by Gabrielle DeSantis

Generally speaking, the off-roading and RV worlds arent always the most inclusive spaces. Although many newcomers are venturing into the RV marketplace, there are still many gaps in diversity and inclusion that have yet to be addressed. Like linearly everything else in the world, if there isn’t specific attention paid to these gaps, they rarely fill in “naturally.” However, Winnebago has just come out with a new wheelchair-accessible camper van. Meet the Winnebago Roam. 

The Winnebago Roam is made for wheelchair accessibility

The new Winnebago Roam is the company’s first Class B motorhome that allows wheelchair users the opportunity to hit the open road in a camper van with a built-in wheelchair lift. Now, just because this is the first of its kind for Winnebago, that doesn’t mean that wheelchair users haven’t been working out these hurdles on their own for years. 

As noted by Car and Driver, quadriplegic photographer Kirk Williams has been whipping his custom conversion camper van around for quite some time. However, not everyone is into building their own van. Some folks would prefer to pay to have a factory-built machine that caters to what they need. 

Are there other wheelchair-accessible RVs? 

Winnebago has made other inclusive RVs in the past. However, models like the Winnebago Adventure AE are much larger Class A campers. For one thing, many people don’t care to drive something that huge and cumbersome. Secondly, Class A campers don’t come cheap. The Winnebago Adventure AE starts at a whopping $269,000. 

Many, if not most, campers prefer the smaller Class B and C campers because they are much smaller and typically a bit cheaper. The Winnebago Roam is one such smaller camper. The smaller size offers better maneuverability and more off-the-grid access. It manages all that while still offering most of the same amenities like a kitchenette, sleeping quarters, and a bathroom. 

What does the Winnebago Roam offer? 

The Roam camper van is built on the Ram ProMaster platform, meaning the overall footprint comes in just under 20 feet long. Unlike most Class B campers, the Roam offers extra interior room for a wheelchair and a BraunAbility wheelchair lift. 

The Roam is loaded with accessibility features like the aforementioned lift, standard wheelchair tie-downs, a shower and toilet with grab handles, accessible light, and system controls, and a powered sofa bed. Even with the added features, it still offers seating for five and sleeps up to four adults with the optional pop-up tent. 

Does the Roam come with special driving features? 

Winnebago has made a point to leave any hand controls and other specialty driving features up to third-party companies specializing in these apparatuses. Like all good camper vans, customization is key to getting exactly what each camper needs from their home on wheels. The only other optional extras include a built-in TV and the choice between three color palettes; red, silver, or white. 

Winnebago consulted wheelchair users who owned the Class A models on what to include in the Roam. The camper van company also hosted RV trips with travelers in wheelchairs, who suggested what to change and keep. Winnebago also spoke to people in the accessibility community, including caregivers, as it developed the Roam. 

As a non-wheelchair user, my opinion means little to nothing, but it is nice to see some effort of wider inclusion into this marketplace. The more automakers consider wider audiences, the better the marketplace gets for everyone. 

Winnebago has yet to release pricing on the new wheelchair-accessible camper van. However, orders are available this fall, which means we should see pricing soon.

RELATED: The Winnebago Solis Pocket Is the Perfect Small Affordable Camper

The post The New Wheelchair Accessible Camper Van From Winnebago Looks Incredible appeared first on MotorBiscuit.

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Yachts are often used or owned by celebrities, and for a good reason. They’re great for private vacationing and travel, which can often get difficult for celebrities to achieve when the paparazzi and fans constantly follow them. For those looking for a luxury vacation, a yacht is one of the best places to do this.

Included among celebrity yacht users is Beyoncé. Along with her husband Jay-Z, they’ve chartered yachts in the past, including a luxurious yacht that goes for $2 million a week. Read on to learn about past yachts the couple has chartered and more details about an even more spacious yacht they chartered last year.

Yachts Beyoncé has chartered

To answer the original question, it’s not currently known if Beyoncé or her husband owns a yacht. However, they have chartered yachts in the past. They usually charter yachts for family vacations with their three kids. Many of these are classified as superyachts, more spacious and luxurious versions of a standard yacht.

According to South China Morning Post, they chartered a yacht in 2018 called Kismet, which was 312 feet long. The cost to charter the yacht was around $1.3 million a week. For comparison, a typical yacht rental is $150,000 a week. This makes chartering Kismet nearly nine times the cost of an average yacht.

Before that, they chartered a yacht formerly known as Galactica Star. The yacht is now known as Illusion. According to Business Insider, the yacht cost $73 million in 2015 and, at the time, cost $900,000 per week to charter. Galactica Star is 213 feet long. To charter the yacht, you had to know the owner, not just pay the price.

It seems that, over time, the yachts the celebrity family has chartered have become more extravagant and expensive.  All of the yachts mentioned thus far are larger than other well-known celebrity yachts, such as Steven Spielberg’s 282-foot yacht, Seven Seas. Seven Seas fits up to 12 guests and was listed for about $160 million when he decided to sell his yacht. It’s also larger than J.K Rowling’s yacht Amphitrite, which is 156 feet long. Johnny Depp once owned Amphitrite, and J.K. Rowling listed it for $19.2 million.

Beyoncé chartered a yacht that’s $2 million a week

The trend of chartering larger yachts didn’t stop with Kismet, however. Beyoncé and her family chartered a Croatian yacht in fall 2020 known as LANA. In total, it costs $2 million a week to charter. This makes it the most expensive yacht Beyoncé has chartered, and it also happens to be near the top of the list of the most expensive charter yachts. It only comes second to the Flying Fox yacht, which costs $4 million to charter. It’s certainly a yacht that only a celebrity could afford.

The specs and features of the LANA yacht

According to Forbes, LANA is a very grand 351-foot long yacht with the capacity to fit 12 guests. It has eight rooms, including seven unique VIP rooms and a master suite. It also fits a maximum of 31 crew members, which is rather large for yachts. In terms of the rooms, it has a multi-room spa, a gym, a cinema, and a beach club. It also has an outdoor pool and plenty of equipment to enjoy the water, including diving equipment and more. Beyond the price tag, the yacht is certainly the height of luxury with its countless amenities.

RELATED: Billy Joel’s Ride From Long Island to New York City Was a $1 Million Yacht

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