Mysteries of RV design

[noteven]

Have fun posting your mysteries...

I’ll start - my circa 2018 truck camper has a fancy stainless steel microwave/range vent/range light unit. The range vent lid must be opened and closed by moving 2 little plastic tits from the outside, while holding the lid closed. It is about 10 foot off the ground when the camper is on the truck.

My 1989 Fleetwood trailer had a vent hood that was opened and closed by a control from inside.

[colliehauler]

noteven wrote:
I just saw another one: waste drain piping waaay back dere and low at the back where it functions as a mud/stone flap slash chassis skid on steep approaches...

On my Seasonal the drains are under the slideout facilitating crawling under the trailer to dump the tanks. The surround sound speaker sticks down in front of a cabnet door so you can't open the door. The hydraulic pump is in a cabnet that you have to have the slideout extended to access, great if it's low on fluid and you have to access. The thermostat is located below a A/C vent. The smoke detector was right above the stove. The plastic kitchen sink is not recessed for the drain so you always have a quarter inch of water in the sink. Is their anything on earth more uncomfortable then a RV mattress? Let's not forget about the extremely accurate black and gray tank sensors.

[gkainz]

Because of all your complaints about the vent opening, they just quit installing them. My 5er has no external vent for the range hood. To compliment that, they installed the smoke detector just about directly overhead the cooktop.

Full disclosure - yes, I know it was eliminated because it saved $1.98 per unit to produce without it. It's more fun to blame the complainers 🙂

[noteven]

I just saw another one: waste drain piping waaay back dere and low at the back where it functions as a mud/stone flap slash chassis skid on steep approaches...

[Jayco25E]

RobWNY wrote:
Our former travel trailer had this too. Besides being a pain in the neck to open/close it, any time the wind blew or any trailer movement whatsoever happened, a distinctive "tink tink tink" could be heard. Our current 5th wheel doesn't have an outside vent. Just a vent hood and filter. I don't miss the "tink tink tink" noise but no vent at all isn't the best thing either.

I had to laugh when you wrote "tink tink tink" LOL. Have to listen to the "tink tink tink" all the time.

[WVcampground]

The best is the transition from woven cloth upholstery to pleather. That trend started @ 2011/2012. Driven solely by cost. You do not typically get an option if you wanted to pay an up charge. Even if it was available you would now get something resembling cloth woven by Hop Sing, and made from cow hair and rice stalks thanks to LCI.

[301TBS]

It amazes me how rv's don't progress over the years. Roof gutters that leak at the joints, yes the fan opening is redicioulus, entry doors with cheap latches you have to slam shut, bathroom fans you need a stick to operate,emergency exit windows in the bedroom with that crazy push rod opener,bunk beds with no ladders, oh boy so much more.
It's like they are stuck in the 80's and can't get out.

[Dutch_12078]

When we had an RV with the little vent tabs outside, I used the awning rod to operate them. Our current RV has the inside vent latch.

[SidecarFlip]

Deb and Ed M wrote:
Here's one that was a total deal-breaker for us: as Michiganders, we are pros at winterizing - I mean, winter is the time to go south, right?? Our previous Class C was easy-peasy to winterize - took maybe 10 minutes tops using a 3-way valve at the pump front which was accessed from an outside bay.

So as we started looking at small Class C or B+s, one of my first questions was "where is the pump - how does it winterize?" Aside from salespeople simply not knowing - many of the models we were considering required one to be a contortionist to even GET near the pump; or pieces of the interior paneling had to be removed. It was ridiculous. I'm assuming that 3/4ths of this country experiences sub-freezing temps at least once in a while - why on earth would they make a critical procedure so difficult??

Simple answer to most of it is... Because it's cost effective for them, IOW cheap to build.

When we bought ours I went over everything before I signed on the bottom line, well paid cash in my case.

[SidecarFlip]

noteven wrote:
Have fun posting your mysteries...

I’ll start - my circa 2018 truck camper has a fancy stainless steel microwave/range vent/range light unit. The range vent lid must be opened and closed by moving 2 little plastic tits from the outside, while holding the lid closed. It is about 10 foot off the ground when the camper is on the truck.

My 1989 Fleetwood trailer had a vent hood that was opened and closed by a control from inside.

and those cheap little teats have a bad habit of breaking off. Off the ground 10 feet (most likely about 8 is a non issue with me. I always carry a 3 step folding mini ladder. Got to be careful, they break right off.

[4x4van]

On my '04 Itasca, the range hood & light are built in to the underside of the microwave...and they are 120VAC. So unless I have hookups or use the generator, I have no light/fan over my LPG stove! :S

[Deb_and_Ed_M]

Here's one that was a total deal-breaker for us: as Michiganders, we are pros at winterizing - I mean, winter is the time to go south, right?? Our previous Class C was easy-peasy to winterize - took maybe 10 minutes tops using a 3-way valve at the pump front which was accessed from an outside bay.

So as we started looking at small Class C or B+s, one of my first questions was "where is the pump - how does it winterize?" Aside from salespeople simply not knowing - many of the models we were considering required one to be a contortionist to even GET near the pump; or pieces of the interior paneling had to be removed. It was ridiculous. I'm assuming that 3/4ths of this country experiences sub-freezing temps at least once in a while - why on earth would they make a critical procedure so difficult??

[DutchmenSport]

Main light panel and control panel for water pump, outside lights and inside lights is right inside the main entry door, behind a cabinet door. Only problem is, its so high, you have to be a giant to reach it. I ran new wires and installed addition light switches for the main houselights outside that box and much lower. My wife couldn't reach the house lights. We keep a 2 foot step ladder right inside the main door. 5er's have tall ceilings and tall cabinets, but it makes no sense why the light switches have to so high. (2019 Montana High Country 375FL, Fifth Wheel)

[Lynnmor]

Back when common sense wasn't so rare, these fans were used. Too bad they don't make them in 12 volt.

[RobWNY]

Our former travel trailer had this too. Besides being a pain in the neck to open/close it, any time the wind blew or any trailer movement whatsoever happened, a distinctive "tink tink tink" could be heard. Our current 5th wheel doesn't have an outside vent. Just a vent hood and filter. I don't miss the "tink tink tink" noise but no vent at all isn't the best thing either.

[mleekamp]

HA! We have the same issue on our C. Have to get step ladder out to reach it the vent tabs to open it up.