Essex order placed - working on specials

[TheJazzMan]

Thank you all for helping me to establish a fair discount off of MSRP of a new Essex and giving me tips on negotiating a deal. Your advice and assistance was invaluable. My order for an Essex 4508 is now in the system at Newmar and I've started working with Ken Williamson on a few small modifications to the interior (the exterior graphics are another story )We're currently trying to work out the interior TV position and finding a location for a small laptop desk. I've proposed that we remove the midship TV and use that hutch for storage and add to it a drop-down drawer front that hides a pull out laptop shelf. The hutch is only about 13" deep, so there is some question about how comfortable it would be to sit in front of such a shallow shelf. We could add yet another slide that extends the shelf out further or use a piano hinge to fold down an extension. I welcome any ideas.
Removing this TV would make the 40" LCD in the front overhead the one we would watch. We're OK with the high viewing angle as we have our LCD TV at home mounted above our fireplace. I would like to mount the TV in the center of the overhead, instead of over the passenger seat where it is usually located. That would mean relocating the control panel above the driver's head somewhere else - maybe one side or the other of the same area (on a sidewall). I thought I would ask you folks what you thought before I ask Ken about centering the TV in the front overhead and relocating the control box.

[TheJazzMan]

Thank you all for helping me to establish a fair discount off of MSRP of a new Essex and giving me tips on negotiating a deal. Your advice and assistance was invaluable. My order for an Essex 4508 is now in the system at Newmar and I've started working with Ken Williamson on a few small modifications to the interior (the exterior graphics are another story )We're currently trying to work out the interior TV position and finding a location for a small laptop desk. I've proposed that we remove the midship TV and use that hutch for storage and add to it a drop-down drawer front that hides a pull out laptop shelf. The hutch is only about 13" deep, so there is some question about how comfortable it would be to sit in front of such a shallow shelf. We could add yet another slide that extends the shelf out further or use a piano hinge to fold down an extension. I welcome any ideas.
Removing this TV would make the 40" LCD in the front overhead the one we would watch. We're OK with the high viewing angle as we have our LCD TV at home mounted above our fireplace. I would like to mount the TV in the center of the overhead, instead of over the passenger seat where it is usually located. That would mean relocating the control panel above the driver's head somewhere else - maybe one side or the other of the same area (on a sidewall). I thought I would ask you folks what you thought before I ask Ken about centering the TV in the front overhead and relocating the control box.

[DonnaB]

Randy,

Here's a shot of our 40" TV in the center . The control box is on the right and there is component shelves on the left. Just as an aside, get Newmar to put one or more fans that blow out from that component cabinet into the area behind the TV. The component cabinet gets way too hot if you have anything in it and there is no airflow. A single fan can drop the temps in that overhead 30 degrees.

[TheJazzMan]

Thanks, Donna! I definitely like your TV setup and your VMS monitor in the corner. I know Newmar didn't do the VMS monitor (I already asked them about a similar one), but did they mount the 40" TV in the center for you? You mentioned that your control cabinet was on the side. Do you mean beside the TV or on a side wall?

As for Donna's 19" monitor, I think I'd like to place a monitor in that same area to be used for the cameras and maybe for VMS, and Nav. Is it possible to have a remote monitor like this that has switchable functions or must it have a dedicated function?

[TheJazzMan]

What about exterior graphics? I don't care for the '09 Essex graphics - a little too Hot Wheels / Transformer for me. It looks like my only option is to use the '08 graphics instead. Any suggestions?

[Route 66]

How about your choice of colors, but staying with the '09 graphics?

[TheJazzMan]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Route 66:
How about your choice of colors, but staying with the '09 graphics? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yep. That's definitely an option. I also discussed removing the "claws" from the graphic. Here's a photo of an '09 Essex with '08 Bordeaux paint. The '08 paint with fades helps a little, but it's still an "in your face" wild design.




Here's what the '09 looks like with an '09 color scheme.

[DonnaB]

Randy,

The control panel is behind the door to the right of the TV.

No, Newmar wouldn't put in a larger TV than the 26" that came in the coach. We just upgraded to the 40" model a couple of weeks ago.

As far as your question on the 19" monitor....I "think" you can add a monitor to the backup camera system, but not completely sure. There are people out here that will know if it can be done. You might ask your question in the Motorhome Problem & Solution group as there are some quite technical people there that have done things like you are wanting to do.

[Route 66]

The Dutch Star and the Essex are configured differently with better components usually in the Essex.

Many things are possible in the Essex that are not possible in our lower priced Dutch Stars.

[TheJazzMan]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Many things are possible in the Essex... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's what makes me a little nervous. While the coach is being built, I should at least pre-wire for anything I might even consider adding later. It's those things that you don't think about until it's too late that keep me up at night.

[saydiver]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by TheJazzMan:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Many things are possible in the Essex... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's what makes me a little nervous. While the coach is being built, I should at least pre-wire for anything I might even consider adding later. It's those things that you don't think about until it's too late that keep me up at night. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

The Essex's control panel also contains the E-Plex system, so the cabinet is larger. It's approx 26", not counting the speaker on the left side. North Trail has some very detailed pictures of the coaches on their website, including what the control panel looks like, if you need to see detailed pictures.

Pre-wire and/or run conduit. Even if you pre-wire the coach, in a year or two you might need a different type of wire. At the suggestion of some of this group's members, we had Newmar run conduit all through our coach.

Sue

[Route 66]

I too, had conduit installed just for such things.

[Gene & Kaye]

Randy,

We have a new 2009 Essex where we made a few modification you may or may not be interested in. If so, email me at eawoodw@yahoo.com

gene woodward

[TheJazzMan]

Where should I have the conduit routed?