FAQ: General

First installed by WGO in the 2017.5 model year, (after being invented by TOWB group member Greg Schultz)  in all cases it is an un-labeled switch on the back wall near the water pump switch.

Unscrew the hinge pin in the upper left-hand corner of the fridge. Then lift the door off of the lower hinge pin. Turn the door upside down and you will see two Philips screws holding the bottom trim in place. Remove those and pull the trim away from the bottom of the door and you can slide out the existing front trim and replace it with something else. 

Sometimes an owner will lift the awning window too high (or a wind gust will push it up) and the window will fall out.
TOWB group member Kathleen A Smith shows us how she put it back in place.

TOWB group member William Byerly Holt offers this (with light editing) . .

The bottom line is how much time/effort do you want to put into Managing your power; usage and replenishing.

All three battery options allow you to boondock for extended periods of time. Three options: type of batteries: AMG; AMG upgraded with Lithium replacements;
Volta Pure 3 Lithium.

AMG systems require multi-daily eyes on the system to manage the power. A/C requires running the generator (which since 2021 is a “quiet generator”).  The batteries generally should only be depleted 50% before recharging or risk damage to the batteries.

12v Lithium upgrades require daily eyes on to manage but can be depleted to almost 100% before recharging. Might provide limited A/C. If the upgrade included installation of a large inverter.  Generator running would be required for extended A/C.

Volta needs very little management: if not running the A/C, looking at it every 3 or 4 days. If running the A/C, looking at it once a day.

Enable the Volta Auto-Start, and the Volta system will manage itself as needed.

With the Volta fully charged, you can run the A/C from 5 to 24 hours before needing a recharge, depending on how much time the A/C compressor is on.

————-

Under that bottom line is where you evaluate YOUR personal cost benefit.

Thank you William.

Your window has slid in the track – happens when you have the window open and slam the door for the window in the slider but could also happen to a different window.
Go outside and use the palm of your hand to strike the side of the window up high to move it one way or the other a little until the sides line up with the window seals and allow closure.

The way to evaluate the price when purchasing a NEW (not used) Travato is to compare the MSRP on the window sticker vs the out the door selling price (net of taxes and licenses) and calculate the percentage difference. That way you are looking at comparative pricing without needing to itemize the various options on one unit vs another.

Prior to COVID TOWB members reported receiving discounts in the 28 – 32% range. During COVID the discounts dropped to 20 – 22%. Since COVID they seem to be creeping back up to 25 – 28 with a few 30%.

Remember that the advertised price isn’t necessarily the selling price.

Donna Schultz suggests you follow these steps to avoid breaking the bracket on the wall:

Many owners of Travatos with a roof rack (usually 2019 or later) report front end vibration at varying speeds.   In many cases this can be eliminated by

1. Moving the front bar on the rack back several inches,

2. Removing the front bar of the rack, or

3. Installing an air dam in front of the front bar of the rack.

NOTE:  If the vibration happens only when accelerating generally between 40 and 60 MPH then it’s possible that you need to have the front half axels checked as some had issues with those.

(2022 and newer model K/KL have solid panel shower doors.)

This document will show you how to do it.

How To Repair Panel Shower Door

There has always been a parts catalog maintained by Winnebago but it had very specific browser requirements.
It has been updated and is much more accessible from many platforms and devices.
Copy and Paste this link into your browser.

https://catalog3d.winnebagoind.com/menu/Parts.htm?fbclid=IwAR0pZ5-MOtHW_W8ogl-mebTMijfD-IK6Z0Hv5keC0GdjuYKVN9eXmOBkuBk

TOWB group member Faith Senie explains it this way:

“The One Place is actually pretty accurate — once you understand what it’s saying.

For LP:

It reads 3/4 when you’re somewhere between 3/4 and full;

It reads 1/2 anywhere from 1/2 to 3/4;

It reads 1/4 anywhere between 1/4 and 1/2; and

It reads E anywhere between empty and 1/4.”

In other words, as soon as you use some of the item in the tank it shows the next level down.

The Water, Gray, and Black tanks read F, 2/3, 1/3, and E but the concept is the same.

Of course, for LP you always have the option of going under the van and looking at the reading on the LP gauge on the back of the LP tank itself.

You have to turn the shower OFF using the valve on the wall.  If you don’t turn it off there then when you use the toilet or otherwise make the water pump run it will put too much pressure in that line and the water will come out of that connection.

None, other than something constructed like a garage or pole barn.

Here is what the Owner’s Manual has to say about that:

Travatos are always advertised with a model year identification, ie:  2017, 2018, 2019, etc.

But WGO sometimes makes changes to models at the beginning of the year and sometimes later in the year so, for example, if you are shopping for a Travato and it’s advertised as a 2020 you don’t know if it includes the significant changes that were introduced in the middle of the year (in what TOWB people call the 2020.5 model).
Well, if you can see the Serial Number (not the VIN Number) for the Travato you have a clue:

if the Seventh digit is a 1 it’s an early in the year model

if the Seventh digit is a 2 it’s a later in the year model and what we would call a .5.

On TOWB we don’t bother using the .5 designation unless there have been mid-year changes.   We talk about a 2017.5 and a 2019.5 but not about a 2018.5 because there were no 2018 mid year changes.

Note that on the WGO website when you look at their libraries of Owner’s Manuals and Drawings they give you this clue, they just don’t talk about “.5” model years.

Here is what we learned from WGO:

Naming convention BU259G/K/GL/KL

B=Touring Coach or Class B

U=Promaster Chassis

2=200-Series

59=Wheelbase

G/K/GL/KL=model/floorplan

Dealers are using an abbreviation when they just use 259 or 59.

Your Pre – 2022 Travato has an inlet on the driver’s side labeled “CITY FILL”.
It doesn’t “fill” anything, instead it bypasses your water tank and provides water to all of the plumbing fixtures using the water coming through the hose.
Your 2022 or newer Travato has a Nautilus Panel with a “”City Water” configuration.
This sounds great at first until you consider the potential negatives:
1  It’s one more thing to have to hook up or unhook, impeding mobility.
2 If you have a leak someplace you won’t know it until you see/feel water flowing and then you have to run outside to the end of the hose to turn it off.
3 The water pressure in some campgrounds is less than the pressure from your on board water pump.

The majority of Travato (and other Class B brands) owners don’t use CITY FILL or CITY WATER except to flush the lines and fill the Truma during the de-winterizing process.
Instead they use the water from the on board tank and only turn on the water pump when actually using water and then immediately turn it back off.
If you have the pump on and hear it running when you aren’t actually using a plumbing fixture it’s a immediate signal that you should be looking for a leak someplace.
When you are using your fresh water tank, you cycle the water in the tank and thus minimize any buildup.

Go to the NHTSB website and enter your VIN number:

https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls

ALSO
:
Note that there is a difference between a “recall” and a “TSB” (Technical Service Bulletin) which will authorize a dealer to perform a repair for free on something that doesn’t have “recall” status. Several years ago there was a TSB for squealing breaks on the Promaster. I don’t know if there is one on the 2019 chassis.

In order to find out if your Travato has any open recalls just go to the NTSB website and enter your VIN number.

https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls

Here are the three types of adapters that most people carry.

The top one is a 15 amp male to 30 amp female dogbone. The big end attaches to the outlet on the side of your T and the little end you plug into a contractor’s sized (15 amp at least) extension cord that you plug into your house outlet.

The middle one is a 50 amp to 30 amp dogbone that you use at a campground that doesn’t have a 30 amp outlet available for you to plug the OEM shore cord into.  Most people rarely need this one.

The bottom one you can put on the shore end of your OEM shore cord that allows you to plug it into your house outlet.

SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO SELL A TRAVATO

By Greg Schultz

Step 1.   Go to either or both of these sites to see how others who have the same or similar T’s for sale are pricing them.   Keep in mind that these will be “asking” prices, not necessarily “selling” prices.

RVT.com

RVTrader.com

Step 2.  Once you have decided on a price acceptable to you for your van post a “For Sale” post on the TOWB group and/or the Class B Camper Van FB group (following the group guidelines).
Stick to the facts of the sale – year, model, color, mileage, price, where located and include a picture or two.  You don’t need to say why you are selling.
Give it a few days or a week to see if you get immediate traction – and you may need to “bump” it once or twice to keep it visible.

Step 3.  Post your unit for sale on one or both of the on-line sites noted above.
You could run an ad on Craigslist too if you are comfortable with that platform.

Note – if your fallback is to trade in your unit keep in mind that the dealer is only going to offer you “book” value for dealer trade-in.  This will be THOUSANDS less than you can get from an outright sale – so – IMO, you have a LOT of flexibility in your selling price to an individual before you go that route.

Using these methods, we sold several of our units VERY quickly – but YMMV.

Exercising window covering management is key to keeping your Travato cool. Run the cab engine and A/C along with the rooftop unit if you are starting with a hot van. Put in the windshield and cab door covers. Close all window shades – especially on the side where the sun is shining. Open the awning far enough to shade the windows. In a K, close off the bathroom area and install curtains behind the cab seats to reduce the cooling footprint. AND – remember that the unit is only designed to have the inside temperature 20 degrees cooler than the outside temperature. Use 12v or USB fans to increase air movement.

Instructions are in this document:

HOW TO DISABLE THE REMI WINDOW SHADE ARM ALARM

A.  The instructions for installation that come with the Coleman Bluetooth Ceiling Assembly are pretty good.

However, this document includes some pictures and tips that should make the job easier.

Coleman BT Assembly

B.  In the event that you press the control buttons too hard and they disappear into the unit

here is how you can determine if you can fix it yourself or if you need to contact Airxcel.

Coleman BT control fix

C.  And here is how you can install a replacement board that allows the unit to come back on following a momentary power outage.

BT board replacement

D.  If you need to change the temperature display on the LCD screen between Celsius and Fahrenheit all you need to do is hold down the “mode” bar for 3 – 5 seconds and it will change.

E.  Here are the pairing instructions for the BT grille:

PAIRING A NEW THERMOSTAT

1. Download the RV Climate app from either the Apple App Store or Google Play.
2. Open the app and select ADD NEW THERMOSTAT. [see FIGURE 1]
3. On the thermostat, hold the UP and DOWN buttons simultaneously for five seconds to enter PAIRING mode.
4. On the app, select PAIR NEW THERMOSTAT.
5. When prompted, enter the 6-DIGIT ID from the thermostat and select PAIR. (See E below to find the code.)
6. Once connected, the thermostat will revert to the main screen.
7. Slide/Swipe screen to the left (2nd Screen).
8. Press the Settings Icon ().
9. Select ZONE NAME.
10. Assign a name or description to the thermostat (Maximum of 7 characters).
11. Select SET to save the assigned name or description.

E.  The six digit pairing code you need to get the app to work are found by pressing both the up and down arrows on the keypad on the unit together for 3 – 5 seconds.  Then you will see a series of three pairs of numbers on the display.  Those are the six digits you use for pairing.

Gently use some upward force but no more than necessary to get the leg off of the floor in order to bend the leg. Once the leg is bent you lower that end of the table towards the floor. That motion should bring the clips out of the bar on the wall and allow you to complete lowering the table to the “bed” position. NEVER LIFT UP ON THE TABLE WHILE THE CLIPS ARE IN THE BAR ON THE WALL.   To put the table back up, reverse the process, starting with the end closest to the wall.

The switch is on the back wall inside the passenger side of the van, next to the water pump switch.  It is known here as the GSDL (Greg Schultz Dump Light – after the TOWB group member who first installed one on his van.)   (The switch on the other side of the water pump switch is for the light on the back wall itself.). 

Having trouble inserting or removing the shower hose in the port on the back wall?

Usually it’s because the pressure in the line needs to be removed.

In order to use the shower port you MUST be sure that you have relieved all pressure in the water line – that means you shouldn’t be on “city water” and your water pump should be turned off – and, as a final measure, open a faucet inside of the van to relieve any residual pressure. THEN try inserting the quick connect. If you still can’t do it use a wooden pencil with an eraser or the like to apply pressure to the brass cover that you can see through the opening – but be VERY careful and don’t use anything like a screwdriver or you will damage the connection.

Once you have finished using it and are having trouble removing the hose:

Relieve pressure in the line and have the water pump and city water off. Push in on the movable chrome sleeve and pull out on the quick connect.

Here are diagrams for the 2017-2018 G and K and for the 2019 G and K and the 2019 GL and KL.

Power – Plumbing diagram 2017-2018 G and K

Power – Plumbing diagram 2019 G and K

Power and Plumbing Diagram GL and KL 2019

Things that run on DC

• Compressor fridges in 59K and 2019 59G
• Absorption fridge in 2018 (and older) 59G when set to “battery mode”
• lights
• TV
• TV antenna
• Jensen entertainment system
• Truma fan, control panel and control circuitry
• Ceiling fans
• water pump
• shower drain pump in the G
• grey tank drain macerator pump in the G
• OnePlace Display, which includes tank monitors, battery level, generator control
• Generator start circuitry

Things that run on AC

• air conditioner
• electric heating elements of the Truma
• Microwave
• absorption fridge in 2018 (and older) 59G when set to “plug mode”

The INFOCASE – Love it, Don’t leave it!

Remember during your walk through when the technician kind of pointed to that black bag and said something like: “In your spare time you might want to take a look in there,” and then went about giving you a bunch of misinformation about the workings of your new T? Well, it’s time to remind you that it’s filled with good stuff.

Aside from my favorites; the Owner’s Manual (good general information) and Owner’s Manual Supplement (with specific information about components), there is also a ProMaster Manual.

But Wait – There’s More . . . There should also be:

• a copy of the Window Sticker (reminding you which options and colors you actually bought, instead of what you thought you bought),
• a “Feature” sheet listing those usually available on your model,
• AND – – drum roll – – a sheet with “Component Information” starting with your serial and VIN numbers (that you’ll want to have handy when you are calling WGO or a vendor with a question or comment) AND the model and serial numbers of most of the major components of your Travato.

If any of this information is missing you should contact WGO customer service and see if they can provide it for you.

DON’T LEAVE THE INFOCASE AT HOME! You are most likely to need this information while you are on the road, because that’s when problems arise. Thank you for listening.

BONUS UPDATE: Since you are carrying this with you at all times it’s a good place to put a printout of the TRUMA PRIMER, and the winterizing and de-winterizing papers that Daniel Senie has authored so you will have it handy when you need it.

To save space, many owners are using nesting sets of pots and pans. Two brands that many Travato owners use are Magma and GSI Outdoors.

To see the Magma 10-piece stainless steel nesting set CLICK HERE.

To see the Magma 10-piece stainless steel nesting set for induction cooktops CLICK HERE.

The GSI Outdoors Bugaboo Base Camper Cookset is HERE.

Another cook item many Travato Owners like to travel with is the Instant Pot.…but don’t tell Greg Schultz I told you so. 😉

For Travatos constructed prior to the 2022 model year and all Travatos that are not able to be consistently heated the accepted rule of thumb is if the temps are going to be much below freezing for 22 hour periods without raising at least into the low 30’s or higher then you should be winterized.

There might be some fudge factor in this in a K or later model G (with water lines moved inside).

For Travatos constructed for the 2022 model year or newer with insulated floor, walls, roof, and all water fittings moved to heated areas SO LONG AS THE T IS KEPT HEATED WITH THE TRUMA AND THE TANK HEATERS ARE LEFT ON then you are likely okay not winterized and using the systems down to sustained temperatures of 15 – 20 degrees.     Be aware that the final sections of the dump plumbing is not heated so you may need to use a hair dryer to thaw it out if you end up with blockage in below freezing temps.

We have compiled a year to year model changes document which is posted here.

As of this update in April, 2024 the model year on a new Travato is still 2024.

TRAVATO YEAR TO YEAR MODEL CHANGES THROUGH 2024

Thanks to input from group members we have been able to put together the Buyers FAQ Guide which discusses different models and the discount from MSRP that buyers have reported.

NOTE:  ALL BETS WERE OFF IN 2020. But things are improving in 2022 . . .
As I type this in June of 2022 – I am getting reports that dealers are offering 24 -30% off MSRP for new 2022’s on their lots.
This is because they are now getting new 2023’s that have an immediate $13K base price increase due to the new chassis with the 9 speed transmission and other features.
People have reported 23 – 25% discounts for 2023’s.

Due to the increased demand for Class B’s and the scarcity of product the economic realities of the laws of supply and demand have taken over.   Starting later in 2020 people were no longer getting 28 – 32 percent discounts from MSRP, but instead people have reported dealers offering only 15 – 20 percent discounts for 2021’s.
Note that in the 2014 and 2015 model years “standard” discounts were in the 20 – 22 percent range.  When WGO raised the base price of the Travato $10K with the 2016 models dealers started giving better discounts.
Time will tell how this will change in the future.

While we generally do not discuss Used pricing here, we acknowledge that 2020 has clearly proven to be a Seller’s market with people getting unprecedented returns on used Travatos.

The GUIDE has not been updated to reflect this – waiting to get more data.

NOW ON TO 2021 . . . .
At the end of 2020 and early 2021 dealers were still holding out for smaller discounts for units that they had in stock.  HOWEVER, people placing orders for new 2022 models have been reporting discounts between 25 and 28 percent.

Travato Buyers FAQ Guide 6

This black thingy (technical term) would get attached to the K galley to hold the glass sink cover up when you attach the utensil holder to it.  (2016 – 2021)

These pawn magnets are used to hold the K shower curtain tight against the back doors.

This is the Diverter Plug that you use when you remove the 3M water filter when you winterize.  (2014 – 2017 models)

This is the spare key to the Volta system – don’t lose it.  The original one is in the battery box when you have an “L” model (it turns the system on or off – rarely used).
(2019 – 2022.   It is not provided for the Volta “Flex” System somewhere in the 2022 or 2023 model years and forward.)

And you get these keys with a 2020.5 “L” model with a roof rack.

Top one is for the “wine cellar”, middle one is for the locking knob on the ladder, and the bottom one is for the L Battery system (model specific, per above).

2020.5 and newer models come with these “RAM tracks” (no relation to RAM Promaster).  You can purchase a variety of devices to attach to them to mount things like tablets or clip on fans.

There are too many variables, based on where you are located, coverage you get, and personal rating, to estimate what you can expect to pay. The good news is that generally RV insurance costs much less than vehicle insurance! Be sure to tell the agent when you are shopping for quotes that you want an “RV” policy.

Your best bet to find the secret (and fun!) story behind the naming of the Travato is to sign up for the annual Grand National Rally (GNR) held in Forest City, Iowa on the Winnebago grounds each July. There, you’ll hang out with the coolest campervan owners group in the world AND you’ll meet Travato godfather (and namer-of-the-Ts), Russ Garfin. He named the Travato and has a fun story about how the name came to be. But shhhh, only the cool kids get to know!