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Winnebago Leisure Seeker 2104 - Review continued . . . .
Gauges If you intend free camping a worthwhile extra is the gauge
pack. This gadget tells you how much water is left in the fresh water
tank, how full the grey water tank is and a rough idea of battery condition.
At $291.00 it is only slightly more than buying and fitting yourself and it is one of those jobs where you are better off getting it built in as the DIY kits are not a 5 minute job and it is easy to ruin a tank if you make an error. Don't forget that if you intend changing to stainless steel tanks further down the track there is a very high chance that these gauges will not work. Best to check direct with the factory. The gauges themselves are little coloured LED's so you only get a rough idea of the remaining contents. They are very sensibly mounted on the front panel of the Jensen range hood. They look good and work well. They measure fresh water, grey water and battery condition. To check you simply hold down and you get a reading like the one shown below. It indicates that the battery is fully charged, there is no fresh water and the grey water tank is empty. |
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Curtains As usual with Winnebago there has been no skimping at all here and overall appearance is excellent, We particularly like the matching pelmets. Heavy sunblock fabric has been used throughout. The treatment of the cabin area is excellent and adds a feeling of airiness to the front section as the curtains actually follow the inside line of the windscreen. A wonderful idea! |
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Front Door As you may have already gathered we feel that Hehr windows are the greatest invention since sliced bread and quite frankly they are one of the main reasons we stick with Winnebago ourselves as we simply dislike plastic windows! Sadly in our view the doors Hehr make aren't, and just don't suit Australian conditions. You don't need a degree in door making to work this out - just ask yourself why so many motorhomers try and modify them. The problem is NO PROVISION to work as a SECURITY door at all. The lock is very substantial and well made, but it is not a triple lock and can therefore be forced by bending the door at the top and bottom. We approached Winnebago to fit the much cheaper Camec Triplelock door by Australite on a 2304 we had on order. The answer came back that it couldn't be done! We were flabbergasted as the Camec is actually a cheaper product! Winnebago perhaps need to look around at motorhome rallies as they would then perhaps find that just about EVERY homemade Coaster has a security door. To us at least this indicates that this is a highly desirable, if not essential component in any motorhome particularly with the 65% of us wandering around Australia with pets. Oddly enough Swagman used to share the same thinking, as we have met owners who have spent $1000.00 to fit curved top security doors. Things have changed there though, as to their credit, lots of newer units have the Camec fitted. The prestigious 5th Wheelers made by Drydens have the Camec as standard. Can anyone with more knowledge than us on this subject please enlighten us as to why they can't fit Camec to a Leisure Seeker? Now the Camec DOES need more work with hardened inserts in the catches, anti- jemmying as per the excellent system used by Hehr and it needs returns near the pins to stop easy insertion of hack saws etc., BUT it is very close to being a top product, and there is no opposition at present. We also like the venturi effect grill in the door to comply with the Gas Regulations. If you would like to see a Camec door just read through our Freeway Reviews on this site. We also like the Hehr idea of a dead bolt as well as an ordinary keyed lock - good move. On the negative side we have noticed that quality wise Hehr are slipping a bit. The flashing left behind on the plastic bits can easily cut hands. They have reduced the number of strengtheners in the bottom gauze to only one. This reduces the strength for those of us with pets aboard. |
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Accessing the Luton Peak The Luton Peak (the bed over the cab) adds at least 6 feet to the effective length of any motorhome. Now that is a big chunk of space and possibly accounts for the huge popularity in this type of motorhome (known collectively as Class 3). The ladders to access the bed have improved recently with a brace added under the top rung. Now if you would love to have your bed ALWAYS made up but you are totally turned off by the ladder then read on! We came across a very simple ladder supplied as standard with Keith Harrison's Suncampers. See the photo below. OK, it does have some drawbacks. You can't pop it in the wardrobe like you can with the Winnebago model. Instead you fold it up and leave it on the bed - far from ideal particularly if you have an accident. We believe that buried in there though is a better solution for Winnebago to develop. It is certainly easier to use and we both felt it was much safer as the steps are so much wider. Food for thought perhaps? |
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Outside Shower It is well worth while getting this $372.00 accessory particularly if you are travelling with a dog as it solves the washing problem, particularly in colder climates. It is not that easy to retrofit so best to have a think and get one fitted during manufacture. Operation is very simple. Just open the hatch and pull out the shower wand. |
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Furniture and Frame Construction This is where breeding and experience comes into play, and Winnebago have slowly honed their skills over the years and developed very sound manufacturing methods. They have produced a fantastic model of the furniture, frame and attachment methods as used in the Alpine range. The model is full size and an absolutely brilliant idea. Rather oddly we have not come across it yet at any RV show just yet, but there is one on display at Emu Plains in the spare parts section and another up with Queensland RV on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Anyway, the model clearly illustrates the very sound construction methods employed by Winnebago. Any owner into DIY projects should try to get a peek at this model or have a read of a story we are doing on this site - Winnebago Construction Methods. We particularly liked the way the 12 volt was kept away from the 240 volt and particularly the galvanised sheet placed along the roof line along the tops of the cupboards. This provides something solid overhead to screw into. Sadly many manufacturers rely on gluing the furniture to the walls and ceiling to give strength. Winnebago take no short cuts and everything is screwed and therefore removable if repairs are ever required. In our view a first class job! |
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Factory Fitted Options Generally speaking factory fitted options cost lots more,
but certainly give peace of mind as they have more chance of getting it
right first time. It also avoids warranty squabbles further down the track
if there is no one else to blame. The HUGE PLUS though is
anything you have fitted is included in the weight so you know where you
are from delivery day.
Things to think about fitting yourself later on:
We Liked.........
We Didn't Like......
We Would Like to See......
Future Design Areas Overall the Winnebago concept is very good and progress is continually being made at a steady pace - the fridge and Electrolux venting are good examples. We would like to see more thought put into the roof area. At present everything is screwed on and no use seems to be made of closed cell gaskets. Omni vent (Belgium) for instance have ordinary and powered vents using clamp technology with ZERO screw holes. Every time you drill a hole in an RV roof you introduce a potential leak point. It ALWAYS looks messy. Good examples of manufacturers using screwless technology are A'van Campers and Chalet (Kimberly Campers). Both these products work and the appearance couldn't be bettered - remember these are sub $20K products as well! The present system quite frankly is dreadful and pools water and causes mould. We would point out though that Winnebago aren't the only ones guilty of this! A good place to check this out is at RV shows. Just get above the RVs on stairs etc. and you will truly be horrified - REGARDLESS of cost of the unit. These are our views and we would like to publish the thoughts and suggestions of others. |
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