National RV Trade Show: Winnebago Spyder fifth-wheel toy hauler

Editor's note: This is the third of several posts of my visit to the National RV Trade Show earlier this month in Louisville, Ky.

Winnebago Spyder 24FQ
In sharp contrast to the rest of its lineup, the Winnebago Spyder 24FQ -- the first ever toy hauler from the Middlebury, Ind.-based towable division of Winnebago Inc. -- features a deep black gel-coat fiberglass exterior, augmented with red swooshes and reflective graphics. On the front cap, a highly conceptualized spider is placed prominently. On the inside, innovations include seamless faux concrete countertops, contrasting wood grain finishes and webbing (not netting) to stow gear in keeping with the Spyder theme.

“(Toy hauler owners) want something that’s different, something that makes them look special when they’re out in the desert with their bikes and whatnot,” Winnebago Towables President Johnny Hernandez told me. “The other thing we did on the outside of it is we wanted a nice contoured look. Instead of real jagged lines, we contoured it and we complemented it with frameless windows, enclosed heated underbelly, three toy locks, edgier wheels and tires, a really good sound system called Rockford Fosgate and a spare tire carrier where you just pull a pin and the tire slides out like it’s on a trombone.”

The prototype at the Louisville show was produced with little time to spare, Hernandez said, adding that there will be three floorplans by the end of February. Production starts in January and MSRP is about $45,000.