If I could only choose one word to describe an RVer it would be passionate. There is not much that can get in the way of RV enthusiasts enjoying a weekend getaway with their families, or embarking on month-long journies to experience America by way of its highways and byways. If I had the liberty of choosing yet another descriptive word, resilient also comes to mind. Regardless of the economic challenges we find ourselves faced with from time to time, RVers stay true to the course of doing what they enjoy. In fact, it is during the challenging times that great opportunities for purchasing or trading up our RVs present themselves!
Photograph courtesy of Winnebago Industries
Construction
Monaco Coach Corporation, an industry leader in luxury motor coach innovation, began manufacturing its own Roadmaster® chassis in the late ‘80s. Today, joined by Country Coach with its Dynomax® chassis, the two are the only manufacturers that build a semi-monocoque RV chassis. This chassis design (also referred to as uni-body construction) distributes weight evenly throughout the entire chassis, actually adding strength to the motor home’s sidewalls and bays by way of its full-length frame rails and trussed superstructure.
Although beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, gone are the days of delicate, ribbed fiberglass sidewalls and vinyl graphics—and the nightmares associated with cleaning and repairing them. Today’s construction methods consist of smooth fiberglass siding with striking full-body paint and a special clear coat finish that mirrors what we have come to expect from the automotive industry.
No more dealing with insulation hanging out of the walls. Manufacturers have also improved sidewall construction by incorporating horizontal bars to better contain (and distribute) the insulation. In addition to the pink Owens insulation used back in the day, many of today’s models also incorporate high-density foam insulation into their sidewalls. Not only is Holiday Rambler known to manufacture one of the best insulated RVs today, the Holiday Rambler brand has long been recognized as a symbol for quality.
While early stick-and-tin trailers were literally stapled together, today’s line-up features welded aluminum frame construction. Up top, the three-piece aluminum roof required constant maintenance and resealing. This, coupled with the “not-to-be-walked-upon” construction of those roofs, made maintenance a challenge, to say the least. Oftentimes one would step right through the roof as well as the ceiling. Today, roofs are constructed of one-piece EPDM rubber and polyester – no maintenance required.
And how soon we forget about early awning technology, which consisted of a manual crank that you hooked into the arm in order to roll out the fabric. Problems were plentiful when you forgot to roll-in the awning during a rainstorm – you emerged to find the awning collapsed under the weight of the water or wrapped over the roof due to high winds. Today’s electric awnings are self-supportive with built-in wind and rain sensors. Many are clear span with no side arms to further enhance the livability outside the coach.
Photograph courtesy of Winnebago Industries
Several years ago, there was limited space to work with when designing the floor plan of a motor home. Gas models were typically 28- to 29-feet long and 8-feet wide. Layouts generally consisted of a cockpit followed by a couch opposite a dinette; a kitchen galley and split bathroom; and a rear bedroom with a side-facing double bed nestled in the corner. Because of their “tunnel like” feeling, motor homes were often described as cigar tubes.
There were a few travel trailer models that offered some expansion capability in the late ‘70s. These trailers were referred to as “tip-outs” because that is what they did - they tipped out from the inside. To execute the expansion, one person would get inside the trailer and slowly push the tip-out while a second person (outside) would ease it to a safe landing. Done too fast, the entire tip-out would end up crashing to the ground. Not a pleasant way to start your camping trip!
It was not until the early ‘90s that manufacturers began introducing expandable floor plans by way of their motor home models. Initially, these models featured one “slideout” wall, but that innovation was quickly followed by two slideout, three slideout and then four slideout walls.
2009 Monaco Dynasty
Pilot and co-pilot seats are now covered with Flexsteel Ultra-leather, a synthetic material that provides the plush comfort of your favorite leather lounge chair but does not crack as it ages. There were radios, which were wired to speakers in the living and bedrooms, but the sound quality was poor. Today, our standard amenities include flat-screen LCD HDTVs along with entertainment systems featuring state-of-the-art CD, DVD and surround sound enhancements. And let’s not forget about having the convenience of our own washers and dryers while on the road!
Once there was a time when bedrooms consisted of only a double bed butted up against the corner walls. Now, manufacturers incorporate multiple wardrobes, night stands, plasma TVs, under-bed storage and even a desk area into what is now referred to as the “master suite.” Private baths also flank the master suite with half-baths positioned mid-ship for the convenience of guests. Back then, there were “wet baths” which were essentially one big shower. Everything got wet.
2009 Keystone Everest
Remember the days when you had to crouch down to climb into the bedroom, and A/C vents hung down from the ceiling in the galley? These were also the days when heat was provided by an LP gas furnace versus today’s electric heat pump technology. Now we enjoy ceiling heights of up to 7’ 2”, and with the innovation of roof air conditioners, air is distributed quietly and evenly throughout the RV while the unit projects out from the roof of the RV rather than dropping down from the ceiling.
In the early days, kitchens were equipped with tiny two-burner cooktops and microwaves that were fit for a college dorm. We had refrigerators too, but they were quite temperamental. They were 6 cu. ft. in size and you had to toil to be absolutely sure your RV was completely level (remember bubble levels?) or the absorption system would shut down. Today we enjoy touch-of-a-button leveling and galleys that feature 14 cu. ft., 4-door refrigerators that automatically change over to the most efficient way to cool. We also enjoy Corian countertops, dishwashers, residential sized microwaves and full tile flooring.
Photograph courtesy of Tiffin Motorhomes
It may be hard to believe, but there was actually a time when RVs did not offer an exterior storage area. If you needed more room for your things, you hung a saddlebag or storage pod outside on the ladder or hooked it into the hitch receptacle. That was until John Crean, founder of Fleetwood Enterprises, introduced the basement storage concept to the RV industry by way of the original Bounder motor home in 1986.
Photograph courtesy of Winnebago Industries
Taking storage areas to the next level is the Forest River XLR toy hauler. With a 16’ garage, it can accommodate not only the family’s golf bags and golf cart, but there is still plenty of cargo area for various other camping equipment!
Performance
For some of us, it does not seem all that long ago that engines were equipped with carburetors and the words “turbo-charged” were never spoken in the same sentence as “motor home.” Back then, under ideal conditions, we may have gotten 3-4 MPG out of our diesel engines. They were so slow, they could not get out of their own way! My, how times have changed.
With today’s advanced engineering and electronics in both gas and diesel engines, performance has more than quadrupled with some of the new turbo-charged diesel engines. The Winnebago ERA, a new premium class B motor home, not only offers a host of “big rig” amenities, but an estimated 16-20 MPG* as well.
Do you remember bias-ply tires? After your rig was parked for a while, flat spots developed in the tires, and all you heard (and felt) was “clump, clump, clump” until they heated up enough to round out. There were no steel-belted radials, and everyone had this problem regardless of where they stored their RV or what the weather. In fact, the colder the weather, the longer it took for the tires to round out. Folks would endure the turbulent ride, hoping that their cabinet doors would not fly open and their contents strewn about. And never did you drive with anything sitting out on your countertops!
Today, not only do we ride smoothly on new tire technologies, but we can read the tire pressure of all wheels from the cockpit. While these electronic monitoring systems were once found only in high-end luxury motor coaches, they are now available in many of today’s mid-range motor home models as well. Most late-model, high-end coaches also feature elaborate navigation systems, some of which are located near the entrance door (on front entry models) so that the co-pilot can provide navigation for the pilot. Another cockpit innovation, found in many of American Coach’s 2009 models, is the telescopic tilt steering wheel configuration which not only increases safety but visibility as well.
There was a period of time when aerodynamic styling was incorporated into the front of motor homes. Sloped-front profiles were designed in an effort to reduce the wind drag thought to be associated with the original flat-front construction, thereby improving fuel economy. Truth be told, not only did they not accomplish such, the sloped windshield also hampered the driver’s visibility, generated increased heat in the cabin, eliminated the dashboard and pushed the cockpit back into the living area of the motor home up to five feet.
While we once had to manually plug our shore cords in for generator power, today they automatically transfer over. Onan now has a generator that is designed specifically to keep your pets cool during travels.
Gone are the days of compromise – you really can have it all! Now is a great time to upgrade to the RV that best suits your lifestyle. Visit www.lazydays.com where there are 1,400 RVs (both new and pre-owned) to view! Many offer virtual tours and photos…however if none strike your fancy and you would rather “build your own” RV – you can do that too!
*Stated MPG is based on results from unofficial road tests. Actual MPG results will vary due to travel speed and road conditions.