Far removed from its days as a synonym for "huge Class A motorhome," Winnebago is now known for a diverse lineup of on- and off-road RVs of all sizes. Building out its "Backcountry Series," the company adds its most ruggedly luxurious offering yet: the Arka truck camper. This off-grid expedition behemoth is prepared to spend up to 2 full weeks at a time in the deep, dusty backcountry. It's sure to have the Earthroamers and Krugs of the world peering back over their shoulders. Just don't expect a spa bathroom.
Developed from the ground up for "travelers who go farther and stay longer," the Arka is the third in Winnebago's Backcountry family, following the Revel 4x4 camper van and Ekko B+ adventure motorhome. The new big rig essentially picks up where those two leave off, giving restless travelers a vessel for achieving their most ambitious dream adventures – an off-road RV that's bigger, more capable and more self-sufficient than anything Winnebago offers currently, or has sold previously.
Winnebago starts with a Ram 5500 chassis cab that runs a huge, grunting 6.7-liter Cummins I-6 turbo-diesel pushing up to 360 hp and 800 lb-ft of torque out to its four wheels. The roomy crew cab seats up to six people, but the Arka sleeps only four, so expect a very comfortable journey.
Winnebago doesn't do quite as much off-road upgrade work as some smaller customizers and expedition rig outfitters, but it does hoist the 5500 chassis up onto 41-in tires, bolt on a winch-ready Buckstop Truckware front bumper, affix an onboard air compressor. As for the camper module exterior, Winnebago cages out the alcove face and lower front sides with thick tubular branch guards, wires in a set of floating front auxiliary lights, adds a swing-away full-size spare carrier in back, and secures on under-body aluminum storage lockers.
Many camper trucks in this class go with a solid rear wall, but Winnebago ports over double doors from the adventure van market, giving the Arka more flexible loading capabilities and an al fresco-friendly rear lounge – kick those doors open and enjoy meals in the front row of Mother Nature's grand amphitheater.
A fold-out ladder clips into the rugged rear bumper for easy access inside, and the rearmost section of the U-shaped sofa removes for loading through large cargo like bicycles and kayaks. There's also L-track on the floor below that removable sofa section to tie everything down so it doesn't go flipping and flying during the bumpy trip to camp.
Winnebago has crafted the Arka to withstand the full spectrum of weather from window-icing -10°F (-23°C) nights in snowy forests to 120°F (49°C) midsummer afternoons in open desert. It's not quite Arctic-ready, but it's prepped for a wider temperature spread than many RVers will experience in a lifetime.
The all-weather package starts with a 2-in-thick fiberglass-sandwich wall construction with a core of residential-grade insulation. Winnebago tops those R12-insulated walls with a single-piece R15 fiberglass roof arched subtly for shedding water quickly and efficiently. A Timberline hydronic heating system keeps the inside temperature comfy on cold days while in-floor heating keeps things prevents bare feet from freezing.
Winnebago also includes a Pioneer heat recovery and circulation system it calls a first for the US market. Air conditioning is optional, but the prep work is done to make it an easy add-on.
The electrical system is another key component of a robust off-grid build meant to supply an estimated 14 days of self-sufficient living outside civilization's footprint of fill-up stations and electrical hookups. It starts with a 165-Ah 51-V Lithionics battery and preparation for an opotional second 165-Ah battery for drop-in convenience. Those batteries charge off-grid via 800 watts of rooftop solar (expandable to 1,200 W) and an auxiliary 6,500-W alternator, keeping the 48-V electrical system live and ready for the full two weeks, with that running A/C will drive the battery reserves down much quicker.
Other electrical hardware includes a 3,600-W inverter, EcoFlow power hub with solar controller and tablet-size energy management system with touchscreen interface. Of course, there's also a 30-A shore power hookup for the truck's grand return to grid-connected terrain.
The Arka's fresh water supply stores away in a 227-L tank, augmented with help from a UV water purification system from Guzzle H20. A tankless continuous water heater ensures that hot water remains at the ready so long as there's water in the main fresh tank.
As for the floor plan, the generously sized wraparound-sofa lounge to which we alluded above comes with not one but two individual swivel tables to meet the dining and workstation needs of everyone seated around them. The lounge also converts over into a 60 x 75 in (152 x 191-cm) transverse double bed or, when the rear sofa section has been removed to clear garage storage, a smaller, tapered 54 x 75-in (137 x 191-cm) double bed.
Similarly, the master bed up in the front cabover offers multiple configurations, starting as a pair of 30 x 80-in (76 x 203-cm) single beds separated by a central nightstand. That nightstand is actually two removable cushion-back modules that can flip over and drop into the center between the two mattresses to complete a 72 x 80-in (183 x 203-cm) RV king-size bed. A third option is to push the two mattresses together into a 60 x 80-in (152 x 203-cm) queen and drop the nightstands on the outsides of the bed so each sleeper has their own.
The bathroom is located right below the raised master bed area and includes a slide-out toilet and a stored shower sprayer in the full-height storage console on the left side of travel, a shower floor in the center. Pop what you need out of the closet for use, secure the waterproof privacy slider door at the rear and smaller protective curtain over the bedroom entry, and take care of business. Then slide it all back when you're done.
We like part-time bathrooms in smaller rigs, but this one feels like a big miss. To be honest, it looks like a possible dealbreaker when shopping the Arka against similar camper trucks. Both the Revel and Ekko manage full-time wet baths so we can't even fathom why this truck doesn't.
For one, you have to step on the (likely damp) shower floor to get into bed. Same/same with the fold-out shower "seat" that doubles as a step up to the bed. And who wants to lie in bed while someone is using the toilet inches away, with only a piece of fabric separating them?! For that matter, who wants to lie back down in bed after they just hit the toilet hard? And what if you accidentally open the bath/bed divider curtain with a wayward shoulder while showering – damp foot of the bed if lucky, soaked if not so lucky.
It honestly feels like Winnebago forgot about the bathroom when designing the floor plan, thought they had a super-spacious, comfortable layout, then realized their mistake and squeezed the bathroom in with as little rearranging as possible. Or maybe it just got too absorbed in the whole 'cool, multifunctional space' mentality and overlooked basic usability. Because it could easily cut down the oversized rear lounge, or size down and relocate the fridge currently taking up the space just to the right of the bathroom, and fit in a proper wet bath compartment.
Perhaps if potential buyers are as put off as we are, Winnebago will add a second floor plan with a real bathroom ... or at least a part-time bath that isn't so cozy with the main bed.
The kitchen gets things back on track and looks like the kind of quality space you'd expect in this grade of overland camper. It includes an open countertop, portable induction cooker, stainless steel sink with worktop lid and countertop extension. The aforementioned fridge provides 176 liters of cold storage and includes a drawer freezer. The optional microwave mounts in the storage area on top of the fridge.
Winnebago introduced the Arka ahead of a world public premiere at this weekend's Overland Expo West show. Its US$331,901 base is a spit-take outbreak waiting to happen, but compare it around with offerings from Storyteller GXV, Earthroamer, Unicat and others, and it starts to look a little more reasonable. That's not to say it's on par with those products and the decades of overland-specific market-shaping experience that went into them, but it is an interesting alternative at a lower price worth looking at if you're gauging options and price points.
Or at least it could be a worthwhile alternative once they sort out that bathroom.
Get a feel for how the Arka can turn "nowhere into somewhere" in the promo vid below.
Source: Winnebago
