Why does motorhome decor look like grandma's house? (example pics included)

[aarong]

I'm 42 and shopping for a motorhome for my family of eight. (Kids aged 1.5 yrs old to 17 yrs old). We have loved renting the last couple of years and now we are ready to buy.

I am looking at used coaches, but honestly the interior decor does not look very contempory. The 2014 and newer are a bit better and modern looking inside.

Maybe motorhomes just aren't designed for people in my age bracket.

This picture of a 2007 Bounder interior seems pretty typical. Just seems really tacky to me. Really, a pink couch?







So I am thinking of buying 2014 or newer. Also, it is hard to find bunkhouses and the new over-cab drop down sleeping areas in the older coaches. For a family of eight, I am thinking I might have to buy a new one.

Any thoughts?

[JFXG]

Thoughts? I think you're going to have a difficult time if this is where you're starting.

Personally, I think a lot of the newer coaches remind me of hotel lobbies.

De gustibus non est disputandum.

[aarong]

Yeah, the new ones do look like hotels. Decor isn't the most important thing. Sleeping space for 8 people is #1 :-)

[HuntingHawk]

To sleep 8 is an issue in itself. You might be wanting to look for a 1.5 bath also.

[TwelveVolt]

Obviously, grandma chose the fabric when these coaches were new. Pink couch would go with a pink coach, unless you chose the plum leather option. You would just have to calculate the cost of replacing or reupholstering into your offer. We immediately tossed the two heavily upholstered dining chairs and replaced them with contemporary leather ones from RoomsToGo. It made a huge difference. Recovering the valances is a fairly straight forward task. Wallpapering the entire coach, on the other hand, could be a deal breaker.

I looked at one coach where the owner had hinged the dining table upward, allowing it to swing up to the wall/window and lock. They then placed an inflatable mattress on the floor under it. Eight in most Class A layouts will be a challenge as you are obviously coming to realize. A lottery to decide who gets to sleep in the tent? A Class B as your towed vehicle? Let us know.

[hogdriver]

I agree with the original poster. I'm on my 4th RV now and I have gone out of my way to avoid the wild prints, emerald colors, plaids, over-blinged RVs and when I sold each one they still looked good. I don't want Teutonic looking grey steel but give me a break with a Howdy Doody decor items a lot of manufacturers put out there. I don't need a boardroom look and would much prefer plain old walls and wood like a basic camper to the crazy RVs I've seen that go out of style quickly.

[Beeper]

I also agree with the ugly interior and who the heck puts carpet in a bathroom? And all the shiny brass fixtures and cabinet/drawer pulls are tacky too.
We bought an RV a few weeks back, we only need sleeping for two and our pup so our needs are different than yours, but we started gutting it the day we got it home. If you look under “New Check In” forum I posted some pics.
We have a long way to go but in the end it won’t look like grandma’s house. Whoops wait a minute my wife and I are grandparents! lol

[Hogbus]

Here is a link to a coach like mine. 2010 Discovery 40x. Can sleep 8, large single bathroom. Took 14 months to find mine. When they are available and priced right be ready to pull the trigger. Good luck.
#8176 - 2010 Fleetwood Discovery 40x Front Kitchen W/Outside Kitchen for sale in Alvarado TX

[bruceisla]

I agree with you ...

However, I have found that many motorhomes in the 2001 - 2007 era do have more contemporary themes. New ones probably won't be to your liking. I'm assuming this is more to your liking .... a 2006 or so Mandalay.

[Ted Lambert]

It is up to the individual. My wife and I looked for a long time and we did not like the new units with leather and slate. We wanted minimal rug and definitly not rug in the bathroom so we bought the unit we wanted and within a month had the interior looking the way we wanted it. Like buying a house unless it is new and built to your taste changes are made.
Anything old seems to be very tacky! OOPS I"M OLD TOO!

[Coma]

The average demographic is probably older than 42.

That said, what do you mean by modern? Granite? Tile? Plasma? Flat screen? The interiors you show simply look….uh….cheap, to me. No insult intended. You can also order a new coach with any interior you want, be prepared with your wallet.

[rssnape]

In an older coach fabrics may be worn anyway, and recovering is relatively straight forward. Getting rid of the prints etc. will give a coach a fresh look.
If you can find an upholstery shop that will do the work right in the coach you won't have to worry about getting sofas and chairs out the door.

[aarong]

Great advice. Gutting out the interior on an old coach can probably be done for less money than paying for a new coach. My DW never stops ripping up our house and remodeling it, I could just point her at the coach instead.

Those Mandalay and Discovery examples above are both exactly what I would like to see more of. Simple, clean and contemporary.

My DW and I both like the layout of the new Mirimar 34.3. It will sleep 10 (if that number is kids). We can even put a porta-crib in the master bedroom for our baby. Plus we like the large amount of storage and 100 gallon fresh tank (I got mostly girls and they like their showers).



Other criteria we are looking at:
- Keep it around 35 feet or under (Seems like 40+ footers can be a bit tougher to take camping)
- Gas coach (less cost)
- Class A (Class C chassis can't carry 8+ people and their stuff, unless you bring nothing)
- Needs lots of beds!
- Budget is $80k - $120k.

[slemnah]

Aarong, good luck on the showers with a 6 or 10 gal water heater. I love my aqua hot.