Winnebago will be showing off their new products at the Florida RV SuperShow next week. They've pretty much redesigned their entire product line-up for 2010 while creating the new Via/Reyo to boot!

In the past, our contact at Winnebago and RV Buddies compare favorite models. The Journey 34Y was one of our favorites last year. But this time around, there is so much new in so many different categories that it's impossible to pick just one.

Whatever you're looking for in an RV, make sure you check out the Winnebago display. Here's a sampling of some favorites:

The Winnebago Via/Itasca Reya 25T were introduced first, but the new 25R plan is now on display with a full wall slide and a residential-size full queen bed. This is pretty incredible for a such an efficient-size that gets 15 - 18 MPG!

Jumping into the larger market with their first tag axle model, the 42AD known as the Winnebago Tour/Itasca Ellipse is a stunner with its expandable sofa and fireplace under the HDTV. The kitchen has plenty of room to cook. And the rest of the coach is rampant in comfort as well. If you swore you would never own a long coach - this one will test your will power!

The new Winnebago Sightseer/Itasca Sunstar 30W debuts in Florida. This coach offers great features and quality at a reasonable price. The new dash layout is impressive and this floorplan even offers an option that allows for a 40" HDTV.

We'll have a lot more live from the show next week - so make sure to refresh RV Buddies on your computer often!

RV Buddies takes a close look at the new VIA from Winnebago

In so many industries, competitors buy each other's products and “reverse engineer” them to find out their best-kept secrets. The Winnebago Via is a coach that competitors should buy and take apart to learn what makes it so special. If anything is to be learned from the VIA, it is the wonderful blend of the past and the future in its design.

Back when 27' was considered big for an RV, layouts were efficient. The VIA recalls just that. From the hide-a-way loft bed that creates Class C convenience to the twins in the back, this coach makes incredible use of space.

As for the future, the F50 chassis delivers some of the best fuel economy ever seen in an RV. But that's only part of the picture when it comes to the chassis – more on that later.

As we set out to review the Via, the weather in Hershey, Pennsylvania was a wonderful mix of sun and cleansing showers. The air was clean and the sky shone bright. The green countryside was picturesque and painted a perfect backdrop for every RV lifestyle lover.

The exterior of the VIA 25T is distinctive at first glance. The coach is a svelte 7'6" wide. And at just 25'5" in length, navigating is about as easy as a large SUV. The aerodynamic automotive styled front and rear caps are clean in both line and design.

Beneath the VIAs attractive skin lie a number of features. Up front is a totally new entry door influenced by the airline industry. It features dual seals, dual latches and hidden hinges. It feels secure and tight like a fine automobile, and it truly delivers a quiet, wind noise-free ride.

The exterior is fitted with scratch-resistant dual-pane acrylic windows, which are lightweight and fit flush with the coach. Inside, the blinds rise from the window base. This allows privacy to be maintained without losing a fresh breeze.

The rear of the coach boasts a cavernous 87 cubic feet of storage space. This is as large, if not larger, than some Class A units of much greater length. It will fit lots of camping toys in there - from bikes to BBQ's.

One of the more impressive new features, standard on this coach, is an emergency LP shut-off switch. Hopefully this will set a trend for the entire industry. As an important note – all manufacturers are required to install a fire extinguisher. But more is always better. There’s no such thing as “too safe!”

The VIA also comes with full body paint standard. The finish of the paint is flawless. The colors blend smoothly with a mirror-like finish. With a little TLC, this coach will look great for years to come. The patterns and colors are also timeless. Finding a favorite could be tricky because they’re all terrific.

Side view cameras are standard, and Alcoa has finally created a beautiful stylized aluminum wheel for Sprinters. The alloy wheels provide many safety and performance benefits. They look really great and they make lost hubcaps are a thing of the past!

The driver's area is one of the nicest features of this coach. The dash is straight from the Sprinter – with the convenience of all the familiar ergonomics of a car, plus the added features of an RV. A new feature on this model is the Jensen 6.5" LCD display that doubles as a radio/CD player and acts as the monitor for the rearview and side cameras – slick!

The dash also has an available appliqué. Unlike some, this one is really nice – not too flashy – just a nice accent that fits this beautiful dash.

Our favorite driver’s area feature is the seat swivel swings completely around to integrate it into the living area. This kind of flex-space design makes a lot of sense and is becoming a trend in more efficiently designed coaches.

The VIA is sort of “Class A meets Class C” with the loft bed over the driver’s area that hides away until you need it. Just unlatch two hooks and it lowers slowly and safely. It's designed nicely into the headliner of the "cab" area. It’s barely notice until dropped into place. This is a perfect place for a few kids to play fort. And it has a perfect view of the TV as well.

The living area has some great features. The sofa in the 25T is in a slide-out. It has storage overhead. A pedestal table can be installed either in front of the sofa or the two cab seats. This makes lounging with your feet up while watching TV, or settling in for a game of canasta. Nice.

One smart piece of design work is how the TV is set into the aft wall. With so many coaches you can't watch TV unless the slide-out is open. On the VIA, the curved edge by the TV hinges out and the TV slides into the coach area so you can watch if you're dry-camping somewhere you don't want to open the slide. It's this kind of practical design that is evident throughout the coach.

Just opposite the living room is the galley space. An Apollo convection/microwave is in the overhead. Both the sink and 2 burner gas range are under glass covers which increase usable counter space. And the single door refrigerator has an usual feature. The freezer compartment can be removed as needed for extra space for cold beverages. Whoever thought of that idea knows how to throw a good tailgate party!

Amidships on the driver's side is a full dry bath. The compact space has a full shower, ample toilet area and vanity with mirror. Its size defies the fact that it's in a coach barely over 25'. Winnebago has also been using the SHUB shower door, a retractable screen that wipes itself clean each time it is opened or closed. Besides the maintenance benefit, when opened the shower adds to the spacious feel of what might otherwise feel like a small compartment. Also, unlike a shower curtain water on the floor can be all but eliminated.

The rear of the coach features two opposing single beds. Between them, a floating cabinet is mounted to the wall. The area has the feel of an upscale loft. You would never guess looking at the space that a huge storage area is underneath.

Each bed is comfortable in its own right, but optionally, can be ordered with the flex-bed kit and the twins can be joined together to make a 59" x 87" sleeping surface. That's enough room for a basketball player, the kids after a scary campfire story, or your favorite furry friend at the foot of your bed!

The VIA is also available in a 25R floorplan which has a larger slide and permanent 60" x 80" queen size bed and aft bath arrangement.

After filming the coach inside and out, we went for a spin. The VIA is built on the all-new F50 Sprinter chassis. The first thing we noticed is how easily the coach accelerates. It's fast off the line. In fact, it's faster than some cars. And we didn’t even notice the transmission. It's smooth and seamless.

If this is beginning to sound like a car review – it very well could be. Steering was predictable. There was no wander. Granted it did not have the precision of a German car on the autobahn, but who wants a twitchy response in a large vehicle like an RV. The four-wheel disc brakes with ABS all around brought this coach to impressive stops.

Keep in mind our test drive was in the rain, and there were many sweeping curves as we circled the Hershey center trying to get back in – each lap getting speedier than the last. In spite of the increased velocity, the coach felt solid and sure on the road. There was no sense of being top-heavy at all. RV Buddies looks forward to putting a few hundred miles on this coach as this short tease was nothing but pure pleasure.

The VIA is a great coach. It's a great size for dry-camping or pulling into a luxury resort. Have snacks ready as everyone is going to want a tour. Add to that, great diesel mileage and good handling, and you will be spending more time on the road – which is what RVing is all about.

RV Buddies Online names four RVs from the PRVCA show in Hershey, Pennsylvania "Best of Show".

With 59 manufacturers represented, there were many impressive RVs on display at the 41st annual PA RV & Camping Show. The event, which always creates a lot of expectation as people flock to see the new models, didn’t disappoint this year as a record crowd of 31,700 was on hand to check out the brand new 2010 models.

"The manufacturers delivered some exciting products for the 2010 model year," commented Host and Producer Mark Summers adding, "After walking the show and filming for nearly a week, several coaches simply stood out to us."

For the 2009 PRVCA show in Hershey, RV Buddies is proud to name the following "Best of Show":

(Click on images for larger view)

Winnebago VIA

Winnebago has delivered a great coach that will be a standard-setter for the next decade. It is for this generation what the View was for the last. It offers a sleek package and good mileage. On our test drive, the coach impressed with a stable, secure ride.

Four Winds Serrano

Four Winds is associated with value. The Serrano offers great styling, storage, floor plans and diesel at a great price. It's a great combination in a nicely sized package.

Winnebago Tour

This "Best of Show" is for the entire Tour line-up, as well as the sister-coach, the Itasca Ellipse. Winnebago re-invented their top-of-the-line Class A diesel pusher with some truly innovative layouts. They have even jumped into the fray with a 42' tag axle model.

JMS Galileo

The all-new Galileo is a 21' trailer. The custom-molded front cap is euro-aerodynamic. Inside, the fit, finish, materials and equipment are without compromise. If you are looking for an efficient-sized, high end towable, the Galileo should be on your short list.

Following the success of the PRVCA show, RV Buddies will continue to film next month at the California RV Show in Pomona, California, with plans to shoot at the Florida RV Super Show in January. After attending these major debut shows, RV Buddies plans to name their "RV(s) of the Year".

Winnebago announced that shipments of the Company’s revolutionary new 2010 Winnebago Via and Itasca Reyo have now begun with initial deliveries arriving at select dealers throughout the U.S.

“The culmination of an extensive development process, the all-new Winnebago Via and Itasca Reyo are ground-breaking motor homes in every way,” said Winnebago Industries’ Vice President of Sales and Marketing Roger Martin. “With innovative new features and construction, contemporary design, and record-breaking fuel economy, the new Via and Reyo are truly motor homes for the future.”

The first Class A diesel motor homes built on the fuel efficient Dodge/Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis, the Via and Reyo are 25-foot, fresh, innovative and fully equipped motor homes that are slated to provide the highest fuel efficiency currently available in a Class A motor home, along with superior handling and maneuverability.

RV Buddies brings to you some of the first official photos of the new Winnebago VIA coach. Click on any of the images for a large full frame view of the new aerodynamic exterior, Euro-inspired interior, long awaited Sprinter cutaway dash and more.

This coach packs a lot of RV in a small space. The loft bed shoot be a hit with the kids. The rear singles that convert into a queen-size crossover makes the space great as sofas during the day, and a wonderful flex-space at night.

BREAKING NEWS - 2010 MODELS NOW ON WINNEBAGO.COM - INCREDIBLE NEW PLANS CHANGE THE RULES AND SET A NEW STANDARD OF IMAGINATION. THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE REBIRTH OF THE RV INDUSTRY!

If you remember the movie, "The Blues Brothers", celebrating its 25th anniversary with special release DVD, you remember Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi driving their cop car through a shopping mall and commenting "Oh, the new Oldsmobiles are out early this year." Well, new RV models are even more exciting.

Any Winnebago enthusiast who visits the web knows that Ron Lichtsinn of Lichtsinn Motors is located next door to Winnebago. Well, Ron just launched a GREAT new website. (Congratulations, Ron - it's beautiful!) Please everyone, do take some time to visit. Ron has many of the new 2010 floor plans.  Here are a few that I wanted to share with you. (The pictures are from a video that is featured on the RV Buddies community video page starring Winnebago's own Kelli Harms!)

First are are few great new plans...

The 2010 Itasca Ellipse 40CD is a bath and a half model. The layout is brilliant on so many levels. Front entertainment is very social with the opposing sofas and captains chairs that swivel around. Six can belt in in comfort for the ride. More than that, the layout is very accommodating with the slides in! Very nice. The rear bath is palatial and there's a king size bed to boot. We can't wait to check one of these out.

The 2010 Journey 2010 40DL has a mid-bath with side aisle - a very popular arrangement. You can opt for the queen or king bed. This coach has a 40" HDTV with optional fireplace beneath. Nice! Once again, this coach is very usable with the slides in, and seats six comfortably for road trips. The mid-bath is spacious with room for an optional washer-dryer. And the commode has a lot of leg room. I'm assuming there's a magazine rack! (Both coaches have lots of furniture options and prove to be promising.)

Finally, the 25T floor plan for the Winnebago Via and Itasca Reyo is revealed. Most excellent! The rear twin beds sit atop a HUGE exterior storage area. BBQ? Bikes? Yeah - no problem! The bath is ingenious with a generous shower. While there are no pictures of the bath, I'm guessing it has the Shub door for a very open feeling. The refer has a removable freezer section in case you want more fridge space. The cab seats swivel and raise to join the living area. The TV slides out in case you want to watch and can't open up the slide out. NICE feature! And over the cab is a drop down bed. Great use of space. The dash gets high marks with full automotive styling and a drivers' door. The sticker on this is a tad pricey - but you are getting a Mercedes Diesel, great mileage, camp anywhere on a whim and a vehicle that you can almost use as a daily driver. This coach makes over-sized SUV's seem, well... THIS is a soccer moms dream! Check out the gallery below. And for the video, go to the Community Video page on this site.