Feeling the demand for a motorhome with built-in bicycle garage, Canadian motorhome maker Leisure Travel Vans has risen to the challenge and released the Wonder Rear Twin Bed (RTB). In addition to carrying two bicycles, the 25-ft (7.6-m), Ford Transit-based motorhome hits the road with a smart entertainment system, flexible bedroom, and versatile, multi-use furnishings throughout. If you can't pedal all the way there and back, consider throwing the bikes in the Leisure Wonder RTB and staying a while.
Leisure is known for a line-up of Class C motorhomes with clever features like expansion slide-outs and Murphy beds. While plenty comfy inside, Leisure motorhomes aren't necessarily purpose-built for the active set that's become a coveted buyer demographic.
Motorhome and trailer manufacturers of all sizes and styles have been targeting more active consumers with wide-ranging products like the Winnebago Revel, modular VanDoIt camper and Turtlebacker trailer. These products help drivers get out there and do a lot more than just tour around the highway and look at the scenery through the window by making it easier to carry bicycles, ATVs, kayaks, snowboards and all other forms of oversized adventure tools.
With the Wonder RTB, Leisure reaches out to this type of buyer with a sportier Class C that retains plenty of interior comfort.
"For years, we have been asked by our customers to build an RV with an exterior garage, large enough to store their bicycles and other large items," explains Ryan Elias, general manager of Leisure parent company Triple E RV. "We are excited to finally be able to offer this. We think this could be a real winner with our active customers, with over 67 cubic feet (1,897 L) of concealed exterior storage to bring their bikes, golf clubs, inflatable kayaks and more."
That bike garage is a rear pass-through storage compartment sized specifically to store two bicycles with space left over for additional gear. And if bicycles aren't your thing, it can swallow plenty of other types of equipment, too, keeping belongings secure and concealed.
A bicycle garage is a big deal at Leisure, but certainly nothing you can't find from other motorhome makers. Where the Wonder RTB might win you over versus those other options is in its smart, flexible interior. Leisure has managed to add bicycle storage without cutting back on the creative features and homey comforts that keep its other models rolling off lots.
As the model name hints, the centerpiece of the Wonder RTB's all-new interior is the rear bedroom, where two 32 x 76-in (81 x 193-cm) beds provide comfy overnight accommodations. A pair of beds is perfect for buddies doing a trip to Moab, but might not be the preferred choice for a couple, which is why the two beds can slide together to create a single 64 x 76-in (162 x 183 cm) bed for two. The flex-bed layout should prove particularly useful for owners who use their motorhome in different ways, traveling with a spouse on one trip, a friend on the next, for example.
The greater bedroom area includes a storage compartment with hanging wardrobe under each lift-up bed. The compartment below the passenger-side bed can be optioned into a clever dog house, creating a comfy "three" sleeper.
The Wonder RTB's flexibility extends to the dinette, where the table grows with help from dual leaves and adjusts on a swiveling base mounted to the front wall. The table can also be removed and set up in the bedroom, where an integrated mount makes it easy to have breakfast in bed or do a little pre-bedtime computer work.
The kitchen is equally versatile thanks to an extendable countertop. Instead of the simple flip-up extension common in motorhomes, the Wonder has an oversized drop-down panel mounted to the wall over the driver-side dinette seat, giving the Wonder RTB the largest counter in Leisure's line-up. The kitchen also includes a dual-burner stove, sink, convection microwave, Dometic three-way refrigerator, pull-out pantry, and pull-out garbage bin.
The Wonder RTB's dry bath layout splits the bathroom into a toilet/sink room and separate shower room.
An impressive electrical and entertainment package starts with dual LED smart TVs – a large one on the kitchen wall and a smaller one in the bedroom. Also included are a Blu-ray player and Bluetooth sound bar. A wall-mounted touchscreen command center offers monitoring and control of lighting, the electrical system and optional generator, the interior climate and general diagnostics. A Winegard Wi-Fi extender with 4G LTE is available, as are 200- and 400-W solar panel arrays.
Leisure explains that it's eliminated the upper cabinetry over the pass-through, opening it up for easier movement between driver cab and motorhome cabin. The motorhome's exterior entry door works off Ford's keyless entry fob and includes a power step.
The Wonder RTB went up for order last week and starts at US$118,300. The 178-in (452-cm) wheelbase Ford Transit cutaway chassis brings a 185-hp (138-kW), 350 lb-ft (475 Nm) 3.2-liter I-5 turbo diesel engine and six-speed automatic transmission. Deliveries will begin in Fall 2018 (Northern Hemisphere).
For a closer look at all the Wonder RTB's features and details, the 23-minute video below provides a section-by-section walkthrough with a ton of information. If you don't have time for that, check out the photo gallery for stills of the various areas and features.
Source: Leisure Travel Vans
