Hello, David,
Congratulations on your finished RV Alvar. Thanks for sending along these photos. Hopefully more to come. A handsome vehicle indeed.
You’ve incorporated lots of nice features. In particular:
A. The beds (height, layout, multiple positions) are a great idea. Do they also make into something akin to a sofa, so that guests could ride along for a day-trip? ?Seatbelts there?
B. Nice lighting, and steam bent curves in the cabinetry. Cup holders in the lounges; mini headboard for the bed. Wall cubbies in the back for cell phone, remote, eyeglasses.
C. Love the pass-through under the rear beds.
From your posts, I know you are a real detail guy, so I feel I can ask you some real detail questions, as you’ve probably thought through every aspect of the design in Alvar.
A. I notice you’ve chosen fabric traditional curtains as opposed to the dual-density accordion shades. Why your preference for fabric?
B. The countertop(s) appear to flush with the cabinetry, with no overhang or lip. Intentional?
C. Curious as to why you didn’t make the computer desk from countertop material.
D. Why no chrome/aluminum wheels? Into the stealth look? Will that black paint chip?
E. Are your “nerf bars” standard at Advanced, or on your order? I love the idea of external storage, but worry about scuffing at curbside when parked on city streets. I like how the doors fold down, on fabric hinges. Did you consider mud flaps?
F. Did you incorporate a security system, like Viper? Or do you think the MB computer chip key is enough?
G. Where did you put the subwoofer?
H. Thought you might paint the shore power socket black to go with the stealth look.
Looking forward to your comments, first impressions from the drive back home (handling, heating,etc.), and the continuing development of this great RV.
Tom
A. Beds: Since the twin beds will not be used as the traditional dinette seating with uncomfortable back cushions common to Class Bs I decided to raise the bed as high as possible. That height turned out to be 29" to the top of the mattress. Then we notched in so it would be easy to get in bed and still maintain shoulder width. The placement of the side table as it related to the sitting position also determined the notch which turned out to be about halfway back. So you step all the way in, turn your back to the bed, sit and swing in at the right position. Also, my head misses the upper cabinet by about 2" when I do that. We went out to ARV in September when they got the bed mechanism in and did a mockup in another partially completed B to verify the dimensions. It turned out what I originally drew was fairly accurate within an inch.
The beds can be sit up just like a home sofa with footstool or lazy boy with head support. You can't get that with typical electric sofa/beds in Bs. You can set it up like a beach lounger or zero gravity style lounger. You can leave it in the bed position but elevate the back for reading in bed and raise the pillow section so you don't need to have to carry an extra pillow to get that effect.
We did give our B our first test drive to downtown Cleveland for lunch with two ARV employees. They rode in the back without seat belts. It is not something we normally plan to do nor do we plan to install seatbelt which would have to attach to the floor some way.
B. The lighting and cabinetry is pretty much all ARV standard. We selected to finish. They can do pretty much anything you desire in finishing. The pass through, side table and head board were my design. Pretty much the whole bed was built from my design. I furnished CAD drawings.
C. The pass through was sized so we could push an enclosed kitty litter box through for servicing either inside or from the back. So it had to be 16" wide x 17" high. To get that size I curved the corners. Also I curved the underside of the bed structure so we could store stuff under the bed in the aisle and also since the bed notch is only about a foot wide you toes don't bump into the baseboard walls.
A. The curtain design is ARV's. It completely blocks out the light because the back of the curtains are a dense fabric. The actual finish fabric was of our choosing. We had dual density accordion shades that went up and down in our former Pleasure-way and sideways in our GWVan. I didn't care for either and they do not block out the light. We can make our B pitch black now.
B. The countertops are flush to give as much aisle clearance as possible. I believe the clearance is 25" and we can pass by each other. Our GWVan had 27" but the countertops were narrower to achieve that.
C. The computer desk is plywood with the same veneer as the cabinets. ARV wanted to lighten up as much as they could. Since it matches it kind of disappears a little when tilted up against the wall and held by a magnet. The countertop material is Color Quartz, a synthetic stone quartz material. It is quite heavy. I did insist the bed side table be quartz as I did the sink cover. They were using a wood cutting board for the sink cover. No one will use that as a cutting board.
D. Aluminum alloy is difficult with dually wheels as the inner wheels had to be steel anyway. The stainless steel full wheel covers mimic the wheels and interfere, IMO, with checking air pressure. The black wheels are a Mercedes Benz glossy black option to their standard Grey. They just look wicked. Will the paint chip? No more I assume than the standard grey. It is not an after market paint of unknown quality.
E. The nerf bar design was used with one other Advanced RV. It is kind of a prelude to what they might do when they start building 4 x 4 Sprinters soon as an option. Scuffing on curbs is a lot worse with fiberglass skirts. Those are steel bars and black touchup paint will be easier than fiberglass repair and refinishing, IMO. The covers are held in place with strong magnets. That's unique and I think I am the first to get them. There are mud flaps on the wheels.
F. There is a security system. We found out today. Now we have to figure out how it all works with the door locks. It is a separate button fob. As it turns out you cannot lock a door with the security fob and then use the standard M-B key fob to open the door without setting off an alarm.
G. The subwoofer is back under the driver's side bed. ARV replaced all the M-B speakers and put in a Pioneer system in the dash and back by the TV.
H. As I mentioned, I think I got the first ARV SmartPlug installation. I didn't even know I was getting it. I like it a lot better than the round line up and twist to lock ones we had in the past. Also the cable is easier to roll up as it doesn't get as stiff in cold weather. It is about the only unstealth tell tale on the sides. We could have had it concealed as well if we desired. I believe one other ARV did. In hindsight had I known this one would be easier to plug in blind in a stealth location than the old one.
We just got home this evening. Now I have to take some time to figure everything out. ARV prepares manuals for everything. This is my homework.