AROUND-OZ MOTORHOMES

Winnebago 2304 Review - 2003 Model

You won't find any reviews on this one in any magazine just yet, simply because as luck would have it, we got the first one off the production line in late November 2002. It's actually hard to know where to start with this review as there are so many exciting new features! The all new Winnebago 2003 model Leisure Seeker 2304 is truly a completely new model and bears little resemblance to its predecessor the 2104. It has the same club lounge idea at the rear less the cupboard, but from there on in it is all virgin territory! We love it! First up the model numbering system has sensibly been changed to reflect the overall length of the vehicle in feet. This is a move for the better and is one less confusing hurdle for those new to the vagaries of motorhoming. It looks fantastic and works beautifully with the Mercedes Sprinter chassis. The changes have been brought about by the move into raised floor models. They have done this by utilising two floor levels however you don't actually get two levels inside the motorhome. The extra space makes several voids and these are used for underfloor storage. Now the floor has only gone up around 100 mm, but what an enormous difference it has made!

It has allowed the use of two giant rear lockers with pass through storage - absolutely fantastic for long items such as stretchers for when you want to sleep "visitors" in the annex! These are located on both sides right at the rear and as you can see from the photos above they are massive - so big in fact they will easily carry a Gopher, fold up electric bike etc. At present the design is not fully utilised as you cannot pass wide items through due to a support pillar. If this were removed it would be easy to carry say a flat table instead of having to mess around with slats etc. Now the extra height has another hidden bonus in that it is just about impossible for any passerby to see in any window. And yes, the windows are now the four blade type so you get maximum view potential. Most importantly though is the structural integrity has been markedly increased as the dual floor adds to rigidity. This gives much cleaner and very modern lines even though it is still a box shape. The new method cannot be faulted and allows the use of better sealing exterior hatches which could mean less dust entry. Hingeing is also much improved. For some odd reason Winnebago have changed from using the very reliable Aussie Traveller awnings to the imported Dometic. We insisted on the Australian unit as it is so strong and also has accessories not available on the Dometic such as the most brilliant anti flap gadget we have ever come across.

Rear view is pretty much the same as the 2104

The view from the rear is pretty much the same as the 2104 except the taillights are slightly different and of course the new very sporty livery/decals are as modern as tomorrow! Overall it looks a much larger motorhome yet on the Sprinter gives a quite respectable load allowance of 1072 kgs as Winnebago have bent over backwards with minor detail to keep the weight right down. We gave it a good workout as the day we got it, we left on a quick trip to Sydney. The Sprinter performed almost faultlessly and we would have to say it is just the best motorhome chassis one can buy regardless of cost for bitumen road touring. Travelling at 110 kph gives 14.5 to 15 litres per 100 kms. Slowing down to 85/90 and would you believe city driving, gives an excellent 13.5. We couldn't be happier with these consumption figures bearing in mind the laden weight is 4 1/2 tonnes! The minor mechanical problems were, occasionally slipping out of first gear on starting off, and we couldn't get the air-conditioning cold enough on 42 degree Sydney days! After reading the manual we discovered that it uses outside air unless you push a button which then lets it recirculate, but only for 15 minutes. It is climate controlled, but this setting is really not suitable for hot Australian summers. It is worth mentioning that Winnebago now include cab air-conditioning in all 2003 base prices.

The Sprinter is, of course, turbo charged and has extremely long legs and your speed constantly creeps up into the 120 kph zone. For all newbies reading this, high speed is extremely rare in motorhomes, as most units run out of puff around 90/100 kph! The photo below is really what motorhoming is all about! After free camping by the beautiful Tweed River we had breakfast by the wharf at Brunswick Heads in Northern NSW - near the fish co-op where there are toilets and free showers if you wish. This is hard to take isn't it?