In an attempt to stay ahead of the curve, the all-new Vista Class-C motorhome by Winnebago Industries represents a departure from conventional wisdom. In terms of livability, it's a full-size (no compromise) Class-C motorhome--however, most of the chassis is by Volkswagen. The cutaway chassis/cab comes complete with cab, seats, instrumentation, steering wheel, windshield doors, hood, a 2.8L fuel-injected V-6 engine (that develops 201 hp and 181 lb-ft torque), and a four-speed automatic transmission. That's the VW part. From the cab aft, Winnebago designed and built the chassis/platform, which includes the rear axle.
Called Superstructure, the Winnebago-built portion of the chassis is a culmination of design integration that incorporates steel-and-aluminum substructures. The Vista features two exterior basement storage compartments that conceal 30 cu ft of storage space, configured to accommodate pass-through storage. An exterior wash station (hot and cold running water) is optional. The house battery is accessible from inside the coach through a hatch in the floor.
Interested in knowing how well the Vista functions as a motorhome and how it performs on the road, Truck Trend put the Vista through a road test. Bottom line: The Vista is for real. The fuel-injected V-6 is responsive on the freeway and on winding mountain roads. Because of its size and center of gravity, the Vista proved agile and stable when navigating traffic.