What changes would you suggest to PT for future Sanibels?

[usraptor]

Overall my wife and I are very satisfied with the design, construction and user friendly features of our Sanibel 3500. It is obvious that a lot of thought was put into the design by people who actually use RVs. However, if we had our druthers we'd change a few things. Just wondering what suggestions others may have to make their Sanibel an even better RV. Here's our list:

1. Make the outside entertainment center an optional slide out BBQ. I doubt we will ever use the EC, but we BBQ every trip. We saw this feature on several other RVs at the local RV show.
2. Install a separate light switch for the kitchen table. Seems sort of silly to walk to the rear of the trailer to turn on the kitchen table light. And why is it connected to the overhead couch light anyway?
3. Install a cabinet to store the sink and stove covers in while using said sink/stove. The covers get in the way when using the sink/stove.
4. Come up with a solution to the noisy fan used on the refrigerators installed in the kitchen slide out. The fan noise resonates throughout the trailer.
5. Less mar-resistant counter tops.
6. More comfortable bed. I like a firm mattress, but the factory installed unit is like sleeping on concrete. Had to buy a mattress topper to make it tolerable.
7. User manuals specific to each coach/trailer. The ones that come with the trailers are generic in nature and don't go into detail about the features of each trailer. Let's face it, how much did you remember after your walk through?
8. Optional 100 gallon fresh water tank for those who may "dry" camp now and then.

In the big scheme of things, these are very minor issues, but would make a great trailer perfect.
Anybody else got any other suggestions?
Brad

[wmcclay]

1. Couch
This is a pet peeve, when folded out area next to wall is 3-4 inches lower than the rest.
2. Make a pocket in the fold out bed to hold motor for air bed when folded up, so you can leave air mattress in place.
3. Latch for door under fifth wheel has hold back hanging down to catch you as you enter or leave.
4. Better catch on fireplace door, opens in transit.
5. A way to sanitize water tank, no way to add chemicals.
6. Fairing is very hard to get lined up when closed.
7. Put outside tv on a mount that can extended.
8. I am in process of adding a bbq on a slide out.
9. Mounted refer fan on rubber mount and it is hard to hear now.

We bought this unit for many reasons. The thought put into this unit is very evident as you walk through. We would buy another one. We always get Sanibel? at the campgrounds and when they walk through they are impressed. We have about 6,000 miles on ours and when washed looks like new. RV guy, we need a way to give your company feedback on what we as users would like to see improved on this unit. All in all we love it.

Wayne and Donna

[BarryD0706]

Originally Posted by usraptor

2. Install a separate light switch for the kitchen table. Seems sort of silly to walk to the rear of the trailer to turn on the kitchen table light. And why is it connected to the overhead couch light anyway?
3. Install a cabinet to store the sink and stove covers in while using said sink/stove. The covers get in the way when using the sink/stove.

Your kitchen lights are wired wrong. Get the dealer to fix that. The only switch for them should be the one on each of the fixtures.
On the 2013, there is already a storage place for the stove covers at the back of the stove. (I agree about the sink covers.)

[BarryD0706]

Originally Posted by wmcclay

1. Couch
This is a pet peeve, when folded out area next to wall is 3-4 inches lower than the rest.

5. A way to sanitize water tank, no way to add chemicals.
6. Fairing is very hard to get lined up when closed.

9. Mounted refer fan on rubber mount and it is hard to hear now.

Couch has already been fixed. They use a different manufacturer (since mid-2013). (I don't know if that fixed your second item or not.)

Just pour the bleach mixture into the hose and let the water pressure force it into the tank. Easy.

I don't understand #6. Could you 'splain it better?

#9: Good to know!

[wmcclay]

Fairings/skirting did not line up when the slides were closed. I spent the better part of a day shimming and tweaking so that they did. I did not like the way they fit.
Barry is right about the lights, Ours has a switch at each light above the table.
If you store the stove covers in the place behind the stove, they will be very scratched if you leave them there while in transit. Don't ask how we know.
We put both the sink and stove covers in the stick house after polishing the scratchs out.
I do not use bleach, I use a tank sanitizer made for rvs. Will make a venturi to suck it in.
Entry door hold back comes unlatched in the wind.
These are very minor issues, they drive me crazy, its just my nature.

[usraptor]

Originally Posted by BarryD0706

Your kitchen lights are wired wrong. Get the dealer to fix that. The only switch for them should be the one on each of the fixtures.
On the 2013, there is already a storage place for the stove covers at the back of the stove. (I agree about the sink covers.)

Barry, just spent three days at the lake with the trailer and went over the dinning area with a fine tooth comb. The only light switch for the dinning table lights is the switch next to the couch that also turns on the overhead light over the couch. So it's either one of two things:
1. Since mine is an early model 2012, that's the way they first wired the kitchen lights until they changed later in 2012/2013 or...
2. The person installing my kitchen lights ran out of lights with switches in the base and used the over island type lights instead and just wired them to the switch next to the couch.
Maybe RV Guy can chime in and explain???
Brad

[usraptor]

Originally Posted by wmcclay

1. Couch
This is a pet peeve, when folded out area next to wall is 3-4 inches lower than the rest.
2. Make a pocket in the fold out bed to hold motor for air bed when folded up, so you can leave air mattress in place.
3. Latch for door under fifth wheel has hold back hanging down to catch you as you enter or leave.
4. Better catch on fireplace door, opens in transit.
5. A way to sanitize water tank, no way to add chemicals.
6. Fairing is very hard to get lined up when closed.
7. Put outside tv on a mount that can extended.
8. I am in process of adding a bbq on a slide out.
9. Mounted refer fan on rubber mount and it is hard to hear now.

We bought this unit for many reasons. The thought put into this unit is very evident as you walk through. We would buy another one. We always get Sanibel? at the campgrounds and when they walk through they are impressed. We have about 6,000 miles on ours and when washed looks like new. RV guy, we need a way to give your company feedback on what we as users would like to see improved on this unit. All in all we love it.

Wayne and Donna

Wayne, do you have any pics of how you mounted the refer fans? I mounted mine with rubber washers today and it didn't make hardly any difference in the noise level.
Brad

[BarryD0706]

Originally Posted by usraptor

Barry, just spent three days at the lake with the trailer and went over the dinning area with a fine tooth comb. The only light switch for the dinning table lights is the switch next to the couch that also turns on the overhead light over the couch. So it's either one of two things:
1. Since mine is an early model 2012, that's the way they first wired the kitchen lights until they changed later in 2012/2013 or...
2. The person installing my kitchen lights ran out of lights with switches in the base and used the over island type lights instead and just wired them to the switch next to the couch.
Maybe RV Guy can chime in and explain???
Brad

I can't imagine any design putting the couch light and the table lights on the same switch. Your option #2 sounds most likely. Take it to you dealer.

[bikendan]

a rear kitchen floorplan and a front living room floorplan.
the DW HATES floorplans that have the kitchen right by the entry door, which is all the Sanibel has.
she doesn't like that you have to walk thru the kitchen to sit down.

so, no matter how nice the PT 5th wheels are, she'll never consider them.

[usraptor]

My wife agrees with your wife. When we went to the RV show she wouldn't even go inside a trailer that had the kitchen opposite the entry door or where you walked thru the kitchen to get to the rear seating area. That's why she like the Sanibel. The kitchen is offset from the entry door and while you walk past the kitchen, you don't walk thru it and it has an island that separates the kitchen from the walkway. She and I both really like the floorpan in the Sanibel. Especially like the large walk in closest in the bedroom and that the bathroom has two doors so if you have guests they have access to the BR without coming into the bedroom or we don't have to worry about walking into the hallway to go to the bathroom if we have guests sleeping on the fold out couch. She also likes the large pantry and abundance of storage space in the kitchen and throughout the trailer. We don't begin to come close to filling it up. We looked at numerous trailers at the RV show and the Sanibel was definitely the best thought-out trailer as far as user-friendly features went. It's obvious that they did a lot of research when designing it to address most peoples complaints about living in a trailer. But to each his own. That's why there are virtually dozens of different trailer manufactures out there. Good luck with the hunt.
Brad

[Popcorn]

I guess I've probably got the newest 3500 here. I can't address the fold out bed, we've not folded it out yet! Maybe I'll check it out today and get back with you. My latch for the door under the fifth wheel folds towards the back of the camper and stays there, out of the way. My fireplace door and all the drawer and door catches hold firmly and have not come open in transit. I'm wondering if maybe they changed them? I'm like Barry, dump chemicals into water hose using a funnel, connect water hose to inlet and turn on the water. Couch and table lights all have their own switches built into base of each light. According to Barry, my lights are different from his (check out my pictures). The entertainment center? They could leave it off as far as I'm concerned. I carry a Weber Go Anywhere charcoal grill for all my needs. Refer fan is pretty loud. We absolutely love our unit.

[BarryD0706]

Originally Posted by Popcorn

...
My latch for the door under the fifth wheel folds towards the back of the camper and stays there, out of the way.

Wow! For a minute there I thought you were saying that door opened in! (That would be cool.)

My latch stayed folded back for about 5 months. It will no longer do that.

[BarryD0706]

Ok. Here's my wish list for Sanibel improvements:

1) Either install an additional cutoff switch inside the front storage area OR have the battery disconnect switch turn off the landing gear control. I don't want people playing with the landing gear while my RV is in storage! (I don't want them playing with it any other time either, which is why I like my first option better.) (It sounds like I'm suggesting that the landing gear control be moved inside the front storage area, but I'm not because I don't think it's safe to be under the RV when using that.)

Same applies for the rear stabilizers.

2) Upgrade the entertainment center to today's standards. It has to have BluRay support and iPod support. (The Sony BDV-E390 is similar in form to what you use, but is a nicely functional unit.)

That's all! Keep up the good work!

[Popcorn]

OK. Update. Barry you had asked before about the pullout couch. I just went and pulled it out and there is no longer an air mattress, it's just a standard foam pad mattress. I agree with your last post. I'd like the cutoff switch to disable the landing gear and I agree on the entertainment center. I just added an HDMI cable to mine because the factory used composite hookups. And I forgot to mention to the OP, I love the very firm bed, it makes my aching back feel good the next morning. I also just added my "upgrade". I added an RV type clock to the false wall between the kitchen and entertainment center.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by usraptor

The kitchen is offset from the entry door and while you walk past the kitchen, you don't walk thru it and it has an island that separates the kitchen from the walkway.

unfortunately, this still is an issue for the DW. i love the Columbus 320RS and tried to justify that the movable island would give more room to walk through.
but the fact that people have to even walk through the kitchen to get to the living room, really bothers her.
if Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. we'll just have to keep looking at rear kitchen and front living room models.

[wmcclay]

I used rubber isolators no through bolts. will get some pics together and a source and part number.

Wayne and Donna