Zion front seat rotation.

[<<B-Guy>>]

Trying to develop a short list of different "B's" that would work for us.

Because of layout, I note that many models have restricted rotation of the driver's seat due to bathroom or other structure immediately directly behind.

I have not seen a RT Zion first hand but it seems to have this issue.

I am wondering if, with limited rotation of the driver's seat, if both front seats can still be swivelled enough such that both seats could comfortably and reasonably be used to watch the TV mounted in the rear of the coach when the tv is swung out into the aisle.

I have asked RT and they tell me this is quite feasible. From pictures of the floor plan tough I am still a bit skeptical.

I'm sure at somepoint I need to get in one to see for myself, but for now, I wonder if there are any Zion owners out there who might kindly tell me their opinion in this regard?

Many thanks .......... Brian.

[GeorgeRa]

My conversion layout is similar to one of the Safari Condo, I can’t fully rotate driver seat, just a few degrees shy of 180° swing. We also have cassette toilet right behind the passenger seat which serves a function of the pottoman for both front seats. Perfect set up for 35” screen.

I am in the midst of installing the table on the Lagun mount which can swing from over the galley to between font seats. Mount will be mounted in the front side of the galley near front right corner.

[<<B-Guy>>]

Thanks George,

I wasn't familiar with the Sarari condo - interesting. The Pottoman is an interesting concept!

With the RT Zion that I am looking at, it appears from the floor plan sketch that rotation would be blocked by full floor to ceiling bulkhead (the bathroom) at about 135 degree rotation which was why I was - and still am - thinking that visibilty to the rear tv would not be good. (RT say is is ok tough, guess I won't know 'til I go see one!)

I've spent a lot of time in the last couple of weeks looking (just on line so far) and all the more readily available makes I can find to make a short list of those that best serve our needs - I know that any decision will be a compromise, but worth spending time to see which comes closest!

I find myself being drawn to the Roadtrek & Hymer models as the idea of the underhood generator rather than Onan appeals a lot to me.

I am concerned about the frequent reported electrical problems though but still don't really comprehend what the issue is and if it has now been resolved. Is it with the added alternator, voltstart electronics, or issues with the electronics associatd with the ecotrek package - or all of the above.

I suppose if I were to go that route and suffer problems, at least there is the 6year warranty and I live within about an hour of the factories! Would obviously still be a big annoyance though especially if encountering repeat problems.

So I continue to try to learn what I can before finalising any decisions!

Thx .......... Brian.

[GeorgeRa]

If I had to make choice today I would likely select Winnebago Travato, very open layout, a lot of windows, and quality wise I believe Winnebago has an edge over current Roadtrek based on just looking, no direct experience.

From my personal perspective neither Onan nor under hood generator wouldn’t make a difference, have neither. I do carry 1000W Honda just in case. It is a matter of camping style, some need electric coffee machine some a stove with a French press.

[Greenau]

Originally Posted by Wingeezer

Thanks George,

I wasn't familiar with the Sarari condo - interesting. The Pottoman is an interesting concept!

With the RT Zion that I am looking at, it appears from the floor plan sketch that rotation would be blocked by full floor to ceiling bulkhead (the bathroom) at about 135 degree rotation which was why I was - and still am - thinking that visibilty to the rear tv would not be good. (RT say is is ok tough, guess I won't know 'til I go see one!)

I've spent a lot of time in the last couple of weeks looking (just on line so far) and all the more readily available makes I can find to make a short list of those that best serve our needs - I know that any decision will be a compromise, but worth spending time to see which comes closest!

I find myself being drawn to the Roadtrek & Hymer models as the idea of the underhood generator rather than Onan appeals a lot to me.

I am concerned about the frequent reported electrical problems though but still don't really comprehend what the issue is and if it has now been resolved. Is it with the added alternator, voltstart electronics, or issues with the electronics associatd with the ecotrek package - or all of the above.

I suppose if I were to go that route and suffer problems, at least there is the 6year warranty and I live within about an hour of the factories! Would obviously still be a big annoyance though especially if encountering repeat problems.

So I continue to try to learn what I can before finalising any decisions!

Thx .......... Brian.

I am in Texas, so the Hymer factory in Canada is a long way away. However, we are still considering The Zion for its floor plan with the side facing rear sofa which keeps the aisle open for access through back doors. We too want the boondocking features but are hesitant bc of high failure rate issues. Can not find a dealer close to Houston with much inventory yet. LOL
Ps Any warnings about the large 5.0 frig being 120 /12v and not propane?
Thanks,
Melanie

[<<B-Guy>>]

Originally Posted by GeorgeRa

If I had to make choice today I would likely select Winnebago Travato, very open layout, a lot of windows, and quality wise I believe Winnebago has an edge over current Roadtrek based on just looking, no direct experience.

From my personal perspective neither Onan nor under hood generator wouldn’t make a difference, have neither. I do carry 1000W Honda just in case. It is a matter of camping style, some need electric coffee machine some a stove with a French press.

Yep,

The Travato is on our short list, probably the K rather than the G. I think "at our age(!) the twin beds of the K would be better than the corner bed arrangement for us, and as you mention, the open design up front is appealing. From picures, we didn't really go for the large bench seat up front which I believe houses teh water tank,

A couple of negatives for us though with the 59K is it looks to have the smallest fridge - maybe 3 cu ft? And also they don't seeto show any backrests to the seats. Surely there must be some.

It concerns me a bit too that they offer only a 1 year warranty compared to 6 for RT models.

Then there is the engine driven vs Onan issue.

I have not owned an Onan but seem to hear they can be a high mtce item - and are noisy.

I doubt we would use a generator all that much, so maybe I shouldn't put too much emphasis on that subject - but I do think that with the extra abilities of a B motorhome we might be inclined to take much more advantage of state/provincial parks, many of which we cannot use with our Airstream/truck combo that runs at over 50 feet! I know many of the parks do have 110 and water, but others do not.

I need to hear an Onan to learn how annoying they are! Maybe I have been spoiled with the little Honda 2000 we presently carry - it is fairly quiet.

Brian

[<<B-Guy>>]

Originally Posted by Greenau

I am in Texas, so the Hymer factory in Canada is a long way away. However, we are still considering The Zion for its floor plan with the side facing rear sofa which keeps the aisle open for access through back doors. We too want the boondocking features but are hesitant bc of high failure rate issues. Can not find a dealer close to Houston with much inventory yet. LOL
Ps Any warnings about the large 5.0 frig being 120 /12v and not propane?
Thanks,
Melanie

Hi Melanie,

I can appreciate the concern given your location - but even living close to the factory I would need to try to do more reading to get a better understanding of the electrical problems RT have had and whether or not there is any consensus that the bugs are getting ironed out - I think it has been availabe for a few years now so one would hope so!

Even living close it would be frustrating to have to make repeated visits to the dealer/factory for warrantee work. I'm ot even sure if taking it back to the factory is an option. I know I can do that with our Airstream trailer - and have!

As for the 12v/110v no propane fridge, it wouldn't be my first choice for sure, but if I had an electrical system I felt to be reasonably reliable, then I'd be ok with it I think. Same with an induction hotplate rather than two burner propane stove.

It sure is a dilemma trying to pick the right make/model of class B - you'll never fin one that meets all your needs and wants I suppose, juts a matter of doing the homework to try to find which one comes closest then deciding if you can live with any remaining shortcomings I suppose.

For the money involved, nt something to jump into too quickly - in our case, who knows, after doing this research we might even wind up just sticking with our 31ft Airstream trailer and truck - At this stage, I'm still keen on trying something different for our last few years of RV'ing though!

Brian

[<<B-Guy>>]

Originally Posted by Greenau

I am in Texas, so the Hymer factory in Canada is a long way away. However, we are still considering The Zion for its floor plan with the side facing rear sofa which keeps the aisle open for access through back doors. We too want the boondocking features but are hesitant bc of high failure rate issues. Can not find a dealer close to Houston with much inventory yet. LOL
Ps Any warnings about the large 5.0 frig being 120 /12v and not propane?
Thanks,
Melanie

Hi Melanie,

I can appreciate your concern given your location - but even living close to the factory I would need to try to do more reading to get a better understanding of the electrical problems RT have had, and whether or not there is any consensus that the bugs are getting ironed out - I think it has been availabe for a few years now, so one would hope so!

As for the 12v/110v/no propane fridge, it wouldn't be my first choice for sure, but if I had an electrical system I felt to be reasonably reliable, then I'd be ok with it I think. Same with an induction hotplate rather than two burner propane stove.

It sure is a dilemma trying to pick the right make/model of class B - I'm guessing nobody will ever find one that meets all your needs and wants, so it becomes a matter of doing the homework to try to find which one comes closest to your ideal then deciding if you can live with any remaining shortcomings!

For the money involved, not something to jump into too quickly. In our case, who knows, after doing our research and checking out in person teh ones on our short list, we might wind up scrapping the idea just sticking with our 31ft Airstream trailer and truck for the rest of our RV'ing days as we have been pretty happy with it.

Im just thinking that at this stage of the game it might be time to try something a little more manageable and flexible, for our last few years of RV'ing!

As well, we could keep it at home and I suspect would use it more even if only for short trips.

Brian

[Saldar]

Brian, the Travato K has a Nova Kool R4500 @ 4.3 cu ft, 12/120V only. It seems vast to me coming from a cooler, but you may feel differently coming from a big trailer. There are 2 pillows that fit between the beds to make a (short) cross sleeper. We sleep the long way and leave them at home. They are bulky to set aside when you are using the beds. I don't think they are much of a back rest asset sitting at the isle table. The rotating front seats make a great lounger for one. I can stretch out and read while my husband watches TV in back.

[<<B-Guy>>]

Originally Posted by Saldar

Brian, the Travato K has a Nova Kool R4500 @ 4.3 cu ft, 12/120V only. It seems vast to me coming from a cooler, but you may feel differently coming from a big trailer. There are 2 pillows that fit between the beds to make a (short) cross sleeper. We sleep the long way and leave them at home. They are bulky to set aside when you are using the beds. I don't think they are much of a back rest asset sitting at the isle table. The rotating front seats make a great lounger for one. I can stretch out and read while my husband watches TV in back.

Thanks,

Good info - I didn't see the size of the fridge on the Winnie website and just assumed it was the small 3 cu ft one. 4.3 probably is prety close to what we have in our trailer, although do have a separate quite large freezer. The Airstream trailer, though 31 ft, isn't huge - no slides or anything like that, but plenty of room for the two of us.

Main reason I'm thinking of a change is that as we get up in years it is a bit mre of a challenge for me towing it, backing it into tight sites, etc. Also my wife would not tow it if I were to get sick when away. As well we have to store it quite a way from our house and don't use it nearly as much as we would if it were at home - as a van would be, plus costing me $1000 a year to store!

I think I'd need some sort of backrest sitting up at the table to eat in the
Travato, as I have spinal osteoarthritis initiated by a motorcycle incident about 6 years ago - ain't gonna get any better! I try to at least stop it getting worse with lots of daily exercise!

Sitting up without any back support for much time would bother me.


When you sit up front with the seat as a lounger do you find any need for a footrest and if so have you improvised something? Room for you both to use as loungers and stretch out up front?

Do you often use the Onan gennie and if so, any concerns about noise level bothering neighbours?



Thanks for the info ........ Brian

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by Wingeezer

Do you often use the Onan gennie and if so, any concerns about noise level bothering neighbours?

All generators whether Onan, portable generators, or even under hood idling alternators bother neighbors. That's why most non-hookup campgrounds have restrictions on generator use in either restricted hours or not at all.