pixel 7 using Tapatalk
john k:
Ok, leafs on the rear with helpers. Struts on the front, is there a coil spring up higher. The extra fuel tank looks factory, well done. Am thinking you have added refinements to most of what you have owned.
oldcarguy:
--- Quote from: john k on January 13, 2024, 09:28:36 PM ---Ok, leafs on the rear with helpers. Struts on the front, is there a coil spring up higher. The extra fuel tank looks factory, well done. Am thinking you have added refinements to most of what you have owned.
--- End quote ---
The Mercedes Sprinter van uses a single traverse leaf spring running from side to side between the two lower wish bones. It's hidden in the crossmember..
oldcarguy:
Picture of new anti-sway bar along with the Sumo Helper Springs
The coach came with two 100 watt solar panels installed on the roof. The two on the passenger's side. I add two more 100 watt panels on the driver's side. It has two 12 volt 85 AH each house batteries. When fully charged the refrigerator drains the batteries before nightfall. Even when parked in Key West on a clear day with the sun direct overhead most of the day. So when I cannot be plugged into shore power. I need to supplement the power from the 3.2 KW diesel generator. A far more dependable source of electricity. Though it uses one quart of fuel and hour. Not so much issue since I added 30 gallons more fuel.
Since I'm picking bones with this baby motor home. The placement of the 3.2 KW generator was a poor selection. Directly under the main bed no less! And although Onan advertised it a the quiet series, it not near as quiet as my other coaches generator. That has four times the output. But it's run at 1800 RPM's half that of this one... Plus this one is air cooled rather than water cooled and replies on a fan for cooling...
Making room for the auxiliary fuel tank. I added a second 2” receiver to the trailer hitch. And fabricated a rack for the new placement of the spare tire. The other receiver is used for the bicycle racks. There is a pair of running/brake lights mounted. Along with a BRIGHT LED flood light and LOUD siren that set off when trying to remove the bicycles.
While adding lights. I put LED lights on the Mercedes grille Star emblem.
Lights as seen when approaching my little motor home.
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