Kitchens rant

rockhillmanor wrote:
You need to get out more and take a look at all the different MH's! :B
MANY have ample counter space.

Clearly, we have different concepts of what is "ample." Fair enough.

The fact is that 98% of the fifth wheels of about 28' and up have far more counter space than 95% of the Class A motorhomes in the 32- to 38-foot range. Which is all we can reasonably afford, and the maximum that I am comfortable with on the unpaved Forest Service roads we are often traveling.

No doubt, motorhomes are designed for people whose needs/use is different than ours. I/We dry camp for many weeks at a time in remote locations. Eating out is not a practical option except on rare occastions. Besides, we both have special dietary needs and eating out within our limits is sometimes challenging.

Wayne

I agree with OP completely. I also suspect that kitchens are less important in class a design than fivers. Of course this is simply one mans opinion based on about 25 years of going to RV shows and observing thousands of units accross a broad price range. It works well for us as vacationing in the RV means eating out. If we do eat in it will be a simple MRE that doesn't require much prep.

The kitchen in our DP has more storage and counter top space than our 5'er did. We saw floorplans that had the same amount of space, and some that had less space. You need to find the floorplan that fits what you are looking for.

There are things 5ers can't do as well, such as generators, levelers, self propulsion. Given that 5ers are pretty well self contained without the engine and genset, a little counter space is a trade-off. We've found that small folding table and a little creativity go a long way in making up the small galley space. My only complaint about my old rig is that I don't get nearly enough time in it to be discomfitted.

:) :) How about the MH I saw at a show that had ONE drawer in the kitchen???? I asked why only one and was informed that "anyone who can afford this MH will usually eat out rather than cook"....and "cook" was said in such a way that it sounded like a dirty thing.......ROL ROL ROL

Vastly???...I would say Texas is VASTLY larger than, say Connecticut, but I wouldn't say I've seen any 5th wheel kitchens VASTLY larger than ours. A kitchen is just that. Stove/cooktop, microwave, sink and dishwasher. We certainly have ample counter space. Why would anyone want a bigger kitchen anyway..:h We only cook and eat in ours. IMHO, our large living room and bathroom is way more important than the kitchen...just sayin..Dennis

2ndhom wrote:
And why do we need this post?
:? :h

Why not? You read it didn't you?

Gee we have a 5th wheel and I use a Toyota Avalon as my daily driver, the pickup sits until we need to tow the 5th wheel.

So I'm guessing you mean once you get setup at an RV Park you would have to use the HD Truck to get around town, sight see, run errands...etc. I enjoy driving my C4500 MDT around town. It's comfortable, the ride is a little rough but acceptable for 1 to 300 mile trips.

If you compare a 40ft 5th wheel to a 40ft MH you lose 3 to 6 feet of living space in the MH due to the driving area. That extra 3 feet or so allows for more counter/storage space in the 5th wheel.

We bought a 38ft 5th wheel instead of the 34ft model because the 38ft had a Washer Dryer area and the rear counter was 9 inches deeper than the 34ft model. The extra 4 feet in length provided more counter and storage space plus a W/D.

I'm thinking the designers view MHs as travel from A to Z (long distance) and stay for short periods of time. 5th wheel owners travel from A to B (shorter distance)and stay for longer periods of time or even as a permanent residence.

By the way most of the RV'ers we have met through the years, do very little cooking in the RV. They go out to eat, use prepared meals/microwave, snacks, or use an outdoor grill. We talked to many who have never used the stove and or oven in their RV.

Empty Nest, Soon wrote:
Why is it that fifth wheels almost always have vastly more kitchen counter/storage space compared with motorhomes?

Do the designers think that people who buy motorhomes almost always eat out and have little interest in cooking? Is there something about motorhomes which interferes with designing in a nicer kitchen? Why don't the manufacturers get the guys from the fifth-wheel department to help design motorhome kitchens?

Our little 19' TT has maybe a foot of counter space between the stovetop and the sink. In most motorhomes, there is about the same amount of counter space.:? Sad.

Fifth wheels that we've looked at invariably have far more. And often a dishwasher and cabinets designed for easy storage of kitchen appliances. If I didn't have an aversion to again using a HD pickup as a daily driver, we would probably be looking for a fifth wheel.
(End rant)Wayne

You need to get out more and take a look at all the different MH's! :B
MANY have ample counter space.

And why do we need this post?
:? :h