Quote:
Originally Posted by retiredtenn
My husband and I are considering purchasing an LTV. We also have the same concerns regarding traveling with grandchildren and have come to the same conclusion many of you have; it will be problematic in the Unity. Upon seeing the LTV units in person, We are sure drawn to the Unity MB. I guess that is no shock as they are in such high demand. To those of you that have ordered a MB model, or are enjoying one currently, any thoughts on the Leisure Lounge (theater style seats with multiple configurations) vs the new Leisure Lounge Plus? They are both very appealing and I am having difficulty deciding between them. Also, any thoughts on the Truma Instant Hot Water? Thanks!
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Leisure Travel Vans are high quality, semi-custom motor homes with many decisions to be made. This is a substantial investment requiring you to make important choices. It is essential to consider your wants/needs as well as how you plan to use your RV. Your goal is to make the best decisions with as few "why didn't I think of thats"
as possible.
Our new Unity is still to be built. We had the opportunity to compare most of the floor plans (TB, IB, CB, MB). We even looked at Serenity. In the end we chose the twin bed for the following reasons:
No slide - although a slide gives a more open floor plan, interior space is not a priority for us; we spend a majority of our time enjoying the outdoors and sleeping. Our sales agent also mentioned that a slide adds nearly 500# to the weight of the vehicle, thus reducing cargo capacity. A slide also increases your setup/break camp time, one of our reasons for downsizing from a 30 ft 5th-wheel. A slide is an additional mechanical element to maintain. I would ask if there is a way to manually retract the side, should it malfunction.
Bedroom arrangement - we want a separate sleeping area so beds don't have to be taken down for daytime use. We plan to use the twin beds as lounges as well as for sleeping. The CB, besides having a slide, requires one person to crawl over the other to get up in the middle of the night. The MB is better, in this respect, but has to be put away during the day; both have slide outs. We are especially fond of the way the TB shower door can be used to close off the sleeping area. This also makes a nice dressing area so you only need to close two blinds for privacy. You can also close this door and leave the sliding lavatory door open, making a huge bathroom out of the otherwise tiny space. While the IB has the same configuration as the TB, LTV has chosen to increase the width of the bed. This made the sleeping area very cramped, but nice if you want a walk-around bed. You do sacrifice the 6 side overhead storage compartments. Both the TB and IB have under bed storage, but you lose a bit of galley space in order to have a separate sleeping area.
Cargo space - The TB and IB have the most exterior cargo capacity with pass through storage in the rear - uncommon in MH this small. The pass through is a bit deeper in the IB because the built-in nightstand of the TB extends into the cargo bay. LTV presents the pass through as a space for golf clubs. We aren't golfers, but it will accommodate our folding aluminum RV ladder and other larger items; sadly, not our kayaks or bikes.
Macerator toilet - because the toilet is not situated directly over the black tank, a gravity flush toilet would not function properly in the TB/CB. We have no experience with these toilets, but they are better quality. People who have them say they love them and would not go back to a gravity flush.
Living area - the dinette/living area is compact, but versatile. The table folds and swivels to make getting to and from the cab easy. It can also be easily removed and stored under one of the beds. The bench seats and swiveled captains seats make roomy seating for 4 at the table. The bench seats also have pull out chaise extensions. One can be used to make an ottoman or both can be extended to quickly change the seats into a long bed. If DH's snoring gets too unbearable, I can close the bedroom door and pull out the bed
Leisure Lounge vs. Leisure Lounge Plus
Although we did not have the opportunity to see the Leisure Lounge Plus, my preference, if we were choosing the MB would be for the Leisure Lounge. IMO, it is more versatile, with many different configurations. It appears that there is not enough room for the Leisure Lounge Plus to function fully (extend the foot rests) when the slide is not out. Check the forums for comments. I would seriously think about your RV lifestyle. Are you really going to spend a lot of time lounging and watching TV?
Truma hot water
When I found out our Unity would be a 2017 and Truma was to be the standard hot water I was not happy. Endless hot water is not a priority for us. We generally leave our water heater turned off until we know we need it. In the evening, it gets turned on and there is hot water ready for washing dishes after dinner, before bed showers, etc. It is turned off for the night and turned back on by the person who is elected to get up and make the coffee. This has worked well for us, as we don't spend a lot of time inside during the day, but can always turn it on, if needed. Doesn't take long to heat up (on LP) and is often still warm from the following day. If camping with electric hookups, we leave it on, running on electric, to save propane (Truma system is strictly LP). The only time endless showers are an option is if we have full hook-ups with water and sewer, so not really much advantage, just for the two of us. Most often, if we have full hook-ups we will use the public showers anyway.
When we were configuring our Unity, I asked if a conventional water heater could be substituted for the Truma. Our sales agent asked Dean and he said "OK" but there would be a $250 customization fee and no discount for the less costly option. However, when our order was submitted, LTV management vetoed Dean's decision. The rejection was mostly because of the delay in production, but also because they feel the Truma is more worthy of the high quality standards they want to see in their motorhomes. In response to my reservations about service and reliability they said the Truma has been used extensively in other countries as well as in marine applications. It is much more efficient, adds less weight and takes up less space than the once standard conventional system. The model installed by LTV is the top line AquaGo Comfort Plus. It has many advantages over tank water heaters; see the Truma website for details. I am disappointed, but will we cancel our order because of this one concession? No way
We found that prioritization and a systematic approach to the decision making process were vital to building the best RV for our style. It is important to stay focused on your specific needs and not get distracted by the many innovative ideas presented by LTV.
Hope this helps. Please keep us posted!
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