60-Day Review of the Solis Pocket by Winnebago (with defects we found)
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- Опубликовано: 25 мар 2024
- Review of the Solis Pocket (36A) after 60 days. Why we selected it, issues we found, and our overall summary and recommendation.
#solis #vanlife #outapocket #solispocket #classbrv
Exactly what I have been looking for. Human beings sharing their real life experiences with the Solis Pocket, not a RV Dealer trying to sell one. Looking forward to more.
Thanks for the great feedback! It is appreciated. More to come...
Great video. I am looking at purchasing a pocket within the year or so. At least the pocket is on the top of my list. I am also looking for a small footprint so I can also drive it around during the day and will fit in a standard parking spot. So, looking forward for more updates and will check out your past videos too. Have fun.
Great, thanks for the feedback! Despite the issues we cover in this and other videos, we love the van. The layout is perfect and the van is exactly the size we wanted. Getting bikes inside is awesome for us and I feel the price vs value with this van is spot on. Good luck and look forward to more discussions!
I have subscribed and am looking forward to more videos about the van. This is the model my husband and I are going to buy, just waiting until we are closer to pulling the trigger on retirement. We like it for all the same reasons you have mentioned here, most especially that it has a really unique layout. No other manufacturer has a bed, garage, dinette, and kitchen in under 18 feet.
And rather sad to say, we are expecting defects and issues since that seems to be the way things go unless we are willing to pay double the price and even then there is no guarantee. We’ll just make sure to keep track of all issues and make sure to get them fixed while still under warranty. After that, my husband fully expects he will be replacing things as they break.
Anyway, I’m very interested in what you’ve added, changed, etc as you continue using it.
On a side note, the audio when you were sitting outside was pretty bad, but I am sure you’re already aware and are doing what you can to fix it.
Hi! Thanks so much for watching and for your comments. We really do like the van and have just been dealing with the issues we find along the way (fortunately minor). The updates and mods (so far) will be the next video. I know the audio was not great for the review video, the wind and some road noise came through on the soundtrack much more than we expected. Now we have some microphones so should be much better. We are new to both van ownership and making good youtube videos so learning along the way! Thanks again.
@@Outapkt Thanks for the reply. Hope you are having a great April.
I love everything about the Solis Pocket except the lack of a generator. I'm in the pre-shopping phase of a first time rig (have never owned any type of camper or RV). I like your videos (subbed) and the no-nonsense presentation of information. I wish there was a PX version of the Pocket!
Hi Justin, thank you for the great feedback! I have seen advertisements for a Solis Pocket with an Onan 2800 generator installed (a standard RV generator). They put it underneath somewhere. I don't know much about that configuration. We purchased a portable generator, much smaller, that we can run off the propane tank in the van. We plan to do a video about that once things get a bit warmer and we can test it with the air conditioning. I have read mixed opinions about how much generator output is needed to start/run the Coleman Mach 10 on this van. So we will share our findings.
It looks very nice; I watch RV-style builds for good ideas but if I was to do it when I retire in the future, I'd most likely do DIY build. Also, speaking of biking, somewhat related is I would like to exercise regularly, and at home today, I use a stationary recumbent bike. I sit on it all day when I'm not sitting or sleeping in bed, usually watching video or working on my computer. I could easily do the same in a van. I'd use the van full time. I'd of course hike outdoors.
The recumbent bike lets me exercise indoors(all weather, day or night) at home (not a gym), and with safety there might not be at some times of day such as night.
The biggest benefit of the recumbent bike in my situation is adhering to the principle of setting up the environment for success. If I sit on it first thing in the morning, I am far more likely to exercise, although I don't always.
Thanks for watching, and good luck with your exercise program!
@@Outapkt Thank yo uso much for responding! 🙂
I really appreciate videos like this! On paper or video, for me this is the van... but seeing/hearing real world experience is invaluable. Thank you.
For me, I'm going mobile. I do courier work on a 150cc scooter. South in Winter and north in Summer. The first thing that caught my attention about this van is that my scoot will fit inside whilst still leaving living space... perfect for urban boondocking without worrying about it being gone in the morning.
No bathroom? Cool! I was born in a 1960's converted school bus. First house I lived in had a woodstove for cooking/heating and an outhouse.
No bathroom in a van ain't no hardship; it's a blessing. I urban boondock; I've never more than 2 minutes from a public restroom and my daily gym has free showers. Worse facilities in my van is redundancy I will never use and don't want to pay an extra 20k for...
Thanks Eric for watching and for the comment. We agree completely... In our case it's about storing bikes but the same thing applies. And we don't want the cost or loss of real estate for the bathroom. It does have the cartridge toilet for emergency use, though to be honest we usually don't even keep that in the van. It is a great, compact van and a good value for the money.
You guys have so much respect for one another 😝..she waits until he finish then you start and same goes for him I love that .. as far as the RV it is my next purchase for sure the A makes more sense than the B too much wasted space for another sink in the back which y won’t use
Thanks so much for your feedback! Good luck with your purchase and hopefully we gave you some things to look out for with your purchase.
New sub over here safe travels hope to see you on the road
Thanks for the sub, see you out there!
Question, have you driven in the snow and if so how did it do? Looking to camp out at the mountain and wondering about the drivability of a front wheel drive! Thanks for the video, very helpful and real, just what I was looking for :)
That is a great question and thanks for the positive feedback! We live in the Northeast so snow and mud are a big issue. We just took a road trip to Sugarloaf, ME for the Eclipse and had a chance to drive in the snow and try to navigate a very snowy, slippery ski parking lot and stay there a few nights. See our other video ruclips.net/video/W_OxIr-NSYI/видео.html to see us driving in snow and navigating the parking area.
The driving went OK but the parking lot did not go very well. We got stuck several times. Now, we still have the stock tires on this van, which we bought in Alabama, and everyone told us they are not good in the snow. I have several friends with the same van (various Ram ProMasters and another Solis Pocket) and they all changed out the tires after the first season. My friend with the Solis Pocket also joined us at Sugarloaf and was able to navigate the same parking lot successfully with his more aggressive tires, and he skis regularly.
So, I would say in summary, this van will never be as good as an all-wheel drive. It you put aggressive tires on it, you should be OK in most situations that are not 4x4 conditions. My friends have told me they noticed a slight loss of gas mileage with the new tires. I will be getting new tires before next winter.
@@Outapkt This was so helpful, I really appreciate your time to reply with such detail. Happy camping! :)
Too bad about the poor build quality. Nice review!!!!
Thank you for watching and for the feedback!
I have a 2022 Pocket. Think your observations about the interior build quality pretty much match my experience. You seem to have an inverter of some sort stored where the Porta-potty would normally go. Did you ditch it or keep in back in the cargo area?
Hi, thanks for sharing your experience. We ditched it and put the inverter there. We cover that and some other upgrades we made in our 2 Pocket upgrade videos. If we ever do need a portable toilet, we will probably seek a different model that is smaller and we can store in back, But we really have not needed it yet. Thanks for watching!
i'm starting to look into the world of rv vans. My biggest concern is the maximum mileage expectancy on these vans. Most vehicles I have owned I have driven them till they need to be wrecked (10years). I understand these vans are not made to be daily driven... but still some concern of parts degrading / discontinued after 10 years.
Thanks for watching and for your comment. My personal feeling is that the vans built on a commercial van shell (like the pocket) are more daily driving oriented, as might be common with a delivery driver or commercial usage. The base vans were built with that use case in mind. However, my research says these engines go for 150K with good maintenance, vs a diesel which can go a lot longer. So something to keep in mind.
@@Outapkt 150K thats it ?? And in 10-15 years swapping out an engine at what cost? The likelyhood of replacement engines existing in 15 years is another conversation. I guess it comes down to how much you plan to use it each year. For me it would be probably 4 weeks of the year max. With that limited use, I may as well just rent a similar rig at 7-8k / year... not worry about maintaining. if i was retired and looking to travel alot then it may be something to consider.
That's the low end I found in my research, yes. Some people claim 200K+. We use ours regularly for biking, climbing, etc. and occasional trips. Not high mile usage outside of trips. We plan to maintain it as best we can. Happy travels.
I actually went to colonial RV in NJ and checked it out quilt was absolutely horrible the outside is beautiful specially in that color but the inside was very disappointing … I checked out Thor 18M n by far better built and at least 15 K less
There is a van for everyone! Good luck and hopefully welcome you to the club soon!
How much it cost ?
What averaging mileage you getting ?
Also, could it be used for 3 adults and 2 kids?
Thank you
Hi, thanks for watching. This van normally sells in the 90s. We get 17-19MPG. This van is too small for that many people, check out the regular Solis 59P.
Are you siting out in the rain....sounds like it.
I know, sorry about that. It's wind and some traffic noise. I cleaned it up as best I could. We have microphones now so should be improved in future videos. Thanks for watching and for the feedback.
How much was it 🧐if y don’t mind
Mid 90s, or maybe high 80s if you are flexible on timing and location.
@@Outapktthanks so much I found 2024 in NJ hopefully I can get it for 85🤞🤞🤞
What the heck ?
That is ridiculous , your money are good so the van should be .
Winnebago where is the quality ?
Thanks for the comment. The quality issues are disappointing. Nothing that can't be dealt with and we love the van. It is a lot of value at that price point.
This was recorded in 1994 and upload in 2024 😂😂
I know. Sorry about that. It can only get better from here.
@@Outapkt a recommendations from seasoned videographer a good lavalier mic that you can attached to any iphone or camera DJI mic is your best friend
Not paying attention with every detail in the building of this camper. “Not the end of the world” is not the answer. When you paid for the price the ask, you expect no defect and durability in the integrity of the vehicle.
You are not wrong! Reality, once you have the van, is that is can be quite a bit of trouble to have the issues dealt with under warranty. It has been faster, easier, and better to just deal with it ourselves. Our experience has not been unusual from what others have told us. Thanks for watching and for your comment.