AROUND-OZ MOTORHOMES

Winnebago 2304 Review - 2003 continued . . .

The wardrobe is quite large and can even handle ball gowns for Chapter Xmas parties! It has a laminated top ideal for mounting a TV which can then be watched from either in bed or from the dinnette area - a fantastic location actually. Great for clocks, keys, glasses and fans as well. We have deliberately photographed the 2304 in "actual use mode" rather that do brochure type photos that actually give you no idea how you can use certain areas. Now if you look at the photo on the right below you can easily see that the new bathroom has eaten into the access space in this area. Trust us, you soon get used to this as the bathroom is just so good that there is no way on earth you would change it once you have used it. Our initial reaction to the new layout was we didn't like it as much as the 2104. We found that even after just a week in the 2304 we would never go back to the 2104 as the new design is just superb!

You need to understand that the 2304 is really built with two separate floor levels. This means that there is storage available in the most unlikely places, as there are no chassis members in the way at all. The pictures below show a huge void accessible from the kitchen. As this is the first one made there are presently teething problems with this hatch, as it is not sealed and of course it gets dirty because dirt falls through the cracks when sweeping. Winnebago are "sort of" working on this, as we have shown them the problem. As things stand at present you would be most unwise to store anything likely to de damaged by grit etc.

Ventilation

At last the main opening Fiamma roof vent has been moved to over the table. The difference this makes to comfort at the rear is quite amazing. We supplemented this by having an Electrolux moon vent installed over the bed. This has a two fold use. Apart from ventilation you can use it as an escape hatch in an emergency or to gain access to the roof area without needing a ladder. This is great for instance if the grommet comes off your Winegard aerial and water is coming in! Also if you lose a vent top in a storm etc. you can make a temporary repair quite easily. You really only appreciate this feature if you have driven around for hours looking for a suitable "fence" so you can climb up onto the roof - not an easy task for an oldie! Security wise if you are uncertain who is at the door in the middle of the night, no one is expecting a head to pop up out of the roof! It is fantastic for photographing sunrises and then popping back into bed!

Sullage and Drainage

Good and bad news to report here! All tanks are now completely inside lockers which means that you will NEVER again lose a water tank through rock damage. Access to the gauge sensors is absolutely brilliant, as it is all there right in front of you. Rather oddly Winnebago have chosen to put the drain cock INSIDE the locker. We can't for the life of us fathom out this fuzzy thinking, as it introduces another potential leak point INSIDE the vehicle, but more importantly when you are trying to DISCREETLY empty that ever present grey water you are in full view of the passing traffic being on the drivers side. You MUST open the hatch, drop the hose through the floor and WAIT! Let's hope common sense prevails and it gets moved back to the outside of the vehicle, before we all end up with our photos in RV magazines! Ideally it needs to be on the offside. Incidentally this is simple to do as there is NOTHING in the same area on the passenger side. This puts it closer to the curb and well away from prying eyes. Yes you do need a longer hose for use in caravan parks as sullage is usually on the driver's side. On the plus side with the present system, Winnebago have very thoughtfully left a gap between the two tanks and this is used for sullage hose storage - a great idea! At present the sullage and fresh water tanks are the same size in our view a bad move. We would like to see more fresh water storage and less sullage. It's just so easy to get rid of excess sullage water, but impossible to make more fresh water!

New Decals and Finish

In a word fantastic! The new look is as modern as tomorrow and is a very stylish "W". The new colours are a departure from previous models and really suit the new image. The fibreglass finish is now much smoother and shinier than in previous models and that grainy look has gone. The skin does seem to be thinner though. It is now possible to repair minor dings etc. using conventional panel beating techniques without resorting to replacing the complete side covering.

Summing Up

Yes we are VERY IMPRESSED with the ongoing improvements to the Leisure Seeker range - particularly the 2304. Nevertheless it still has a ways to go, so here is our wishlist. We would like to see a security door option or a Camec Triple Lock fitted, a light switch near the door/bed area, better ventilation in the toilet area to stop fogging and condensation, at least one powerpoint right at the rear, another 12 volt outlet on the wardrobe (for 12 volt fan and Orion TV), a return to the excellent toggle clamp on the gas bottles, external sullage cock on the passenger side, a drain cock on the fresh water tank, a non slip edge to the extending step, extend the curtain tracks in the Luton Peak so that the view is not obscurred, modifications to the Jensen stove hood to stop rattling and the external cover aging so quickly and at least one more roof vent as truly guys one is not enough, especially if you're not going for air conditioning. It is interesting to note that all caravan manufacturers supply AS STANDARD at least one TV outlet. So maybe this should be added to the list, as after all it is a very basic requirement. We absolutely recommend the all new 2304!

Bob and Chrissy Eustace