Retro Home-On-Wheels: A 1969 Winnebago D22 Motorhome

This is a 1969 Winnebago D22 motorhome, it’s one of the most consequential models ever made by the world famous RV manufacturer, and this particular example appears to be in original condition throughout.

The model name “D22” simply stands for the fact that it’s built on a Dodge chassis, and it’s 22 feet long. There was a closely related earlier model called the F-19, which as you may have guessed, was built on a Ford chassis and it was 19 feet long.

Fast Facts – The Winnebago D22 Motorhome

• Winnebago, founded in 1958 in Winnebago County, Iowa, became the world’s largest RV manufacturer. Initially making travel trailers, they pivoted to affordable motorhomes, experiencing rapid growth due to their vertically integrated supply chain. By 2023, Winnebago Industries reported $300.7 million in operating income from $3.5 billion in revenue.
• The 1969 Winnebago D22 was the company’s second RV model, built on a Dodge chassis with a 318 cubic inch V8 engine and automatic transmission. It featured “Thermo-Panel” construction, combining aluminum, Styrofoam insulation, and pre-finished paneling. The 22-foot motorhome included a dinette, kitchenette, bedroom, and bathroom with modern amenities.
• The D22’s boxy design with bold graphics contrasted with competitors like Airstream. It offered easy drivability for inexperienced RV users and included features such as running water, a fridge, oven, gas burners, and house batteries. The model is considered one of Winnebago’s key early designs, contributing to the company’s success.
• A well-preserved 1969 Winnebago D22 is currently being offered for sale in Menasha, Wisconsin. It retains its retro interior with faux wood paneling, period-correct upholstery, and original features. Potential buyers are advised to inspect the underlying Dodge chassis for rust issues, as this can be a common problem with these vintage motorhomes.

Winnebago: A History Speedrun

Winnebago is now inarguably the most recognizable brand in the world of RVs ( recreational vehicles) largely focussed on the manufacturing and sales of motorhomes in the United States and Canada. It wasn’t always this way though, the company was founded in 1958 in the town of Winnebago County, Iowa as a last-ditch effort to save the local economy and provide much needed local jobs.

Winnebago was founded in the town of Winnebago County, Iowa in 1958 as a last-ditch effort to save the local economy and provide much needed local jobs. Image courtesy of Winnebago Industries.

Winnebago was founded by businessman John K. Hanson, working with local community leaders they convinced California company Modernistic Industries to open a travel trailer factory in their town. Luckily they were successful, Modernistic Industries executives agreed, and the company that was set up was named after the town.

In turn, the town had been named after the Native American tribe who lived in the area, and as a result of this many early Winnebago RVs were given names derived from Native American culture, including Chieftain, Brave, and more.

Though the company had initially started out making travel trailers, the company would soon pivot to primarily producing RVs, or motorhomes. These RVs are self-propelled and thus they don’t require a tow vehicle, Winnebago was able to produce them at a far lower cost than their competitors. This was largely thanks to the company’s vertically integrated supply chain.

The fact that Winnebago was offering high-quality RVs at a price that was affordable to many resulted in the company experiencing stratospheric growth, and becoming the largest manufacturer of its kind in the world. As of last year, Winnebago Industries had operating income of $300.7 million USD from revenue of $3.5 billion USD, and it employs over 6,000 people.

The Winnebago D22 Motorhome

The Winnebago D22 was released in 1968, it was only the company’s second RV, after the earlier F-19 from 1966. The D22 was built on a Dodge truck chassis and measured in at 22 feet long, it was powered by the Dodge 318 cubic inch gasoline V8, and power is sent to the dually rear wheels via a Torqueflite 727 three-speed automatic transmission.

This drivetrain made the D22 relatively easy to drive for people with no background behind the wheel of trucks or busses, and the absence of a manual transmission was a major selling point. Up front there are two seats separated by the engine cover between them, and the glasshouse surrounding the cab offered unparalleled visibility to the front and each side.

This is the page from a period Winnebago brochure about the D22 model. Image courtesy of Winnebago Industries.

The body was largely built from Winnebago’s “Thermo-Panel” construction, this was essentially a sandwich of aluminum alloy on the outside, Styrofoam insulation in the middle, and pre-finished paneling on the inside. This resulted in a lightweight body that was highly corrosion resistant.

In the rear you’ll find a dinette with seating for four and a table in the center, a kitchenette with two sinks, running water a fridge, oven, four gas burners, a microwave, and a rangehood. Further back you’ll find a bedroom with a folding sofa and an upper bunk, the sofa folds down into a rear bed and many owners simply leave it set up with a bed with all the bedding in place semi-permanently.

The Winnebago D22 also has a bathroom, with a flushing toilet, a sink, and a shower with hot and cold running water. It could be ordered with a house air conditioner, and it had house batteries powering standard outlets for operating appliances, televisions, radios, etc.

The body design of the model follows the boxy and somewhat angular styling of the company’s earlier travel trailers with bold colorful graphics – almost the antithesis of the curved minimalism of the popular Airstream travel trailers with their polished aluminum bodies.

The D22 would sell well for Winnebago and today it’s looked back on as one of the firm’s key early models, it even gets a mention on the official company history page.

The 1969 Winnebago D22 Shown Here

The Winnebago D22 motorhome you see here is a 1969 model, make it an early example from just the second year of production. It appears to be in remarkably well-preserved condition throughout, possibly thanks to the body which is essentially a load-bearing aluminum shell. That said, some of the upholstery could do with being replaced.

The underside looks reasonably good from the images in the listing, the underlying steel Dodge ladder frame chassis can be an issue on these due to the risk of rust, so the first thing any prospective owner should probably do is get underneath with a flashlight and have a detailed look.

Up front there are two seats separated by the engine cover in the middle. The visibility out of the cab is excellent due to the glasshouse-like design.

Inside this D22 you’ll find a delightfully retro interior, with faux wood paneling, 1960s-era upholstery, curtains, and carpeting. Up front you’ll find folding cup holders, an AM radio, and an aftermarket FM receiver.

This D22 is now being offered for sale out of Menasha, Wisconsin on Bring a Trailer at no reserve with a clean Wisconsin title in the seller’s name. If you’d like to read more about it, see more of the images, or place a bid you can visit the listing here.

Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer