New Motorhome Floor Plans: Practical Or Impractical - A Poll

[aldebruijn]

Hi everyone,
I'd like to hear opinions on the "typical" floor plans of the newer motor homes.

We have a 2004 Safari Panther, a 42ft diesel pusher that has a large kitchen, two sofas, 1 bathroom, a queen bed and decent size closet. This is our first motorhome so have nothing to compare it too.

In looking around at other motorhome sand visiting manufacturer's websites, we found that newer coaches pretty much all have two bathrooms and huge closets. Consequently, the kitchens have shrunk and some coaches only seem to have sitting room for 2 or 3 people. Looking at floor plans, it seems that HALF of the total available square footage is taken by bathrooms and bedroom.
This is quite a departure from our 11 year old Safari, where the bathroom+bedroom takes up about 1/3 of the overall space.

To us, the newer coaches are impractical and consider these HUGE bedrooms and two bathrooms somewhat a waste of precious space. We LOVE the counter space in our kitchen, we LOVE how both of us can stretch out on a sofa (or have 4 or 5 people pop over for a drink and have comfy seat to sit on).

So . . .
Are we "different" in thinking like that. I mean, do you REALLY want half of your coach taken up by bed and bath rooms? Or is this just a "fad"?

I'd love to hear your opinion on this.

[tbutler]

I share your feelings about floor plans. We have seating for six without using the dining table chairs, a nice pantry and some counter space. With one bath and a good size closet plus a coat closet, we found it very comfortable for full timing for seven years. We're still out on the road all summer long and this coach meets our needs. I haven't been looking at the newer coaches too closely. When we were looking before buying this coach we saw many coaches that were not really designed for eating meals on a regular basis. Small pantries, hardly any counter space. Many had outdoor TV's in the basement storage area so you could entertain, watch a game, outdoors. Quite a few have very little cabinet and storage space which makes the coach look much more open but isn't practical for full timing.

Not everyone wants the same thing in a motor home. Some use their motor home for weekend trips and don't need a lot of storage. For some it is an ideal tailgating vehicle, impress your friends and live in comfort while you party before the game. You'll also find some today with built-in space for the quads. If they can sell them, they will keep building them. Keep looking, I'm betting you'll find something that fits your needs. If not, our 2004 is still a dependable coach. We parked it with 150,000 miles this fall. If you don't have to have the latest greatest thing, the one you have will last you a long time! Remodel if needed and keep her rolling.

[manholt]

Like Tom, I have seating for 6 and no one feels cramped. My kitchen is L shaped (I love to cook, cause I love to eat) and it serves my purpose very well. Rear bedroom, with more closet and drawer space than I can use(full timers dream) and I use my coach about 18 weeks a year. I have a large street side bath with double sink, double medicine cabinet, lots of storage and a 42" x 36" shower! My aisle is curb side, rather than down the middle, it's a great floor plan!

Sometimes I'll cook for a crowed outside and the 32" TV comes in handy. Since I travel alone, I have much more space than I really need, but I'm not complaining. I, like Tom haven't all the modern electronics, but what I have keeps me busy! It's an all electric coach, with residential fridge, dishwasher and stackable washer & dryer....if I ever want to full time it, then this coach is the perfect vehicle!

All the floor plans that I have seen in the past 4 years, all look the same. Whether it be a cookie cutter or a million dollar custom Prevost !

The coach I have now is my 10th in 48 years of class A's! If I ever buy another, it will be a pre 2006!

Carl

[LAMSAN]

Take a look at the numerous floor plans Tiffin has to offer and you will find they try and appeal to everyone. They have many diesel pushers to chose from and we have had a Phaeton and now have the Zephyr and many options are available to each floor plan. We all have different needs depending on our time travelling and socializing so I think you will be pleasantly surprised what Tiffin has to offer.

[hermanmullins]

lamsan, Welcome to the Forum.

To me it isn't so much what the floor plan is as to what I would like.

Pro.: Bath and a half.

King size bed.

Residential Refrigerator.

Recliner

Washer and Dryer.

Outlets on the walls not under the cabinets.

Negatives: Ornate Scroll on the ceilings.

Too many mirrors.

Cabinet right over the bathroom sink.

Too small of holding tanks.

Front door too narrower.

Just a few. Maybe you'll have others.

Herman

[wolfe10]

IMO, ideal motorhome (as well as boat):

Drinks 6

Eats 4

Sleeps 2 with an additional two in a pinch

Large, workable galley a must-- Dianne likes to cook and I like to eat.

[manholt]

lamsan, I'm glad your a fan of Tiffin and that you have what you want! That was the question! What is your floor plan?

Carl

[five]

It all depends on what you want, what you like and how you intend to use the coach. Most coaches have two sofa's across from each other...we don't, we have one sofa and my recliner. For us, other than being able to take simultaneous naps, two sofas are a waste of space. Some coaches have TVs located where you can't see them except on an severe angle. Love the half bath...for grand kids when they RON...same for the sofa that makes into a sleeper. I would like to see a lighter floor material than tile...very heavy costing us cargo carrying ability, and very cold, and yes we do have the heated option. Our previous coach had many compartments that were empty, just covered with a panel, a total waste of space. Many were in out of the way places like under the W/D, back in the rear corners of the coach, etc., but could be accessed with a little effort. This coach is much better with that issue.

[gulya]

Call us old fashion but we find many of the new models and floor plans impractical. We are frequent Parkers at rest areas and Walmarts when we are traveling from place to place. Since we don't want to put out slides we want an aisle wide enough to access bathroom, shower and bedroom as well as be able to get a beer out of the fridge and cook lunch, dinner or breakfast.

[astmi]

To me, space allocation has to be made using the criteria of the time you use each space (bedroom, kitchen etc..) So, do we spend more time in the bathroom than in the salon?

I like the sofa and recliner. kitchen for 4 and a lot of space in the pantry, reasonable space in the bedroom and I don't complain about a small bathroom because this is not where I spend most of my time.

[wildebill308]

Practical Or Impractical is in the eye of the beholder.

Bill

[jleamont]

aldebruijn,

Also not a fan of the new interior floor plans. It seems like the tactful thought process to maximize the space is fading into the past.

Every year we go to Hershey and walk around, mostly for gadgets, check out campgrounds to help plan for the following year and to say high to the folks at the FMCA booth. We will on occasion walk through new units just to see what is going on with them.

Every year my wife and I have this same conversation and it seems to be getting worse, it looks like the people designing motorhomes are not people that use them.

The quality also seems to be fading while the price tags are climbing.

[manholt]

Joe, your right on! Due to that massive void, between 2006 and 2011, the Industry is trying to re-invent

it's self.

A lot off cheap "BLING" to justify the price! Reed the post from FIVE about his door awning. That should

not be an issue on a 14' Eagle!!!

Carl

[nitehawk]

Whatever makes the DW happy. Happy wife, happy life.

[wildebill308]

I think what we are seeing is the industry is trying to appeal to the first time buyers not the people with experience. Case in point the wave of second bath rooms. This is more for people who haven't spent much time in a RV. The reason is two bathrooms automatically sounds better more desirable to the first timer. Just like looking at apartments or condos or even houses "we liked it but it only had one bathroom".

Now they don't understand that in a 40ft coach for instance that space for the second bath has to come out of a limited space. You have to give up something for it. That most often is less counter space and less storage.

The other big push is to make them look more spacious. Overhead cabinets that are not as deep both from the ceiling and back wall. This combined with all the lights and even mired surfaces to make it look more open.

Bill

[lylefikse]

We have had our 2007 Tuscany 4072 for 5 years. Love the floor plan. 1 couch, 2 recliners, mid-coach TV, and king bed. Like most first time buyers we have a list of things we would like in our 2nd rig. Newer heating system (aqua hot), bath and 1/2 (we are snowbirds and live in it all winter), two large recliners facing the TV, outside TV, all tile (carpet is too hard to keep clean), and the biggest item, another king size bed (ours is an actual king not an RV king).

Now the problem with a trade. Price. Wow!! Twice what we paid for ours (it was 3 years old with 14,000 miles) plus ours in trade. I think our wish list is not worth the cost of the trade. Looks like we will wait and become a 2nd owner of a floor plan we like, in a few years. Oh, and it can't be longer than 42 ft to fit on our lot.

[manholt]

Lyle.

There are a slew of new and used coaches out there that will meet you and your DW's dream and a little remodel of furniture, you'll be 100%!

Goggle, PPL for DP's. RVTrader. Lazydays rv. MHS of Texas. That will keep you busy for a while!

Carl

[judatt]

We have owned our Newmar mountainaire 4523 for almost 3 months and continue to love it. It only has one bathroom but the toilet is in a room by itself with a second sink. We have the two facing sofas and I think if I had one wish it would be to have a sofa and a recliner. We have 3 TVs and they all get used. The one in the front more than the one in the bedroom. I like the outside tv - I can go out there and sit with my iPad and watch the markets on CNBC while Judy is doing something inside and watching tv there. We have tons of storage and a full size fridge and a king size bed which were all important to us. I think we did pretty well for the first time buying a motor home and don't think we would want to change much. David

[RodgerS]

You could classify me as a first time buyer if you want, so weight my thoughts accordingly, though I have some experience way back when and since retirement have earned my RV electrical specialist and inspector designations. I do MH extended warranty inspections.

My wife saw a new Tiffin Allegro 34ft plus gas yesterday and we thought the floorpan would be just fine for the two of us. If I can satisfy myself that dealing with the safety, suspension, and ride ability upgrades will be sufficient we might go that size, but maybe with Newmar, and buy a used version.

Alternatively, we might buy a used dp or 5th. We have no intention of selling our house or living in any unit full-time, and plan to do some int'l traveling.

Since we are apt to put on more miles than time in one spot, we will probably buy a used 40ft dp and I will just adjust the floorplan as our needs change. Solves a lot of gas suspension and other issues easily.

Many people focus on floor plan and encourage that to be the main focus, but quality and matching to use is more important to me.

Maybe since my wife and I don't feel the need for more than 1 bathroom, more than one bed, or room for socializing, and I am great at simplified cooking and love to eat out, that kinds of simplifies it. I just need a good recliner and a good bed. My wife seems to need her phone to call China and take pictures. She says where I go and how I go, she is happy to follow.

Happy husband, happy life.

[kingfr]

We love our current coach! Our perspective comes from living in a DP fulltime since 2007, first a 40 footer with 4 slides, 1 bath one sofa, a recliner with computer desk, and two tv's. Now we are in a 42 footer (Phaeton 42LH if you are interested) with a bath and 1/2 bath, L shaped sofa, entertainment center with 42" tv across from it, outside TV, fireplace, heated tile floors, etc. Much prefer the 42 footer. It lives like it is 1 1/2 times larger than the 40! Oh yes, 450HP engine, tag axle, 3 A/C units and a 10 KW generator.

Having said that, if we had a S & B residence and only traveled part time, we would probably have something in the 32-36 foot size with much less stuff to keep up with, maybe even, gasp, a gasser!

[RodgerS]

I think the so-called downsizing trend is also relevant, to bring this up as a follow up on "Having said that, if we had a S & B residence and only traveled part time, we would probably have something in the 32-36 foot size with much less stuff to keep up with, maybe even, gasp, a gasser!"

​There are a small number, if not a growing number of down sizers (reading across forums) who use to own 40 ft dp coaches. This is certainly opposite of "we found that newer coaches pretty much all have two bathrooms and huge closets." They switched to a B class floor plan or something closer to a 32 Tiffin Breeze floor plan.

When I read their topics, they sound a bit like me, which is why I'm not totally committed to a 40ft dp just yet. They, like me, often have an interest in mixing in some international travel. My wife wants to go to France later this year, for example.

Well yes, if I was going full-time floor plan would probably be much more important.

One couple I read wanted the 1 and 1/2 bath because they wanted their grandchildren to accompany them from time to time.

It is still not out of the picture for me to abandon the mh and go 5th. So maybe I'm in this forum to toss this around a bit more before I commit.

[kingfr]

I think the so-called downsizing trend is also relevant, to bring this up as a follow up on "Having said that, if we had a S & B residence and only traveled part time, we would probably have something in the 32-36 foot size with much less stuff to keep up with, maybe even, gasp, a gasser!"

​There are a small number, if not a growing number of down sizers (reading across forums) who use to own 40 ft dp coaches. This is certainly opposite of "we found that newer coaches pretty much all have two bathrooms and huge closets." They switched to a B class floor plan or something closer to a 32 Tiffin Breeze floor plan.

When I read their topics, they sound a bit like me, which is why I'm not totally committed to a 40ft dp just yet. They, like me, often have an interest in mixing in some international travel. My wife wants to go to France later this year, for example.

Well yes, if I was going full-time floor plan would probably be much more important.

One couple I read wanted the 1 and 1/2 bath because they wanted their grandchildren to accompany them from time to time.

It is still not out of the picture for me to abandon the mh and go 5th. So maybe I'm in this forum to toss this around a bit more before I commit.

We want the Two Holer because the older we get, the more often the "urge" strikes us both at the same time!

[RodgerS]

"We want the Two Holer because the older we get, the more often the "urge" strikes us both at the same time!"

Perfectly understandable. Fortunately my wife is 15 years younger than me.

[wayne77590]

Our coach (see signature) has seating room for 10 to socialize and we have had 10 in here sitting comfortably, sipping favorite drinks. However, as Brett stated, drinks for 6, dinner for 4 and sleeps 2 (with exception of two grandchildren on occasion). Actual configuration is sleeps 6, but we never give anyone that information. (Shhhh!)

[huffypuff]

Our coach has a queen size bed, a full size sofa bed, a dinette that convert for two kids and a jackknife love seat for one kid. That makes seven but thank goodness that never happen.