FEEDBACK NEEDED on Potential Bighorn Floorplan

[sgtbigb]

I think the larger shower is great, I like the 2 chair dining with folding chairs if company is comming. Recommending moving the sofa to rear and lazyboy type chairs where sofa is located. That way it gives even more room to the dining area.

 

[Paul_in_MN]

When we purchased our Eagle Ridge, DW made an absolute highest priority that she'd never travel in a trailer that has the shower in the bedroom, and she would not accept the split bathroom idea either. This eliminated a lot of other brands from our consideration. Fortunately Heartland had a few models with the self contained bathroom, and so we bought one. Another high priority for me was that there is a jacket closet right next to the door. I would not buy a trailer without this feature.

Now down to the finer points. We are not real happy with the oversized recliners (too heavy and hard to move) and the Flair couch is poor. We would like to put the couch at the rear and put the recliners in the big slide to get a better view of the TV. But our TV antenna system is so poor that the TV is worthless. It is the Signal Commander system. So any new trailers on the design board should be tested with the electronics assembled together as a total package for determining that they work well together. The other real frustration has been the slow and incomplete draining of the blackwater tank. The size of the shower in our ER is not an issue, but the smallness of the vanity top is. As others have stated, the sink and the cabinet above the sink make brushing one's teeth a mess that needs immediate clean up. DW says the kitchen upper cabinets are too high, both of have to use a folding stool to get anything out of the upper cabinets. And the kitchen counter top could have been about 8" longer without losing any functional space in the coach.

When it comes time to move up to our next 5er, we will be much fussier about what we are getting. But I can absolutely be positive that it will not be a coach with a split bath, no matter how big the shower or tub is.

Paul_in_MN

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

with regard to the bedroom dresser stopping short of the closet - we did this for 2 reasons:
1. get a very large window in between the dresser and front closet (similar to San Antonio)
2. allow a bank of drawers from floor to ceiling on the doorside of the front bedroom closet that extend out (we can't do that with the if the dresser extends to the front closet).

thanks for the feedback!!

I knew there had to be a reason. I LIKE the idea of a bank of drawers to the right of the closet. That makes up for the loss of drawers in the dresser area.

 

[hogan]

Don't care for walk thru bathroom. Definitely don't like the vanity in BR. We like the 3670 bathroom as is;

 

[TravelTiger]

No split bathrooms in our future. We like the all in one. We have an Elk Ridge, wish I had more cabinetry in the bathroom for storing tp and such. Do like the recliners facing the tv better in this plan, and the slightly smaller kitchen table. Would also like the bedside shelves on both sides of the bed.

What is the reasoning for moving the W/D to beside the door?

 

[traveler44]

You won't please everybody. We both wanted the complete enclosed bathroom but I would have liked the bigger shower. On the other hand she likes the shower but doesn't like the wall as close to the side of the toilet. I'm glad we got a 3370rl while they were still available. It's laid out like we wanted basically and we haven't had to make very many modifications overall. Tom and Mary

 

[jolar3329]

Make it a wide bath model. Eliminate the wall and door to the stool room. Keep the doors to the kitchen and bedroom. Put the sofa in the back. Washer/dryer by the door is good. Never liked it in the bedroom.

 

[MrsSouthernNights]

As Larry said, we do not like walking through the bathroom to access the bedroom. But the shower space is nice - take one of the seats out.how many people are going to be using this thing at the same time?????.. too bad you couldn't incorporate it into the same side???
On another note, please tell me why most of the newer campers have islands???( Is that a guy thing??) Do you know that it takes away living space?? (Girls like to decorate, even if it's minimal!!!) Guess I'm just partial to a more open plan...
Just my opinion

 

[back2nature]

Regarding islands, as mentioned above. I'm not keen on the small island thing. Don't think you need two exits in the small kitchen area. It's also a loss of potential cupboard and counter space. The "U" shaped counter, like in the 3670RL and Augusta, is a smaller version of what I have at home (with additional counters). I personally, do not like an "L" shaped kitchen, in the RV or the home, at all. I do not like having my back to other people that may be around. I want to be facing them, and part of the group. That's why we ordered the BH3670RL. That reason, plus the other side counter, and of course, the single bathroom. I believe most of us feel more comfortable in an environment that is like our stick houses.

I know that it can be challenging to the RV designers to come up with that kind of layout in 400 s.f. or less. But in the last few years, they are doing a pretty good job of it. It really pleases me that Heartland asks us what we want to see in future floorplans. It shows that they are really trying to give us what we want and I believe that will keep us coming back.

 

[jbeletti]

A case for an island - by me

No island, free-standing island, L-island - we all have our own personal needs that drive our ideal floor plan decisions. I think we are all in agreement in saying there is no single choice that would suit everyone. Hence, we have choices

I have no island in my current town home and miss the huge one I had in my last single family home. Call me a man on an island, but I prefer them.

Personally, I "prefer" the free-standing island with no sink in it for use in food-prep and serving, as in the current BH 3580 and the past LM Pinehurst and classic LM Mt. Rushmore. But alas, these are no longer popular with the masses.

I have grown accustomed to the L-island configuration. At first, I thought it may be too confining. Having used one (LM Grand Canyon) all season though, it really grew on me. These things are such personal preferences based on needs. I really enjoyed the food prep space and the ability to serve a crowd. I recall a buffet style potluck laid out on the L-island for 13 people at the after-rally dinner one Sunday night in NJ

If one does little entertaining, needs little food-prep space, does not need the additional cabinet storage space, then perhaps the L is overkill. But for those of us who want it, need it - it works out nicely. If I had no island at all, honestly, I just don't know what I would use that kitchen floor space for. If we had more frequent 4-person overnight guests, certainly we could put an air bed on that empty floor space as needed. But we just don't have many 4-person overnight guests.

So this is not a reply of the "islanders versus the non-islanders (mainlanders?)" - it's just my own case for my personal preference.

Happy camping - no matter what style kitchen you have - it's all good!

Jim

 

[back2nature]

Jim, you are so right there is no single choice that would suit everyone. Our good friends that recently bought a Sundance, have a kitchen that wouldn't suit me. When we were looking at the RV's together, the wife said to me, she didn't care about what kind of kitchen they had cuz she doesn't cook. Her husband likes to BBQ. So the TV-living area was what mattered to her.

I think I may have mis-describe my layouts above. I think you called the "wrap-around" counter "L" shaped (I called it a "U). To me, "L" shaped may be the corner ones, like in the 3055RL and 3410RE. Anyway, I'm with you on having more counter if you entertain a lot. Like the wrap around or the island. An island would be my second choice. It's kind of nice with no sink in it. You can lay out a lot of platters on that. Since I am always the one to have the the appetizers and drinks at my house ( or RV) I need the counters. My RVing non-cookers will be at our place.

Aren't we glad there isn't just one floorplan? Just like cars and houses, we have are own needs.

 

[jbeletti]

Hi Laurie,

Yeah, L, U - you're right. I mis-described them. I mostly meant the U config. At first, I didn't think I would like having the sink in it as it takes up space there, but in practice and to another point you made, I can face everyone while I do dishes

Jim

 

[back2nature]

Hi Laurie,

Yeah, L, U - you're right. I mis-described them. I mostly meant the U config. At first, I didn't think I would like having the sink in it as it takes up space there, but in practice and to another point you made, I can face everyone while I do dishes

Jim

"you're right. I mis-described them." Hahaha. You're forgiven.

You're my kind of man. My husband does dishes too. I don't know why. But I think it's thanks for the great meal I had just prepared for him.

 

[jbeletti]

My mother always told me I'd make someone a good wife one day. Guess she was right. I cook too But when Nancy is along, she does do the dishes - bless her heart.

Jim

 

[back2nature]

Oh, I just thought of something I really, really, would like to see on the Big Horns. In the single large room bathrooms, there is a small wall between the sliding doors. At the Pomona RV show, we were looking at S.O.B.'s that had a floor-to-ceiling cupboard on that wall. I loved it. We really need more storage in the bathrooms. The diffrence with the S.O.B.'s is that they had a hinged door on the hallway side, not a slider. This gave the "curved" short wall just a few more inches for the narrow cupboard. I've been trying to come up with an idea for us to add more storage. I got some small baskets from Target the other day, and I think we are going to cut some 1/4" thick wood to attach them to, then attached that to the small wall. Then I can put kleenex, hair dryers, hair brushes, etc., whatever, in them. The baskets are only 5 inches deep, so they won't stick out too far.

I would like to see Heartland come up with an idea for that. I know it can be done. It has. A little design change in the door. My husband wanted to call Heartland and see if they could install such a thing on our BH3670 that is now on the assembly line. But I stalled him.

 

[JohnDar]

Oh, I just thought of something I really, really, would like to see on the Big Horns. In the single large room bathrooms, there is a small wall between the sliding doors. At the Pomona RV show, we were looking at S.O.B.'s that had a floor-to-ceiling cupboard on that wall. I loved it. We really need more storage in the bathrooms. The diffrence with the S.O.B.'s is that they had a hinged door on the hallway side, not a slider. This gave the "curved" short wall just a few more inches for the narrow cupboard. I've been trying to come up with an idea for us to add more storage. I got some small baskets from Target the other day, and I think we are going to cut some 1/4" thick wood to attach them to, then attached that to the small wall. Then I can put kleenex, hair dryers, hair brushes, etc., whatever, in them. The baskets are only 5 inches deep, so they won't stick out too far.

I would like to see Heartland come up with an idea for that. I know it can be done. It has. A little design change in the door. My husband wanted to call Heartland and see if they could install such a thing on our BH3670 that is now on the assembly line. But I stalled him.

Took me a while, but I remembered seeing this mod by Jpajax to his BH3410, with a similar bathroom layout as our 3670's. There really isn't anything inside that curved wall besides the wires for the bedroom speaker and light switches.

//heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/15836-Mod-up-date?highlight=bathroom+shelves

 

[back2nature]

Thanks, JohnDar. I replied, but don't know where it went. Thanks for the link. I wonder if anyone else out there has done a mod on that wall?

 

[jmgratz]

If you have ever tried to take a shower or shave while someone is using the toilet and gasses the entire room well, that is my case for a separate toilet room. Then you can take a shower without having to hold your breath.

 

[JohnDar]

If you have ever tried to take a shower or shave while someone is using the toilet and gasses the entire room well, that is my case for a separate toilet room. Then you can take a shower without having to hold your breath.

We've been married for almost 38 years and we've yet to get that "together." If one's sittin' the other's gettin'

p.s.: Use the vent fan and a can of spray.

 

[jimtoo]

We've been married for almost 38 years and we've yet to get that "together." If one's sittin' the other's gettin'

p.s.: Use the vent fan and a can of spray.

Yep... we been married 51+ years.... but we still enjoy a little privateness for a few minutes each day and maybe more than once a day. We plan ahead for showers or sitting room. If one goes to sit, the other stays.