"And here are two sets of keys," he said, "See you in a week." DrivingĪs we merged into highway traffic for our 15-hour drive, the Via felt more like our old 1999 Ford Aerostar minivan than the 9630-pound behemoth it really is. I think my face went blank at this point, as I stared at the RV's airplane-like plethora of indicators, buttons, and switches, wondering what I had gotten myself into. The chemical flush for the toilet will help reduce odors for about 40 gallons. The red switch for the holding tank heater should be used only in freezing temperatures at the campsite. He started to explain the finer points of RV driving: The power inverter only works when you are driving because it uses the engine alternator. Luke, the salesman responsible for the walk-around, quickly touched on the major selling points of this $123,942 beast: a 28-gallon fresh water tank, two 12-volt batteries located below the steps, a Mercedes-Benz turbo-diesel engine, a Cummins 3600-watt power generator located in the side compartment. We slipped inside and felt a waft of cold air billowing past the bathroom into the rear sleeping quarters. Cloud, Minn., for the pick-up and walk-around, I first spotted the Via nestled between two gargantuan models bigger than coach buses. When I arrived at the Pleasureland RV center in St. Yes, I have a full life insurance policy." Pick-Up and Walk-Around We were thinking of driving out to Denver and seeing how she drives up the mountain passes in the Rockies Mountain. We do want to bring the kids and the dog. No, I don't think I would need a training course. "That's right, I've never driven an RV before. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play As you can imagine, the initial conversation with Winnebago about renting the vehicle was a bit stilted. Yet we've never camped in an RV together, or even driven one. Over the past two decades, we've camped in pop-up trailers and camper cabins across much of Minnesota, where we live, plus at a handful of parks in northern South Dakota, a few in Wisconsin, and one unmentionable backwoods site in Nebraska. I pictured the two of us driving down a lonely two-lane road, gripping sodas in one hand and smiling occasionally with a wistful stare. Since we've been married for almost 25 years, I thought it would be fun to test out the new Winnebago Via, a 25-footer about the same size and shape as the classic Brave. This was the old 24-foot rig, enormous for its day, with a massive plate-glass window in the back, bike racks in the front, and a 7-mpg fuel rating. From 1972 to 1975 my wife spent every summer in a Winnebago Brave motorhome, parked somewhere in the wilds of Alaska.
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