When considering the purchase of a Winnebago Class C RV many of our guests ask us what the benefits and features are for each chassis used in different models. This can be useful information when deciding which motorhome best fits their needs.
Winnebago Class C motorhomes are built on chassis bases produced by three different manufacturers. Mercedes is the chassis platform for the Winnebago Class C diesel motorhomes and RAM makes the Winnebago Super C 4×4 diesel chassis as well as the Class C Van Chassis. Ford makes the chassis for the remainder of the Winnebago Class C gas models.
Gas Models
The Winnebago Elora model uses the RAM ProMaster 3.6-liter V6 with the 24V VVT engine. The powertrain offers 260 lb. ft of torque or power, 280 hp and a nine speed automatic TorqueFlite transmission with grade braking capability.
This RAM Promaster chassis advanced safety features include the following safety enhancements:
- Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop and Go – This system employs both radar and camera technology to set a cruise speed and distance from the vehicle in front of you, an especially helpful feature in slow traffic conditions. When traffic ahead slows, you automatically do as well; when it picks back up, you can resume your present speed and distance.
- Multi-Collision Braking – This system is designed to prevent secondary accidents after an initial crash. If a severe impact triggers the airbags, the system automatically applies the brakes to bring the Elora to a controlled stop, keeping it from rolling into oncoming traffic or striking other obstacles.
- Full Speed Forward Collision Warning Plus – This alerts you if it senses a potential collision, displays a flash in the instrument cluster and increases brake assist sensitivity to provide full responsiveness when you brake.
- Lane Departure Warning Plus – This feature uses a camera mounted behind the windshield to scan road lane markings and detects an unintended lane departure during the day or night. When activated this alerts you in the display and provides an audio/visual/haptic warning and gentle steering correction.
- Drowsy Driver Detection Alert – This feature recognizes repeated lane departures as a sign of fatigue and issues visual and audio alerts to you that it’s time to pull over and take a break.
- Brake Assist – This system prevents collisions, optimizing stopping power and aiding in tricky maneuvers utilizing several driver-assist technologies.
- Pedestrian/Cyclist Emergency Braking – This feature uses forward-facing cameras and radar to detect people of bicycles in your path. If a collision is imminent and you don’t react, the system provides audible and visual warnings and can automatically apply the brakes.
- Electronic Roll Mitigation – This system monitors your driving speed and steering wheel input to anticipate potential wheel lift. If it detects a risk of rollover, it automatically applies the brakes and reduces engine power to keep the Elora firmly planted on the road.
- Electronic Stability Control – This feature senses when you begin to lose traction and automatically applies selective braking to help prevent your vehicle from sliding and skidding.
- All Speed Traction Control – Traction Control applies selective braking to keep your wheels from excessively spinning and helps maintain traction.
- Hill Start Assist – This feature activates the anti-lock brakes for up to two seconds as you transition your foot from the brake to the accelerator.
- Crosswind Assist – This feature uses the Elora’s electronic stability control sensors to detect sudden, strong gusts of wind and automatically applies gentle brake pressure.
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System Display
- Automatic LED Reflector Daytime Running Headlamps and Foglamps
- Intelligent Speed Assist – This feaure helps drivers stay aware of and adhere to posted speed limits.
- Traffic Sign Recognition – This features uses a front-facing camera to “read” road signs including speed limits, school zones and stop signs and notifies the driving helping to stay compliant with changing road rules.
- Trailer Sway Damping – If dangerous side-to-side movement is detected, this system automatically intervenes by flashing the ESC light on the dash, reducing engine throttle, and applying alternating brake pressure to individual wheels to stabilize the RV.
- Rear Back-Up Camera
- Driver and Front Passenger Air Bags with Supplemental Seat and Side Curtain Airbags
The Winnebago Sunflyer model uses the new Ford 7.3-liter dual valve free breathing V8 chassis for all its their floorplans. This is the premium rated engine calibration and not the optional downgraded economy 7.3-liter V8 used by other competing manufacturers offering 10% less power. This new V8 engine is 30 lbs. lighter and 20% smaller than previous V10s and offers better fuel economy. This powertrain offers 468 lb. ft of torque or power, 350 hp and a TorqShift six speed automatic transmission with grade braking capability.
The Ford V8 chassis also now includes the following new safety enhancements:
- Adaptive Cruise Control – This system employs both radar and camera technology to set a cruise speed and distance from the vehicle in front of you, an especially helpful feature in slow traffic conditions. When traffic ahead slows, you automatically do as well; when it picks back up, you can resume your present speed and distance.
- Active Distance Alert – This system maintains your distance to the vehicle ahead of you and adjusts itself based on the movement of the vehicle ahead.
- Forward Collision Warning – This alerts you if it senses a potential collision, displays a flash in the instrument cluster and increases brake assist sensitivity to provide full responsiveness when you brake.
- Lane Departure Warning – This feature uses a camera mounted behind the windshield to scan road lane markings and detects an unintended lane departure during the day or night. When activated this alerts you in the display and provides an audible warning.
- Driver Alert – This feature recognizes repeated lane departures as a sign of fatigue and issues visual and audio alerts to you that it’s time to pull over and take a break.
- Automatic Emergency Braking – This system provides an audio alert, displays in the instrument cluster, and pre-charges and increases brake assist sensitivity to provide full responsiveness when you do brake.
- Post Impact Braking – This system can potentially lessen the severity of a secondary collision by automatically applying moderate brake pressure when an initial collision event is detected.
- Electronic Stability Control – This feature senses when you begin to lose traction and automatically applies selective braking to help prevent your vehicle from sliding and skidding
- Traction Control – Traction Control applies selective braking to keep your wheels from excessively spinning and helps maintain traction.
- Hill Start Assist – This feature activates the anti-lock brakes for up to two seconds as you transition your foot from the brake to the accelerator.
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System
- Automatic Headlamp Activation and Automatic High Beam Control
- Driver Monitoring
- Remote Keyless Entry
- Airbag Cutoff – passenger side
The Winnebago EKKO uses the all-wheel-drive Ford Transit 3.5L direct fuel injection, dual turbocharged Ford EcoBoost V6 chassis. This powertrain offers 400lb ft of torque or power, 310 hp of acceleration and a 10-speed automatic SelectShift transmission with overdrive and grade braking. Its standard all-wheel drive capability goes where many other motorhomes can’t.
The Winnebago EKKO Ford Chassis includes the following Safety Enhancements:
- Blind Spot Alert – This feature can help detect and alert you to vehicles in your blind spot and can detect traffic behind you when you’re slowly backing out of a parking spot or driveway.
- Lane Keep Assist – Lane Keep Assist helps you by scanning the lane markings ahead on both sides of your vehicle and alerts you when you cross over a marking.
- Adaptive Cruise Control and Forward Collision Warning – This system uses sensors in the front of your RV to detect slower vehicles traveling in the same direction and warns you if you are rapidly approaching. When traffic ahead slows down, you automatically do too. When traffic picks back up, you can resume your preset speed and distance.
- Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) – The feature uses camera technology to detect a potential collision with a vehicle or pedestrian directly in front of you during day or nighttime driving. If an impact becomes imminent and you do not take corrective action, the brakes apply automatically. This system can help reduce the severity of, and in some cases can eliminate, a frontal collision.
- Post-Collision Braking – This technology moderately applies the brakes after a crash so the RV stops rolling and avoids a potential second accident.
- AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control (RSC) – This is Ford’s premium electronic stability system that improves vehicle control on all driving surfaces, including snow, ice, gravel, rain-covered roads, and dry pavement. This system monitors the yaw and roll rates, helping you maintain control whenever it detects wheel slip, understeer, oversteer or roll motion.
- Automatic Rain Sensing Wipers – These wipers spring into action when they detect moisture on your windshield and then adjust their speed to deal with whatever the weather throws at you.
- Side Wind Stabilization – This system works by carefully applying the brakes on one side of the RV to reduce the effect of a side wind gust on the RV’s path.
- Hill Side Assist – This system holds your EKKO stationary for two seconds using brake pressure, giving you more time to find the right amount of revs and clutch to pull away, and once you apply pressure to the accelerator pedal, the brakes will automatically disengage.
- Auto High-Beam Headlights – This driver-activated system scans the road at speeds above 25 miles per hour. When you are on a very dark road with no traffic, the high beams come on. However, when a vehicle with its headlamps on is approaching up to 2,000 feet or traveling ahead of you with taillamps visible up to 500 feet, the system will dim to low beams to reduce glare and avoid hindering the other motorist.
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) – This System will alert you if any tire on your EKKO is underinflated.
- Dual Front and Safety Canopy Side Curtain Airbags – In addition to the driver and passenger airbags the EKKO includes side-curtain airbags that deploy downward and outward toward the side-window openings to protect the heads of front passengers. Roll-fold technology helps the airbag slide between the glass and occupant as the airbag inflates.
- SecuriLock Anti-Theft System with Engine Immobilizer – This system is designed to prevent the engine from starting unless the correct coded key is used. The electronically encoded ignition key activates a specially designed transponder located inside your EKKO. The system disarms whenever the correct key is inserted into the ignition and automatically rearms when it’s removed.
Diesel Models
The Winnebago View and Navion are powered by the innovative, fuel-efficient Mercedes Benz VS30 Sprinter chassis. This Mercedes 2.0 liter high-output, turbo-diesel 4-cylinder engine offers 332 lb ft of torque or power and a nine-speed automatic 9G Tronic Plus transmission with grade braking.
It comes with the MBUX Infotainment system that makes trips more enjoyable with the new Sprinter’s multitude of sophisticated MBUX infotainment features, including an oversized 10-inch touchscreen, wireless charging, USB and USB C connections, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and SiriusXM Satellite Radio. Includes advanced GPS navigation built right in. The safety features include:
- Active Brake Assist – In case of any oncoming danger, Active Brake Assist warns drivers and if necessary, will brake for them. As a class leading feature, it is the only system that can recognize and respond to pedestrians.
- Active Distance Assist Distronic – In high traffic areas, Active Distance Assist Distronic keeps enough distance between your vehicle and the one ahead of you to ensure optimal safety
- Active Lane Keep Assist – If a driver is ever to unintentionally drift or leave their designated lane, Active Lane Keep Assist immediately alerts them
- Blind-Spot Assist – This system uses radar sensors to detect the blind spots. It alerts you with a visual indicator in your side mirror and audible warning if you activate your turn signal when a car is present.
- Attention Assist – This system detects driver drowsiness and inattention. It monitors your steering movements, trip duration, and interaction with vehicle controls and if fatigue is detected, it issues an audible and visual warning.
- Hill Start Assist – This feature prevents your RV from rolling backward when parked or stopped on an incline.
- Crosswind Assist – This feature keeps your RV from being blown out of its lane by strong wind gusts by automatically applying the brakes on one side when it detects sudden lateral force.
The Winnebago EKKO uses the innovative, fuel-efficient all-wheel drive Mercedes Benz VS30 Sprinter chassis. This Mercedes 2.0 liter high-output, turbo-diesel 4-cylinder engine offers 332 lb ft of torque or power and a nine-speed automatic 9G Tronic Plus transmission with overdrive and grade braking.
Just like the Winebago View and Navion, it comes with the MBUX Infotainment system, including an oversized 10-inch touchscreen, wireless charging, USB and USB C connections, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and SiriusXM Satellite Radio. Includes advanced GPS navigation built right in. The safety features include:
- Active Brake Assist – In case of any oncoming danger, Active Brake Assist warns drivers and if necessary, will brake for them. As a class leading feature, it is the only system that can recognize and respond to pedestrians.
- Active Distance Assist Distronic Plus – In high traffic areas, Active Distance Assist Distronic keeps enough distance between your vehicle and the one ahead of you to ensure optimal safety.
- Active Lane Keep Assist – If a driver is ever to unintentionally drift or leave their designated lane, Active Lane Keep Assist immediately alerts them.
- Attention Assist – This system detects driver drowsiness and inattention. It monitors your steering movements, trip duration, and interaction with vehicle controls and if fatigue is detected, it issues an audible and visual warning.
- Auto Headlamps with High Beam Assist
- Blind Spot Assist – This system uses radar sensors to detect the blind spots. It alerts you with a visual indicator in your side mirror and audible warning if you activate your turn signal when a car is present.
The Winnebago ARKA Overland Adventure Truck is built upon the 4×4 RAM 5500 diesel crew cab chassis. This Cummins 6.7L turbo-diesel engine produces 800 lb ft of torque or power and 360 horsepower and has an automatic 8 speed transmission with grade braking. With the 4×4 and 7 inch lift kit, the ARKA is optimized for breakover, departure angles and clearance to take on tough terrain.
The Winnebago ARKA RAM 5500 Chassis includes the following Safety Enhancements:
- Adaptive Cruise Control – In high traffic areas, Adaptive Cruise Control keeps enough distance between your vehicle and the one ahead of you to ensure optimal safety.
- Drowsy Driver Detection – Monitors driver behavior and alerts the driver with visual and audible warnings if signs of fatigue or inattentive driving are detected.
- Lane Keep Assist – Lane Keep Assist helps you by scanning the lane markings ahead on both sides of your vehicle and alerts you when you cross over a marking.
- Adaptive Steering System – Continuously adjusts steering response based on driving conditions and speed to provide improved handling, reduced driver fatigue, and greater control.
- Automatic High Beam Headlamp Control
- Automatic Emergency Braking – This system uses bumper mounted sensors and windshield cameras to automatically apply the brakes if a frontal impact is detected and the driver fails to respond.
- Forward Collision Warning – This system uses windshield sensors to monitor traffic, providing audio and visual alerts if you approach a vehicle to quickly. It then applies partial or full Automatic Emergency Braking to mitigate impacts.
- Electronic Stability Control – This feature senses when you begin to lose traction and automatically applies selective braking to help prevent your ARKA from sliding and skidding.
- Trailer Brake Controller
Winnebago Class C Motorhomes For Sale
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