Winnebago Goes Overland With The ARKA Adventure Truck

Winnebago has taken its first serious swing at the EarthRoamer crowd. The company unveiled the ARKA last week, a Ram 5500-based overland rig that carries a fully-equipped price of $331,901, putting it in direct competition with the small field of high-end factory-built adventure trucks. The ARKA makes its public debut at Overland Expo West in Flagstaff, May 15–17, with pre-orders open now.

That price is the part of the announcement drawing the most reaction, and Winnebago has stacked the spec sheet accordingly. The mechanical foundation is heavy-duty work-truck territory: a Ram 5500 4×4 crew cab, 6.7L Cummins inline-six diesel, 8-speed automatic, and a BuckStop conversion riding 41-inch tires.

GVWR is 19,500 pounds, GCWR is 43,000 pounds, and towing capacity comes in at 15,000 pounds. The 26-foot-7 habitat is a one-piece molded fiberglass shell bolted to the chassis through a four-point pillow-block mount that lets the box and cab flex independently over uneven terrain.

Off-grid capability is built around a 48-volt electrical architecture, with up to 15 kWh of Lithionics lithium battery capacity, 800W of solar expandable to 1,200W, and an EcoFlow power hub feeding a 3,600W inverter. Fresh water runs through a heated 60-gallon tank with Guzzle H2O UV purification and continuous hot water from an Elwell Timberline system.

Gray capacity is 40 gallons, also heated. Winnebago claims up to 14 days off-grid when the AC isn’t running. R-15 roof and floor insulation and R-12 walls support an operating range from -10°F to 120°F, supplemented by a heat recovery ventilation system the company says is a first in the RV industry.

Only one floorplan is on offer, which sleeps four, with two in a cabover bunk that converts between king, queen, and twin configurations and two more on a rear dinette that folds flat into a full-width bed. Stow the dinette entirely and the rear opens into a full-height heated gear garage with van-style doors, L-track tie-downs, and aluminum cabinetry that won’t swell when wet. The wet bath uses a cassette toilet and a hidden shower. Two interior decor options are available: Carbon (dark gray) and Oxide (pebble).

The ARKA 20Z is available for pre-order at winnebago.com/models/arka. First deliveries have not been announced.