Winnebago gets Aussie accent

A four-model ‘Australianised’ range of Winnebago Minnie caravans was officially launched at this month’s Victorian Caravan, Camping & Touring Supershow.

And showgoers were left in no doubt about the arrival down under of the American RV giant with a massive 15m wide, bright red Winnebago sign dominating the undercover display.

However, the rest of the display was a lot less flamboyant than expected, with just one, bright red example of the five, very loud, exterior options available that include orange, green and yellow.

The other display caravans sported a more conservative and no doubt more buyer friendly ‘Cool Grey’ finish for the gel coat fibreglass body.

Described as “competitively priced” by Winnebago RV Australia boss Luke Trouchet, the glossy, slab-sided range emblazoned with Superman-style ‘W’ logo, kicks off at $46,990 for the smallest 15ft 9in (body length) Minnie 1806AUS.

The only model without a slide-out, it features an east-west double bed up front, kitchen and dinette down the middle and combination shower/toilet in a rear corner, next to a TV cabinet and pantry.

With a Tare weight of 1455kg and 1975kg ATM, the three-berth, tandem axle van comes with a galvanised chassis, steel frame, plywood floor, and Al-Ko independent rubber suspension.

It also comes pretty well equipped for the price, including an air-conditioner, 186 litre three-way fridge/freezer, four burner cooker, oven and microwave, 22in LED TV, 140 litre fresh water storage and external shower.

Priced from $54,499, the 18ft 6in 2106AUS Minnie slide-out offers more living space with a walk-around north-south queen sized bed, plush sofa and table, kitchen and full rear ensuite.

Sitting at the top of the range, the 23ft 7in 2206AUS ($65,740) and 23ft 7in 2406AUS ($71,990), offer even more space as well as privacy with an American-style TV cabinet wall separating the front bedroom from the living and kitchen areas.

The six berth 2406AUS comes with rear bunk beds, in lieu of the massive wardrobe in the smaller 2206AUS model. Both feature big, leatherette-lined lounge/dinettes with seating for six.

Being American, the Minnie caravans also come with electric roll-out awnings, carbon monoxide alarms and ‘NitroFill’ radial tyres.

As well as being Australian compliant, the Oz-spec Minnie caravans have lighter décor to suit Australian tastes with Champagne cabinets and Granite Chocolate benchtops replacing the traditional American dark timber look.

Old-fashioned, separate hot/cold taps have also been ditched for a single ‘flick mixer’ tap, and more ‘”tweaks” are promised, based on feedback from dealers and buyers.

Winnebago Australia also unveiled the new range of Brisbane-built campervans and motorhomes in Melbourne. While similar to the Apollo Group’s existing Talvor range, they differ slightly in layouts and finishes, with the models named after Aussie beaches.

The motorised range kicks off with the Sprinter-based Bondi 2S campervan priced from $103,400. All up there are two campervans and four ‘B-class’ coachbuilt motorhomes available, although more models are expected to be added including much larger, American-style A-Class motorhomes.