Quote:
Originally Posted by roadmaven
Laura - What are your thoughts on your 18BH so far? We're going to be downsizing from our 25BH and the 18BH is one that's high on our list. Does it tow pretty well? That's the main reason for us going smaller (long story!). Any likes/dislikes on the inside?
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Hi Pat - We moved up from a 14ft Dutchmen, so it is pretty snazzy for us. We gained things that are probably standard on your 25BH such as the electric awning, automatic water heater, third burner, and four stabilizer jacks.
We had two trips this year in the Oasis. We are towing without any weight distributing hitches etc. It is nearly dialed in correctly for towing. I think we need to lower the "drop" for the Reese hitch one to two inches, and then it will be hitch up and go. It tows well on our winding WV hills and does well on the interstate when big rigs pass by.
I love the layout of the BH. We use the bunks as storage shelves and the camp chairs, folding bike, and folding kick scooter ride there en route, and the scooter and bike are stowed on the bottom bunk when we leave the the site. DH keeps his clothes in a duffel bag stowed on the top bunk. I found that Ozark Trail sleeping bag liners fit around the bunk mattresses and are easy to take off and toss in the washer.
The bathroom is big enough to turn around in. I like the enclosed storage shelves along the back wall. I keep my clothes there as well as the towels and toiletries. I use vintage carry on bags that are a perfect fit on the shelves.
We gained a dedicated faucet as well as shower wand in the tub - my Dutchmen was shower wand only - and the tub is a deeper tub rather than a shower stall. So, weird as it may sound, the fact that I can reach over and wash my hands and brush my teeth using the tub instead of using the kitchen sink is great. I intend to change out the shower wand to the Ecocamel as that is an easy upgrade, but the regular shower wand is adequate.
DH does not fit in the dinette, so we leave the table out and use folding tables for eating, and the dinette seats as chairs other times - liberally enhanced with pillows. The folding tables store between the forward seat back and the bed as there is a 5" gap.
The bed is easy to make with a large open L shaped access. Once at the campsite, I put a 23" LCD TV on top of a wooden shoe stand on the storage bay shelf at the foot of the bed as that is where the cable/antenna access and an outlet are located. That raises the TV up to see from the bed and the dinette area, and having it there frees up the kitchen counter and alleviates the need to put in a TV wall mount.
The cons aren't really cons, but....DH is 6ft. tall and the ceiling is plenty high. But for me at 5ft. tall, I can't reach the fan switch on the ceiling in the bathroom or the cupboard above the kitchen counter without using a step stool.
There is no outlet next to the head of the bed. One needs to run an extension cord from the dinette outlet or the outlet at the foot of the bed.
DH uses a bpap, so with no headboard or night stands, he uses a sturdy stool on the forward dinette seat to rest the machine on, and plugs it into the dinette outlet. Not a big deal, but I am considering putting a shelf between the bed escape hatch window and the dinette picture window for the bpap.
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