Two Winnebago Motorhomes Earn Top Industry Honors

By: Winnebago

With the introduction of four new models, including the Class A gas Intent and the Minnie Plus fifth wheel, 2017 has proven to be something of a watershed year for Winnebago.

Now two of the RV industry's leading publications have singled out the Horizon, the company's sleek new diesel pusher, and the Revel, its new 4x4 B-van, for special recognition.

Horizon: RV of the Year and Best of Show

The Horizon was recognized with RV Business magazine's prestigious "RV of the Year" award, given to the one RV that best represents the ability to “push the envelope” through design and engineering, and the RV judged most likely to "impact recreation vehicle product development down the road."

Available in two floorplans, the 41- to 43-foot Horizon features modern Euro-inspired design and styling, with high-gloss laminates, radius doors, plenty of stainless steel and backlit translucent panels. The overall impression is that of an interior that would be at home on a multi-million dollar yacht.

As Winnebago President and CEO Michael Happe noted, "When you walk in it, you feel like you could be in a flat in London or a condo in Manhattan... This strikes a chord with those customers looking for the RV lifestyle but wanting a contemporary design."


The new Horizon seamlessly blends function and design, reducing the need for onboard propane storage with features like an induction cooktop and a diesel-fueled heating system. Interior storage is abundant and extremely functional, and attention to detail is superb.


The Horizon also earned "Best of Show" accolades from RV Pro magazine, which singles out the best of the best at the annual RVIA show in Louisville in November.

Revel: Best of Show

At the opposite end of the spectrum, the rugged little Revel also garnered "Best of Show" recognition from RV Pro.

Engineered specifically for the Mercedes-Benz 4x4 Sprinter chassis, the Revel is designed for a new type of RVer, outdoor adventure enthusiasts who want to stray far from the beaten path. In addition to its off-road ability, the Revel incorporates a 200-watt solar power system, diesel-powered heating, and a cassette-type toilet for extended boondocking.

Other innovations that caught the eye of RV Pro include a power lift bed in back that raises to provide a 140-cu. ft. gear garage, a dinette with a pull-up table that converts to additional sleeping space, and a full wet bath that can also be used for storage or as a wet gear closet.

With four new models and top honors from the industry's leading publications, Winnebago is really hitting its stride, developing new types of RVs to attract new types of consumers to the RV lifestyle.

Listing Price Insights You Can't Afford to Ignore

The whole goal of advertising your listings is to make sure they are getting the most possible exposure - so it makes sense that you’d want them to be as enticing as possible for a potential buyer. And when there are competitors in your market - you want to make sure that from the very beginning - people choose you over the guy down the street. 

So if you’re trying to build a listing that will entice and attract your potential buyer - it seems logical to include the details that these buyers value most - right? But do you really know what that is? If we’re being honest, I think most of the time we’re really just guessing. But we shouldn’t. So to take the guess out of it and make sure we weren’t leading you astray, we just asked buyers directly.

It was a close call - but when asked what is most important when searching - 28% of buyers said price. Type was a close second at 27%, which didn’t surprise us - because buyers do have an idea

of how they would like to use their future unit - but in the end, how much they want to and can spend is what will ultimately drive their purchase decision.

And what really reinforces the importance of price is that when asked if they would even click on a listing with no price in their search results - 83% of buyers said no. They want to know up front what this unit is going to cost them - and if they don’t know, they aren’t interested in learning more about it. They don’t want to fall in love with on particular rig and then be heartbroken when it is way more than they can spend. The worst part for you is - if that happens, the consumer suddenly has had a not-so-great experience with your dealership that could easily have been avoided.

Now - we’ve heard that there are two main reasons that you might not want to include a price on your listing.

1. The manufacturer won’t let you list anything but MSRP on a new unit and you might be able to offer a better price in person.

2. It’s a great way to encourage phone calls and emails because the consumer will contact you to find out the price and then you can convince them to come into the dealership.

As for the the MSRP issue - no matter what price you can offer in person - including something is always better than nothing. At least then the buyer will click through to your listing and you can offer them more information about your dealership or tell them to contact you for the possibility of a better price. Having that MSRP there keeps you in the game and you’re underestimating the consumer if you assume they don’t think MSRP is negotiable.

Now, for the greatest myth in the RV industry - not including a price will drive emails and phone calls, right? Wrong. The first issue with this logic goes back to that 83% of buyers who won’t click on a listing without a price - because now you’re working with a much smaller pool of potential buyers who might be interested in your listing. And because we this information may come as a shock, we went ahead and asked these buyers - if they were to submit a lead on a listing with no price - why would they do it? 97% said they only submit their information to find out the price. From there - 56% said they might choose to stop by the dealership - but 41% said they have no intention of going in. So not only have you lowered the number of people who might click through to see your unit - and of that group, only a few might stop in - but they really just want to know how much the unit costs. We should call this group the not-quite-ready-to-be-in-the-83%-group, but that’s what you’re dealing with.

You can’t argue with the data. Price is important. Buyers want to know it and not including it puts your listings’ performance at risk. Period. It’s such a simple thing to include - give it a try. It’ll be worth it.