Fresh start for ridgy didge Winnebago motorhomes

The first in a new range of New Zealand-built Winnebago motorhomes will make their public debut at the 2026 NSW Caravan Camping Holiday Supershow at the Rosehill Racecourse next week (April 28-May 3).

On display will be a new four-berth, 7843mm long, 5200kg GVM Winnebago Odyssey 40I model, as well as a prototype of the Odyssey 41R which gets a similar layout (albeit with drop-down bed) but in a smaller, car licence-friendly package.

Priced from $249,990, the new twin-bed Odyssey 40I on-road motorhome gets a layout similar to the previous Queensland-built Winnebago Iluka model, including a private rear bedroom with island bed and a second Luton peak bed up front, plus a fully-equipped kitchen, dedicated dinette, and separate toilet and shower.

The base vehicle is the Iveco Daily cab-chassis with 3.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and eight-speed automatic transmission, with a 100L fuel tank and 20L AdBlue tank.

The Odyssey 40I motorhome comes fitted with a Renogy power management system including 300Ah lithium battery, 3000W inverter and 400W rooftop solar, along with all the appliances expected in a quarter-million dollar home-on-wheels, including a 188L fridge freezer, rooftop air-conditioner, 2kW diesel heater and two Smart TVs.

Buyers can also expect upmarket furniture and finishes including ambient lighting, with three interior palettes available; inspired by iconic Australian locations including the Yarra Valley, Colomatta (Blue Mountains) and K’gari (Fraser Island).

The Odyssey 40I also gets 180L (fresh) and 185L (grey) water tanks, while a Tare weight of 3995kg allows for a 1205kg payload.

Options available include an electric awning, second battery, washing machine and cabin window block-out covers.

The other seven new Winnebago motorhome models are expected to roll out over the next 12 months, in a variety of weights, sizes and with different layouts, and based on both Iveco and Mercedes-Benz platforms.

Winnebago-badged motorhomes were previously built under licence at the Apollo factory in Brisbane, before Apollo was taken over by THL and motorhome production moved to New Zealand.

The THL-owned Action Manufacturing plant in Hamilton is building the new Winnebago models using its 'Omni Panel Construction System'; essentially a combo of gel-coated fibreglass sandwich panels for the 'second stage' motorhome body that THL says provides "a precision-engineered structure that integrates strength, insulation and advanced sealing into a single build".

The new Winnebago motorhomes will also be backed by "market-leading warranty coverage", including a seven-year structural warranty, three-year interior warranty, and three-year OEM manufacturer warranty.

They'll be available at five retail outlets around Australia including Apollo RV Supercentres.

“This launch represents a significant step forward for Winnebago in this market,” THL Australia COO Stacey Davis said in a statement.

“We’ve taken a more deliberate approach to how these products are designed and delivered, focusing on quality, durability and usability for customers.

"As the first of nine new models, the Odyssey 40I sets a clear foundation for the direction of the range and where we see the premium RV segment evolving.”