Review: Winnebago Odyssey 40I

There are some names in the motorhome world that need little introduction. Winnebago is one of them. Lisa Potter takes a closer look at the newest Winnebago release and its impressive new Kiwi DNA.

While the famous Winnebago badge has long been associated with American motorhoming, its newest chapter has a decidedly Kiwi flavour. The new Odyssey 40I is the first Winnebago motorhome to be built in New Zealand, with production taking place at Action Manufacturing’s Hamilton facility.

It is a significant moment for both brands – bringing together Winnebago’s global recognition with a Kiwi manufacturer that has been building vehicles in one form or another since 1948.

For Action, the project also represents something of a coming of age. The company has decades of experience in motorhome manufacture, including vehicles built for the rental market, and says the Odyssey 40I draws on the hard-earned lessons of those builds while moving firmly into the premium private-motorhome space.

That combination is evident from the moment you first step inside.

Designed around living

At almost 7.85m long and 2.4m wide, the Odyssey 40I is substantial without feeling cumbersome once you’re inside. Built on an Iveco Daily cab chassis, it has a 5200kg GVM, 3.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo-diesel producing 134kW, and an 8-speed automatic transmission.

Designed to sleep up to four, it offers a rear queen island bed and a second Luton bed above the cab. But it’s the layout that immediately makes sense for extended touring.

The rear bedroom has the kind of space many motorhomers will appreciate, with room to walk around both sides of the island bed. Further forward, the kitchen and dinette create a proper social zone, while the separate shower and toilet help give the interior the feel of a compact apartment rather than simply a vehicle with beds fitted inside.

That sense of space was something the Action team repeatedly came back to when we visited the Hamilton manufacturing base to see the build in progress, as well as a final tour to see the finished motorhome.

The aim, they say, was to create somewhere people would actually want to spend time – somewhere warm and inviting enough to sit, relax, entertain and, importantly, stay for longer periods.
For couples travelling for weeks or months at a time, this could well be one of the Odyssey 40I’s biggest attractions.

Storage is serious

Motorhome storage can make or break an extended trip, and the 40I has clearly been designed with people who don’t want to leave half their belongings at home in mind.

As well as substantial storage beneath the bed, there’s impressive exterior storage and a particularly useful amount of underfloor space. Action’s manufacturing process has helped here, with the floor and subfloor system designed to maximise usable storage beneath the living area.

There’s also a full-width tunnel boot when the optional washing machine isn’t fitted.

The vehicle’s dimensions help here too. At 2.4m wide, the 40I is wider than some of the previous platforms Action has worked with, creating opportunities for larger storage areas.

And for longer-term travellers, the optional washing machine is one of those seemingly small inclusions that can make a surprisingly big difference when you’re travelling extensively on the road.

A smarter way to manage life onboard

One of the most interesting changes is behind the scenes. The 40I introduces Renogy’s One Core and One Vision system to the New Zealand market – a fully integrated power and vehicle-management system that brings information such as battery charge, temperatures and tank levels together in one place.

Rather than relying on a collection of analogue gauges and separate displays, the system centralises the information. It can also connect via Bluetooth to an app, allowing owners to monitor and control functions such as lighting from a phone.

For anyone who has ever tried to work out which gauge is telling them what, that centralised approach should make life considerably easier.

The electrical package includes a 300Ah lithium house battery and solar capacity, and getting off grid is easy thanks to 185-litre fresh and grey water tanks. For those looking to head away from public amenities for longer, a factory upgrade additional house battery is also available, taking the offering from the standard 300Ah inclusion, to deliver an additional 300Ah (2 x 300AH in total).

A more premium feel

The interior is another area where Action has clearly pushed beyond its traditional rental-motorhome heritage.

The company describes the target as an automotive-level finish, and there are plenty of details intended to lift the ambience. Vinyl upholstery, diamond stitching, ambient lighting and coordinated cab seating give the interior a distinctly more upmarket feel.

There are three interior themes, moving from light through medium to dark, with the New Zealand names revealed at the Winnebago’s official launch at the recent NZMCA Motorhome, Caravan & Leisure Show in Hamilton. Interior options are Pinnacles, Coromandel; Catlins, Southland; and Wairua Valley, Marlborough.

Interestingly, the level of customisation happens much earlier in the manufacturing process than simply swapping cushions or trim at the end. Action says the interior themes are incorporated right down to material and plywood choices on the production line.

It is a small insight into just how much work goes into creating a modern motorhome – and how much of the finished look is decided long before the customer ever walks through the door.

The Action difference

Perhaps the most compelling part of the Odyssey story is what is happening behind the Winnebago badge.

Action Manufacturing’s approach is different from the traditional outside-in construction process used on some previous motorhomes. Its team builds from the inside out, allowing key components and systems to be installed before the final doors and other elements are fitted. The result is a manufacturing process that has been developed around efficiency, access and the company’s own accumulated experience.

That experience is considerable. Action has built motorhomes for some of the industry’s biggest names (think KEA, C. I. Munro, St John ambulances, mobile medical and dental units) and has developed its manufacturing expertise through years of producing vehicles designed to withstand the demands of the rental market. The Odyssey takes that durability-focused knowledge and applies it to a vehicle aimed at private owners.

There is also reassurance in having the people who built the vehicle close to home. Action says the factory stands behind the technology and features incorporated into the Winnebago, giving the New Zealand-built product a genuine local connection.

A Winnebago with a Kiwi accent

The Odyssey 40I isn’t simply an imported Winnebago with a different production address. It represents a new direction for the brand in this part of the world – designed and manufactured in New Zealand, by a team with a deep understanding of local conditions and the way Kiwis use their motorhomes.

That local connection is already proving significant. The Action team says the reception to the New Zealand-built product in Australia has been overwhelmingly positive, despite Winnebago previously being manufactured there.

For New Zealand buyers, there is an added appeal in knowing that the vehicle is being built right here, with local manufacturing capability and support behind it.

RV Super Centre is New Zealand’s exclusive home for Winnebago, bringing this premium-tier motorhome brand to New Zealand roads for the first time and continuing a legacy partnership with Action, closing the loop from design and manufacturing, through to sales and after sales support and servicing.

And then there’s that iconic badge. Winnebago brings decades of brand recognition and a name synonymous with life on the road. Action brings Kiwi engineering, manufacturing experience and an intimate understanding of what it takes to build vehicles for this market. The Odyssey 40I sits at the intersection of the two.

With its generous island-bed layout, serious storage, premium interior, smart energy management and spacious living areas, it is clearly aimed at travellers who see their motorhome as more than somewhere to sleep between destinations.

The Winnebago Odyssey 40I is a true home on wheels – one with a distinctly New Zealand-built heart.

Winnebago Odyssey 40I specifications