Winnebago·Class B·2025

Winnebago Travato 59KL

Name: Winnebago Travato 59KL
Brand: Winnebago
Price: 165000 USD

4.5across 4,800 reviews on retail listings

|21 ft|9,100 lbs|Sleeps 2

The Winnebago Travato is one of the best-selling Class B motorhomes in America. Built on the Ram ProMaster chassis, it offers a spacious interior, flexible sleeping arrangements, and excellent fuel economy.

CouplesWeekend WarriorsNational Parks

MSRP from

$165,000

$$$$ Luxury

ChassisRam ProMaster 3500

Engine3.6L V6 Gas

Solar220W

Slide-Outs0

Specifications

Length

21 ft

Weight

9,100 lbs

Sleeps

Fresh Water

24 gal

Gray Water

16 gal

Black Water

10 gal

Features

Power Sofa/Murphy Bed

Wet Bath

Onan Generator Option

Flex Bed System

Corian Countertops

Swivel Captain Chairs

Highlights

Best-selling Class B with massive community support and parts availability

Murphy bed/sofa combo maximizes living space during the day

Lower price point than comparable Airstream and Pleasure-Way models

What owners report

Summarized from Reddit and owner forums — not a first-hand test.

The Winnebago Travato 59KL is the camper van for people who want to boondock off lithium and solar without ever touching a generator or a propane tank. The 'L' is the lithium-powered version of Winnebago's best-selling Class B, pairing the Pure3/Power Max electrical system (a big Lithionics 48V bank, inverter, induction cooktop, and electric water heat) with the front-wheel-drive Ram ProMaster chassis. The 59KL's twin-bed/flex-bed floorplan is the one for couples who don't always want to share a mattress, and it still squeezes a wet bath and galley into a van that parks like a tall minivan.

In practice, the ProMaster platform is the Travato's blessing and its curse. It's cheap and easy to service — any Ram dealer can work on it, with no Mercedes diesel premium — and the gas V6 is pleasant around town. But loaded down as an RV, the factory suspension bounces and sways enough that owners almost universally add sway bars and helper springs, and the low belly clearance means the lithium battery cover can drag on driveway dips. The all-electric Pure3 system is genuinely capable off-grid, but it's complex, and owners report the usual mass-market fit-and-finish gremlins — cabinet doors, infotainment downgrades, phantom drains — that feel out of place at this price.

At around $165K this is a premium two-person rig, and it's best for the couple who values lithium boondocking, easy parking, and Winnebago's huge service network over off-road capability. If you need to chase snow or rough forest roads, the AWD Sprinter-based Winnebago Revel or an Airstream Interstate is the better buy; if you want a more refined boutique build and don't mind a smaller dealer network, look at a Storyteller Overland. But for sheer no-propane, no-generator, easy-to-own boondocking on a chassis any town can fix, the 59KL is hard to beat.

What owners like

+Built on the front-wheel-drive Ram ProMaster, so it's the easiest-to-park and easiest-to-service Class B out there — any Ram dealer can touch the chassis, unlike Sprinter owners who get gouged at Mercedes
+The 59KL's twin-bed/flex-bed layout lets two people sleep separately or convert to one big lounge, and you get a real wet bath plus a usable galley in a van that still fits in a standard parking space
+Standard 215W rooftop solar plus ports for up to 1,600W of portable Merlin panels means real-world off-grid solar charging that actually keeps the lithium bank topped up in sun
+No propane on the lithium models simplifies life — induction cooktop, electric water heat, and no LP tank to refill or worry about leaking
+Winnebago's dealer and parts network is enormous compared to boutique van builders, so warranty work and replacement parts are far easier to get than with a Storyteller or small upfitter
+Gas ProMaster V6 returns better around-town drivability and lower fuel costs than a diesel Sprinter, and there's no DEF or diesel-emissions headache
+Holds value well — Travatos are the best-selling Class B in North America, so resale demand stays strong and there's a deep used market

Common complaints

−Front-wheel drive only, with no AWD option — if you want to chase snow or muddy forest roads, the Sprinter-based Winnebago Revel or an Airstream Interstate is the better tool
−Fit-and-finish gripes are common — owners report broken cabinet doors, dinette upholstery separating, defective TV antennas, sound bars, and phantom battery drains right out of the gate
−At roughly $165K it's priced like a luxury vehicle, yet you're still living with mass-production RV quality control, not bespoke craftsmanship
−Electrical complexity of the Pure3/Power Max system means when something does fail (alternator grounding, inverter quirks), diagnosis is harder and fewer techs understand it
−Wet bath is tight and the galley counter space is minimal — it's a true two-person van, and the twin-bed layout eats the back, so storage for long trips gets cramped

Questions owners ask

Do I need a generator with the Travato 59KL?

No — that's the whole point of the 'L' lithium version. The Pure3/Power Max system runs the induction cooktop, 12V fridge, and electric water heat off the big Lithionics battery, recharged by the alternator while driving and the rooftop solar. Most owners go days off-grid without one; a portable Merlin solar panel extends that further in cloudy stretches.

ProMaster or Sprinter — is the Travato's chassis a downside?

It depends on your priorities. The front-wheel-drive ProMaster is cheaper to buy and service (any Ram dealer, no Mercedes diesel premium) and parks easily, but it rides rougher when loaded and offers no AWD. If you want to chase snow or rough forest roads, a Sprinter-based Revel or Airstream Interstate is better; for paved-road and campground travel, the ProMaster is perfectly fine, especially after suspension upgrades.

What suspension upgrades do owners add?

Almost universally, owners add a rear (and sometimes front) sway bar, plus Sumo springs or upgraded shocks to calm the bounce and sway the loaded ProMaster exhibits on the factory setup. It's a well-trodden path on the ProMaster and Class B forums, and most owners say it transforms the ride.

How is Winnebago's quality and warranty support on the Travato?

The big advantage is the dealer and parts network — far larger than boutique van builders. That said, owners regularly report fit-and-finish issues out of the gate (cabinet doors, defective antennas or sound bars, phantom battery drains, infotainment quirks), so plan on a shakedown period and a dealer relationship for the first season.

Is the 59KL good for two people full-time?

For a couple who travels light, yes — the twin/flex-bed layout, wet bath, and lithium boondocking make it livable. But it's a true two-person van: galley counter and storage are tight, so full-timers who want elbow room often step up to a larger Class B+ or Class C like the Winnebago View. For weekend-to-multi-week trips, two people are very comfortable.