Minnie Winnie 25B

[Convoy_Travel]

My wife and I have had many years of Class A (diesel and gas) travel, but we're getting older and the trips are getting shorter. Thinking about downsizing to a basic class C, gas powered, no slides, able to tow. We're starting to look at Minnie Winnies 25B, but are just starting to look around. Ideas and recommendations?

[Unobtanium]

Convoy Travel wrote:
research for the not too distant future

At least one would hope. Not sure of Winnies backlog at present if any, but a close friend had his 3 yr old Jayco class C totaled by a tree in his yard in July 2020. He ordered a new one late Augusr 2020 ago when the insurance paid out and has yet to receive it or a confirmed date when he will receive it that is not BS. The dates he has been giving all along were moving targets.

[EMD360]

Have a used 25b. We use a stool at the foot of the bed. The basement area is big which is a plus. I have mostly lightweight camping gear. We take the family and don’t worry much about weight with the 350. I’m agile enough to make the bed but others use sleeping bag type bedding. We also can sleep one on the couch. There is a large empty area under the jackknife to store a single bed foam. And the dinette is big enough to sleep an adult crosswise. The biggest shortcoming is lack of kitchen counter space. I use a roll up drainer over the sink and installed a stove top cover and a shelf under the kitchen cabinet to help compensate. I’m going to replace the main tv arm. It’s barely long enough to come out past the cabinet and does not tilt so we have been using a tv I put in the second location at the rear bed. I’m getting new shocks and helliwig sway bar and my rear brakes need to be replaced. I like that the steps inside are low enough the electric steps are not needed. I just installed 360 watts of solar with 210ah lithium batteries, a new charger, a 3000 watt inverter, etc. get Victron equipment and you can put it all on WiFi with a cerbo from them. I didn’t get their charger or inverter but still use the cerbo. I’ve read that many class A drivers miss the height and the clearer view if they switch to a C with a cab over and regular pickup truck height.

[pnichols]

melandme wrote:
We brought a 25B new 5 years ago. The reason we picked this floor plan was basically the reasons you gave. We have not had any problems with it. Have made several 2 to 3 weeks trips around the country. Did do the heavier sway bars and Sumo spring upgrade to improve handling. It is on the 350 chassis with a V8. We tow a Wrangler and just made a trip to Colorado. It did fine on the passes, just let it gear down and the engine rev.

We have a Yeti type cooler that we set at the foot of the bed that we use as a step to make getting in and out of the bed easy.

The only thing that I would do different would get the 450 chassis. With the Minnie loaded to travel with the wife and I, weight is around 12k, leaving only about 500 lbs to GVWR. The extra 2000 lb from the 450 would allow you to carry more passengers and cargo.

In addition ... the E450 chassis would cause a small motorhome to handle better in camping and all driving situations due to it being an "overkill chassis" relative to the stationary weight, moving weight, and wind force that your small Class C places on it.

For instance, our Winnebago Itasca E450 24V:

1. Does not rock when we walk around in it while camped.
2. Does not rock much in high winds while camped.
3. Feels solid and under control on highway curves.
4. Feels solid and under control in high cross-winds on the open road.
5. Can be loaded up any way we want and we notice no effect on 1., 2., 3., or 4., above.
6. Experiences very little brake pad wear year after year.

Nowdays it seems that if one wants a heavy duty chassis under a new small Class C ... the only choice is a Ford E450 chassis or maybe a Chevy 4500 chassis.

[ron_dittmer]

Hi Convoy Travel,

If you are fine sleeping like Rob and Laura Petrie, look into a used Phoenix Cruiser model 2551 or a new Model 2552. These two models are very popular with older folk who downsized from larger rigs. They come with a slide out but I believe you can order it without one. Configurations include either a couch or a dinette along that wall.

Rear walk-around queen bed plans are also available. The Phoenix line-up are lower, more narrow, and very aerodynamic, making them easier to maneuver in.
CLICK HERE to get to the main Phoenix Cruiser website.

We bought our Phoenix Cruiser model 2350 (SEEN HERE) brand new 14 years ago back in 2007 and hope to keep it for 25 more years.

[Convoy_Travel]

Thank you for the useful responses. We have been traveling quite a bit and this is a research for the not too distant future, so I have not been keeping up to date very well.

Will be posting more and asking more questions as we go; in the meantime, does the 25B or similar offer:
- residential refrigerator
- dual powered (gas/electric) hot water
- microwave convection oven?

[cbigham]

You might look at the next model larger with the couch. I very much like having a different place to sit than the dinette. I have the thor 23u with the barrel chair. I move from the dinette to the barrel chair, back, to the bed for comfort in times of rain.

[pnichols]

Well ... the 25B has 2 permanent beds in it ... one in the back and one over the cab. One person in each makes for a lot of room for each person.

My wife has a bad back, so in our 24 ft. Itasca Class C she gets the corner bed all to herself to sprawl out in. I use the overhead cab bed to sprawl out in. My wife uses a stool to help crawl up onto the corner bed, which is the same stool that she uses for an easier reach into the high cabinets, so the stool serves a dual purpose.

The chassis under our 24 footer is the E450, so we can load it up as we wish with no concern for any over-loading or negative impacts on handling while going down the road. The wide rear stance of the E450's dual tire sets provides for great lateral stability on curves and in high cross-winds.

[melandme]

We brought a 25B new 5 years ago. The reason we picked this floor plan was basically the reasons you gave. We have not had any problems with it. Have made several 2 to 3 weeks trips around the country. Did do the heavier sway bars and Sumo spring upgrade to improve handling. It is on the 350 chassis with a V8. We tow a Wrangler and just made a trip to Colorado. It did fine on the passes, just let it gear down and the engine rev.

We have a Yeti type cooler that we set at the foot of the bed that we use as a step to make getting in and out of the bed easy.

The only thing that I would do different would get the 450 chassis. With the Minnie loaded to travel with the wife and I, weight is around 12k, leaving only about 500 lbs to GVWR. The extra 2000 lb from the 450 would allow you to carry more passengers and cargo.

[bobndot]

It would be a good choice as long as you can handle a double bed of 54” Wide and also be able to crawl out of it, being a corner bed.
It does offer a sofa and dinette. Thats a plus.