Why are Class A motorhomes designed by the criminally insane?

[ByeTheWay]

We love ours. Really well designed and laid out. You can tell the designer is an RVer. Hard to argue with success.

[DrDaveMA]

Originally Posted by oatmeal

That's interesting, because WAAAAAY more than 10% of used RVs for sale say "no pets." .

I agree, maybe I am wrong, but I don't think by much. The next time you are in a CG, look around t see who has a pet, maybe the "no pets" coaches just sit in the driveway, never go camping. I have seen coaches with 3 full size poodles, 2 Saint Bernards, and 2 Portuguese Water Dogs, (not all in 1 coach)'and wondered what room was left for the humans?

[DrDaveMA]

If I was ordering a new coach today I would find a floor plan that was built for a king bed, but delivered with a queen bed, that gives you more room around the bed to get in and out.

[Electra 225]

Originally Posted by oatmeal

The big slide on my Alfa has 6 feet of clearance, so most people can stand up straight inside it. AND they didn't put cabinets in the slide, so the windows go all the way up and you have windows at eye level when standing, which makes it seem vastly more open.

That sounds like a nice design. I have seen several Alphas around, mostly the "See Ya", but I've never been inside one. Forgive my ignorance, my only awareness of full interior height slides was from Rexhall. Learn something every day!

Best regards,
W.D.

[oatmeal]

Well, they don't make the Alfa any more, so Rexhall might be the only current model with the tall slide.

But this got me thinking about RVs being designed by insane people, as suggested by the thread title, or not being designed by RVers, as some have complained.

Johnnie Crean, who founded Alfa, is the son of the man who founded Fleetwood, so Alfas were designed by an RVer. And some of the things he did were having an extra-high ceiling, extra-tall slide, big windows, no slide room encroaching onto the patio. The TV is over the windshield, but putting it anywhere else would mean it either blocks a window or isn't viewable with the slide in. And given the slide troubles on early models, livability with the slide in was kind of important.

So there's one model that was designed by an RVer, and as it happens, he's might be insane, too. Or, well, undoubtedly kooky, and arguably crazy. But he knew how to make a livable interior.

Go in an Alfa sometime. Pull up all the blinds and get a load of those windows and realize you can look outside while still standing. And then, if it's hot and sunny, immediately put the blinds back down because the sun on those windows is going to bake that motorhome.

[TinMan Trvlr]

From my perspective, the single most challenging design error affecting all brands is the sewer hose storage compartment being too small to accept storing a hose with twist connectors installed on both ends. Better yet would be installing a 'stinky slinky' storage bay sized to fit a hose WITH the 90 degree sewer connection attached.

The next design error issue to improve would be having a step through escape window in the rear bath to allow safer emergency exit use than the present design requiring that one 'tear off any "floppy bits" and break legs on impact with the ground' while you slide out face down and backwards through the current designs difficult to access and hold open while in use escape window in the bedroom. It would also be an improvement to have a step location or two moulded into the exterior wall below the emergency exit window. Even if the factory won't provide the step indents for esthetic or liability reasons, they could easily provide and identify reinforced exterior wall mounting locations where the buyer could bolt on aftermarket folding footman loops.

How about having two face cloth/hand towel rings in the main bath area? Surely there could also be two towel bars, one for each primary occupant.

How about major RV manufacturers using their buying power to purchase clothes dryers with a door design that opens against the wall instead of out into the 'working space' used by the person loading the dryer?

The major manufacturer(s) could also equip the washer dryer mounting space with an access door that folds out of the way against the wall too, rather than using a door design that requires the person using the appliances to 'work around' a split door that opens in a way that makes loading laundry into the appliances difficult (due to having to hold the dryer door open with the other hand).

[Motor7]

Originally Posted by DrDaveMA

I agree, maybe I am wrong, but I don't think by much. The next time you are in a CG, look around t see who has a pet, maybe the "no pets" coaches just sit in the driveway, never go camping. I have seen coaches with 3 full size poodles, 2 Saint Bernards, and 2 Portuguese Water Dogs, (not all in 1 coach)'and wondered what room was left for the humans?

this one is easy...start a pet poll

[Gordon Dewald]

We have been in the same RV park for 9 years. Our neighbors have been there for comparable times.

The neighbors in our row have:

No pets
Pet
No pets
No pets (us)
Pet
Pet
No pet
No pet
No pet
Beyond that is transient sites.

Pets are a big part of many lives. It is amazing to see the number of people wheeling their pets around in custom pet buggies at the Arizona Marketplace.

[dezolen]

Originally Posted by WyoFree

Dezolen, does your coach have one or two black tanks to empty?

One. Rear wc has macerator which is piped to central black tank which we try to use exclusively for #2. Should keep large objects(if you know what I mean) from plugging tank.

[barmcd]

Originally Posted by TinMan Trvlr

From my perspective, the single most challenging design error affecting all brands is the sewer hose storage compartment being too small to accept storing a hose with twist connectors installed on both ends. Better yet would be installing a 'stinky slinky' storage bay sized to fit a hose WITH the 90 degree sewer connection attached.

The next design error issue to improve would be having a step through escape window in the rear bath to allow safer emergency exit use than the present design requiring that one 'tear off any "floppy bits" and break legs on impact with the ground' while you slide out face down and backwards through the current designs difficult to access and hold open while in use escape window in the bedroom. It would also be an improvement to have a step location or two moulded into the exterior wall below the emergency exit window. Even if the factory won't provide the step indents for esthetic or liability reasons, they could easily provide and identify reinforced exterior wall mounting locations where the buyer could bolt on aftermarket folding footman loops.

How about having two face cloth/hand towel rings in the main bath area? Surely there could also be two towel bars, one for each primary occupant.

How about major RV manufacturers using their buying power to purchase clothes dryers with a door design that opens against the wall instead of out into the 'working space' used by the person loading the dryer?

The major manufacturer(s) could also equip the washer dryer mounting space with an access door that folds out of the way against the wall too, rather than using a door design that requires the person using the appliances to 'work around' a split door that opens in a way that makes loading laundry into the appliances difficult (due to having to hold the dryer door open with the other hand).

I ordered a 4' Gunwale hook ladder after reading this. Never thought about it before, but once the window is open, you're still 8' off the ground.

[slowmachine]

Originally Posted by barmcd

I ordered a 4' Gunwale hook ladder after reading this. Never thought about it before, but once the window is open, you're still 8' off the ground.

I think it is Foretravel that has a bottom-hinged emergency egress door in the rear. It folds out like an airplane door.


Mike
2000 HR Endeavor

[TMan59]

Ok, have to add our "why is it's?

Dinette on drivers side.
We would much rather be able to sit at the table and see our camp, not the neighbors.

Whole walls with one small window.
Ok, so it's a cave in there, we get it.
But we kinda think it's kinda cool to be able to look outside.
The 4002 Newmar is one of the only options we can find.
Tiffin, we would love to consider, but no windows.

There's our gripes.

[Hammer bird]

I totally agree about the window issue. We're happy with our coach. The drivers side wall is almost all windows, and the curb side has two nice size windows. I'm sorta of an odd duck that during the day I love leaving the front coach curtains open just a bit to watch the world go by... Our old TT really had tiny windows on the driver side, one tiny window on the curb side. Drove me crazy!

[Electra 225]

Originally Posted by TinMan Trvlr

From my perspective, the single most challenging design error affecting all brands is the sewer hose storage compartment being too small to accept storing a hose with twist connectors installed on both ends. Better yet would be installing a 'stinky slinky' storage bay sized to fit a hose WITH the 90 degree sewer connection attached.

The next design error issue to improve would be having a step through escape window in the rear bath to allow safer emergency exit use than the present design requiring that one 'tear off any "floppy bits" and break legs on impact with the ground' while you slide out face down and backwards through the current designs difficult to access and hold open while in use escape window in the bedroom. It would also be an improvement to have a step location or two moulded into the exterior wall below the emergency exit window. Even if the factory won't provide the step indents for esthetic or liability reasons, they could easily provide and identify reinforced exterior wall mounting locations where the buyer could bolt on aftermarket folding footman loops.

How about major RV manufacturers using their buying power to purchase clothes dryers with a door design that opens against the wall instead of out into the 'working space' used by the person loading the dryer?

The major manufacturer(s) could also equip the washer dryer mounting space with an access door that folds out of the way against the wall too, rather than using a door design that requires the person using the appliances to 'work around' a split door that opens in a way that makes loading laundry into the appliances difficult (due to having to hold the dryer door open with the other hand).

These are all really good points! I agree with the wet bay comment, it's a challenge getting stuff you need to fit there. Pain in the neck, you said it all.

About the fire escape: I stated in another thread my belief there should be a mandate to do what American Coach started, and Newmar quickly followed. A DOOR not a window. American is my favorite design (Foretravel was mentioned too), as they have a door that opens like an airplane hatch. The shelves above the toilet become STEPS after it's open, just step on down. That is brilliant, and you've got a true fighting chance to GET OUT FAST without breaking your neck, or getting stuck. As I said before, not everyone is a gymnast, or as small as one either.

Our 2014 Ellipse does have the stack washer/dryer combo doors open towards the wall, (drivers side, rear bath). Also it has cabinet doors that are full length, and are hinged in the middle and fold up against the wall fully exposing the washer/dryer. It works pretty well.

Best regards,
W.D.