RV (Isata) design - an alternative approach?

[vlamgat]

Since acquiring my 28SS I have been intrigued by the relative absence of integration compared to the smaller premium boats on offer. And on the other hand also impressed by Dynamax resistance to the temptation of half engineering installations which would be prone to failure if the investment dollars for the price point were not available.

Put another way, our rigs are dumbed down because we (the RV community) wont pay a premium sufficient enough to access the available engineering and integration in a form that is tested and redundant. I find that strange as small luxury has always sold well in the US and the EU but apparently not in the RV world.

By way of comparison, the HH44 boat featured in the link below is the smallest yacht in this manufacturer's range, but comes with features and engineering that one does not find on a Prevost. Some of course is Marine specific but the design of the cockpit tables for example would be nice to have in an RV. The boat featured was a 2 year delivery that is 2 months late because of Covid and weather which is also significant given that the same supply chain issues face all manufacturers. Also this small boat is expensive and that's my point - I find it strange that RV owners don't want expensive small RVs from any manufacturer assuming they are similarly equipped (Maritime use aside) to this build. I consider Earth Roamer to be a different product and they too do not make a non "roamer" version.

https://nam12.safelinks.protection.o...%3D&reserved=0

[msusslin]

vlmgat, I fully agree that there is ample room for some meaningful design innovations like this coffee island elevator from a German RV manufacturer. I would love to have one like that in my Isata 5 30FW. I'll pay $$ extra for that design addon.

[TrailWayz]

Boats don't have the same weight limitations as the Ram chassis. You probably have as much luxury/quality accoutrements as the Isata can accommodate without further limiting CCC.

The Freightliner chassis I'm sure has plenty of room to make upscale improvements but I don't think Dynamax is that brand and you are talking specifically about the Isata.

[bclemens]

Originally Posted by TrailWayz

Boats don't have the same weight limitations as the Ram chassis. You probably have as much luxury/quality accoutrements as the Isata can accommodate without further limiting CCC.

The Freightliner chassis I'm sure has plenty of room to make upscale improvements but I don't think Dynamax is that brand and you are talking specifically about the Isata.

It's more so, I laugh at houses that have built in coffee makers. it is a very 70's/80's thing.

Things need to be modular/replaceable, so we can update as technology updates.

Nothing like a rig with built in VCR's.

[Jim34RL]

I don't have a DYNAMAX motor home, but I think you would be catering to a very, very, very small minority of end users.

I myself would not like a raising coffee platform or some of the other items that the European RV's might have in them. To me, complexity adds to cost and lowers the reliability of any vehicle made. Could you see all of the complaints when you can't access something do the harsh ride down the road that shifts something. Also, where would I put my second coffee pot, we carry two pots.

[vlamgat]

Originally Posted by bclemens

It's more so, I laugh at houses that have built in coffee makers. it is a very 70's/80's thing.

Things need to be modular/replaceable, so we can update as technology updates.

Nothing like a rig with built in VCR's.

Absolutely! Design is as much fashion as practicality. And for all the wonders of the integrated electronics of the HH yacht, its technology is frozen at a point in time that will ultimately come back to bite the new owners when something has to be replaced that is not backwards compatible. This is one of the reasons that they have designed manual interfaces into many of the switches.

Another problem that new owners in the yacht and RV space have is the provisioning of spare parts to handle repairs in remote areas. My reading on this site and others, is that vast majority of owners are clueless as to how parts support actually happens. Who orders parts for out of production installations, how often and how are they priced for the coach OEM or dealer to hold. Since this largely does not happen, it tends to freeze the technology at a LCD.

Take our exhaust fans for example. There are many ways to improve these but if that was done, the SKU count would double or triple to support the improvements. A cost which would have to be carried by the new owners which will be a mostly hard sell.

[msusslin]

Originally Posted by bclemens

It's more so, I laugh at houses that have built in coffee makers. it is a very 70's/80's thing.

Things need to be modular/replaceable, so we can update as technology updates.

Nothing like a rig with built in VCR's.

Ha, the most important item in our RV is my Swiss made coffee machine, same as in our house. The wife knows what I would carry out of a burning house first.