Floor Plan Pet Peeves

[MilesandSmiles]

As my wife and I are looking at multiple Class A DPs, we've found so many floor plans that would be great, "If only...." Our two top pet peeves:

1) Can't watch the TV from the couch. Really? Do they really think I want to sit down after a long day, pick up a glass of my favorite beverage, and watch TV from the dinette?

2) No shelf beside the bed. Are there really that many people who don't need a place to put your glasses, hearing aids, CPAP machine, or that great book you've been reading just before you turn out the lights? Where do they expect us to put those things?

Can you add to the list? What are the floor plan features that have made you think, "What were they thinking?"

[frankdamp]

Our 32' Georgetown had a driver's door. Useless **** thing except for vacuuming the floor around the pedals. I used it twice for egress in the four years we owned the rig and the second time got a back injury that needed surgery.

It leaked when it rained and was badly insulated (or maybe not at all), so the driving area was always uncomfortable in cooler weather. A driver's door in a used rig for sale would be a deal breaker for me.

[Kaz]

DunellenGuy wrote:
As my wife and I are looking at multiple Class A DPs, we've found so many floor plans that would be great, "If only...." Our two top pet peeves:

1) Can't watch the TV from the couch. Really? Do they really think I want to sit down after a long day, pick up a glass of my favorite beverage, and watch TV from the dinette?

2) No shelf beside the bed. Are there really that many people who don't need a place to put your glasses, hearing aids, CPAP machine, or that great book you've been reading just before you turn out the lights? Where do they expect us to put those things?

Can you add to the list? What are the floor plan features that have made you think, "What were they thinking?"

What a fun and interesting topic. Every now and then, the DW and I think about upgrading to a DP and it's unbelievably hard to find a floor plan that we like, mostly for all of the reasons cited in the posts above.

In the meantime, I've tallied the responses (aggregating somewhat and not counting those that really don't state a peeve). To the extent the peeve can be stated simply, here's a rough count:

1. TV at right angles to couch (or back to one side of dinette): 9
2. No shelf beside bed: 4
3. Oddly-shaped or inadequate inside storage/drawers: 4
4. Slides that obstruct usability when in: 3
5. And one each for: dining area on driver's side, closets that aren't deep enough, lack of a driver's door, a bedroom light switch that isn't reachable from the bed, no reading lights in the right places, toilet in the hallway (obstructing access to bedroom while the toilet is in use), and skylight in the bedroom.

Numbers 1, 2, and 4 are our peeves too.

I hope the manufacturers are reading this. Several times we've found a unit that we would otherwise consider, but for one of these deficiencies.

Skip

[barmcd]

Big Baldy wrote:

barmcd wrote:
It seems like most designs put the TV to the back of one of the dinette chairs.

We also lament the absence a night stand on one and sometimes both sides of the bed.

I don't get the design of the drawers in the bedroom of many of the 2004-2006 coaches we are looking at. Its usually in a slide so maybe that has something to do with it. You have a set of drawers on the bottom and they are deeper than the two sets on top of them. So the bottom set is almost like a step. The higher drawers as so shallow they are almost useless.

Usually, that is to allow room for the bed when the slides are in. The mattress fits over the top of the deeper, lower drawers.

That makes sense, never thought of that.

[barmcd]

Skid Row Joe wrote:

Mr.Mark wrote:
I have been inside many, many motorhomes and only once did I see a toilet that was not behind it's own door.

It was a custom coach that apparently was 'not' delivered to a customer. The bathroom was in the middle of the coach like you see on most. The toilet was pretty obvious if the bathroom door was open. So, the only way to get privacy was to close the door between the kitchen and bathroom and the door between the bathroom and bedroom.

If your partner, kids, or other people were in the bedroom, they would be stuck until the bathroom person was done. Crazy design. And this was an expensive coach that a lacked a lot of thought.

MM.

Most Foretravels were built like this for many years. Very few had their own potty closet.

responded to wrong post

[barmcd]

Mikeborny wrote:
... when we started RVing, we brought way to many clothes with us.

We took a lot of clothes with us when we started RVing and then noticed that we wore the same three t-shirts and shorts off the top of the pile. Now we pack a whole lot less.

[Mikeborny]

I have a 40' bunkmodel and travel with 3 kids, and two 100 lb dogs. My kids are not small either and we dont have a problem with storage. Storing clothes for the kids in the RV is all about packing. Our 17 yr old daughter can fit all her clothes into storage bins that fit in the cabinets above the fold out couch she sleeps on. I know when we started RVing, we brought way to many clothes with us. Each boy knows how to roll up their clothes to get them to fit in the drawers thay use. If it don't fit, dont bring it. Floor plans are very specific for everyone use. You have to know how you are going to use the time in your coach before you can pick a layout. I love couches on apposing sides. We have. TV in front and one on back wall by dinette. This is perfect for us. I never understood the tv that rises from behind a couch. Why have it if you cant sit and watch TV.

[Skid_Row_Joe]

Mr.Mark wrote:
I have been inside many, many motorhomes and only once did I see a toilet that was not behind it's own door.

It was a custom coach that apparently was 'not' delivered to a customer. The bathroom was in the middle of the coach like you see on most. The toilet was pretty obvious if the bathroom door was open. So, the only way to get privacy was to close the door between the kitchen and bathroom and the door between the bathroom and bedroom.

If your partner, kids, or other people were in the bedroom, they would be stuck until the bathroom person was done. Crazy design. And this was an expensive coach that a lacked a lot of thought.

MM.

Most Foretravels were built like this for many years. Very few had their own potty closet.

[Big_Baldy]

barmcd wrote:
It seems like most designs put the TV to the back of one of the dinette chairs.

We also lament the absence a night stand on one and sometimes both sides of the bed.

I don't get the design of the drawers in the bedroom of many of the 2004-2006 coaches we are looking at. Its usually in a slide so maybe that has something to do with it. You have a set of drawers on the bottom and they are deeper than the two sets on top of them. So the bottom set is almost like a step. The higher drawers as so shallow they are almost useless.

Usually, that is to allow room for the bed when the slides are in. The mattress fits over the top of the deeper, lower drawers.

[creeper]

lostdog wrote:
I'll probably take a lot of heat for this but we could never understand the logic of having two opposing couches and the TV over the windshield. Who wants to turn their head 90 degrees to watch a little tube?

2 people lounging reclined watching TV, each on their own coach. I've seen tons of people doing this and we both watch tv at the same time lounged out. There is no turning of the head and the TV over the front seats is at perfect angle then.

Now with out L couch, I recline on the bottom of the L and the wife extends the sofa so she's lounged. The TV which is over the fireplace is not at the perfect angle anymore.

[67Cutlass]

DunellenGuy wrote:
As my wife and I are looking at multiple Class A DPs, we've found so many floor plans that would be great, "If only...." Our two top pet peeves:

1) Can't watch the TV from the couch. Really? Do they really think I want to sit down after a long day, pick up a glass of my favorite beverage, and watch TV from the dinette?

2) No shelf beside the bed. Are there really that many people who don't need a place to put your glasses, hearing aids, CPAP machine, or that great book you've been reading just before you turn out the lights? Where do they expect us to put those things?

The Tiffin models:

• Phaeton 36GH, 40QBH, 40QKH, 40QTH, 42LH
• Allegro Bus 40SP, 45LP, 45OP
• Allegro 31SA, 32SA, 36LA
• Zephyr 45DZ

all offer TVs across from the front couch and shelves next the bed.

[fortytwo]

The bed should move out of the way so the room could be used for living activities when not sleeping. Either Murphy or to the ceiling like Trek. Unfortunately, the Trek bed is at a height my wife can't comfortably use. Wouldn't have been a problem a few years ago.

At least 90% of the Class A's I looked at before buying my new one had the TV in a virtually useless position. Why have the captain and co-pilot chairs (often the most comfortable seat in the RV) rotate if they don't look directly at the TV. It would cost less than $50 to have the TV swing so it could be viewed from most seating in the coach. Very few do.

It takes a lot of looking!!!. Been doing this for over 50 years and I'm convinced that marketeers tell the designers they need a TV, couch, dinette, stove, sink, microwave and refrigerator. The designers have NEVER used an RV and simply check off all the boxes. Most RV salesmen I have encountered are just like the designers - even less competent than computer sales persons. Occasionally the designers do get one right, but it takes way too much looking.

Slides that obstruct the use of any critical component (to you) when closed are a no-go red flag. You will need to use that component, and not be able to extend the slide, some day.

Important caveat: I was looking at Class A's 30 feet and under due to driveway issues.

[rekoj71]

I don't think the OP was having problems finding the floorplan that fit his wants, he was just surprised at how many have what he considers to be a pet peeve of his and probably many others.

I hate not having reading lights in the right places. My kids have bunks and the light that is in the bunk is right in the center of the bunk. They had to read with a flashlight over their shoulder until I was able to install and wire up a reading light in the corner over their heads.

I like my TV in the middle of the coach so that the front chairs can turn around to face them, but yes sometimes someone walks in front of it, but I hate that all of the components for the DVD and Stereo portion of it are in a forward cabinet making it very difficult to aim remotes, and there aren't any extra preinstalled cables running from the front cabinet to the TV. If you don't like their entertainment setup or want to add something then you can't hardly run new cables for the way you want it.

[prstlk]

I don't understand why the only light switch in the bedroom requires a aerobic body bend around the corner to reach said switch. ....by the bed.
I watch my tv from the dinette by looking in the mirror over the dws right shoulder. Wheel of Fortune however is a beach.??

[ferndaleflyer]

the one you showed had doors on both sides of the bathroom----shut the doors and its just like home, your whole bathroom in one room......