Four Winds 5000 31P
WINNER OF BEST AMERICAN MOTORHOME IN THE MOTOR CARAVAN OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Words and photos by John Page
At a fiver short of £60,000 our 31P Motorhome from Indiana is a lot of RV for the money. The low value of the American Dollar relative to the English pound has something to do with it but it is the extremely competitive nature of the USA market for Motorhomes that is the overriding force. Stop striving in America and your business will be dead on its feet very soon. Our Yankee friends are brought up to give and receive good service from the day they are born.
Signature Motorhomes of Wolverhampton are the Importers of the Four Winds Recreational Vehicles from Elkhart Indiana – a constructor who also manufactures Profile and A-Class vehicle in addition to the C-Class (Overcab) type 5000 31P. The first exhibition showing of the 31P was at The Stratford Motorhome and US RV Show in June when it took the Best US Recreational vehicle in the annual Motor Caravan of the Year Awards. The fact that it has become the most popular Motorhome sold in 2008 by Signature bears out what the Award Judges thought and consequently we are fortunate to have the machine in our tender care for three days.
At 9.82m in length and a height of 3.25m including the air conditioner it has the living space to pamper 2,4 or six campers in considerable style. Believe it or not there are berths for six in three double beds although the only seats to have three point lap and diagonal seat belts are those in the cab. Additionally the armchair and three places on the settee have lap belts, legal possibly in the USA but not in the UK. In that case why should this Motorhome be so popular? Basically due to its versatility, for socialising with friends and family to whom you can offer a bed for the night, for children and grandchildren to visit and stay over and it will come as no surprise that American Motorhomes have a very strong following from retired couples of a certain age.
Construction
This is the machine – on a 220 inch wheelbase Chevy chassis cab, it has a spacious open-plan configuration with a single slide-out creating a lounge/diner/kitchen plan that is approximately 3.65m long and 2.89m wide or, in the old money, twelve foot long by nine foot six inches wide. And that does not include the cab that adds a leather-seated ambience to the picture. Move to the rear and the bathroom in two compartments has a large shower cubicle to one side of the corridor opposite the toilet/washroom. Next door a stately bedroom completes the basic format. Basic however is not the right terminology to describe this vehicle. The framework first, secure on the Chevy chassis is the tubular steel floor system, which in turn is attached to a welded aluminium roof and sidewall cage construction. The laminated walls, roof and floor are insulated with high-density block foam. The sidewalls, front and rear end caps are of seamless fibreglass, with a one-piece TPO rubber roof covering. Impressive rigidity and a lack of body noise or movement on the road is the result. Inside a tiled effect vinyl floor for the corridor and the kitchen area looks good and practical, complemented by an ivory shade pile carpet from the diner though into the cab and in the master bedroom. Janus Sterling is the name for the décor and fabric scheme a decidedly quiet design with a degree of warm contrast from the Cherry woodwork. Plain Ivory Infiniss leather for the settee and cab seats are not only a touch of class, they were warmer and more comfortable of feel than the real thing.
Single glazed glass windows with integral fly screens are an American norm but as they’re modest in size heat transference is modest. The complete insulation package though is impressive and 30,000 potential BTUs of heating output should be more than capable of maintaining a comfortable temperature whatever the weather. 13,500 BTUs of air con output supplies the cool air and a common control unit with thermostat activates whatever is necessary to keep the interior temperature at the temperature you decide is ideal. Ducting for the air con’ is moulded into the roof insulation and those for heat output at a little above floor level. Entirely logical given cold air’s propensity to fall and warm air to rise! A small note here on the thermostat, which is fitted on the wall in the bedroom at shoulder height, as recommended by the heating appliance makers, as distinct from placing them high above the entrance door, which is less efficient.
ON THE ROAD
Motive power is by the Chevy Workhorse Class C – a unit with a gross vehicle weight of 6577kg and the wheelbase length of 220 inches. Petrol tank capacity is 215-litres. And if at this stage you might be wondering about the mpg of the 31P, the answer is somewhere about 14mpg more or less depending on your driving technique. Help is at hand though because Signature will be pleased to fit an LPG conversion for you to cleanly burn LPG at around 40p per litre! The wonderfully flexible motor to burn whatever fuel you choose is a six-litre V8 developing 323bhp at 4,600rpm and 373 lbs, ft of torque at 4,400 rpm. Four-speed automatic transmission with overdrive delivers the power to the twin rear wheels and four-wheel disc brakes with ABS is standard. Driver and passenger have air bags as standard.
Access to and from the cab via the lounge, sometimes fussy with semi-forward control vehicles, is virtually unimpaired. Sit ye down and the first things you will notice are proper gauges for engine temperature, oil pressure, battery charge rate and fuel gauge. All give early warning information rather than indicator lights that may well be too late with info that says you have a problem. The foot operated park brake also has its merits when your hands are full. A timber effect dash surround, the leather seats and pile carpet are all part of the user friendly cab character that Four Winds create for their customers. The Radio/CD and climate control are plainly obvious in the centre, with handy recesses for drink mugs or cans in the console below. The suspension is interesting with double wishbones and coil springs for the front wheels, just like Grand Prix cars although they are a tiny bit more sophisticated, contrasting with multi leaf springs for the twin wheels at the rear, a simple solid idea that has been with us since the dawn of motoring. Be that as it may and in spite of its overall weight and feeling a touch ponderous to start with, the suspension behaves very well. And a complete absence of noises off to the rear speaks volumes for the way in which the conversion is bolted together.
AT EASE
The space and the style reflect an American approach to Motorhome life – distances travelled are generally greater than in Europe and the climate variations from the Caribbean to Alaska are wide. So big vehicle large capacity tanks and appliances with house diameter plumbing are akin to what they have at home. For instance Fresh water capacity is 151-litres and waste and gray water combined 163-litres. More important though, as you open the door and climb the steps into the lounge and press the button to operate the slide-out, is a real sense of welcome from the armchair, the three-seat settee and dinette in the corner, all without having to re-arrange anything. Just spread out and open a bottle of something cool from the 16 cu ft fridge. No fiddling with the windows either, just slide them open and the fly-screens are already in place. Chestnut shade furniture and tungsten lighting make for a warm look. Nothing fancy about the lights – a traditional type with single or double bulb illumination according to the time of day.
Just inside the entrance door is a large dry chemical fire extinguisher that together with the LPG gas detector and combined smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are re-assuring. Day night venetian blinds are another brilliantly simple idea. At mealtimes the table is permanently in place, spacious for two to dine, a little less so for four to sit around. In fact if you were going to entertain often adding the optional pedestal table would be a good idea. The flat screen TV with aerial is standard tackle.
Sleeping
With the potential to sleep six adults and two small children 31p could almost be categorised as a small hotel. Pride of place though is the Queen-size interior sprung island bed in the owners sleeping quarters. It is a very attractive, well-lit room with twin wardrobes, good storage potential and speaker extensions for the cab radio/CD player. Biggest of the beds is the one above the cab, a wonderfully light airy double 2.43m long by 1.52m wide. The alternative to this one is the Jacknife settee bed in the lounge, Infiniss leather covered and simple to unroll into a sleeper. Unusual is the fitted inflatable mattress, ready to sleep on in a few minutes.
A safety factor in the owner’s bedroom is the emergency escape, operated simply by two red levers that release to allow the window they are attached to, to spring upwards. On the basis that UK and European Motorhomes are being built progressively longer perhaps such an escape feature should be considered. Both washroom and shower cubicle are sensibly adjacent to this room.
KITCHEN
Owing nothing to European or UK predilections on what a Motorhome kitchen should be, this is how it should be from the land that values simple as distinct from fancy cooking. Naturally then a large microwave is an integral part of the design along with a floor to ceiling fridge with a timber front matching the rest of the furniture. The drawers, roof lockers and cupboard for the machinery are of a decent size and regular size twin sinks and their mixer tap are in satin finish stainless steel. Look underneath the sinks to find house diameter as distinct from toy size plumbing that works as it should. The LPG comes from a fixed tank and there’s a Guardian Quietpac generator should you need mains power electric back up. The sturdy looking oven and hobs have their own extractor and lighting and power sockets are placed over the rear of the worktop for safety. Apart from all this though it all blends seamlessly with the rest of cherry wood furniture. Built into the end of the roof lockers a no nonsense obvious reading monitor panel gives an instant reading for the state of the batteries and various water tanks. Locker space is generous if not dedicated and you’ll never be troubled here with a lack of elbow room.
WASHROOM
Civilised springs to mind when describing the washroom/toilet separate from a nicely proportioned shower cubicle with substantial translucent sliding door. Light for the cubicle comes from a large domed skylight and through the sliding door, as there is no electric illumination. By way of contrast the washroom has an array of spotlights over the mirror in addition to the regular background light and, a mains socket for a shaver! A cut above European toilets is the large ceramic bowl type with foot flushing lever and a gray water holding tank of 83-litres. Generous locker space for towels and paraphernalia and a powered extractor are also part of the practical approach for the ablutions.
STOWAGE
Overall the 31P boasts a generous101.4 cubic feet of exterior storage. The Mega compartment at the rear is open on either side or from the back and it contains the spare wheel in its own container. There is space here for a number of cycles and outdoor furniture etc. Neatly fitted lockers at basement level are lined and water-proof – ideal for outdoor gear. Other lockers at this level give access to the auxiliary battery, the generator, power cable and various filler connections. A roof ladder is standard. Access to the fixed LPG tank is not locked for safety reasons.
sUMMARY
If you are on the lookout for a Motorhome in the American tradition consider the facts about the Four Winds 5000 31P. It is big but not huge – it comes complete with no end of features that are options with European types and price for price there is no doubt it is competitive. A 5000lb tow hitch is standard, so is the flat screen TV plus cable TV and satellite prep. The great looking all vehicle graphics is included as well as the patio awning. In fact the total package at the price of £59,995 is genuinely comprehensive. If you’ve not driven American yet then equip yourself with a new mindset because it’s different but satisfying especially as other traffic will tend to respect the size. It can be fun and undeniably luxurious by European standards.
TECHNICAL DATA
Vehicle specification: Four Winds 5000 31P, two-berth C-Class Motorhome
Price of vehicle tested: £59,995 OTR
Vehicle kindly loaned for testing by: Signature Motorhomes Ltd, Cannock Road, Westcroft, Wolverhampton, Tel: 01902 725394
CONVERSION
Overall length: 9.82m
Overall width: 2.54m
Overall height: 3.25m
MPTLM: 6577kg
Payload: 930kg
Construction: welded tubular steel floor, welded tubular Aluminium cage walls and roof. Block foam insulation. Gel coat GRP exterior cladding. Rubber TPO roof cladding
Fresh water capacity: 151-litres
Waste water capacity: total including waste and gray water 166-litres
Gas storage capacity: 40.9 lbs
Auxiliary battery: two 80ah auxiliary batteries
Refrigerator: Norcold 16cu ft fridge/freezer
Water heater and space heaters by Suburban
Lighting: mix of tungsten and spotlight fittings
Upholstery: Janus Sterling décor scheme for furniture, floor and fabrics
Other equipment fitted: 5000lb towing hitch, flat screen TV, Silver Benz paint, Guardian generator, leather scheme, hide-a-bed sofa with air mattress, auto-transfer switch to give instant power from generator without having to plug hook-up lead into generator.
BASE VEHICLE
Type: Workhorse Class C chassis cab
Power unit: GM Vortic 6.OL V8 (364 C.I.D)
Maximum power: 323 BHP @ 4,600rpm
Maximum torque: 373 lbs,ft @ 4,400rpm
Transmission: four-speed auto with OD
Steering: power assisted recirculating ball type
Braking: hydraulic system with servo assist to four-wheel discs and ABS
PERFORMANCE
Fuel consumption: estimated 12-14mpg
Maximum speed: estimated 75mph
Comfortable cruising speed: 65mph
