Winnegabo Freewind 2013

The downside is that from the outside, some Luton peak designs look, well, downright un-aerodynamic. Another problem for many older grey nomads is that clambering up into bed each night can be a problem, especially as some motorhome designers apparently have no idea how to design a decent lightweight ladder.

The common way around this, of course, is to build a slightly longer-than-actually-wanted motorhome and include a double bed in the main layout. This is exactly what Winnebago has done with its recently-arrived Freewind 2013 B class motorhome. Although at 21ft (6.4m), the Freewind could not really be described as a particularly big motorhome.

Nuts and bolts

From the outside, the Ford Transit-based Freewind is quite a good looking unit, with rather streamlined front and rear fibreglass mouldings. Indeed, the rake of the bonnet, windscreen and nose cone has a flowing look, which is quite impressive.

Winnebago has used its usual fibreglass composite for the wall structure and, in this case, moulded fibreglass for the roof panel. Seitz windows are used all round and the door is the usual non-security Hehr item.

External storage consists mainly of one large locker door on the nearside which gives access to the under-bed area. Other lockers are dedicated to the gas compartment (front nearside) and battery compartment (front offside) plus the ubiquitous Thetford cassette door. A slight curiosity is the large door at the offside rear but it simply gives access to the bathroom plumbing.

STEP INSIDE

The Freewind’s interior layout makes the most of the available space, with one exception.

Fitting into the rear of the motorhome is the double bed in the nearside corner, while the bathroom is in the offside corner. The kitchen is split across the middle and the dinette situated right behind the driver’s cab. In order to give a little more room elsewhere, I pondered why swivel seats were not installed in the driver’s cab. They do cost more but they use space more effectively, especially in smaller motorhomes.

General window area did seem a tad small to me and I understand that later models will have larger windows – together with the Seitz hatch in the roof that should give a slightly more spacious feel inside. Not that it really feels cramped anyway. All the windows have curtains and that includes the windows around the driver’s cab.

Situated at the front of the Freewind, the dinette table has a tricky little locking mechanism that means it can be locked in an offset position. A smaller hinged section can also be used. Both dinette seats have contoured foam cushions on slatted wooden bases and there is a handy magazine pouch by the nearside seat. Above both dinette seats are two overhead lockers and each seat has a classy halogen reading light.

The kitchen is an interesting setup with the stainless steel sink on the nearside between the dinette seat and the door, and the three-burner cooktop on the offside. There’s little benchtop space, as you might expect, but the table is close by and the sink bench does have a hinged flap that extends into the doorway space. Alongside the cooktop is the rest of the kitchen equipment – Dometic 110 litre fridge, Smev grill and Sharp microwave oven all on top of each other. Kitchen storage is quite reasonable with a cupboard under the sink and a cutlery drawer and three wire baskets underneath the cooktop.

Not surprisingly, the bathroom is quite compact. It does though, have a flexible hose shower, Thetford cassette toilet and a moulding with both a fold-down sink and mirror door cabinet. It’s tricky with a moulded fibreglass shower but I wonder whether a small window in the bathroom might reduce the confined space effect of the bathroom.

Between the bathroom and fridge is an angled cupboard that offers a small amount of hanging space for clothes, plus a selection of smaller cupboards.

Measuring 6ft 2in (1.88m) in length and chamfering from 4ft 2in (1.3m) to 3ft 6in (1.1m), the foam mattress sits on a slatted wooden base with an aluminium frame. Its corner location means it is relatively easy for either partner to slip out of bed without disturbing the other. However, the person by the wall when getting over the end of the bed might have to be careful not to slip down the internal door step!

Halogen reading lights are fitted to the head of the bed but there are no corner shelves, interestingly shown on the layout plan. Above the bed are five overhead lockers and under the bed is a large storage area that is also accessible from the outside.

On the road, the 101kW 2.4 litre turbodiesel moves the Freewind along very well indeed. Moving through the six-speed gearbox smoothly is no problem and the rack and pinion steering and tandem rear wheels means the Transit tracks very well.

the bottom line

Winnebago’s Freewind 2013 is a neat little motorhome. At 21ft (6.4m), it’s not a particularly large rig but it certainly has all the essentials for happy motorhome travel. An item of interest for many people will be the price tag. Winnebago has obviously done its sums with a very sharp pencil and for just over $100,000, the Freewind 2013 is a very attractive proposition, both for first timers and motorhomers with a limited budget.