Floor Plans---Opinions and Preferences

11-20-2007, 12:55 AM

bill h

quote:
Originally posted by Rusty:
I'm not sure I agree. Now, my 28' Breakaway is a DP, and the engine's under the queen bed, but I don't see how 2xtwins would save room.

Twins save room because they require no extra length for walking around. The head of the bed can be against one wall and the foot can be against the other. The bedroom need be only as long as the bed, which is shorter than a queen, to start with.

11-20-2007, 06:15 PM

izomage

It seems to me that a rear engine design with a perfectly flat floor would be ideal. You could do whatever you want with the interior layout. A rear lounge with desk, convert-able for sleeping would be interesting, along with a rear twin 26 ft coach. It would require a creative builder and a custom chassis design I suppose, too bad Barth isn't around to make it happen. It would also be nice to have a horizontally opposed six cylinder diesel for a lower floor and low center of gravity. I suppose us RV consumers should remain perfectly content with the cast offs from the truck and auto industry.

11-20-2007, 06:27 PM

bill h

quote:
Originally posted by izomage:
It seems to me that a rear engine design with a perfectly flat floor would be ideal. You could do whatever you want with the interior layout. A rear lounge with desk, convert-able for sleeping would be interesting, along with a rear twin 26 ft coach. It would require a creative builder and a custom chassis design I suppose, too bad Barth isn't around to make it happen. It would also be nice to have a horizontally opposed six cylinder diesel for a lower floor and low center of gravity. I suppose us RV consumers should remain perfectly content with the cast offs from the truck and auto industry.

There are mid-engine diesel MHs now. Seems like an engine that flat would provide a flat bedroom floor, too.

11-20-2007, 07:36 PM

izomage

I am totally unaware of what is currently available in the RV department. I have learned a bit about Barth, Foretravel, Hawkins, Newell, Wanderlodges and Bus conversions.

It is certainly good to hear of some progress in the basic design of motor homes. I suspect for the industry to survive in the five dollar per gallon era there must be some groundbreaking innovations yet to come. I wonder about the quality of the interior joinerwork. You are not likely to see much solid walnut or black cherry or solid real wood of any kind.

11-20-2007, 09:59 PM

Rusty

quote:
Originally posted by izomage:
It seems to me that a rear engine design with a perfectly flat floor would be ideal. You could do whatever you want with the interior layout. A rear lounge with desk, convert-able for sleeping would be interesting, along with a rear twin 26 ft coach. It would require a creative builder and a custom chassis design I suppose, too bad Barth isn't around to make it happen. It would also be nice to have a horizontally opposed six cylinder diesel for a lower floor and low center of gravity. I suppose us RV consumers should remain perfectly content with the cast offs from the truck and auto industry.

Detroit Diesel used to make sidewinder 4- and 6-53s (I don't know about the -71s). When I was Chief Engineer on one ship, I had two workboats with twin pancake 4-53s. Absolutely a PITA to work on, but at least in a motorhome, they'd be accessible underneath. But then who'd want a 6-71?

Rusty

MilSpec AMG 6.5L TD 230HP; built-to-order by Peninsular Engines: Hi-pop injectors, gear-driven camshaft, non-waste-gated, high-output turbo, 18:1 pistons. Fuel economy increased by 15-20%, power, WOW!

"StaRV II"

'94 28' Breakaway: MilSpec AMG 6.5L TD 230HP

Nelson and Chester, not-spoiled Golden Retrievers

Sometimes I think we're alone in the universe, and sometimes I think we're not.
In either case the idea is quite staggering. - Arthur C. Clarke

It was a woman who drove me to drink, and I've been searching thirty years to find her and thank her - W. C. Fields

11-21-2007, 02:13 AM

bill h

quote:
Originally posted by Rusty:

Detroit Diesel used to make sidewinder 4- and 6-53s

Fageol used them in a mid-engine motor home in the early or mid fifties. They also made a twin-engined bus, but not sure if a motor home ever got two engines. I think the twin-engine thing was over by the time they started producing motor homes. The only Twin (descended from the Fageol) MH I still see has a conventional single rear engine.

Anyone remember Fageol outboards?

11-21-2007, 08:40 PM

Rusty

I thought Pasta Fageol was an Italian dish...

Among the oddest engines made IMHO was the Fairbanks-Morse opposed-piston (that's correct, not "opposed cylinder") which had two crankshafts with pistons that shared a common combustion chamber.

Rusty