2018.5 Winnebago Fuse Review

I was able to take a look at the new 2018.5 Winnebago Fuse.  Both the 23A and 23T versions.   They were debuted at the RVIA show in Louisville and then moved down to LazyDays RV in Tampa for the SuperShow happening at the Florida State Fairgrounds in early January.

First things first.  If you have never been to LazyDays in Tampa, go!  They have a stellar facility and it is an experience just to visit.

Now for my perspective.  I have a 2017 Fuse 23A.  A very early 2017 23A, one of the first.  I am going to wind up comparing the 2018.5 to my 2017.   There have been changes in the 2017.5 and 2018 models, but from what I have seen they were mostly refinements.  The 2018.5 makes serious changes to an already good motorhome.  If some of these changes were on the 17.5 or 18 forgive me for pointing them out.

Exterior

The first thing I noticed looking at the 2018.5 Fuse is the color.  It is now a Dark Grey and White.  The pattern is called Winter Gray.  Color is a personal thing.  I don't discuss color much, but it looks reasonably sharp.

As I walked around the unit I saw several differences:

On the 23A the passenger side access panel for the batteries and LP have been combined into one long access panel.   I like this better.  The larger opening makes it much easier to get to the LP and batteries.  You no longer have to navigate through the 2 small access hatches.  I am sure it also makes the manufacturing process easier.

Group 24 Batteries - Fuse 24A

Group 31 Batteries - Fuse 23T

The battery bracket inside the hatch also appears to be new.  It is designed to hold 2 batteries (Winnebago has made 2 batteries standard now) just like the last bracket.   The new part is that is is sized to hold Group 24, Group 27 or Group 31 batteries.  With AGM group 31 batteries you can have 250 amp hours of capacity if you choose.  They are shipping standard wth group 24 wet cell batteries for 160 amp hours of storage.

Speaking of power, the Fuse also comes with 200w of solar now.  Still uses the same Zamp solar controller which is a nice controller.

On the 23A and T the winterization valves and the slide controller (both located in the upper rear storage bay on the 23A) are now well labeled.  Making things easily identifiable is one thing I really appreciate since it helps with all of the general maintenance tasks.

The bike rack is new.  It is a summit bike rack that was discussed on this post.

The license plate holder has been moved up from the bumper and is much better illuminated.

The black tank flush and city water connections have been moved up some and the black tank flush is now on top.  This is good since on my fuse the septic system cover can not be locked open when you have a hose connected to the black tank flush.

The biggest change on the exterior is that Winnebago sloped off the rear end.  This is a big, big deal.  The Fuse is a low rider.  One of the reasons I like my Fuse is that it is close to the ground and easy to get in and out of.  Well several of us have managed to scrap our rear ends going up steep driveways or getting onto crowned roads.   Well Winnebago sloped up the rear end.  Starting from about 4 feet from the rear, Winnebago sloped the rear end up 2".  On the 23A that means it goes from a 12" clearance to a 14" clearance at the rear bumper.  On the 23T it went from 11" to 13".  A good improvement.

The stairs have also been a point of concern as they are low as well.   In this picture of the 23A stairs you can see the body is at 11".

Both units I saw had the optional aluminum wheels.  In addition to just looking nice, since they do not use the wheel simulators that the standard Fuse has, checking the air on the outside tires should be much easier.

Interior
The floorpans are the same.  I have not noticed any changes.

One of the main changes to Fuse for 2018.5 is a new compressor refrigerator.   They are different units on the 23A and 23T, but both are from Nova Kool.   On the 23A it is the model RFU6209 DC.  On the 23T it is the model DE0061R.

The model DE0061R on the 23T looks like a normal everyday refrigerator.  Freezer on top, refrigerator on bottom.  It runs on 12 or 110v automatically switching as necessary.  It is nice and large

The Fuse 23A has a Nova Kool model RFU6209 DC.   This one appears to be 12v only.  Not sure this really matters since if you are plugged into 110v current, the converter in the Fuse will convert to 12v anyhow simplifying everything.   The different thing about this refrigerator is that the freezer is on bottom instead of on top.  Why would Winnebago do this?  Easy, with the 23A drivers side bed extension out for a tall person the refrigerator door is blocked.  By putting the freezer on bottom, the bed can be made out and you can still have access to the refrigerator.   A pretty decent design tradeoff if you ask me.

Why is a compressor refrigerator such a big deal? Well a compressor refrigerator is the same type as you have at your house.  Most RV refrigerators, including the ones in previous Fuses are absorption refrigerators.  They can be powered by electricity or LP gas which is a big plus.  They use ammonia as the refrigerant and have to be level to operate. If you are not reasonably level they will not work and eventually will break. The compressor refrigerator can operate at pretty much any angle but they only work off of electricity.

Another thing that is now available on both Fuse models is an inverter. It is a 1000w Magnum pure sine wave inverter.  The plugs next to the TVs are connected to the inverter in addition to a separate plug next to the bed(s).

Another feature that Winnebago has added is 12v outlets next to each of the USB outlets.  This is a nice feature especially if you have a CPAP machine or have other devices that will work off of a cigarette lighter plug.  You could even recharge your laptop without having to use the inverter (not the most efficient way) or turning on the generator (even less efficient).

The exhaust fan in the bathroom appears to be slightly different. It is probably just a newer model but it was quieter than mine.

One other point of confusion I will clarify is the privacy shades/panels for the cab windows.  The new brochure called them shades.  All Winnebago did was change the description.  They are still the same panels that have been supplied since the first Fuse.  I found them in the closet and they were definitely the same as mine.