Bathroom Upgrades/Mods

[Blue~Go]

Now there is one I hadn't thought of.

But I have been known to daydream about putting something where the fridge is (would be perfect for a shower - has a skylight! -old fridge vent in roof), putting the fridge where the stove is, and moving the stove ahead of the sink, then putting the bed on the other side. I'm not a fan of cooking "across the aisle" and having the counter space broken up makes it seem like less than it is.

You know, just a wee project here and there

But what did I really do today? Something a bit less dramatic: Made a cardboard mockup of a mini wall at the forward end of the couch so I could have a "lean back" there. I usually lean back on the kitchen sink mini wall, but then I can't properly survey my domain

[HoosierB]

Btw, has anyone else ever dreamed about moving the forward bath wall out towards the kitchen sink and puttingin a slim but separate shower stall? I'm a little jealous of the 21' Phoenix Cruiser and its dry bath

The Phoenix Cruiser 2100 has got to be the closest example to the Chinooks as far as craftsmanship goes these days. Specs are pretty similar, too. And yes, their dry bath floor plan is a winner. Link to a youtube vid showing a 2100 being constructed. Very interesting to see a class B+ being built from the ground up.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXYvZ7G ... e=youtu.be

[Blue~Go]

I haven't watched the video yet (running out of gigs this month - derned videos!), but is the Phoenix Cruiser a one piece shell? Or just fiberglass "panels" with seams? That one thing put a few rigs off my consideration list (for example, Starflyte/Dynamax, Born Free, and etc.). Coming from boats I'm comfortable with a fiberglass hull (even if it is upside down on the Chinook ), but don't get the same warm fuzzy feeling from fiberglass panels that have seams just like any other "siding" might.

(Not saying they aren't nice rigs though! There is one 21-footer (B Cruiser or something like that?) that has a side door near the rear and a great layout that is otherwise Chinook like, plus a dry bath. I would have much preferred that except for the main body construction (rats). Maybe that's the one in the video.

For me it would be more about not having the rear door, which I'm not a huge fan of (to put it mildly). I tend to either do sponge baths out in the wide open spaces (i.e. the main room), shower outside (the best when circumstances allow), or shower elsewhere. I guess that comes from boats where you don't really want to add that moisture down below, so you generally shower in the cockpit.

But given that it was basically a choice between rear-door-with-full-fiberglass-shell, or side-door-with-seams, I took the rear door easily. (The side door Chinook doesn't quite suit me, even though they did make some.)

Don't you love how our threads ramble around?

[HoosierB]

Phoenix Cruiser 2100 info sheet with links to several of their videos, etc.
http://www.phoenixusarv.com/features.html

I took the Elkhart, Indiana factory tour during last years "RV Week" (I live but 20 minutes from Elkhart) and found the Phoenix USA people extremely knowledgable and friendly. Too bad pricing is way out of my league for a new unit, but if I ever change from the Chinook, a new-to-me (preowned, late model) Phoenix Cruiser would be at the top of my list. Having the factory/service 20 minutes away would be nice too.

[kdarling]

Yes sir, the Phoenix Cruiser's side door (under the awning!), dry bath, and sofa or dinette side slide, all on a 21' vehicle like ours, are very attractive to me.

I wonder if Chinook would've done a slide on the Concourse if they'd stayed in business...

[HoosierB]

The Phoenix Cruisers are dedicated to class b+ designs only, of various lengths built on the latest e-series chassis. They do offer a non-slide version of which I was most interested in. This may not last long in the cycle of RV building. Most are leaning toward the MB Sprinter, Ford Transit, etc. chassis supply.
Chinook is now back in business. The "new" Chinook (Countryside) are based on the MB Sprinter chassis and are a whole different breed. Reviews are mixed, but most likely the future. When I saw the introductory show examples during RV Week, it was obvious how the narrow chassis affected the interior design layout. I'm sure this will work out down the line when the manufactures invest more into innovative "wide-body" construction.

[kdarling]

The new owners of the Chinook name, molds and drawings, have said that they plan to make the Glacier again. It's even noted on their website. And I could swear that I read somewhere that they said they might make the Concourse again, too, but maybe that's just wishful thinking on my part.

Of course, we've all seen their first new Glacier prototype a few years back, the one they made before they switched to the Sprinter chassis. Maybe the switch was because the future of the E-series at the time was in doubt?

But now that Ford decided to continue making E350/450 cutaways, perhaps Chinook will again use the original molds with the big body-on-frame Ford chassis.

(Alas, supposedly the Destiny/Cascade molds perished in a fire.)

2014 Glacier prototype photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/39406571@ ... 3216473354

[kdarling]

Back on topic... some other bathroom mods I have considered:

I found a stainless steel warming tray that fits nearly perfectly in the sink basin. My idea was to fit a drain in the metal tray, and install it under my faux granite top, giving a more integrated look.

Another sink idea I had, was to find a nice elongated oval glazed Mexican style bowl and place it above the original basin. This would give the vessel sink look that's popular nowadays. I even figured out that, of all things, many chip & salsa bowls had the closest necessary shape. But I wasn't sure that I could safely drill a drain hole in one. It would also require a taller faucet spout of course.

My original plan, btw, was to replace the original faucet and knobs with a more contemporary oiled bronze or brushed nickel look. But the original is covered in a ton of caulk underneath and looked like way too much trouble to mess with at the time

[HoosierB]

I was also thinking of installing an oval stainless steel sink dropped in on a Corian top layer set over the fiberglass basin area. In theory this would have the same look found in the later model of the PleasureWay wet baths. Finding a sink with the narrowest width (front to back) to fit the counter is the trick.

[kdarling]

Very close to what I was thinking. I've always liked that later model PleasureWay bath sink setup.

Sometimes I think someone should start a shop selling Chinook upgrade packages for various parts of the vehicle. If only I were younger...