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Old 10-06-2016, 07:56 AM   #57
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Originally Posted by thegreenthre View Post
Thanks for the suggestions. I will start looking for some in our area.

Did you buy your motor home for full-time living? I ask because we have twins as well and we can't wait to get started on the adventure!
Morning! Sadly no, just a weekend warrior right now. We just bought (first RV) in mid August so although we have camped nearly every weekend since then, here in norther VT its starting to get cold enough at night that I'll be winterizing this weekend. (Sunday is a low in the 30's)

Looking forward to some longer trips next year, this fall was a lot of fun weekends, but more of a "shakedown cruise" type adventures as we are still learning what we want for camping goodies in it.

Not sure of your location, but I did a quick check on RVtrader and there are MANY 35J's around the country, may be one nearby that you could check out in person.
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Old 10-06-2016, 05:36 PM   #58
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Originally Posted by jharrell View Post
My comment was more about the cost of maintenance and repairs, they are higher than gas.

I don't know what the real stats are, but just reading through this forums you will find diesels are not trouble free and the problems can sometimes be very costly and even dangerous (fire). Diesels used in MH's are well proven designs from the trucking industry, but trucks usually don't sit around for long periods of time unused. I have never heard of an engine fire with a Ford V10 gasser, not that it hasn't happened, just never heard or seen one. However you find pretty regular posts on here of Diesel's with engine fires, and I have seen one myself earlier this year on I75.

Diesel's run hotter and leaner, they have high compression ratios and turbos, they use very high pressure direct fuel injection. Diesels are very efficient because of those things, but it also is part of what can lead to catastrophic failure along with hydraulics on side radiator diesels leading to fire. Gas is normally aspirated with low pressure port injection, it's just simpler with less things to go wrong and simpler to work on.

Don't get me wrong I would love to have a diesel, I just don't fool myself into thinking it will be as simple or cheap as my gasser, and I would probably do a fire suppression system in the engine bay.
Wow I have never heard of a motorhome catching on fire because of the engine but then again I am just getting my feet wet. Thanks for opening my eyes!
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Old 10-06-2016, 07:17 PM   #59
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You need to start ranking your needs because after reading most of your posts, it is really confusing as to what you really need vs. what you want. Also, how do you plan using this coach. Are you planning on multiple, short trips on weekends, vacations a couple of times a year, or long multiple month trips throughout the year, or even fulltiming. Unless you are going to really use the coach, I'd stick with gas.

For example:

- 35 ft length - is this a want or a need? The length that a manufacture puts in a description bears no relationship to the actual length. If this is a need because of physical dimensions of a parking space, then you are already in trouble. If you have some notions that it is easier to drive a 35 ft coach than a 40 ft coach, then you are mistaken.

- Washer/dryers - the best ones are stacked (separate washer and dryer) but they are not normally offered in gas coaches. BTW, an empty gray tank will hold the water from two loads of wash. You really should be connected to sewer with your gray tank valve open when using the washer. These washer/dryers are best for two people. If you have a ton of laundry, a commercial laundromat will do a better job in less time. So, a need or a want?

As to coaches to look at, Tiffin has a new bunkhouse model, with washer and dryer, for 2017. The model is an Allegro 34PA. This is on a Ford 26K lb chassis. The older 35 QBA is available as well. Diesel bunkhouses from Tiffin are longer (Allegro RED 38QBA and Phaeton 40QKH) but have much more in the way of "goodies" than a gas powered coach. Except for the new model, these should all be available in the used market as well.
You are right and we do have a list. Thanks for suggesting that we add it here.

Must Haves:
Bunk beds
Living room slideout
Oven
3 camera system

Nice To Have:
Door before bunk beds
washer/dryer
Under 35 feet

We love the tiffin brand and the Allegro 34PA is a great model. Did not know about the grey tank filling up after 2 loads and what a great hack by leaving the valve open!
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Old 10-06-2016, 07:21 PM   #60
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Originally Posted by Blastvalve View Post
Morning! Sadly no, just a weekend warrior right now. We just bought (first RV) in mid August so although we have camped nearly every weekend since then, here in norther VT its starting to get cold enough at night that I'll be winterizing this weekend. (Sunday is a low in the 30's)

Looking forward to some longer trips next year, this fall was a lot of fun weekends, but more of a "shakedown cruise" type adventures as we are still learning what we want for camping goodies in it.

Not sure of your location, but I did a quick check on RVtrader and there are MANY 35J's around the country, may be one nearby that you could check out in person.
We went and looked at a 35J the other day and we loved the openness of it. Thanks for suggesting this model. It has made it on our list!
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Old 10-06-2016, 07:23 PM   #61
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My wife found the Coachmen Mirada 35KB and it has the hookups with a wardrobe that can be converted to a bunkhouse!

Coachmen RV - Manufacturer of Travel Trailers - Fifth Wheels - Tent Campers - Motorhomes

Exciting!

Thoughts on the Coachmen Mirada 35KB?
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Old 10-06-2016, 08:03 PM   #62
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Not set up for a washer/dryer, but we have a bago 2012 Vista 32k, bunkhouse. Had a 2013 Vista 27n that we liked a lot but
With 6 g kids we needed more sleeping space. We like it. They are only available used, and not many around. Not sure if that's good or bad. Good luck finding the right unit for your needs.
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Old 10-06-2016, 08:35 PM   #63
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We are still new to it ... But we had 5 showers and 3+ loads of laundry (didn't count) last weekend and the grey tank wasn't full.
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Old 10-06-2016, 09:40 PM   #64
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I've measured my stacked washer output a number of times counting 5 gal buckets of waste water. Mine is 14 gallons per load, and many times we are somewhere without sewer connection. We use it all the time on the road, and love it. We carry many less clothes, and don't have to store piles of dirty laundry. Just much more efficient.
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Old 10-07-2016, 05:24 AM   #65
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We went and looked at a 35J the other day and we loved the openness of it. Thanks for suggesting this model. It has made it on our list!
Anytime! We hunted for about a year before finding ours. My must haves and nice to haves were very similar to yours. (The bunks were a must and the 3 camera system was a nice, I luckily found one with both) We had borrowed a friend's class a with a more traditional layout a few times, and a couple of rainy nights with kids on sofa up front and us effectively trapped in the back at 8pm really drove home the convenience of a bunk house.

Being able to put the kids to bed and still have the living area of the RV usable was a HUGE feature. Not sure if you noticed but the 35J also has a second pocket door between the bedroom and the bunk area, so you can be in the bedroom with the lights on/tv on and not have it blasting directly onto the kids area.

Ours has the DVD players/video screens in each bunk which came in really handy a couple of mornings when one son woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep, but quiet hours were in effect for a couple more hours. Loaded up a DVD, put volume on low and he was happy as a clam while the rest of us snagged another 90 min of sleep.

If you do go with bunks, consider getting small fans for in there. With the curtains closed it can get stuffy. I'm still on the hunt for a DC powered fan to go in there so they would work no matter where we were camping.

Lastly, if you go with bunks, most manufacturers don't include ladders or rails for some reason on the class A's. (Some do have a netting system for the top bunk). There are some great DIY projects on Google to make a safety rail for the top bunk out of PVC. We found a old bunk bed ladder we modified slightly to use in the evening, it stores perfectly in the huge drawer under the beds when traveling. Easy fixes, but something I never thought of while shopping, but must haves for the road.
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Old 10-08-2016, 10:19 AM   #66
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We are still new to it ... But we had 5 showers and 3+ loads of laundry (didn't count) last weekend and the grey tank wasn't full.
Good to to know. Did you use the washer to dry or hang dry?
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Old 10-08-2016, 10:23 AM   #67
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Anytime! We hunted for about a year before finding ours. My must haves and nice to haves were very similar to yours. (The bunks were a must and the 3 camera system was a nice, I luckily found one with both) We had borrowed a friend's class a with a more traditional layout a few times, and a couple of rainy nights with kids on sofa up front and us effectively trapped in the back at 8pm really drove home the convenience of a bunk house.

Being able to put the kids to bed and still have the living area of the RV usable was a HUGE feature. Not sure if you noticed but the 35J also has a second pocket door between the bedroom and the bunk area, so you can be in the bedroom with the lights on/tv on and not have it blasting directly onto the kids area.

Ours has the DVD players/video screens in each bunk which came in really handy a couple of mornings when one son woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep, but quiet hours were in effect for a couple more hours. Loaded up a DVD, put volume on low and he was happy as a clam while the rest of us snagged another 90 min of sleep.

If you do go with bunks, consider getting small fans for in there. With the curtains closed it can get stuffy. I'm still on the hunt for a DC powered fan to go in there so they would work no matter where we were camping.

Lastly, if you go with bunks, most manufacturers don't include ladders or rails for some reason on the class A's. (Some do have a netting system for the top bunk). There are some great DIY projects on Google to make a safety rail for the top bunk out of PVC. We found a old bunk bed ladder we modified slightly to use in the evening, it stores perfectly in the huge drawer under the beds when traveling. Easy fixes, but something I never thought of while shopping, but must haves for the road.
Great insights! We thought the same thing because our toddlers still go to be bed early and we wanted the rest of the RV to ourselves. I understand where you are coming from.

We are thinking about changing the master bedroom into the kids room but I will open another thread for that because I want to hear everyone's opinions.
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Old 10-08-2016, 10:29 AM   #68
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Our coach has a Splendide 2100 vented model. Specs from the manufacturer:

Laundry load: 2 to 15 pounds
Water per load: 9 to 16 gallons (claims as low as 5 gallons)
Machine weight: 148 pounds

I haven't tracked the cycle time. It varies, depending on the load, fabrics and selections made. A very rough estimate for an "average" is 90 minutes.

Per the HR brochure, our coach has a 43 gallon grey water tank. By that number, I should be able to run 3 to 4 loads before filling the tank. I spent several hours during our recent shakedown voyage getting the black and grey water tank level indicators to read better. We were washing on and off. It seemed to me that two cycles was enough to make me want to empty the tank.
We open the grey tank when doing laundry when connected to sewer.
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Old 10-08-2016, 07:07 PM   #69
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We open the grey tank when doing laundry when connected to sewer.
What about drying time, is that included in the 90 minutes?
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Old 10-09-2016, 03:46 AM   #70
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What about drying time, is that included in the 90 minutes?
That was my post about which you're asking. Yes, the 90 minutes includes drying. Towels usually take more time than that.
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