Long synonymous with old fashioned, oversized Class A motorhomes, Winnebago has been fast transforming its image over the past decade, designing small, flexible camper vans aimed at youthful adventurers. Its latest camper van is its lightest, most flexible design yet thanks to a partnership with Oregon-based modular camper van kit specialist Adventure Wagon. Every standalone component in the new camper van, from the multi-panel bed to the toilet, is fully removable, creating a Mercedes Sprinter that can haul work tools week after week and go on extended camping adventures once PTO kicks in.
Based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 170, the Winnebago + Adventure Wagon camper van is one of the most flexible camper van packages we've seen. It takes full advantage of the growing market of light, portable RV products designed to make modular campers out of any vehicle and incorporates not only Adventure Wagon components but also products from Dometic, EcoFlow and Thetford. It's a limited edition van meant to be "configured for your next adventure, task or job," and then reconfigured back again.
Winnebago has been focusing on adding flexible and modular equipment to its adventure vans in recent years. In 2020, it redesigned its popular Revel 4x4 camper van with a portable induction cooktop in place of an inbuilt stove, and in 2021, it launched the Solis Pocket entry-level van with a variety of multipurpose furnishings and equipment.
With the Adventure Wagon project, Winnebago takes the strategy of flexible, modular design about as far as it can go, stripping out every last hint of non-removable furniture and equipment and replacing with lightweight, easily removable solutions. The only things hard-mounted to the wide-open Sprinter cabin are the Adventure Wagon L-track installed on the floor, walls and ceiling and the insulated wall paneling.
Winnebago starts by adding sleeper capabilities, topping Adventure Wagon's three-panel MOAB longitudinal bed with its own 65 x 77-in (165 x 196-cm) WinnSleep mattress for added comfort. The MOAB bed frame mounts to the sidewall tracks to maintain storage space below and easily removes.
In front of the bed on the driver's side, Winnebago mounts a compact cabinet with worktop. Instead of taking up permanent space with a full sink, it uses a flexible layout based around Dometic's 11-L HYD canister and accompanying electric faucet. The collapsible sink basin integrated into the flip-out shelf catches the water.
Winnebago mentions included cooking capabilities, and given the lack of any sign of a mounted cooktop, it seems like the Adventure Wagon camper will use a simpler portable camping stove. In fact, it might follow the Revel in using a single-burner induction cooktop, which could plug into the portable 3.6-kWh EcoFlow all-in-one power station that's secured in a dedicated tray on the floor.
Like a typical hardwired RV electrical system, the EcoFlow includes a lithium battery, inverter, electrical outlets, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, and an accompanying mobile monitoring app, albeit in a more flexible, space-saving platform that can be removed as needed. In addition to providing power inside the van, it can easily wheel outside for powering a cooktop or other appliances and electronics in the great outdoors.
We don't see any wires running from the EcoFlow to the Dometic fridge/freezer box, so the latter might come powered by Dometic's own 40-Ah PLB lithium battery. Either way, it provides plenty of cold storage and can be removed from the van and used outdoors or stored away at home.
While the Adventure Wagon collab van lacks the built-in bathroom included on other Winnebago camper vans, it does come complete with a toilet. The compact Thetford Porta Potti is stored away in a bench seat cabinet, readily available when it's needed, out of sight when it's not.
All of the van's furniture, equipment and overhead storage sacks are mounted to the L-track, readily removable when the owner needs a standard van and not a camper. Winnebago's floor plan shows four rear seats that can be installed in conjunction with the camper equipment, and the van could easily accommodate more seats with the camper equipment removed. The seats also mount to the floor rails, so the owner could remove all the rear seats to empty out the van cabin and use it for cargo.
Winnebago provided the first sneak peek at the Winnebago + Adventure Wagon camper van at the 2023 Florida RV SuperShow on Wednesday. It will start at an MSRP of US$178,013.
Winnebago also fully revealed the all-new eRV2 electric Ford camper van prototype in Florida today and released more photos and a detailed video. We've added these materials to our eRV2 article from yesterday for a more complete look at the new prototype.
Source: Winnebago
