MH designers are MEN! (Well maybe, but definitely not MH users)
WendysPhotos said
09:24 AM Jan 10, 2014
Why does every MH I look at have 2 couches across from each other and then another dinette set on top of the two driver seats. There is NOBODY out there that is crazy enough to carry around 10 people in a MH. Well maybe 1 or 2, but the majority of people who can afford a diesel pusher MH is only going to have a couple of kids at the most. Why can't they make a MH like a 5'ver with an entertainment center and a nice little fake fireplace and cabinet space across from 1 couch or a couple of recliners? Really do you need 2 couches? If I have extra people staying in the MH there are these wonderful things called blow up beds. Which are actually a 100% more comfortable than any pull out bed I have ever seen.
Plus Most MH's I see have the TV in this odd place where you need to be a contortionist to see it comfortably from the couches anyways.
Okay getting off my soap box now and going back to looking and dreaming.
BiggarView said
10:06 AM Jan 10, 2014
All valid questions and I'd agree on your design ideas, but you need to retract those "claws" on the title. Sure there may be men doing the designing maybe even women and they may or may not be RV users, nothing shuts down a receptive mind faster than an accusation or a stereotyping even when just "kidding". Keep asking those questions, somebody is or will be listening and the product will get better as time goes by.
2 couches does seem like overkill. Maybe they are getting a.... whoops almost made an accusation. ;) TV position relative to viewing position is definitely important for the times we'll doing that activity.
Still dreaming, planning and a bit of looking so far.
Lucky Mike said
10:25 AM Jan 10, 2014
I dont think men totally designed RV's
1. the tv is to small ....if it was a man a 52" would be mandatory with full sport channel included
2. Factory recliners do not face the TV and most are uncomfortable...this causes problems with sleeping habits
3. Bathrooms are to small , not enough room for quality reading libraries and doors are cheap and not sound proof!!
4. Mini fridge would be standard equipment next to recliner
5. I robot vaccum system would also be standard!!
6. washer dryer Combo is nice but not enough corners onboard for dirty laundry
7. more campgrounds would have sites with back to back back'ins so it would have a tailgating feel!!
8. standard menu onboard for takeout would be located next to Remotes
9.coach would be sold with 100 k bumper to bumper maid service!
10. last but not least GPS would Track wifes flight itinerary And give immediate warning of time to keep us from being late......also would activate # 9.
BiggarView said
10:45 AM Jan 10, 2014
Always a great day when you add the comedy stylings of Lucky Mike.
el Rojo and Pam said
10:52 AM Jan 10, 2014
Sounds like Mike missed his calling. He should be a RV designer.
BiggarView said
11:03 AM Jan 10, 2014
Some would say he's the wrong gender.... Methinks standup comedy is his calling.
Selah said
11:40 AM Jan 10, 2014
There are several models that do not have couchs across from each other. Take a look at Tiffin's Allegro 36LA (gasser) or the 42LH (DP). They also make a 40' version of the 42LH I just don't know what the model number is. Winnabago Tour also has similar floor plans as does Entegra, possibly more manufacturers.
We have the 42LH and have had eight people in the coach a couple of times. Makes a great place to gather when the weather is being uncooperative.
Happy hour starts at 4:30.
bigredoes said
11:55 AM Jan 10, 2014
Assuming it was Wendy who started the thread - Wendy, my wife could not possibly agree with you more !!! She almost daily says - they need to hire women to design the inside of these things and as an added bonus she specifies it should be European women (I'm thinking she appreciates what she sees at IKEA from time to time) lol
el Rojo and Pam said
12:05 PM Jan 10, 2014
Wendy one more thought. We have seen several J couches in coaches. They look nice but aren't comfortable enough to watch a movie. I'm sure they work for some but everybody.
In our Winnebago Vectra we had a couch behind the drivers seat and the TV was across from it behind the passenger seat.
Red
The Restless Youngs said
12:55 PM Jan 10, 2014
Mike, always funny!! You are great for keeping things in perspective!!
We did find some A's with nice "homey" floor plans....think someone mentioned the Tour and the Tiffin.... You can interchane the extra sofa for a chair or two.... But do agree, not quite the same feel as the 5'ver. We actually were happy with the two couches, as long as they pointed directly to the TV (not overhead, etc.)!! One for me....one for him!!
SnowGypsy said
05:54 PM Jan 10, 2014
There are standard floor plans that people have been happy with over many years. One has to keep in mind that they attempt to balance the load. It is much cheaper to do cookie cutter styles and for those that don't like that, they do have manufacturers who do custom work. I don't think it has anything to do with men designing them.
French Bikers said
06:17 PM Jan 10, 2014
Lucky Mike said it all, BTW Mike I havn't purchase my RV yet if you ever come across the Model you have described let me know I'm interested lol.....
Jean
Bobc said
06:54 PM Jan 10, 2014
Sorry Mike but a real man would put a 60" TV in the living area, a 46" TV in the bed room, a 19" TV in the bath room, and just to top it off a 120" outside on the back of the rig just to get that big game feel when outside!!!
Oh almost forgot there should also be a second full size fridge just to keep the beer cold!!
Terry and Jo said
07:08 PM Jan 10, 2014
Well, I for one know of a number of families that are college football aficionados that would definitely go along with two couches facing each other. As for the designing otherwise, Jo has a similar opinion that all RV design teams should have a woman included. After having a home with a taller-than-standard bathroom cabinet and sinks, if we ever trade for another RV, it will have such a cabinet in the bathroom.
Terry
53 Merc said
07:37 PM Jan 10, 2014
Well, we all know a MH looks soooo much more homey with a minimum of 7 pillows on the bed, a cuuute dust ruffle on the bed and those charming valences in off pink with mauve accents in them. The colors are just so much too bland in the current MHs, all those earth tones and such. And I just can't stand those gauche border accents in the wall covering. So dated and old hat. (can you tell I have been forced to watch property brothers on HGTV with my wife?) Where else would I get the terms?
Me, if on drywall, white paint is OK, if wood, maple or walnut sets the standard. Anything else, not so much. I do know that back in the day, a lady was in charge of decor' at Sunnybrook before Elvey went bonkers and tried to compete with the larger companies. He just couldn't be satisfied with a niche market that he had. Oh well, Winnebago now has ladies in the decor department.
Give me a well built, solid, sturdy and well insulated rig any time. Keep it simple and don't obsess about the colors being in perfect harmony or feng shui.
Ken
manycats said
07:51 PM Jan 10, 2014
If women designed RVs, and some houses, there would always be a place to put a trash can in the kitchen without having it stare you in the face every time you walk in. There would also be a place to hide your dirty clothes until you could wash them, kitchen cabinets sturdy enough to store your heavy pots and appliances like slow cookers that you could bring out and use without breaking your back, etc., etc. We women have to become marvels of ingenuity and creativity to handle the many details of daily living many men don't even think about. TV is the least of our worries if we're the ones that cook, clean and try to keep you guys comfortable and contented. Sexist, certainly, I was born this way...
Bill and Linda said
12:43 PM Jan 11, 2014
manycats wrote:
If women designed RVs, and some houses, there would always be a place to put a trash can in the kitchen without having it stare you in the face every time you walk in. There would also be a place to hide your dirty clothes until you could wash them, kitchen cabinets sturdy enough to store your heavy pots and appliances like slow cookers that you could bring out and use without breaking your back, etc., etc. We women have to become marvels of ingenuity and creativity to handle the many details of daily living many men don't even think about. TV is the least of our worries if we're the ones that cook, clean and try to keep you guys comfortable and contented. Sexist, certainly, I was born this way...
Funny - mine did - My wife that is:
When Linda was doing the cabinet design in the New Horizons trash was a big concern to her and rightly so. NH went off and found a custom trash management system that met her criteria to install.Basically a big can in a study metal drawer frame that can be taken out. It will have a nice cherry front to match all the other cabinets and will just look like a cabinet.Had one of these, but not as large, in the Escalade.Nice addition.
For better reach, she had them extend the cabinets down 2 inches.Not lower them from the top. Actually make them 2” closer to counter tops keeping the tops at the same height so it would “look right”. Better reach and no lost space.
It was fun watching her design each cabinet in the trailer, including the pantry, just like she wanted.
Yes, she is a model of ingenuity and efficiency. Glad she was doing the inside.Me, I just kept looking at drawings and electrical diagrams and muttering things like “belly to bed-rail clearance” numbers and “where is that conduit to the roof Wi-Fi antenna from the IT center?”
Bill
kb0zke said
04:30 PM Jan 11, 2014
We had 10 adults in our Foretravel this summer for a family reunion. No, we weren't all eating and sleeping in it, just a lot of talking and picture sharing. We have one full-size couch on the street side and two chairs opposite that, and four dinette chairs.
Hdrider said
06:26 AM Jan 12, 2014
I certainly agree that it would seem the people that design motorhomes do not live in them. However as mentioned there are MANY models that now have L shapes couches, fake fireplaces and what feels to be a true separation from living room space and kitchen space.
As far as the comfort in the L shaped couches it is true some are not overly comfortable however there are some that are. Some even have built in electric motors that will allow you to recline and kick your feet up.
As far as the frilly Las Vegas type cute stuff sitting around,,,, TOSS THEM OUT!!! Just because you buy an RV with it in them you don't have to keep it. We just bought a 2014 Tiffin 42LH with a very nice home like feeling and the first thing we did was take the frilly stuff and stick in in the bays of our old coach and forgot about them as they drove off (we did keep a couple) and we are redecorating to a cabin décor.
You just need to look a little harder.
Why does every MH I look at have 2 couches across from each other and then another dinette set on top of the two driver seats. There is NOBODY out there that is crazy enough to carry around 10 people in a MH. Well maybe 1 or 2, but the majority of people who can afford a diesel pusher MH is only going to have a couple of kids at the most. Why can't they make a MH like a 5'ver with an entertainment center and a nice little fake fireplace and cabinet space across from 1 couch or a couple of recliners? Really do you need 2 couches? If I have extra people staying in the MH there are these wonderful things called blow up beds. Which are actually a 100% more comfortable than any pull out bed I have ever seen.
Plus Most MH's I see have the TV in this odd place where you need to be a contortionist to see it comfortably from the couches anyways.
Okay getting off my soap box now and going back to looking and dreaming.
2 couches does seem like overkill. Maybe they are getting a.... whoops almost made an accusation. ;) TV position relative to viewing position is definitely important for the times we'll doing that activity.
Still dreaming, planning and a bit of looking so far.
1. the tv is to small ....if it was a man a 52" would be mandatory with full sport channel included
2. Factory recliners do not face the TV and most are uncomfortable...this causes problems with sleeping habits
3. Bathrooms are to small , not enough room for quality reading libraries and doors are cheap and not sound proof!!
4. Mini fridge would be standard equipment next to recliner
5. I robot vaccum system would also be standard!!
6. washer dryer Combo is nice but not enough corners onboard for dirty laundry
7. more campgrounds would have sites with back to back back'ins so it would have a tailgating feel!!
8. standard menu onboard for takeout would be located next to Remotes
9.coach would be sold with 100 k bumper to bumper maid service!
10. last but not least GPS would Track wifes flight itinerary And give immediate warning of time to keep us from being late......also would activate # 9.
Some would say he's the wrong gender.... Methinks standup comedy is his calling.
We have the 42LH and have had eight people in the coach a couple of times. Makes a great place to gather when the weather is being uncooperative.
Happy hour starts at 4:30.
In our Winnebago Vectra we had a couch behind the drivers seat and the TV was across from it behind the passenger seat.
Red
We did find some A's with nice "homey" floor plans....think someone mentioned the Tour and the Tiffin.... You can interchane the extra sofa for a chair or two.... But do agree, not quite the same feel as the 5'ver. We actually were happy with the two couches, as long as they pointed directly to the TV (not overhead, etc.)!! One for me....one for him!!
Jean
Oh almost forgot there should also be a second full size fridge just to keep the beer cold!!
Well, I for one know of a number of families that are college football aficionados that would definitely go along with two couches facing each other. As for the designing otherwise, Jo has a similar opinion that all RV design teams should have a woman included. After having a home with a taller-than-standard bathroom cabinet and sinks, if we ever trade for another RV, it will have such a cabinet in the bathroom.
Terry
Me, if on drywall, white paint is OK, if wood, maple or walnut sets the standard. Anything else, not so much. I do know that back in the day, a lady was in charge of decor' at Sunnybrook before Elvey went bonkers and tried to compete with the larger companies. He just couldn't be satisfied with a niche market that he had. Oh well, Winnebago now has ladies in the decor department.
Give me a well built, solid, sturdy and well insulated rig any time. Keep it simple and don't obsess about the colors being in perfect harmony or feng shui.
Ken
Funny - mine did - My wife that is:
When Linda was doing the cabinet design in the New Horizons trash was a big concern to her and rightly so. NH went off and found a custom trash management system that met her criteria to install. Basically a big can in a study metal drawer frame that can be taken out. It will have a nice cherry front to match all the other cabinets and will just look like a cabinet. Had one of these, but not as large, in the Escalade. Nice addition.
For better reach, she had them extend the cabinets down 2 inches. Not lower them from the top. Actually make them 2” closer to counter tops keeping the tops at the same height so it would “look right”. Better reach and no lost space.
It was fun watching her design each cabinet in the trailer, including the pantry, just like she wanted.
Yes, she is a model of ingenuity and efficiency. Glad she was doing the inside. Me, I just kept looking at drawings and electrical diagrams and muttering things like “belly to bed-rail clearance” numbers and “where is that conduit to the roof Wi-Fi antenna from the IT center?”
Bill
As far as the comfort in the L shaped couches it is true some are not overly comfortable however there are some that are. Some even have built in electric motors that will allow you to recline and kick your feet up.
As far as the frilly Las Vegas type cute stuff sitting around,,,, TOSS THEM OUT!!! Just because you buy an RV with it in them you don't have to keep it. We just bought a 2014 Tiffin 42LH with a very nice home like feeling and the first thing we did was take the frilly stuff and stick in in the bays of our old coach and forgot about them as they drove off (we did keep a couple) and we are redecorating to a cabin décor.
You just need to look a little harder.