GeraldScott Report post Posted September 21, 2011 My wife and I have been RVing for over 40 years. Since we moved into Travel Tralers and Motor Homes one of our biggest pet peeves is the dark color schemes from the manufacturers. Over the years we have only found 3 or 4 with a light/bright interior. Motor Homes and Travel Trailers are confined living space. The lighter the interior the larger and more "open" the unit appears. Are we the only ones with this observation? Any comments would be welcomed. Thanks for the responses to the above post. I knew we couldn't be alone. We have decided that if we can't find a light and bright color scheme, we are going to modify our current 2000 Monaco Monarch and keep moving on. However, the basic question remains: Why do OEM's insist on dark schemes? Thanks again for the responses, Gerald Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Butch39 Report post Posted September 21, 2011 We could not agree more with your observations, and feel likewise. When we were looking to upgrade, would always inquired as to the interior fabric colors and wood color. If it was dark, we would move on and continue our quest to find something else to satisfy our requirements. We now have a unit that fills the bill 100%. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jmonroe Report post Posted September 22, 2011 I'll jump on the wagon too. We also prefer the lighter interiors. Our first motor home had what they called a 'pickled oak' and was very light, kind of 'beachy' vibe. Our new Revolution has the light maple and we're very pleased. The dark woods are very rich looking, but can give the RV the feel of being in a cave. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted September 22, 2011 Are we the only ones with this observation? Any comments would be welcomed. Gerald Scott, Welcome to the Forum. I will take the different route to the inside colors of Motor homes. I agree that the lighter colors do make the inside seem more spacious. My wife and I had boats before we moved to MHs. I for one like the darker wood tones. They remind us of the beautiful bright work in a nice cruiser. That is why I liked the model name called the "Land Yacht", I think it was a Air Stream. I guess that is why there are Black car and white cars, Fords and Chevrolets. Good luck and Happy RVing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbutler Report post Posted September 22, 2011 I'll throw in another factor. When we have looked at motor homes, we noticed that many have few windows and frequently the windows are small. This limits the amount of light admitted into the motor home and also cuts down on the air circulation when you can open the windows and ventilate. I've walked into more than a few motor homes and looked at the windows, their size and locations, and walked right back out. I've got to have large windows for light and ventilation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted September 22, 2011 Tom said, "I've got to have large windows for light and ventilation." Tom, your correct about the windows and ventilation, I've been spending too much time looking in the mirrors, that make my coach soo much larger inside. Even the dark wood that I love, looks brighter in the sun light. I see by your changing locations that you and Lou are racking up lots of frequent driving points. Can't wait to see where you'll will be next. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbutler Report post Posted September 22, 2011 Can't wait to see where you'll will be next. Yeah, we're rolling up the miles! We're here in California with our two granddaughters and their parents. We'll leave here in mid-October, make a short stop in Albuquerque, NM and then head to our winter quarters in Edinburg, Texas. You can follow our travels on our Blog here on the FMCA site. I try to post every few weeks when we are on the road. Once we park for the winter, I usually don't post as the RV adventures are harder to imagine than actually live. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GeraldScott Report post Posted September 23, 2011 To continue my original post, I just received my November 2011 issue of Motorhome Magazine. In the center of the publication (pages 50-53) is an article titled "STARS OF THE RALLY". There are pictures of 9 motorhomes with new floorplans and pictures of the living quarters. Only one of these coaches is light, bright and airy. It is the TIFFIN 42 QBH. This simply illustrates my point about dark interiors. Since I am not one to beat dead horses, I will leave the podium with this. I will not buy a coach that is not open and spacious. Best wishes to all and safe travels, Gerald Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dennysnine Report post Posted September 26, 2011 My wife and I have been RVing for over 40 years. Since we moved into Travel Tralers and Motor Homes one of our biggest pet peeves is the dark color schemes from the manufacturers. Over the years we have only found 3 or 4 with a light/bright interior. Motor Homes and Travel Trailers are confined living space. The lighter the interior the larger and more "open" the unit appears. Are we the only ones with this observation? Any comments would be welcomed. Thanks for the responses to the above post. I knew we couldn't be alone. We have decided that if we can't find a light and bright color scheme, we are going to modify our current 2000 Monaco Monarch and keep moving on. However, the basic question remains: Why do OEM's insist on dark schemes? Thanks again for the responses, Gerald Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dennysnine Report post Posted September 26, 2011 I agree most motorhomes are too dark inside and out, we used to have a 1998 American Dream and it had bleached oak cabinets which made the coach feel real big. We now have a 2005 American Tradition with cherry wood cabinets. I still liked my bleached oak a lot better. They should have women design motorhome interiors, I think we would get a better selection of colors. Light colors definitly open up a coach. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted September 26, 2011 OK, a difficult one for us. We came to RV'ing from off-shore sailing yachts. Had three Pacific Seacrafts (http://www.pacificseacraft.com/html/ps37.html) (click on "galley and salon") over the last 25 years. Yes, dark, spectacular hand crafted interiors were our "home" for many thousands of off shore miles. We love the look, but also appreciate the lightness of the "light look". In fact Dianne and I just spent several hundred hours remodeling to our kitchen in the "stick home" including stripping and painting all 46 cabinet doors and framing in white! So, I guess my answer is "I have to see it to be able to express a considered opinion". Yes, our motorhome has a reasonably dark interior (solid walnut), but with lots of windows. That is not why we settled on it-- I wanted the mechanical "level of expertise" that I was not finding in many other coaches we looked at. Brett Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
-Gramps- Report post Posted October 2, 2011 Someone once said that people who design motorhome interiors are smoking something more than cigarettes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dogpatch Report post Posted October 20, 2011 Having been working with wood through all my working years, personally, I like the look of the darker grained woods if done tastefully and stained the right color. The richness of Walnut, Cherrywood and Mahogany is incomparable. It's expensive which is why you don't see it in most mainstream coaches. Everywhere you look is Oak and sometimes Maple. I've seen too much Oak used for everything from furniture, home finishing, cabinetry etc. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
