Feng Shui...

[Robertson2]

A fancy word for surrounding environment.

Now having spent several nights in our 30’ classic there are things I really enjoy and some things I don’t. The bigger concern...literally...is my husband is struggling to adapt to the smallness of the design.

We spent a lot of time comparing the 30’ Classic and the 33’ Classic and chose the 30’ for many reasons. It is a classic design that has changed little in decades and the refinements are noticeable.

We knew we wanted at least a 2017 or newer Classic for the Alde heat, which is wonderful when it works correctly. We have had endless hot showers and warm nights on cold days. Beyond the comfort of the heat I paid very close attention to the flow and functionality of the 30’. Being an artist, design is paramount for living space and the 33’ had some real quirks...shorter couch, projection TV, NO storage space of any usefulness.

So the “feng shui” I did not anticipate was how much my husband would dislike three little/big things for him...the shower, the toilet and the twin beds.

The shower; this is an on going discussion and so much of a deal breaker we went and looked at a used 33’ Classic, again. My husband has almost a 6’ arm span, shoulders like a football player and can barely turn around in the shower. If he can’t get clean, he is very unhappy.

The toilet; we upgraded the plastic toilet seat on the Dometic 310 toilet which made a difference in the quality of your “reading time” but it is the shape of the seat that is uncomfortable for him...TMI. We are trying to find a Dometic 320 elongated toilet to swap out. Apparently as everything else with COVID-19 there is no inventory to be found. As soon as we can find one in stock we will make that change.

The twin beds; I really underestimated this...and I do mean REALLY underestimated how much we would miss each other...again TMI. The logical reasons for the twin beds were obvious to me...more storage outside. More locker space inside. I need a super soft mattress, he needs a firm mattress. The power inverted bed is good for him, I sleep flat with no pillow. All good, practical reasons for the choices...I was wrong, wrong, wrong.

So my logical, Feng Shui has me looking for ways to adapt and the 33’ Classic does not ring my bells. It would give a bigger shower, it does have a different toilet (we had a Dometic macerator toilet in our Allegro Bus, did not love it, did not hate it) and the queen bed is okay, but is literally smaller then our two twin beds. I did the math, a queen is 60” across. A twin is 38” across x 2 = 76”.

Also after looking at the 33’ again, I am reminded why we originally rejected the design, it is odd it has in a bigger foot print with a smaller sofa, less storage, really no extra counter space when the TV screen is down and I have a strong dislike of power blinds after having many failures on the bus. Power blinds are just a royal PITA.

We have agreed to finish out this year in the 30’ and then access things over the winter. Our pragmatic side says just learn to live within what we have for now. With no RV shows we really can’t explore options AND we really do the love the towing and nimbuses of the Airstream having downsize from a 45’ bus.

As for me...I can’t wait for fall camping, campfires and cool nights. I’ll find some ingenious way to convert those twins into a king...I am all ready researching.

[DaveP]

Have you thought about modifying your current trailer to exactly what you want? Here is an outfit in Denver that does super remodeling, Timeless Travel Trailer. http://timelesstraveltrailers.com/
If you do want to bring the trailer to Denver, I am sure there are good remodelers out east.

Cheers!

[LilPeanut]

We swapped out to the 320 first thing. I completely understand about the shower. I am 6’2” and it is hard to stand well balanced with the wheel well. I am somewhat used to it since I spend so little time there. Still not great but I wouldn’t think about it as much if I hadn’t looked at the 33. As for the twins, I am hot, my wife cold. At home I have a sheet on my side and she has quilts on her side. I like the storage but we upgraded the mattresses, added memory foam topper and then had to upgrade the piston to help it raise.

Also modified the wardrobe into drawers and a more narrow section for shelves, deleted the slide out rack pantry for shelves which tripled the usable space there.

Everything’s a compromise. I completely understand about the 33. Great bathroom surrounded by missed opportunity in other areas of living space design.

[Robertson2]

Originally Posted by LilPeanut

Everything’s a compromise. I completely understand about the 33. Great bathroom surrounded by missed opportunity in other areas of living space design.

Agree...we compromised when we down sized from the bus to the Airstream but the trade off’s were worth it. We can now get into spaced and places we could not go before. And the travel days are less stressful...a 45’ bus towing a F250 long bed loaded with a golf cart pushed me over the edge.

The shower I can not change...with out major modifications. I can only offer help in the scrub and wash cycle.

The toilet, is just a matter of finding a Dometic 320 in stock. That change we can do!

The beds, I *think* I can build a bridge between the two beds and fill that space with an air bed or memory foam. When we are jumping to a new location every day its not a big deal because we are tired. When we land for a week or more the bridge would be useful.

Again, I am really disappointed in the 33’ design. I want to like it but it just feels like a home theater with a shower. We had a home theater with surround sound on our bus, used it once. Just not our thing.

And for those that have a 33’ and love it...wonderful. Happiness is everything.

[Piggy Bank]

I understand that any choice involves compromises.

The "wish I had this" is hard.

I think you are correct in your overall assessment that between the 30 and 33 you made the best choice.

Here are some ideas to consider as you figure out what to do.

1-yes theMegaKing is a real option and not complex. If you start poking around here and on Airstream Addicts FB group you will see what folks do. In a nutshell you remove the nightstand, add some sort of support for the center spanning the aisle, either push the two current twins together and add extra mattress/foam at the wall sides, or add extra in the center. Downside is that you will have to throw off the covers and scoot to the foot of the bed to disembark it. Or have an outfitter do a changeout to a queen if you prefer that option.

2-The En Suite. Suggest you explore lots of options here. Would removing the WC door or some under sink cabinets be helpful? Would removing the shower door and adding a shower curtain be helpful? Would having a way to incorporate the center hall area into the shower be helpful? Would having a bidet be helpful? The wheel well isn't moving, but other things can somewhat.

[Wayne&Sam]

Sometimes you need to step back and remember this is supposed to be "camping". Certainly a glorified version of the tent I slept in on the shores of the Arctic Ocean in 1971, but still, at some level it's camping. There may be one or two things that require compromise.

[Foiled Again]

Victorian plumbing.
When indoor plumbing became a middle class status symbol. How does one retrofit a bathtub into a house that was built without bathrooms? Well, one option was a fold down closet tub. Not kidding.
Easier to visualize than to do, but you retain the top half of the shower enclosure and rework the bottom half with a slide-out very similar to trailer slideouts (with very good gasket material!) Wife and kids use it IN, Tarzan sized man pulls it out 12-16 inches and runs the shower curtain to an outside track. The slide out could be as wide as the hallway, but then all other occupants would have to wait to use the toilet or go into the bedroom for the duration of the bather's cleanup. Of course no one with any manners would flush even if they had access to the oval office (TMI).

As for the bed... look at heavy duty full extension drawer glides. Make your mattress base a drawer without a front, and dangle a rope over the aisle. Or get a worm drive garage door "closer". Just remember "I thought I felt the earth move last night" might take on new meaning.

[SnooMc]

We have a 27fb twin, or it used to be...we tore the twin out and now have a double bed on one side and a desk on the other.
The shower is okay but we are small people. I hate that wheelwell but you get used to it. My husband still uses the campground showers as much as possible.
Maybe get the 33 for the shower and redo what you don't like...? I'd think that would be easier than trying to redo the shower.
I have many thoughts about how AS could improve the insides of their trailers, even though I do love the outsides!