Bonefish
Midland, TX
Senior Member
Joined: 01/08/2008
View Profile
|
After a year with our Rockwood 03 to see if this is what we wanted to do purchased a Wildcat in 04. What we needed was larger holding tanks, slideout, bathroom, easy to fix lunch in on the road & potty breaks. Two doors, with some of the campgrounds are not level and length no longer than 30'. Many times we have had to use the bedroom door to get out. Another was rear windows for a view, most of the campsites we get have no one behind us. I have seen many newer models that have some great floorplans. Just not ready for a new one yet or a payment. I have only seen one TT company that offer 16" tires, as we just lifted to add them to ours a year ago.
Sharon
|
AllisonAndrews
Stephenville, TX
Senior Member
Joined: 08/02/2005
View Profile
|
keithinspace wrote:Suzanne and Brad wrote:1. All-in-one bathroom - we don't like the sink in the bedroom.
Funny. One of our desires was to NOT have the lavatory in the water closet. That way when someone is using the restroom, it doesn't restrict others from brushing their teeth, putting on their contacts, etc. Also, some floorplans shoehorn the lav in there without making the room one inch bigger...that much more space lost to the sink.
Don't know about in the bedroom...have to agree with you there, but ours is in the "dinette/bunk end of the living room". It's one room so you can't really demise where it is. But that's in the back, just outside the water closet door.
I guess that is why they make them both ways. DH and I are like Suzanne and Brad. Everything in the bathroom was very important to us. We like our privacy. We don't want anyone standing right outside the door at the sink while we are trying to do our business! Also, we don't want people using the restroom and then touching the door knob, etc. before they can was their hands. I know it will happen sometimes with people that just don't wash their hands, but I don't want it to be that you can't wash your hands before you touch the door knob.
It's just the two of us and no one wears contacts. If you can't wait 5 minutes to use the sink in the bathroom, you can use the sink in the kitchen.
Guess it is also a preference thing like with the bathroom being between the bedroom and the living area. Some people like that extra separation. For us it would be a deal breaker. I am not going to be stuck in the bedroom because I slept a bit late and someone is in the bathroom. Nor do I want to have to leave the bedroom because someone wants to take a shower and it is open or just separated by a curtain from the bedroom. I know there are pros to it as far as being able to use the space better, but it just does not suit me.
ALLISON & DAVID
Bailey - lab mix; Gabby - min pin
Nicolas, Mason, Vixen, Peyton, Morgan, & Sealy - the kitty klan
Preston - crossed the bridge 7/12/2006, Maddox (6/26/2003 - 7/12/2011)
1989 Coachmen Catalina 27.5'
|
HappyTrails2U2
Atlanta, GA & Augusta, GA
Senior Member
Joined: 11/11/2009
View Profile
|
AllisonAndrews wrote:If you can't wait 5 minutes to use the sink in the bathroom, you can use the sink in the kitchen.
Then you'll find people that think it's gross to brush their teeth in the kitchen sink but yet they don't think a thing about putting their dog's food bowl in the kitchen sink after he just got finished licking his rear end before he ate out of it. 
2010 Rockwood Signature Ultra Lite 8315BSS
2003 Chevy Silverado 1/2 Ton Extended Cab
|
pextron
Eastern USA
Senior Member
Joined: 06/27/2010
View Profile
|
CrazyAboutOrchids wrote:For us, we didn't really want a huge trailer. We really only sleep in it. Rain or shine, we are outside, hiking, fishing, whatever. After having a slide in our pop-up, I didn't really care for one in a trailer, what mattered more was simplicity.
Our priorities were in the order of importance:
- used but in good shape
- cash sale, no loan
- bunks for 3 kids (9, 11, 13)
- lightweight so no upgrade of tow vehicle
- room for us to eat inside if we needed to
- short so we could get into most places we wanted to
- access to kitchen and bath for stops
We ended up selling our 2003 Coleman Niagara and buying a 2003 Outback 26rs. Every one of our desires was met. By going older, not only did we get a good unit at a great price, but it is lighter weight than more current year models. We shopped for 18 months and kept coming back to this floorplan, then just had to find one in a price range and condition that we liked. We drove 3 hours to get it and it was more than worth it. After 9 days out recently, we all came to the same conclusion - it is perfect for us. If it rains, and we don't head out somewhere, the kids have the kitchen/sofa area to play games or their bunk area to read, play games or watch a dvd.
I've considered a lot of floor plan choices and while I've yet to decide on a final size or floor plan, I keep coming back to simplicity. While it would be very nice to have a bigger travel trailer, I keep wondering if it would really work for us since it would just be my wife and I camping with the occasional guest or two. Getting in and out of tight places is also a concern because I like to go off the beaten path. Ultimately, I may settle on a floor plan in the 20-24 foot range.
I hope it doesn't take 18 months to find a travel trailer that is suitable for my build project but I have decided that I will wait as long as it takes to get what I want. Besides, the additional time allows me to carefully consider my options. 
|
Tvov
CT
Senior Member
Joined: 07/19/2003
View Profile
|
pextron wrote:Getting in and out of tight places is also a concern because I like to go off the beaten path.
If you really mean "off the beaten path", think about getting a trailer with the high leaf spring suspension. My trailer has the low torsion suspension which is fine for most of our camping, but I kinda wish it was higher off the ground.
_________________________________________________________
2008 F-250 CrewCab 5.4L,
2004 21' Forest River Surveyor
|
|
|
Adventure
Michigan
Full Member
Joined: 07/18/2003
View Profile
 Offline
|
This floor plan picture is of a late 1990's -2000 Sunnybrook
It was 28 ft hitch to bumper. It is the 26FK without the dinette. Don
t know the model name.
SteveRankin wrote:pextron wrote:I thought that I had selected the ideal floor plan with a front bedroom and mid-kitchen until I came across this picture.
I don't know what brand, year, or size the trailer is but I really like the front kitchen with the mid-living area. It just seems so spacious without the need for a slide. Granted, it has a table and chairs in place of a dinette but it would be perfect for 2 people and could accomodate 1-2 additional people if folding chairs were kept in storage.
The truth is that I was never entirely comfortable with the bedroom being in the front but couldn't find an alternate floor plan that I liked until now.
That is our old 1994 Holiday Rambler 'Free Spirit' 27CBFK. You must have stumbled onto our web site and found the pix of that trailer. The rest of the photos of our HR 27CBFK are here.
The Free Spirit was HR's entry level trailer in the mid-90's. The mainline model was the AlumaLite and the Imperials were the luxury line. The Free Spirit had a steel-framed house and almost identical interior appointments as the AlumaLite, but without the enclosed LP bottles, flush fitting front window cover and extra basement storage. The Imperial models were the top flight trailers in their day with the best quality and features that made them suitable for extended traveling or fulltiming.
FYI: The CBFK stands for Center Bath Front Kitchen.
Yes, that old Holiday Rambler was great for 2 people. And 1-2 others could sleep on the jackknife sofa. Our only complaints were the standard full size bed (not a queen) and limited basement storage. Otherwise, it was a high quality rig built for the long term. Much better than the HR's built a few years later.
It looks like this behind a 1997 K2500 Suburban.
Moderator edit to re-size pictures to forum limit of 640x480px maximum.
* This post was
edited 08/04/10 12:56pm by an administrator/moderator *
2005 F250 V10, 4x4, CC,
Tow Command
Our Condo on Wheels
2005 Sunnybrook 33FKS
Hensley Arrow-Love it!
Places we slept in our RV, have also visited WA,NV,CA,HI,MN without rv
|
campin4kids
Indiana
Senior Member
Joined: 05/07/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
pextron wrote:What is important to you when selecting a floor plan? What factors have the most influence on your final decision?
How many comfortable beds there are,
how much outside storage there is,
inside closet space for each family member
price,
weight appropriatness for our Tow vehicle,
looks,
reputaion of unit
just to name a few
2003 Avalanche
1992 29S Wilderness
Him 47, Me 47,
DS 18, DD 16, DD 13, DD 11
|
KStadden
Coos Bay, Oregon
Full Member
Joined: 10/14/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
We wanted a floorplan that gave us:
1) Lots and lots of counter top space.
2) A big, big bathroom.
3) Walk-around queen bed.
4) The ability to have one person working in the kitchen, while another person can be going in and out of the trailer without having to squeeze past the person in the kitchen.
5) The TV/entertainment center built in a spot that made it easy to watch from the couch. Seems silly I know, but if the trailer is going to come with a TV, might as well be in a good spot to use it (not mounted way up high on the wall, etc.)
We decided on the Wind River 280FKS. We thought it was the best version of the FKS plans we had seen. We would have liked to have a slide out in the bedroom, but we're already at 33 feet with this trailer, I didn't really want to go any longer or heavier.
|
popeye59
Zion ,IL
Senior Member
Joined: 10/15/2009
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Kevin,
Nice looking rig and not all that heavy with a 7800 GVWR. Do they make real Queen sized beds in RV's instead of the short queen?
Frank and Jean
EM1 USN ret
DAV Life Member
'09 Rockwood Roo 233S
'03 1500 Silverado LS
I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was going to blame you
The things that come to those that wait will be the crappy junk left by those that got there 1st.
|
robbie69
wauconda, il usa
Senior Member
Joined: 02/22/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
On our 2nd front kitchen(1 w/1 slide, 1 w/2 slides) and don't think DW would accept anything else(unless had tons of counter) The only thing to watch for and isn't a pain till you have/use one is a split counter. Where the counter is elevated fron the sink over and the other 1/2 is lower. You probably wouldn't pay it much attention till you start to use it-really cuts into the avaible useage of the full counter.
Another nice thing is having a rear bedroom. It cuts down on noise from the road(vehicles/people walking/talking) and if you have dogs,(especially yappy, ankle biters like i do) you want them as far away from any noise as possible at nite/early morning.
Don't know your weight rateing or budget but I'd see if it were possible to find something with the 2nd slide. Definatly be happyier down the road if you could.
PS Don't forget the front window-definatly a deal breaker w/DW. Definatly seems to 'open' up the whole front of the TT.
2004 silverado 2500HD crew cab 4x4 long bed 8.1L gas hog
2006 skyline nomad 3260 platium edition, prodigy, reese dual cam
1 very part time camping son and 3 full time camping, 4 legged fur balls
1 SU (spousal unit) who loves rv'in as much or more than me
|
|
|
|
