Winnebago Connect is a Glimpse of the Future of RVing

Recently, we had the chance to spend a few days camping in the new Winnebago View 24T, a well-equipped Class C that is fun, comfortable, and easy to drive. One of the distinctive features of this RV is that it is the first model to come with Winnebago Connect, an intelligent control and monitoring platform that is both innovative and highly functional. The system allows you to control the vehicle’s lights, HVAC, and other features while also keeping a close eye on the holding tanks and house batteries. It even activates the View’s slide-out, water pump, and tankless water heater.

Of course, Winnebago Connect isn’t the first smart system to be integrated into an RV, but it does have a few advantages over similar offerings from other manufacturers. For starters, the proprietary platform is so deeply integrated into the Class C View that it can do things others can’t. For instance, it can provide vehicle diagnostic reports to customer service reps and RV technicians, making it easier than ever to find and fix any issues that owners may be experiencing. It also uses 4G cellular networking to provide access from virtually anywhere, while also receiving regular over-the-air updates to fix software bugs and add new features.

So, how well does Winnebago Connect perform? Read on to find out.

Photo Credit: Kraig Becker

Touchscreen Access

Winnebago Connect is accessed from inside the RV via a 10” touchscreen conveniently mounted on a wall in the living room/kitchen area. Unlike the digital displays used with some other control and monitoring systems, Winnebago’s is bright, easy to read, and responsive. The high-resolution screen provides access to a simple and intuitive user interface that is well laid out and designed for ease of use. Anyone who has ever used a tablet or smartphone will feel right at home here, quickly picking up on the nuances of the system.

But the built-in touchscreen isn’t the only way to interact with Winnebago Connect. Users can also pair their smartphones with the system using the Winnebago app. This puts all of the functionality at your fingertips, both inside and outside the vehicle. You can use the phone to control the slide-out, deploy the awning, lock the doors, turn off lights, and do everything else the platform allows you to do. We even used it to switch off a light in the bathroom after we had crawled into bed for the night. While it was only a few steps away to the actual light switch, it was nice not to have to leave the View’s comfortable Murphy bed just to turn it off.

If you have a premium Winnebago Connect subscription plan—more on that below—you can even adjust the RV’s settings from a remote location. When nearby, your phone connects using Bluetooth, but if you’re further away, you can adjust temperature settings, lock the doors, and turn on the lights remotely over the internet. Having complete control from a distance can be a game-changer in a variety of ways.

Photo Credit: Winnebago

Smart Home Features at the Campsite

Smart home technology has grown in popularity in recent years, allowing users to adjust temperature settings, turn on lights when they enter a room or automatically unlock the door when they arrive home. Winnebago Connect brings those same sensibilities to the RV with features that are specific to the vehicle, like slide-out controls.

Winnebago Connect also provides granular control over the View’s temperature settings, allowing owners to lock the internal temperature to a precise number or provide a range for when the A/C and furnace kick in. Obviously, that isn’t completely new, but the system continually monitors the current conditions and intelligently and efficiently adjusts to maintain a comfortable environment. It even monitors the current energy management systems, prompting you to plug into a power pole or use the vehicle’s alternator to recharge the onboard batteries.

Like the smart home platforms you use in your house, Winnebago Connect can create settings that adjust the environment based on preset conditions of your own choosing. Those presets can be used to turn off and on specific lights, adjust their brightness, and set the HVAC to a specific temperature with a single tap of the touchscreen. Better still, those scenes can be set to a timed schedule, creating the perfect conditions for bedtime, for example, or automatically illuminating the RV’s interior at sunset.

Photo Credit: Winnebago

Pet Minder Mode

Everyone likes to bring their pets with them on their RV travels, but leaving our furry friends alone in the vehicle can be anxiety-inducing. What if the RV gets too hot or the power goes out while we’re away? Thankfully, Winnebago Connect has an answer to those challenges, too.

The system’s Pet Minder mode allows owners to set a comfortable temperature for their pets, with the vehicle maintaining those settings while they’re away. If something goes wrong, the service sends an alert message to their smartphone to let them know there is an issue. Those alerts can include unexpected changes in temperature, severe weather warnings, power outages, and more. In other words, if conditions change, Winnebago Connect will let you know, allowing you to react accordingly.

We didn’t have any of our pets with us during our time with the Winnebago View, but as a dog owner, it is easy to see how this system provides a reassuring peace of mind. Just knowing the interior is kept comfortable for our pets is a major plus, but knowing you’ll be alerted should something change is even more reassuring. And considering how many RVers travel with their animals, I’m sure this is a feature that will get plenty of use at the campground.

Photo Credit: Winnebago

Winnebago Connect Subscription Tiers and Pricing

As noted above, Winnebago Connect users can choose from three different connectivity subscription levels to fit their specific needs. The “Essentials” level is the free tier and provides all of the standard features mentioned above. Monitoring and control are limited to Bluetooth, however, which means you’ll have to be close to the RV to actually adjust settings and features. The official range of Bluetooth wireless tech is about 300 feet, but it reliably works better when within 50 feet or less.

Winnebago’s two paid tiers include “Premium” and “Premium + Wi-Fi,” both of which enable online connectivity. The difference is that under the Premium subscription, that connection is mainly used for remote monitoring and control of the RV, over-the-air software updates, and for Winnebago customer service reps to run remote diagnostics services. Premium + Wi-Fi does all of that, while also activating an onboard wireless router that provides internet access for laptops, tablets, smartphones, and other devices. That includes the View’s built-in smart TV that, with a strong connection, can stream Netflix, YouTube, and other video platforms.

The Premium subscription level costs $10/month, with owners receiving one free year with the purchase of an RV equipped with Winnebago Connect. Premium + Wi-Fi offers two different pricing options which include an internet data package. For $99/month, users get 10GB of data for use in checking email, posting to social media, and so on. Need a little more data For $119/month the data package increases to 100GB, allowing for video streaming and making Zoom calls.

Photo Credit: Kraig Becker

Closing Thoughts

Winnebago has always been at the forefront of utilizing new technology, but with the introduction of Winnebago Connect, it has cemented itself as the tech leader in the traditional RV space. The system is extremely powerful yet intuitive and easy to use, making it something customers will actually appreciate and want to have in their next motorhome or travel trailer.

One of the system’s biggest strengths is its flexibility and expandability. Winnebago plans to offer quarterly OTA software updates to add new features and functionality, which should make it fun to watch the platform evolve and change over time. It also means Winnebago Connect has an exciting future as it rolls out to more vehicles in the coming years. Eventually, it will be implemented into every Winnebago coach and towable in the company’s lineup, which is an indication of how committed it is to the service.

After spending a few days camping in a Winnebago Connect-equipped Class C View, it will be difficult to camp in another RV without the system. The level of convenience it brings to the vehicle can’t be overstated. As we already said, the platform feels like a glimpse of the future of RVing, and we can’t wait to experience more of it.

To find out more about Winnebago Connect, visit the company’s website.

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