Gina suggested I post pictures of my kitchen / floorplan setup because it's different from most units. I have a Surfside TM 14 - which is about a foot longer than many of the other units - and what a difference a foot makes! Gives you room for a bathroom, for one thing. I will mention, though, that it's not really a mod because the kitchen came that way. Well, it came in the front of the unit, instead of the side. It also came covered in tar-brown paint and blue-chip paint (inside). And the usual chalky, oxidized white outside.
Here's what we did so far: The cupboards were refinished by me - distressed and bleached. The backsplash was replaced and the blue granite paint that someone sprayed along the walls was cleaned off (no small task!!!!). I repainted the fridge. The cupboard hardwear was repainted. Everything else was polished to within an inch of its life. The bed was replaced (6" foam double / full mattress, with Obusform and padded quilted mattress cover). New side windows - smoked black and non-opening because we have windows for ventilation at the front (over the sink) and back. Finally, the outside was painted with automotive paint (by a pro) to match the truck.

RATS! I just realized the pictures are on my other computer (groan). I'll give the link to my other post with the pix, and post the pictures (with before shots) on this site later.

- Miriam

Page 8, Show Us Your Rigs Forum
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/index.ph...ndpost&p=176551

Love the front kitchen! I think someone here has an older Scamp that the kitchen is in the front too.. I really like that layout...

Thanks, Christi! It was a lot of work fixing it up. The layout is ideal for a couple - no room for kids unless you want to use the "bunk" overtop the bed.
As promised, here are the before shots. It was a bit rough. Someone had spraypainted part of the interior with granite paint.


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Here's the afters:

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You have CANDY!!!!!!

I am comin' to visit!

Me too! It reminds me of the smallest Shasta, and Cardinal, two stickies which I had thought were the only manufacturers doing that.

Trillium?

I thought you had a Surfside. Is that a separate manufacturer, or is it a brand made by Trillium?

Gina,

I'd love to have you visit! We'll be in site B64 at the Oregon Meet.

I don't know why more manufacturers don't do a model with this layout. Especially the new ones. The kitchen has more counterspace (an obvious plus), and it's located close to the front door which makes it easy if you do your cooking and eating outside. The biggest bonus? The BATHROOM in the closet. It even comes with a reading light! HA! My next idea is to figure out how to mold fiberglass so I can create a standing shower unit (right now we use an inflatible pool or tub and hand-held shower unit. Hmmm...maybe a drop-down shaving stand for hubby...??? The mind wanders.......

I have an '83 Scotty 12-1/2' stick-built with a front kitchen, similar to this layout. Beside the sink is a bathroom, though. Adjacent to the bathroom is the refrigerator above some storage and the furnace below. It's, uh, snug inside.

I had to settle for the Scotty, but I'm still looking for an egg I can afford.

Frederick,

I wasn't the one that put the title on the post - I think the moderator did that. He wasn't far off, though. Surfsides were Trillium clones. As I understand it, the manufacturers (Triple E) bought the molds (or the rights to use them). They weren't in production long. Most units that I've seen have the standard layout. The TM 14's were a foot longer than a standard Boler.

- Miriam

Lee,

Pictures, please?????? I'd LOVE to see it!

- Miriam

"He" is a "SHE dope". Sorry bout that!

Title fixed!

OOPS!

Sorry Gina! Wazzat you?

- Miriam

OK, they aren't the best. These were taken before I picked it up. There is some signs of water stains on the roof - the seams need to be resealed, of course.

Click the picture for a full-sized view, and don't pick on me for not having an egg.

Outside views:






Looking in through the door. The bathroom is in the corner beside the sink.



Looking towards the street-side rear. You can just see the edge of the refrigerator on the right side of the picture. The table folds down into a full bed. Yes, I need to repaint the ceiling.



Looking forward from the dinette. The refrigerator and bathroom are on the left and there is a closet and some storage space on the right before the opening for the door, which is right beside the stove.

Lee,

Adorable! Interesting layout. A bathroom in a 12.5 footer - someone was using their thinking cap!

- Miriam

This sounds similar to what the Rialta and LeSharo Class B Motorhome does. It is an ingeneous "origami" bathroom that folds up into a very small closet. The shower pan is permenently mounted in the center of the coach's floor. A piece of bound carpet hides it when the bathroom is "closed." To activate the full bathroom, you pick up the carpet out of the shower pan & grab the handles on the closet wall and pull the whole closet out into the center of the room, over the shower pan previously hidden in the floor. You then open the door, step inside, and flip down the panel over the toilet, and the sink, faucet, and hand held shower head appears! slip the shower head into it's wall bracket, and you're ready to go.

LeSharo Bathroom Picture

While I contend that the Rialta is a Class C (uses the VW truck cab with a RV-specifc body) and the LeSharo is a Class A (entire body is built as an RV coach, no cab from the truck origin), so neither one is a Class B, that's just terminology details. See Winnebago Product Classification for details. In the Winnebago lineup, I believe that the LeSharo was replaced by the Rialta, and the Rialta has just been replaced by the View, all serving in their day as the company's smallest motorhome. The Sprinter-based View has a full bathroom with separate shower.

This idea of expanding a closet or toilet-only room into a full shower, using a shower pan recessed in the floor, is also used in some brands of Class B motorhomes (I've seen it, sorry can't remember the brand). Since a Class B is an RV conversion within a van body, space is really tight (especially in width), and these designs are an interesting source of design ideas.

I like this shower idea, but is does assume some level of familiarity of the RV occupants (at least part of the shower enclosure is usually just a curtain), and there's always the problem of just where it fits in the floor plan. The recessed shower pan goes between the frame rails in a Class B, as it could in a travel trailer; however, interference with tanks or whatever else might be under there needs to be considered. I have considered this in our Boler B1700, to expand the shower area to a more usable size; unfortunately, the resulting shower stall would be right in front of the trailer door, cutting off access to the kitchen and gaucho areas, and it would likely overlap the greywater tank (which is right against the bottom of the floor panel). The position might still be a workable compromise, and has the advantage of being right under the forward roof vent, for humidity removal.

Lee, that's very simular to my 1972 Cardinal lowliner. After I get the Boler finished I'm going to start working on it again.

I've seen the Winnebago's and thought it was a pretty ingenious idea. With the Surfside, the layout is different (closet directly opposite the door / entrance). The size of a Surfside closet is a tad larger than a Boler. It includes the access panels to the fridge, water tanks, electrical (from outside) - it's where all the cords and hoses curl up when the trailer's in tow mode. The closet is molded FG (front and lhs) with the lhs covered in Ensolite. The back is the outside shell of the trailer - also covered in Ensolite). The rhs panel (wood) has the access. There are 2 lights on the lhs and a vent over top. Also a clothes bar.
I'm envisioning maybe a floor pan in the closet to contain the water, and a drop down D-frame with shower curtain attached. A hook on the rhs for the shower head would complete the picture. A drain may not be necessary as the shower unit can suck the water back up to the sink in minutes (it's just outside the door), and from sink to portable grey water unit). I currently use that method with the bathtub. If I do decide to put a drain in, I'd drain it into a separate, portable grey water container.
The drop-down shaving compartment could be mounted to the inside door. I've seen them on - of all things - antique furniture wardrobes. Basically they work like those Ikea drop-down tables, except they have a hole in the centre so you can drop in your dishpan / sink. A few more strategically-placed holes could hold a cup with your razor, foamy, etc. The pan can be filled with water and then lifted out for disposal.
The toughest thing about the Surfside is having to curb the urge to have the closet do EVERYTHING. Because the fridge is on that side, and the water tank is a bit left of centre, these units are notorious for sacking out a bit on the driver's side. Of course, you want a balanced load.....
Anyways...I'm just in the idea stage right now. When (if) the weather warms up and I can start working on things, I may have a change of heart - especially if the task proves a bit daunting.

- Miriam

Thanks so much for the link / picture. I was going by memory! I wish it showed how it pulls out.

- Miriam