Date: Wed, 12 Oct 94 10:20:55 CDT
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: "J. Walker" <JWALKER@ua1vm.ua.edu>
Subject: (long) VW-Winnebago Rialta 20' magazine test
Motorhome, November 1994
Rialta 20'
John Ponder and Jeff Johnston
Reasonable fuel economy and relaxed drivability are the high points
of this new Winnebago touring coach.
The new Rialta motorhome is Winnebago's updated replacement for the
company's no-longer-produced Phasar and LeSharo motorhomes. The rising
cost of the Renault chassis, on which the earlier coach was built, plus
a desire to upgrade the product spelled the end of the LeSharo/Phasar.
But the availability of Volkswagen's all-new, front-wheel-drive
minivan made the rebirth of Winnebago's smallest motorhome a reality.
In general configuration and floorplan, the Rialta is similar to the
LeSharo/Phasar from the driver's compartment aft. Model 21RD includes
two passenger seats behind the driver's compartment, a rear dinette
and midcoach curbside galley opposing the streetside toilet facilities.
The Volkswagen cab is used in much the same way that Ford and Chevrolet
cutaway chassis are used for traditional Class C motorhomes, except that
Winnebago doesn't use the VW frame. From the doorposts back, Winnebago
builds its own steel frame and rear suspension, which utilizes VW wheel
and brake components. To this frame is added a unibody-style steel
floor plus aluminum-framed wall and roof units skinned with aluminum
and insulated with ploystyrene. Steel-reinforced fibreglas transition
panels smooth the joint between the cab and the body, and a fibreglas
cap brings up the rear.
Fuel economy is an important selling point for this motorhome, and
VW's gasoline-fueled, five-cylinder, 2.5-liter, fuel-injected engine
backed by a four-speed automatic with overdrive is said to deliver
in the neighborhood of 15-mpg plus, according to the manufacturer. The
engine and transmission are mounted transversely (that's crosswise) in
standard front-wheel-drive practice, and completely fill the underhood
space. Routine fluid service points are easily reached, but for
ambitious jobs like changing spark plugs, the radiator hinges forward
to minimize access hassles.
The Rialta has 980 pounds of cargo and passenger capacity, which should
be enough even if four adults occupy the bucket seats and also bring
their personal goodies along.
Our test rig was priced at $40,795 base suggested retail, and a few
options bumped the total up to $45,119. Included among those options
are
microwave oven ($297)
3-kw Generac generator ($1958)
7100-BTU roof air-conditioning ($608)
rear suspension air bags ($223)
rear window wiper ($142)
rear window defroster ($115)
power ventilator ($182)
and other miscellaneous options.
Although our test Rialta was an early prototype, it was fitted with the
entire array of functional equipment, even if some of it was rough
around the edges. We've been told by the manufacturer that most of the
glitches we encountered have since been eliminated on production models.
Livability
Obviously, when two adults, a golden retriever, camera gear and clothes
for a three-day trip used up virtually all of the Rialta's interior
storage space, this is not a unit to recommend for long-term tours.
Winnebago has made efficient use of the available space ... there just
isn't very much space to begin with. It offers just 69 inches of
headroom adn is 82.5 inches wide inside.
The only outside storage is a rear, streetside compartment where the
drain hose and city water hose fit in with the shore power cord. Inside,
the biggest space is a wardrobe that can accomodate hanging clothes with
a little room at the bottom for some shoes and boots. Storage beyond
that is limited to four small overhead compartments that measure
12.5 inches deep x 31.5 inches long and 8 inches high, and two
compartments under the passenger seats where we stored a camera bag,
shoes and dog supplies. Entry doors on all of these could be
improved upon. The overhead compartments could use a hydraulic support
... they don't stay open by themselves. Latches for the molded ABS
doors for the passenger seat compartments tended to stick and were
difficult to open.
Sleeping quarters consist of two beds converted from the rear passenger
seats and the rear dinette. To assemble the front bed, the head-rest
is taken out of the streetside seat and both seats are folded flat.
Two center panels for the bed are removed from under the two seats and
drop into place quickly. The bed measured 72 inches long and 53 inches
wide curbside, and 42 inches wide streetside where the headrest was
removed. We found it firm and comfy for sleeping.
The rear bed measures 79x48 inches. We found the dinette table was
something of a hassle when preparing the rear bed for sleeping. Instead
of being hinged to collapsing against the rear wall, it needs to be
unbuckled and removed. (Not knowing this and assuming a standard
hinged design, we crunched the buckle off the table.) It's also a
slight problem finding a good place to store this table out of the way.
The toilet facilities use the slide-out bathroom compartment design
used in the original Lesharos. When the bathroom is not in use, its
compartment is just big enough to acoomodate the commode against the
wall. Remove the carpeted floor panel in front of this compartment
and you find the shower basin. Slide the room out and you have shower
space. The sink in this compartment folds against the wall with a
latch mechanism to keep it in place.
Unfortunately, the latch continually failed while on the road, causing
the sink to fall into "in-use" position. Fortunately, the latch held
when the commode was in use and Winnebago has resolved to solve the
problem. Our test unit, one of the first production models, had small
knobs that had to be turned to release the cabinet for sliding out and
creating the bathroom space. One of these metal knobs stripped off its
pin; Winnebago assures us the design will be changed.
The main problem we had with this bathroom was drainage. The sink
doesn't have its own drain and the basin must be emptied by folding it
against the wall. It is supposed to drain into the shower basin where
an electric pump sucks the water into a holding tank. However,
whenever we dumped the sink water, it splashed onto the top of the
commode and splattered a bit on the carpet. Our unit seemed to need a
bigger trough behind the sink to guide the water into the shower basin.
Though compact, the galley afforded enough space for food prep with a
counter extension that flipped into place and an insert for the sink
made of countertop material (we would have preferred a cutting board
insert). Storage space was limited to one drawer and a cupboard under
the counter. The small three-way fridge, also under the counter, had
just enough room for a salad container, some fruit and a few beverages.
The range had two burners, and the microwave was just 19 inches directly
above the sink, making the sink a bit difficult for tall people to use.
The unit is well lighted and attractive, with the big rear window
serving as a picture window for the dinette. Screened louvered windows
(with rounded edges) on both sides of the dinette and next to the
passenger seat ensure good ventilation. The air conditioning kept the
unit cool and we believe the heater installed below the wardrobe would
have been sufficient to keep it warm although we never had a reason to
use it.
Our test unit was one of the first five to roll off the assembly line
and Winnebago assured us that most of the bugs we experienced had
already been worked out of production models as this was being written.
Although it is smallish and not designed for long-term living, it does
offer creature comforts and would make an ideal vehicle for long-weekend
tours.
Powertrain, Powerformance
Facing the driver is a full instrument array set in a dash composed of
squared-off modular-style units. The look is a marked departure from
the rounded, aero/organic dash-style found in most new vehicles today.
Each "module" contains similar-function groupings of switches, control
knobs or other components typically found in a vehicle dash. The analog
instruments are concise and readable, and the function logos on the
switches are easy to understand. The controls have a distinctly
imported feel, which isn't really bad, it's just different from those
on the usual American-sourced motorhome chassis. Both rear-view
mirrors are fully visible, and driver visibility forward and to the
sides is excellent.
The floor-mounted shift lever features a thumb-release lock button and
a PRNDL indicator in the gauge cluster so the driver needn't strain to
see the floor-level, shift-lever-mounted gear indicator. The lower
indicator is non-illuminated, making it almost impossible to see at
night, so the instrument-panel readout is much appreciated. A hand-
applied lever next to the shifter provides parking brake actuation.
The cab is a snug fit, compared to most motorhomes, but even our extra-
tall testers found the legroom, headroom and shoulder space highly
agreeable. Although the steering wheel doesn't tilt, our drivers felt
it was in a good spot.
Acceleration took 25.8 seconds 0- to 60-mph and 14.1 seconds for a
40- to 60-mph passing run. Once underway, and it can take awhile if
you're starting on an uphill grade or when pulling the unit's maximum-
allowable 2000-pound trailer, the Rialta is a pleasant, comfortable
driver. Wind and drivetrain noise are minimal. There's some torque
steer when first accelerating from a stop, but otherwise, the coach
steers and operates with no stress or strain. Drivers who feel uneasy
behind the wheel of a full-size motorhome should have no qualms about
operating a Rialta.
The engine turns over about 3650 prm at 65 mph in overdrive gear. This
is understandable, given the motorhome's low (numerically high) 4.93:1
axle ratio. But even at that engine speed, the ambient noise level is
low.
Rialta's ride is acceptable under most highway conditions. Crossing
railroad tracks or other bumps tends to jar the motorhome's aft end
around, but the torsion-bar, independent front suspension and leaf-
spring rear suspension generally soak up the bumps in a firm, business-
like manner.
Hill climbs can take this motorhome's breath away in a hurry but
shifting down has good effect given the engine's high-rpm capability.
On a 6 percent grade, we were down to about 44 mph in third (direct)
gear after hitting the bottom at 55 mph. A slightly steeper hill had
use geared down to second, with a 40 mph cruise to the top at 3000 rpm.
A drive down a 6 percent grade had us slowed to 45 mph in third gear
using compression holdback.
In Conclusion
Given the relatively high cost for the amount of living space offered,
smaller motorhomes like the Rialta aren't for everyone. But for those
who want a compact, easily drivable motorhome that's fully self-
contained and relatively affordable to operate, the VW-based Rialta
may well turn out to be just such an attractive package.
For more information, call 1-800-643-4892 or write to:
Winnebago Industries
P. O. Box 152
Forest City, IA 50436
(515) 582-3535
-------------------------------------------------------
Picture captions:
Small and wind cheating, the fuel-sipping Rialta should appeal to its
targeted audience. It's close quarters in both the driving department
and the living compartment of this new mini-Winnie. Rialta has all the
amenities of its larger brethren ... just in smaller doses and
capacities.
Measuring 79x48 inches, the rear bed is quite comfortable; however the
dinette table must be removed and stored during sleeping periods.
Using the commode requires folding the sink against the wall and
latching it in place.
--------------------------
Rialta 20' Specifications:
Performance
Fuel Consumption* ............ 14.8 mpg
Acceleration time
0-60 mph ................... 25.8 seconds
40-60 mph .................. 14.1 seconds
* Fuel consumption recorded at 55 mph, 800 feet elevation,
predominantly flat highway. Ambient temperature 85 degrees F.
Chassis
Manufacturer ................. Volkswagen/Winnebago
Engine ....................... 2.5L I-5
Horsepower ................... 109 @ 4400 rpm
Torque ....................... 140 @ 2200 rpm
Transmission ................. 4-spd auto w/OD
Axle Ratio ................... 4.93:1
Tire Size .................... LT 195/70 R15
Load Range ................... C-104/102; 1984 lb @ 60 psi cold
Wheelbase .................... 152 inches
Brakes ....................... Front disc, rear drum
Suspension ................... Torsion bar front, leaf rear
Fuel capacity ................ 21.1 gallons
Coach
Exterior length .............. 20 feet 8 inches
Exterior width ............... 7 feet 4 inches
Exterior height .............. 8 feet 3 inches
Interior width ............... 7 feet 4 inches <?? 82.5 inches>
Interior height .............. 6 feet 2 inches <?? 69 inches headroom>
Frame construction ........... Aluminum
Insulation ................... Polystyrene
Freshwater capacity .......... 20 gallons
Sink/Shower holding .......... 6 gallons
Waste-water holding .......... 12.9 gallons
Hot-water capacity ........... 4 gallons
Propane capacity ............. 7 gallons
Furnace (1) .................. 19,000 BTU
Air Conditioner (1) .......... 7,100 BTU
Refrigerator ................. 2 cubic feet
Converter .................... 40 amp
Battery (1) .................. 90 amp-hr
Generator .................... 3.0 kw
Base suggested retail price .. $40,795
Price as tested .............. $45,119
Wet Weight
(Water, propane, fuel tanks full; no passengers or supplies)
Front axle ................... 2,780 lbs
Rear axle .................... 3,240 lbs
Right side ................... 3,000 lbs
Left side .................... 3,020 lbs
Total ........................ 6,020 lbs
Chassis Ratings
Front GAWR ................... 3,351 lbs
Rear GAWR .................... 3,968 lbs
GVWR** ....................... 7,000 lbs
** Owner may add up to 980 pounds in weight of passengers and supplies
to motorhome test coach without violating chassis maxiumum GVWR.
GAWR: gross axle weight rating
GVWR: gross vehicle weight rating
