Class C for the Man Cave Design Considerations

[Class-C-Guy]

Hey folks, I could use your experience with my project.

As per my previous threads I'm looking for a floor plan to live in full-time and have my man cave and enough storage for clothes and other personal stuffs.

I've never settled on a floor plan, so many are so damned slideriffic and a deal killer. I want to have the "living area" a Home Theater with a recliner and my 75" Sony HDTV and some speakers.

Up till now I've looked at models around 28' - 30' where the seating and dinette were right across from each other to do the mods. I'd end up tearing the stock stuff out anyways.

So now to this . . . what if I were to buy a long floor plan like the Minnie Winnie 31K, 31K-BH etc and then remove the furniture from the ONE slide (not bedroom!) and use that wall for storage, clothes etc and keep the slide IN. One advantage of these models is the additional counter space on the kitchen side.

Then I would mount a recliner in the middle of the floor facing back and mount my 75" Sony at the back wall facing forward, add some speakers etc.

I see motorhomes that have furniture mounts on the flooring. As long as I don't run a screw through the tank etc what would be the problem?

I think this would work for my purposes if I properly engineered and secured etc.

What comes to mind if you were to want to do the same project?

Thanks in advance for your advice and considerations!







.

[Morich]

I have a 31 Ke and one thing is obvious without too much checking! There is no wall large enough to mount a 70 inch TV! I'm not sure there is a wall in an RV strong enough to support mounting one that large, either!

[Class-C-Guy]

Lol thanks Morich, I'm not going to just bolt it TO the wall like a hanging picture. I'll be on a frame on the floor AND strapped so no prob with weight distribution and torque.

[Phil G.]

Just some thoughts I have regarding a Class C for a man-cave (or woman-nest):

I'd stay as small as possible for access to "any" campsite within full hookup or 2WD boondocking reason ... and I'd not have a Class C with slides so as to eliminate ever getting stranded due to something broken or out of alignment in the slide mechanism.

Next I'd remove the dinette and replace it with a luxurious (maybe even electric powered) pivoting lounge chair mounted securely to the floor right where the dinette used to be.

Then ... I'd mount about a 58 inch TV - with a hinge along one side and some type of ingenious clips on the other side - so that it could be hung down from the ceiling by the hinge when you wanted to watch it and folded back up against the ceiling and clipped in place when you didn't want to watch it.

And as an aside, I'd also make sure to leave just enough floor space after mounting the lounge chair so as to be able to exercise inside the RV during bad weather.

Our current 24 foot Class C would be perfect for this type of retrofit: No slides, 101 inch wide coach for good interior slide-less room, surround speakers already present, interior FW tank so as to not freeze, large heated BW/GW tanks, gobs of storage inside and outside, good ground clearance everywhere underneath, large propane tank, quiet built-in generator fueled from a 55 gallon main gas tank , a built-in area for large batteries, ducted air conditioning for even temperatures throughout in hot weather, and well insulated with a large capacity furnace.

What more could be better for a 2WD non-expedition type man-cave or woman-nest RV? They're out there - you just have to look for them.

[Class-C-Guy]

Yup yup, I've had that same conversation with myself for a year now!

What is the model of the 24' that you own?

I need something smallish because of turning radius and departure angels etc. I primitive camp, none of that picnic bench and porta potty stuff

If I have to tear out brand new furniture maybe I can sell it on CL.





.

[Phil G.]

Originally Posted by Class-C-Guy

Yup yup, I've had that same conversation with myself for a year now!

What is the model of the 24' that you own?

I need something smallish because of turning radius and departure angels etc. I primitive camp, none of that picnic bench and porta potty stuff

If I have to tear out brand new furniture maybe I can sell it on CL.

.

What we have is the non-slide 24V model of this line with the dinette and rear corner bed layout, plus built on the optional E450 chassis for added ruggedness ... and it's been fantastic for around 14 years now (we bought it new in 2006). We take if off-highway as needed for camping and exploring:
http://www.winnebagoind.com/resource...Spirit-bro.pdf

[Class-C-Guy]

Oh righto! I'm looking at this 25B in the background as we speak > https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/201...25B-5011154283

It's a little lean, but I can go floor to ceiling with storage where the dining booth is and still use the overhead area.

No slides, electric mirrors and with this small a unit I'm not worried about pushing the weight limits. This newer model has the 6 speed tranny too.

Adding a 6 - 8" lift and 4x4 will get me where I want to go.

[Phil G.]

Also note something very subtle from the side exterior photo in brochure that I gave the link for on our 24V Class C: The exterior coach wall bottom edges from behind the rear duallies slant continuously in a straight line upwards from the tires to the rear bumper - not back aways level in a line and then starting an upward slant to the rear bumper like is the case with most Class C rigs. This helps just a bit with the rear departure angle (from a coach wall viewpoint) when having to cross washouts on backcountry roads.

Also #1 FWIW, the full size mounted spare that came with the RV is mounted up high in the rear between the frame members behind the 55 gallon tank fuel tank just like on a pickup truck - not hung off the back to bounce the rear end up/down a bit on rough roads due to a long lever-arm effect.

Also #2 FWIW, there ARE NO sewage system components hanging down anywhere - they're all mounted/installed up high at frame member height or right up in between the frame members. There's nothing to get hung up in the rear within reason ... unlike many 5'ers, TTs, and modern Class B/B+ low-to-the-ground rigs built on the new small van chassis such as those from MB, Ford, and Dodge.

Also #3 FWIW, I have non-stock taller tires on our rig so as to provide more ground clearance everywhere. I did not want any coach lift relative to the frame on our Class C so that the center-of-gravity would be kept as low as possible.

[RightUR]

Originally Posted by Class-C-Guy

Hey folks, I could use your experience with my project.

As per my previous threads I'm looking for a floor plan to live in full-time and have my man cave and enough storage for clothes and other personal stuffs.

I've never settled on a floor plan, so many are so damned slideriffic and a deal killer. I want to have the "living area" a Home Theater with a recliner and my 75" Sony HDTV and some speakers.
Up till now I've looked at models around 28' - 30' where the seating and dinette were right across from each other to do the mods. I'd end up tearing the stock stuff out anyways.
So now to this . . . what if I were to buy a long floor plan like the Minnie Winnie 31K, 31K-BH etc and then remove the furniture from the ONE slide (not bedroom!) and use that wall for storage, clothes etc and keep the slide IN. One advantage of these models is the additional counter space on the kitchen side.
Then I would mount a recliner in the middle of the floor facing back and mount my 75" Sony at the back wall facing forward, add some speakers etc.

I see motorhomes that have furniture mounts on the flooring. As long as I don't run a screw through the tank etc what would be the problem?
I think this would work for my purposes if I properly engineered and secured etc.
What comes to mind if you were to want to do the same project?
Thanks in advance for your advice and considerations!
.

So your 75 incher is 5.5 ft wide. If you don't let the slide out and keep it in, your Jumbo Tv won't fit against the back "kitchen" wall. Also for a 75 incher you'd have to place you're lazy boy in the drivers cabin (up front. Might as well sit in the driver seat with a swivel) because For a 75 inch TV with a resolution of 1080p, the viewing distance range is 10-15.6 feet. The Interior length of the Minnie Winnie barely scratches 30 ft, not even. If you put your lazy boy in the middle of your Kitchen/living room you'd be Waaaay to close to that tv. So why give you advise on something that's bad for your health?
The 40"-59" TVs are Best for relatively small rooms, where the seats are not more than about 12 feet away from the screen. The most popular sizes in this range are 49" and 55".
If it's imperative for you to have a 75 incher you may want to look at a Super C.

[Class-C-Guy]

My viewing distance is currently 7' - I'm ok with that. Sorry but this isn't the thread for schooling about what most people do with their home theaters, it's the thread about making compromises and being able to mod to fit. I never said I would "mount it ON THE back wall". If it sticks out a little I'm OK with that.

The exterior coach wall bottom edges from behind the rear dullies slant continuously in a straight line upwards from the tires to the rear bumper

Yeah roger that, it's been a consideration esp on longer models. I'm looking for a rig where everything is tucked away.

[Gordiegaffer]

Look at removing the dinette and put in a cabinet with a tv lift when you are not watching the tv the window will be clear remove the couch and put in very nice recliner and everything works

[Class-C-Guy]

Hi Gordiegaffer,

On a model where the two areas are directly across from each other, that's the current plan. I already have the TV on a glass entertainment stand with a tall back and swivel mount. I could then just bolt the whole stand to the floor and have the exact nice furniture I already use. And as you say, get me a nice comfy recliner.

On a model where the two areas are side by side, I would still remove that furniture add some lightweight storage and shelving on the slider wall and put the recliner and TV in the middle of the room front to back. There won't be much in the way of wasted free floor space but I don't care about that.

[vanovafan]

Just asking, how much taller did you go on the tires? I have thought the same thing at times.

[Phil G.]

Originally Posted by vanovafan

Just asking, how much taller did you go on the tires? I have thought the same thing at times.

I think that you may be asking in relation to my post several posts earlier.

If so, my E450 Itasca 24ft 24V Class C came new stock with Michelin 225/75R16E size tires. What I changed to several years later after buying it were Michelin 215/85R16E tires.

The 215 tires are about 1.2 inches larger in diameter than the diameter of 225 tires, so they raise our RV about 0.6 inches everywhere. That's not much, but every little bit helps and I wanted to keep the step-up into the cab still reasonable for my wife.

The 215 tires have just a little bit narrower tread footprint, but this is not important and I can hardly see it when looking at them. Since both tires are Load Range E rated they are rated identical on what loads they can carry, so there was no sacrifice from that perspective.

The slightly larger diameter tires make the speedometer read about 1.5 miles per hour less than what we are actually traveling. The tires also make all gears effectively slightly "taller" ... hence maybe helping gas mileage just a bit too.

Because the Ford E450 chassis has such a low range rear differential of 4.56:1, the taller overall gearing ratios created by the larger diameter tires do not reduce acceleration or pulling power to any extent that I can feel. Bear in mind that many small Class C motorhomes actually come on the Ford E350 chassis anyway, which has a "taller" rear differential ratio of only 4.12:1.

[vanovafan]

Thank you very much for the reply. I have a 22m on the E-450 platform. Have you thought about going even a little taller tire?

[Phil G.]

Originally Posted by vanovafan

Thank you very much for the reply. I have a 22m on the E-450 platform. Have you thought about going even a little taller tire?

I did think about larger diameter tires at first. The Ford front and rear fender wells and front steering gear geometries certainly appear to be generous enough for good clearance of larger diameter tires than what I used.

In the end, I just didn't want to create too large of a step-up into the cab for the both of us. I have a lifted PU and the DW has not been able to get up into it's cab for several years now. Also, low hanging nerf bar type additions for easier entrance into lifted vehicles generally defeat a major off-road reason for a lift.

[ForestF]

How about getting a projector and screen. A mini projector could be mounted on the ceiling or wall and the screen could come down from the ceiling. It would take up way less space, and maybe use less power.