2011 Winnebago Access Premier 31CP Review
The 2011 Winnebago Access Premier Class C Motorhome is designed to make living on the road easy and fun.
Offering all of the standards of the Access, the Premier also comes with a host of additional features and optional full-body paint. Available in five floorplans, we’ll be getting to know the 31CP, a model that measures in with a length of 31’8”, an exterior height of 11’1”, an exterior width of 8’5.5” and exterior storage of 95.3 cubic feet.
Built using Winnebago’s SuperStructure construction process, the Access Premier boasts both strength and durability. The SuperStructure comes with a solid framework, and steel and aluminum substructures and components.
The roof over your family’s heads is made from fibreglass and is one piece, plus it’s backed by a 10-year limited parts-and-labor roof skin warranty. Because it’s built with fiberglass, it gives you extra strength and durability that doesn’t streak or degrade over time.
The sidewalls are made with lightweight Thermo-Panel that combines fibreglass, high-density block foam insulation, while the inner wall surface comes equipped with aluminum support structures. Helping to protect critical steel components is an electrodeposition coating, and metal substructures help to secure cabinets and appliances to add safety and stability. Finishing off the process are specially engineered interlocking joints that connect the floor, sidewalls and roof, making it a cohesive unit.
The 31CP is built on the Ford E450 chassis that offers 305-hp thanks to its 6.8L Super-Duty V10 SEFI engine. Outfitted with a TorqShift 5-speed automatic transmission and a 120-amp alternator, the Premier promises smooth sailing for any trip you make. Other features that will make your trip more enjoyable include 4-wheel ABS, 7-pin trailer wiring, a trailer hitch with a 5,000-lb. drawbar/350-lbs. max vertical tongue weight and stainless steel wheel covers.
You get more storage space for your buck with the Access Premier. Thanks to exterior storage spaces, you can bring more with you. There’s even a large side storage compartment with a drain plug to keep drinks on ice and it features a recessed area with a removable cover that doubles as a picnic table. Other great exterior features includes a manual entrance step, a rubber tread stepwell, a porch light, a main entrance with a screen door, steel running boards, rear mud flaps and a ladder.
It’s time to go inside and see what the 31CP has to offer. When it comes to making the Access Premier your own, you can choose to outfit in three different fabric collections: Riviera Sand with Bark ultraleather, Hearthstone with Marsh ultraleather and Winter Moss with Putty ultraleather. These choices are complemented by cabinetry available in Coffee-Glazed Sierra Maple, Belmont Maple and Forest Cherry (all three are finished with satin nickel hardware). The 31CP also incorporates SmartSpace design elements, a concept that makes sure you can use every inch of your Class C motorhome.
Whoever happens to be driving has one of the best seats in the house. The cab seats come equipped with armrests, lumbar support and multi-adjustable slide/recline, so you’ll be sitting pretty the entire drive. To make the drive go faster, you can choose to get the RV Radio that includes a CD player, AM/FM stereo, a weather band and an iPod/MP3 input. There’s even a Sirius Satellite Radio Plug-N-Play system upgrade that offers additional digital programming for your listening pleasure. Other cab comforts include a 12-volt power point, power steering with tilt and cruise control, power door locks, sunvisors and manually adjustable exterior mirrors.
Move on into the lounge area for a little R and R time, because in here, you’ll find a 19″ LCD TV, home theater sound system and DVD player (an additional 19″ LCD TV with DVD player can be added in the overhead bunk area). Both TVs come with a video selection system that lets you watch DVDs on the bedroom TV while others can watch something else on the lounge TV. If you’ve got some unexpected overnight guests, it’s not a problem – the Access Premier comes with the Comfort Sofa Sleeper that easily folds out into a bed and features a mattress that quickly inflates and deflates using a built-in power source. Other features found in the lounge include MCD American Solo blackout roller shades, systems monitor panel, roof vents, cab divider curtain, bunk privacy curtain, bunk ladder, tinted windows and key-activated slideroom master lock switch.
In the fully featured galley, you’ll find all the essentials you need for meals on the road, including a three-burner range and a microwave oven. You can also upgrade with a conventional oven for added cooking flexibility. Sit down for a family dinner in the BenchMark full-comfort dinette with seats that flip up for spacious storage. Other features include laminate countertops and a vented range hood.
There’s plenty of sleeping arrangements for everyone staying the night, thanks to four sleeping areas, including bunk beds. In the master suite, sleep soundly on a queen-sized bed with innerspring mattress and bedspread, pillows and shams. In the bunk area, there are foam mattresses, as well as a storage compartment, pillows with shams and privacy curtains.
Keep clean no matter where you are in the 31CP. The bathroom gets rid of all the grime with a flexible showerhead and a retractable shower door that squeegees itself clean as it opens. For your water needs, a third water pump switch lets you turn the pump on and off in the bathroom. There’s even a water heater upgrade that comes with a motoraid on-the-go water heating system that makes hot water while you drive. Other bathroom features include a laminate countertop and skylight.
The Winnebago Access Premier 31CP Class C Motorhome starts in price from $86,533. Find out more about this model at http://www.gowinnebago.com/.
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