The idea of seeing the USA from the lofty perch of a recreational vehicle has its appeal, to be sure.  Why not travel and take your hotel with you?

But, as many RV novices will attest, there’s a downside to taking the helm of a cumbersome, forty foot-long house with wheels.  Your average Class A motorhome isn’t easy to drive or park, and with gas prices the way they are, the big guys aren’t much fun to feed, either.  It’s almost enough to offset the cool stuff.

That’s where the Winnebago View comes in.  This modern, compact Class C RV combines a small footprint and good fuel economy with comfortable accommodations for four and reasonably comfortable driving dynamics.  Could this be the best of both worlds?

Riding on Dodge’s excellent Sprinter chassis, the View looks larger than the average Ford or Chevy-based Class C, but that’s just the tall seating position.  The cab and “attic” section over the top of the driver are a familiar silhouette.  The View may not look as impressive as a forty-foot diesel pusher with a custom paint job, but it’s a good-looking vehicle in its own right, benefiting from the Sprinter’s new-for-2007 styling that includes larger headlights and a bolder Dodge grille.  The cab is also two inches wider than before, improving space inside.  Handsome streamlining around the upper-cab extension keeps things looking modern.  The View features enclosed utility hookups like those found on larger recreational vehicles, and at the rear there’s a convenient ladder for accessing the roof.  The View attracted positive comments and pointed interest from fans of Winnebago’s classic “Minnie Winnie” compact motorhomes at more than one fuel stop.

Thanks to the high seating position, I was confident steering the View into Washington, D.C.’s infamous Beltway traffic, and the congested road conditions continued as I headed south on I-95.  The View shares the Dodge Sprinter’s redesigned dashboard, with multiple storage cubbies and easier-to-read gauges.  Drinks, maps and other necessaries are kept close to hand with ease.  Sitting in traffic is no way to see America, though, so I navigated the View onto the back roads.  It wasn’t any faster than the stop-and-go traffic on the interstate, but the scenery was definitely better.

The View wasn’t so bad, either.  The European-bred Sprinter chassis made the View a snap to manage on gently curving back roads.  Unlike a larger Class A and some other Class C’s the View has a relatively low center of gravity and doesn’t feel like it’s going to topple over around every corner.  If you spot a cool antique store or historical marker, it’s easy to swing this little rig around to go check it out.  The wide footprint translates to a stable feeling on the road.  It’s still a large vehicle (over ten feet tall) but the independent front suspension is responsive.  The Dodge chassis also benefits from some rear-suspension upgrades that reduce swaying substantially.  The View offers a very confident and comfortable ride, especially compared to other RVs, which have a tendency to lumber.

Thanks to a torquey and relaxed 154-horsepower 3.0 liter V6 turbodiesel engine, the rolling hills of central Virginia were no problem.  The little Winnebago is able to keep up with freeway traffic, if one is so inclined.  View drivers don’t have to be left behind like the big pokey Class As, when the road opens up.  This eagerness for the road was much appreciated as I headed away from the Atlantic seaboard on my way to the wilds of Texas, making an impromptu tour of automotive manufacturing facilities as I passed through Spartanburg, SC, home to the BMW X5 and Z4 plants, then drove past the Mercedes M-Class factory in Tuscaloosa County, AL, the Nissan complex in Smyrna, TN, Saturn’s Spring Hill, TN, facility and of course the General Motors plan in Arlington, TX, home of the Cadillac Escalade, Chevy Suburban and Tahoe, and GMC Yukon.

If that sounds like a long drive…well, it was.  The View lives for road trips, though, and it was refreshing to be able to put my foot down and make good time.  On the other hand, driving conservatively and keeping the 3.0 at a low boil has rewards in fuel economy.  The View averaged 13.3 miles per gallon during my 3500-mile road trip, and I’ve got a notorious leadfoot.  A gentler foot on the pedal took the fuel economy to 15.  Considering that most RVs get mileage in the single digits, the View’s impressive indeed.  The View will tow up to 3500 pounds, enough to bring a small car along for the trip if necessary.

When I finally dropped anchor in a quiet RV park in downtown Austin, Texas, the View was the smallest rig in the place.  The accommodations were much nicer than you might expect for a compact recreational vehicle, however.  The View 24H features a two-person bunk over the cab, a couch that folds into a double bed, and a dinette that drops down to sleep one, for a total capacity of five.  Other floorplans offer bunk beds at the rear and a side bathroom with a large slide-in storage compartment.  Like most motorhomes (and homes, for that matter), the View is most comfortable when it’s not at full capacity, and it makes a perfect rolling apartment for two.  The décor is also modern, and the View seemed to be at home as I explored Austin then headed north to poke around in Dallas’ Deep Ellum district.  The View seemed happy to be prowling the same byways and alleys as the Scion and rat-rod driving hipsters and college students. This ain’t your blue-haired grandma’s RV; for one thing, the stereo is too loud.

Like with most modern RVs, all of the comforts of home are present:  TV and DVD player in handsome washed-maple wood cabinets, a good-sized refrigerator and three-burner cooktop and a central air conditioning unit whose rooftop condenser is noisy from inside the View, but is quiet on the outside.  This is a bonus at secluded campgrounds where you won’t have to worry about disturbing your neighbors.  A pop-open skylight with a shade lets the rays in.  The View 24H is even equipped with a shower that’s large enough for full-size human beings, though a smallish water heater means that long hot soaks are out of the question.  The only thing that’s at a premium, thanks to the View’s compact dimensions, is closet space.

All said, the View is a surprisingly approachable and youthful motorhome.  If “youthful” seems like an unusual adjective to apply, well, it is.  But this is an entry-level RV, and thanks to a starting price of just under $87,000, it’s within reach of buyers who are considering their first motorhome.  “Entry-level” doesn’t mean “cheap” in the recreational vehicle game, and my experience with the View is that it’s a perfect home away from home for a family or group of two or three travelers.  With good fuel economy, comfortable accommodations, and an easy-to-drive manner, the “View” from this Winnebago is pretty good.

Specifications:
All specs are for the 2008 Winnebago View 24H.

Length: 24 ft. 7 in.
Width:    90 in.
Height:     10 ft. 9 in.
Wheelbase:  170 in.
GVWR:  11,030 lb.
Towing capacity:  3500 lb.
Freshwater capacity:  34 gal.
Holding tank capacity (black/gray):  33/27
Base price:  $86,880
Price as tested:     $92,600
Engine: 3.0 liter turbodiesel V6
Drivetrain:  five-speed automatic transmission, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower:  154
Fuel capacity:    26.4  gal.
LP fuel capacity:  18 gal.
Observed mileage: 13.3 mpg (avg. combined)