Upgrading a Well-Loved Class A Motorhome with New RV Technology

Upgrading a Well-Loved Class A Motorhome with New RV Technology
See how one couple’s mods were inspired by Winnebago’s latest tech!

By: Kenny & Sabrina Phillips

We purchased our Winnebago Vista in January of 2017 and a popular question we get is, “When are you guys going to trade this in for a new model?” Well, the short answer is that we have no plans to. The long answer is we love our 27N floorplan – it has been perfect for all our travels (including five years of long-term RVing!).

We have also watched what upgrades were going into newer models and put a decent amount of money into our motorhome to add conveniences that are offered in today’s Winnebagos. The additions we've chosen also make our personal travel style more comfortable.

With so many upgrades made throughout the years, it’s tough to remember them all, but I am going to do my best to put pen to paper, well keypad to screen, and list our favorites. For now, I will focus on the tech upgrades since these have made a major impact on our travels. If you are looking for a new RV (or want to make a few upgrades to your current one), these are some options to consider. 

For additional Class A RV upgrade ideas, read this article by the Newstates!

Note: Many of the upgrades listed below can be done on your own. However, any time you are not confident in adding a mod, be sure to consult or hire a professional. It is also important to remember that making changes to your RV is always at your own risk. The upgrades listed here are not direct recommendations from Winnebago, just helpful suggestions from a fellow owner.

1. Solar Power System with Lithium Batteries

One of our most robust and most expensive upgrades is our off-grid power system. We have 1,400 watts of solar and over 1,000 amp hours of lithium batteries. This system was heavily inspired by the Winnebago Travato 59KL which has a power system that is always on, even when unplugged from shore power. 

We call it an off-grid system, but really, we use it for so much more than that. It’s a backup system to keep our dog Belle cool in case of a power outage, plus it’s a convenience package as it is always on – making it easy for us to stop and make a meal or run the rooftop A/C and save fuel by turning the dash A/C off. We can also use it in long-term camping spots where we get a monthly discount and hardly pay anything for utilities as we don’t use the shore power provided. 

For a more detailed look at our power system, check out this article.

2. Energy Efficient Refrigerator

We also replaced our 120-volt/Propane refrigerator with a more energy efficient 12-volt fridge allowing us to save on propane while boondocking. This 12-volt fridge will allow us to keep it on 24/7 – even while driving down the road. Before having this, we would have to shut it off while driving because we were never comfortable with leaving our propane on while driving. This new fridge was inspired by the National Park Foundation Vista, in fact, it is the identical fridge that is in that RV! 

3. Truma AquaGo Water Heater

Whenever it is time to replace something on our RV we try to upgrade it. That is what we did with our refrigerator and the same goes for our water heater. Our six-gallon water heater sprung a leak, and we felt it was time to replace and upgrade it. We chose a Truma AquaGo, a hot water on-demand system that is incredibly energy efficient as you can set it to only turn on when you open a hot water faucet. It works so fast that you will have hot water at the faucet in seconds. This allows the system to stay on stand-by until you need it, using only a fraction of propane as a traditional six-gallon water heater would. 

Our old system needed twenty-five minutes to heat up. So, this upgrade not only saves us on propane, but it also saves us time as we can take showers back-to-back without having to wait for the water to heat back up again. The Truma AquaGo gives you endless hot water. As long as you have a water source and the propane, it will heat water for as long as you need. Sabrina can take a long shower and wash her hair without having to use the campground showers. 

We wanted the AquaGo based on friends’ recommendations who have them in their Winnebago EKKOs and Winnebago Navions. They all raved about it, and they were right, it’s amazing! 

4. App-Controlled Thermostat

Another comfort upgrade is our Micro Air Easy Touch Thermostat. This thermostat was an easy plug and play upgrade that now allows us to control our A/C and heat from our phone, even while away from our RV as it connects to our hotspot in our RV. So, no matter where we are we can check in on our RV temps to be sure Belle is comfortable back in the RV.

The thermostat also allows us to set a schedule so the heat turns up right before we wake or, if we wake up before our set time, we can just grab our phone and make the adjustment. This simple upgrade has been a big hit for both Sabrina and me. 

Winnebago has actually taken controlling your RV thermostat and other featured from your phone one step further with Winnebago Connect. 

5. Upgraded RV Air Conditioner

We also made two upgrades to our RV air conditioner. One was the Micro Air Easy Start which I was able to wire into our RV myself. Before the Easy Start, our A/C would have a very harsh startup and would almost make a bang sound when the compressor kicked on that would disturb us while sleeping. The main purpose of the Easy Start is to slowly ramp up power to your A/C which decreases the need for a heavy amp draw all at once, this allows our A/C to run smoothly without all the initial noise our A/C used to make. If you boondock, you will also appreciate how much easier it makes starting your A/C from a generator. 

On top of the Easy Start, I also installed an RV A/C Silencer, this install happens from inside your RV, so no need to go up on the roof for it. The RV A/C Silencer reduces the overall sound of the air conditioner, so no more turning up the volume on the TV to hear a show or movie. It also increases the airflow through all of our ducts helping cool us down and stay cool throughout the summer. The silencer also replaces your stock filter to an upgraded one that traps more dirt and can be easily cleaned. 

You can learn more about RV air conditioning and some of the newest options from Winnebago in this video overview.

6. Gas/Induction Cooktop

When we tried out the Winnebago Travato 59KL we really enjoyed using the induction cooktop that it had. So later this year we will be replacing our three-burner propane stovetop with a gas/induction range top combo. This is what the Winnebago Adventurer Class A RV now has and we like that we will have the option of using either electric or gas while out and about. 

While boondocking in the summer, we will most likely use the propane and save the battery power for A/C. And, in the cooler months, we can use the induction since it will be renewed by our solar. We feel like this combo will be a win, win for us.

Closing Thoughts

We love making these upgrades to our RV to make it work perfectly for our needs and I would love to hear from you! What have you done to your RV to make it perfect for you, or what features are you looking for in your next RV? Let me know in the comment section below, and if you have a question about anything we have done to our RV please feel free to ask. Take care all, and safe travels!