When considering the purchase of a Winnebago Class C RV many of our guests ask us what the benefits and features are for each chassis used in different models. This can be useful information when deciding which motorhome best fits their needs.
Winnebago Class C motorhomes are built on chassis bases produced by two different manufacturers. Mercedes is the chassis platform for the Winnebago Class C diesel motorhomes. Ford makes the chassis for the Winnebago Class C gas models.
Gas Models
The Winnebago Minnie Winnie and Spirit models use the new Ford 7.3-liter dual valve free breathing V8 chassis for all of their floorplans. This is the premium rated engine calibration and not the optional downgraded economy 7.3-liter V8 used by other competing manufacturers offering 10% less power. This new V8 engine is 30 lbs. lighter and 20% smaller than previous V10s and offers better fuel economy. This powertrain offers 468 lb. ft of torque or power, 350 hp and a TorqShift six speed automatic transmission with grade braking capability. The Winnebago Minnie Winnie and Spirit 22M and 22R are built on the Ford E350 chassis with the option to upgrade to the Ford E450 chassis found as a standard feature in the other available floorplans.
The Ford V8 chassis also now includes the following new safety enhancements:
- Adaptive Cruise Control – This system employs both radar and camera technology to set a cruise speed and distance from the vehicle in front of you, an especially helpful feature in slow traffic conditions. When traffic ahead slows, you automatically do as well; when it picks back up, you can resume your present speed and distance.
- Active Distance Alert – This system maintains your distance to the vehicle ahead of you and adjusts itself based on the movement of the vehicle ahead.
- Forward Collision Warning – This alerts you if it senses a potential collision, displays a flash in the instrument cluster and increases brake assist sensitivity to provide full responsiveness when you brake.
- Lane Departure Warning – This feature uses a camera mounted behind the windshield to scan road lane markings and detects an unintended lane departure during the day or night. When activated this alerts you in the display and provides an audible warning.
- Driver Alert – This feature recognizes repeated lane departures as a sign of fatigue and issues visual and audio alerts to you that it’s time to pull over and take a break.
- Automatic Emergency Braking – This system provides an audio alert, displays in the instrument cluster, and pre-charges and increases brake assist sensitivity to provide full responsiveness when you do brake.
- Post Impact Braking – This system can potentially lessen the severity of a secondary collision by automatically applying moderate brake pressure when an initial collision event is detected.
- Electronic Stability Control – This feature senses when you begin to lose traction and automatically applies selective braking to help prevent your vehicle from sliding and skidding
- Traction Control – Traction Control applies selective braking to keep your wheels from excessively spinning and helps maintain traction.
- Hill Start Assist – This feature activates the anti-lock brakes for up to two seconds as you transition your foot from the brake to the accelerator.
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System
- Automatic Headlamp Activation and Automatic High Beam Control
- Driver Monitoring
- Remote Keyless Entry
- Airbag Cutoff – passenger side
The Winnebago EKKO uses the all-wheel-drive Ford Transit 3.5L direct fuel injection, dual turbocharged Ford EcoBoost V6 chassis. This powertrain offers 400lb ft of torque or power, 310 hp of acceleration and a 10-speed automatic SelectShift transmission with overdrive and grade braking. Its standard all-wheel drive capability goes where many other motorhomes can’t.
The Winnebago EKKO Ford Chassis Includes the following Safety Enhancements:
- Blind Spot Alert – This feature can help detect and alert you to vehicles in your blind spot and can detect traffic behind you when you’re slowly backing out of a parking spot or driveway.
- Lane Keep Assist – Lane Keep Assist helps you by scanning the lane markings ahead on both sides of your vehicle and alerts you when you cross over a marking.
- Adaptive Cruise Control and Forward Collision Warning – This system uses sensors in the front of your RV to detect slower vehicles traveling in the same direction and warns you if you are rapidly approaching. When traffic ahead slows down, you automatically do too. When traffic picks back up, you can resume your preset speed and distance.
- Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) – The feature uses camera technology to detect a potential collision with a vehicle or pedestrian directly in front of you during day or nighttime driving. If an impact becomes imminent and you do not take corrective action, the brakes apply automatically. This system can help reduce the severity of, and in some cases can eliminate, a frontal collision.
- Post-Collision Braking – This technology moderately applies the brakes after a crash so the RV stops rolling and avoids a potential second accident.
- AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control (RSC) – This is Ford’s premium electronic stability system that improves vehicle control on all driving surfaces, including snow, ice, gravel, rain-covered roads, and dry pavement. This system monitors the yaw and roll rates, helping you maintain control whenever it detects wheel slip, understeer, oversteer or roll motion.
- Automatic Rain Sensing Wipers – These wipers spring into action when they detect moisture on your windshield and then adjust their speed to deal with whatever the weather throws at you.
- Side Wind Stabilization – This system works by carefully applying the brakes on one side of the RV to reduce the effect of a side wind gust on the RV’s path.
- Hill Side Assist – This system holds your EKKO stationary for two seconds using brake pressure, giving you more time to find the right amount of revs and clutch to pull away, and once you apply pressure to the accelerator pedal, the brakes will automatically disengage.
- Auto High-Beam Headlights – This driver-activated system scans the road at speeds above 25 miles per hour. When you are on a very dark road with no traffic, the high beams come on. However, when a vehicle with its headlamps on is approaching up to 2,000 feet or traveling ahead of you with taillamps visible up to 500 feet, the system will dim to low beams to reduce glare and avoid hindering the other motorist.
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) – This System will alert you if any tire on your EKKO is underinflated.
- Dual Front and Safety Canopy Side Curtain Airbags – In addition to the driver and passenger airbags the EKKO includes side-curtain airbags that deploy downward and outward toward the side-window openings to protect the heads of front passengers. Roll-fold technology helps the airbag slide between the glass and occupant as the airbag inflates.
- SecuriLock Anti-Theft System with Engine Immobilizer – This system is designed to prevent the engine from starting unless the correct coded key is used. The electronically encoded ignition key activates a specially designed transponder located inside your EKKO. The system disarms whenever the correct key is inserted into the ignition and automatically rearms when it’s removed.
Diesel Models
The Winnebago View and Navion are powered by the innovative, fuel-efficient Mercedes Benz VS30 Sprinter chassis. This Mercedes 3.0 liter six-cylinder turbo diesel engine offers 325 lb ft of torque or power and a seven-speed automatic 7G Tronic Plus transmission with grade braking.
It comes with the MBUX Infotainment system that makes trips more enjoyable with the new Sprinter’s multitude of sophisticated MBUX infotainment features, including an oversized 10-inch touchscreen, wireless charging, USB and USB C connections, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and SiriusXM Satellite Radio. Includes advanced GPS navigation built right in. The safety features include:
- Active brake assist: In case of any oncoming danger, Active Brake Assist warns drivers and if necessary, will brake for them. As a class leading feature, it is the only system that can recognize and respond to pedestrians.
- Active Distance Assist Distronic: In high traffic areas, Active Distance Assist Distronic keeps enough distance between your vehicle and the one ahead of you to ensure optimal safety.
- Active Lane Keep Assist: If a driver is ever to unintentionally drift or leave their designated lane, Active Lane Keep Assist immediately alerts them.
- Traffic Sign Assist: Throughout your travels, speed limits can be ever-changing. Traffic sign assist helps to identify the correct speed and adjust accordingly.
Experience the Best® at Lichtsinn RV, the #1 Winnebago Dealer in North America for the last six consecutive years. Lichtsinn RV is located 1 mile north of Winnebago Industries in Forest City, IA and we proudly sell new Winnebago motorhomes and pre-owned RVs from various manufacturers. While at Lichtsinn RV, you can expect no delivery miles on new RVs, a complimentary half-day educational orientation of your RV, excellent guest reviews, an assigned support team from sales, parts, service and the business office, superior accommodations, no-hassle pricing and competitive financing. See our extensive new and used inventory here. What chassis is this Winnebago Class C motorhome built on?
Posts You May Like:
Winnebago Class C Motorhome Lineup
Highlights of the New Winnebago EKKO
The Winnebago View and Navion Mercedes Benz Sprinter Diesel Chassis
Key Features of the Winnebago Minnie Winnie and Spirit
Product Highlight: Winnebago Compact Class C Coaches