Pro's and Con's of Driver side door?

[fltoftheconcord]

We are soon to move from a class C to a class A. We recently had an experience with our class C where the entry door mechanism broke making it impossible to gain entry through the coach door. We had to think what we would have done in a class A had we not been able to gain access through the front doors of the coach.

So we've been evaluated the importance of a driver's side door in shopping for a class A. Besides access, I like the idea of being able to use the door for fuel and other quick stops without having to track through the coach to/from the driver's seat. I feel like I would use it a lot.

Many Tiffin's have the side door, some Newmar's, but it seems more rare in other coaches, although it is an available option on some.

Would be interested to hear from folks on this, particularly those who maybe had some of the same concerns as us while moving from a C to an A.

Thanks much,

Mike

[blakduk01]

Once I reply here I will go back and read 5 pages of replies. However
I came from 2 class-C rigs, so when I spied a class-A DP, the one thing
that swung this particular coach favorably was the drivers door. I have used it only when when on my first trip out with it, Iwas at the toad and my wife came out to walk the dogs and left the keys inside. This was before we had extra keys made to outside. Outside of that I have never used it, but I love the fact that it is there. I do not know why the MFGR's did away with them. They are an emergency exit 99.56% of the time.

ALK

[wny_pat1]

bobkatmsu wrote:

mike brez wrote:
I use mine all the time. I think I sure would miss it. I'm in pretty good shape so getting in and out is a non issue as of right now. Mine is also almost 20 years old and as no wind noise or leaks.

I'm in good shape also and almost broke my freaking neck the first and last time I used my side door.

Lots of truck drivers who go from conventional tractors to cabover tractors end up tearing up their rotator cups of their shoulders cause they miss one of the steps.

[bobkatmsu]

mike brez wrote:
I use mine all the time. I think I sure would miss it. I'm in pretty good shape so getting in and out is a non issue as of right now. Mine is also almost 20 years old and as no wind noise or leaks.

I'm in good shape also and almost broke my freaking neck the first and last time I used my side door.

[kjbkjb]

Guess that’s why they are called options. I am in the process of ordering a 2014 Allegro and the driver’s door with power window is a $1,148 option. The cost is not a concern and I would not want the driver’s door even if it was a no charge option. Our previous Class A did not have one and I never found myself wishing I had one. This is just a personal thing but I don’t like the looks of a driver’s door. I’m just glad I have a choice in the matter.

[FuelFunnel]

No leaks, no rattles. Locks at latch & has an upper deadbolt that can only be operated from inside.

Great for operating jacks & checking turn signals/lights.

2 Complaints:
---Steps make it a little more difficult to remove tire on that side, work on brakes, etc.

---Due to framing requirements, there is less window glass surface which means noticeably less visibility on that side.

[Dutch_12078]

Bumpyroad wrote:
lets see, a magnetic key holder someplace on the RV or a rattly leaky door?
bumpy

Yep! Some time back, I had some extra keys made, and one of the spares for the driver's door wasn't made quite right. It needs to be inserted just right to unlock the door. That's the one I have hidden away, so even if it's found they'll likely have trouble figuring it out, since it also fits in both door latches including the dead bolt on the main door, but only unlocks the one if you know the trick to making it work.

[Wrong_Lane]

Like many of us we break camp in the morning when we move on. There always seems to be a little dew on the grass in the morning so my shoes get wet and may have some exterior debris like sand or lawn clippings on them.

DW is fussy about the floors so coming in with outside shoes on and jumping in the drivers seat is sometimes an issue. We have a removable runner from the stairwell to the doghouse but it trips me up more often than not.

We don't have a drivers door but there has been more than a few times that I have thought it would be nice to be able to climb directly into my seat without a discussion regarding the condition of my shoes.

[Bumpyroad]

lets see, a magnetic key holder someplace on the RV or a rattly leaky door?
bumpy

[michelb]

Dutch_12078 wrote:

Chris F wrote:
A driver's door may be a convenient exit point, but I'm wondering if it might also be a convenient entry point. Do these doors have a deadbolt lock, or can anyone with a slim jim open them?

I don't know about all models with a driver's door of course, but my coach has a Tri-Mark lock arrangement that would be very difficult, if not impossible, to open with a slim jim. It does not have a conventional automotive style latch system.

In ours (98 PaceArrow on Chev chassis), it's much easier to enter from the drivers door than it is through the curbside entrance. It has a Tri-mark lock (no idea if that's good or bad) but a few years my wife locked the keys inside the moho and it took AAA about 5 minutes to make a gap at the top of the door with an inflatable wedge and then he was able to unlock the door (can't remember if he pushed the tumbler somehow or if he fished out the keys through the window). He did say that if he had to go through the dealbolt on the entry, he would have had to drill it out (although that didn't sound like it would be that hard or time consuming either - just a bigger job to fix after).

[BigRabbitMan]

Given the low profile of my coach, using the driver's door is easier than going the other way. And as a rear engined coach, there is no engine hump either. When I open the driver's door a full step is exposed and then it is one step and you are on the ground.

The passenger door is midway on the other side and the main floor is 16" from the ground. The floor in the front 4' is another 6" higher. The low floor level and the ease of getting in and out of either door is one of the things that I love about my coach and can not get in a newer coach.

[chuckftboy]

My present coach has a door and I like it alot. Use it when I fuel and enter a campground to get out and register. I also use the power window when paying tolls or speaking to someone outside, seems easier than using the slide window that my old coach had. Deal breaker-no, Great option-yes.

[Dutch_12078]

Chris F wrote:
A driver's door may be a convenient exit point, but I'm wondering if it might also be a convenient entry point. Do these doors have a deadbolt lock, or can anyone with a slim jim open them?

I don't know about all models with a driver's door of course, but my coach has a Tri-Mark lock arrangement that would be very difficult, if not impossible, to open with a slim jim. It does not have a conventional automotive style latch system.

[Chris_F]

A driver's door may be a convenient exit point, but I'm wondering if it might also be a convenient entry point. Do these doors have a deadbolt lock, or can anyone with a slim jim open them?

[mike_brez]

lanerd wrote:
I donno.. I've never had a Class A with a driver's door, but with our coach when I need to exit the driver's seat, I simply pull the lever on the side of the seat, rotate it 90 degrees and stand up. What could be more simpler?

Ron

Opening the door and stepping out