Today’s review is of the Winnebago View 24J. These are smaller Class C motorhomes based on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis and, purportedly, a member of the best-selling motorhome line in the U.S. You really, really like these—and I do see a lot of these in campgrounds out there.
So what makes this such a hot seller? And have you heard—Mercedes-Benz is dropping their 3.0-liter six-cylinder diesel in favor of a tiny 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel. To keep that in perspective, my Honda Civic had a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine—so what’s the deal with that?
What’s inside the Winnebago View 24J
The View line comes in three floor plan configurations: 24D, 24J and 24V. Essentially, the bed is the big differentiator, with the D having a very large slide and a Murphy bed, the V having twin beds at the back that can be converted to a much larger bed, and the J having a corner bed that, to my eyes, is rather small.
Honestly, I don’t know if the “J” would suit me, but who cares? It might be a good choice for some—and there are reasons for that.
One of those is the dinette. While you can swap in theater seats with a Lagun table, the standard choice is a surprisingly large U-shaped dinette. This is a clever arrangement because the TV is on the other side of the motorhome. So you might think that sitting in the dinette and watching TV is inconvenient. It’s not.
There are flip-up extensions on both ends of the dinette such that each side is more like a day bed than a dinette chair. It’s a pretty nifty setup.
Further, it’s a U-shaped dinette so, on those rainy days, you could seat all six of the people who can sleep in this rig around that dining table and play a nice game of cards. Like Cards Against Humanity, for example. That’s my favorite card game. Though sometimes I can be coaxed into a game of Uno.
Cooking up something
Someone at Winnebago was thinking with this kitchen design as there is both an induction cooktop and a propane burner. That means you can use either, depending on your hookups, or use both. Why not? Go nuts!
There’s a two-bowl sink, as well. Your baking and nuking are done at the convection/microwave.
I also applaud Winnebago for putting a 12-volt fridge in a motorized RV. I know some of you disagree with me—but this is the way to go, period. They offer hardened components for travel. Also, they require no inverter to operate and don’t threaten your local fire department with a good time by having an open flame in a moving vehicle.
However, what you won’t find is any counter space whatsoever. I mean, it’s zilchadella.
And I know I keep harping on manufacturers getting rid of the knee-knocker RV table mount. But, doggone it, if the table in the dinette had adjustable legs such that you could move it up to counter height, you wouldn’t knock your knee on the dumb thing and you would also gain a bunch of counter space.
Sleep tightly in the Winnebago View 24J
Okay, let’s face it. The 24J’s bed is stuffed into a corner and it’s a tight space. Further, the bed measures just 50” X 79”. The other two floor plans offer better sleeping arrangements but don’t have the nifty U-shaped dinette.
Honestly, this might be very well-suited to solo travelers as it’s a pretty confined-feeling space to me. There are a halo of cabinets over the bed, reading lights, and even two shelves for things like your electronics or CPAP machines and such.
The bed in this model also lifts for additional storage.
Something I really like about the cabinets in this rig is the positive mechanical latches. Let’s face it, this is a vehicle and it’s going to traverse the roads we’ve been maintaining, sort of, so there will be a whole lotta shakin’ going on. This is the way to do cabinets.
So, since there are options, there’s something to consider depending on whom you’re traveling with.
One of the nifty things about this bed is that it sits atop a Froli sleep system. That is a series of plastic “springs” that turn the wafer-of-torture mattress into something that’s comfortable. The Froli system also has the benefit of putting air under the mattress so you don’t get mold under there.
I’ve been thinking of putting a Froli system under the mattress in my own rig, and Winnebago has it as standard. Nice.
That big dinette also can become additional sleeping space, as you would imagine. Plus, there’s that cab-over bunk which is rated for 300 pounds.
New engine
At the present time, the inventory you’ll likely find of these motorhomes is going to have the 3.0-liter V6. As the RV industry and your dealership work to sell off all the things they already have on the lot and in back stock, it’s not that likely that you may see a Sprinter with a four-banger in it.
That V6 is a known entity and has been fitted to the Sprinter chassis for some time now. As with any diesel, it’s a pretty stalwart power plant, and Mercedes-Benz is one of the best companies at building diesels.
So for 2024, a new diesel is being offered—one that’s a scant 2.0 liters. That’s literally 1/3 the size of the V6 you may already be familiar with. And, while displacement is down, two cylinders are missing, as well. Is this a bad thing?
Not really. Now, I haven’t driven this new engine but have spoken to some who have. Surprisingly, this little four makes more power and more torque than the old V6. This new engine offers 200 horsepower and 232 lb-ft of torque.
The V6 was just 188 horsepower and 224 lb-ft of torque.
Further, this engine is mated to a new 9-speed automatic that is said to be remarkably better designed than the previous 7-speed auto.
When I heard that M-B was putting this small engine into this large vehicle, I was a bit skeptical. But engine design continues to evolve remarkably, and they’ve done some nifty tricks to make this new engine punch way above its weight class. I don’t think the smaller engine is that big a deal, quite frankly.
Boondocking and travel access in the Winnebago View 24J
Winnebago has upped the standard solar on these for 2024 to a 200-watt panel—but they’ve done something that others should look at and rip off. There’s a port on the roof such that you can route your Starlink cable or additional solar wires or whatever.
This is brilliant. We’re all putting stuff up on the roofs of our RVs and having a provision such that you don’t have to drill new holes makes a tremendous amount of sense.
Of course, motorhomes generally are good for boondocking because they also incorporate generators. Winnebago gives you the choice of one that runs on diesel fuel or propane. Your choice.
Motorhomes are also generally good at providing access to all the functions inside even with the slide room closed, and this is no exception. Further, I like that this model offers access to the bed, such that it is, even with the slide room closed. This isn’t true of the Murphy bed model. So there’s one thing to think about as you’re making your decision.
Conclusions
I can see why these are popular. And while you’re pondering floor plans, remember that the 24J also has a huge storage bay under that corner bed. So, again, another tick in its favor.
The bathroom is also reasonably spacious, and Winnebago put the sink outside the bathroom. This makes sense if you’re going to bring teenagers with you—one of whom will park in the bathroom, so you can still brush your teeth even if that’s the case.
I also dig the nifty entry door with a compartment that could either be a trash can or just small storage. The trash can idea is neat because you can use it inside or out. Another nice feature is the sliding screen so that the screen isn’t always in your way. Liking this is an open-and-shut case.
One thing to be wary of: Many of these Sprinter chassis motorhomes don’t have a lot of cargo-carrying capacity. The example in the video I dropped here was about 1,146 pounds.
That might sound like a lot, but think about if you weigh 225 and your co-pilot comes close to 200. There’s 425 pounds. That means you only have 700 pounds-ish to load. These are things to think about—especially with that substantial cargo bay inviting you to do bad things back there.
Overall, this is a nice package and I can see why they’re popular. While the MSRP of some $201,056 might sound like a lot (and it is), I’ve seen these advertised for about 25 percent off, so figure somewhere in the mid-$150s for the actual price.
Compared to some Class B RVs, I think this offers a better value.
More about these RV reviews
These RV reviews are written based on information provided by the manufacturers along with our writer’s own research. They are based on information from a single unit and may not reflect your actual experience. Shop your RV and dealership carefully before making a buying decision. We receive no money or other financial benefits from these reviews. They are intended only as a brief overview of the vehicle, not a comprehensive critique, which would require a thorough inspection and/or test drive.
Tony comes to RVtravel.com having worked at an RV dealership and been a life long RV enthusiast. He also has written the syndicated Curbside column about cars. He also works closely with a number of RV manufacturers to get an inside look at how things are done and is a brand ambassador for Rockwood Mini Lite with his wife, Peggy.
You can also check out his RV podcast with his wife, Peggy.
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$201,056 for a 4 cyl 200 hp Mercedes. They’re nuts.
Yup !
No CCC listed? Red flag for sure!
Article says 1146# and discusses how minimal that is.
Pick one stove and be done with it. Induction cooktops require you to buy special induction cookware. Booo. Double sinks rule! Like the screen ‘door’. Not interested in the new four banger over-turbocharged engine which will work hard to kill itself. Gimme the six cylinder every time. Matt, you’re the first person to admit that full body paint weighs a ton and it subtracts from your hauling weight (which nobody pays any attention to anyway). I actually like most of this MH but it is a single traveler unit.
Good points, but the induction cooktop doesn’t concern me too much. We’ve been considering whether to go with an induction range in our home, and anything that a magnet will stick to is fine. Aluminum and copper bottom not. All of our existing cookware would be fine except for one small copper bottom pan and our favorite aluminum non-stick skillet.
I reviewed an induction cook top, which did work with our pans, and liked it so much I literally hauled our propane stove out to the garage and now we’re all-in on induction. The precision, speed and performance plus lack of propane smell just add up to be big winners in my book. I’d rather just smell the bacon and cook it well than play with fire.
We love the options presented by having induction and propane burners in our Navion 24V. When we are plugged in, we use the induction to save propane. When we are dry camping at Flying J or boondocking in a state wildlife area, we use the propane. We used a portable induction cooktop in our 5th wheel for the same reason, especially when snowbirding in an RV “resort”.
With a 2KW inverter, 2 Li batteries, and a 3.6KW propane generator, we can use the conv-micro in any campsite. But we seldom use the generator when dry camping because we have 450W of solar panels and the chassis alternator (when traveling) to keep the batteries charged.
PS: Tommy, we DON’T have full-body paint on our 24V for exactly that reason.
You guys are ON it! We too have a 2000 watt inverter and 700 watts on the roof. We’ve also got two 100ah lithium batteries. We have three gensets at home but I never bring them along. Only once did I regret not bringing one. It’s a weight issue for me. I’m sure I’m overweight as it is. We no longer have an RV fridge. Ours died at the ten year mark and we replaced it with a compressor AC fridge from Lowe’s.
Our 2020 WB Navion 24V 3L diesel has 188HP and 325 lb/ft of torque. There is a fun HP/torque graph that can be selected on the dash monitor that shows actual HP and torque being used at that instant. On steep mountain passes here in Colorado, I have watched it climb to over 300lb/ft (and we have no toad!). But that 7-speed transmission with paddle shifters that replaced the 5-speed in 2019 really does make a difference both upgrade and downgrade to keep revs at reasonable levels for a diesel. We just returned from a 1,900-mile trip with nearly constant 30-40 mph cross and headwinds, but averaged 15 mpg. So, that 4-cylinder is really going to need every one of those 9 gears!
The Mercedes’ chassis is a no sale for me, that’s an extra $20K over over chassis, the bed is also no sale, that’s not even a full size. No counter space? Naw! That means frozen food from the freezer to the microwave. I’d have to say DUD especially for that price. I’d rather have a standard Class C and lose 3 mpg over the diesel.
We just returned from Europe and Great Britain. The small ‘C’s over there are ubiquitous, and the majority we saw were on Ford Transit chassis with diesel engines. Why won’t the US RV manufacturers provide that option? Considering the problems Mercedes Sprinter owners have had, a little competition might improve the breed.
We bought a 2017 Navion J (same as View) in 2016 and full-timed for 7 years. Corner bed is not hard to get into; easy to get used to.
Bought my first 2024 View 24J. Less than putting 500 miles on it the bathroom faucet leaked and received new one from Winnebago. I had to install as service options for me are a few hours away. In addition the roof area over the main entrance door leaks, water running in behind roof and wall causing the wall liner to bubble – first sign that flagged there was a leak. Sent email and called Winnebago to file warranty claim. We will see how they respond from here. At the moment disappointed with water intrusion at such an early phase of owning this unit. Quality?