Under bed storage in the 21'?

[cpaharley2008]

I see my first mod, adding a lip around the top to obtain more horizontal surface.

 

[fudge_brownie]

Under Bed Cabinet Door

I am wondering if having cabinet door that does not have a frame across the bottom would be a better solution for access to this storage area. I have attached a photo (bottom) of the option Escape offered on the 19, an access door to the front passenger dinette storage. Note that this opening does not have frame across the bottom, thus making it much easier to slide items in and out. With the frame present as shown in the top photo it is necessary to lift anything over the frame before inserting or removing.

That will be quite an effort to lift that 18 pack of bottled water over the frame. It will be even harder to move it around inside with the frame in the way. The downside is, the items could move inside and pop the door open. Also lifting the mattress and using the top access door will allow easier arrangement. I always liked balancing the access door on my head while working in the storage area.

 

[cpaharley2008]

I agree but with the 19' your bed was supported by a wall on each side of the opening within 24" of the either side, whereas with the 21' it is free standing and needs the support from the floor for strength. You can remove it on your unit and see what happens. FYI, I'm planning on protecting the water heater and forward tank with some scrap wood and will add a piece of 45 degree trim to the interior of that piece of wood to make things slide easier in and out, a mini ramp so to speak..

 

[Jim Bennett]

I always liked balancing the access door on my head while working in the storage area.

Not me, so I built a skinny wood stay out of 3/4 x 3/4 walnut to hold it up. Maybe if I had some hair it would be no big deal, but as it is I scratch me wee skull up all the time.

 

[Jim Bennett]

I agree but with the 19' your bed was supported by a wall on each side of the opening within 24" of the either side, whereas with the 21' it is free standing and needs the support from the floor for strength. You can remove it on your unit and see what happens.

There would be no issue with removing it. The piece underneath does not add support anyway. I bet a buck Reace could figure something out. The first 19s had a post in the middle in the access under the bed, and I asked that it not be there for my build. Reace just beefed up the upper cross support, and I think continued to do it for all other 19s.

In fact, there are many changes like this that have come about since I bought my 19, things they have learned along the way as they roll more of the same unit out the door. This is great that they learn from things as they go along, and implement them, instead of just building the same old time and time again.

 

[fudge_brownie]

Jim
I do not have the post you mention, I remember requesting that it be removed. Since I had a front hatch on my 19 I wanted unrestricted access to that driver side dinette storage. He was more that obliging. I did not know it went on every ones Escape 19.

I see the posts are back, on the new rear dinette Escape 21 the posts are visible. I see it on the passenger side that has the hatch. It appears to be directly in front of the hatch opening. Have to make a note to eliminate those nasty posts.

 

[cpaharley2008]

There is no hatch on the passenger side on the 21', it is located on driver side up front under the bed, thus there is no access to dinette from outside, thus the supports are there.

 

[TAfraser]

Small storage cabinet

When I first suggested the small cabinet for toiletries in that location, Reace got very excited. I never expected that type of reaction from a manufacturer, but Reace and Tammy aren't your typical owners. Anyhow, Reace thought about it for a little time, and before we left the plant, passed the black thermo-plastic idea by us. My wife and I both said that we preferred white to match the rest of the trailer. We also suggested passing the color idea by Tammy. I guess the three of us won. When I suggested the cabinet I had a much different idea then Reace, and black just wouldn't look right. BUT, like you, now that I see what his vision was, black looks pretty darn good. My wife still prefers white though, and after 43 years of marriage, I've learned enough to go along with her. Besides, she has always had better color coordination than I have. So, I like Reaces idea of a fully functional easy to use cabinet that's really going to come in handy. I haven't made up my mind about the curtain, but then I haven't seen the finished product - BUT SOON WE WILL!

I believe all the pockets are the same size 9"x 9"x 6", at least that's what the email stated

 

[cpaharley2008]

the black may hide blemishes easier, as far as the sizes, I base my statement on the fact that the wall becomes narrower at the bottom, but as my signature says......

 

[LosAngeles]

It is my understanding that the propane furnace used to be under the bed on the 21' but it is now in the drawer stack (as of 2016)

however interior pics of the 2017 21' have not been posted quite yet, so this might change yet again.

:whistling:

 

[Rossue]

The prototype and maybe a few others had the furnace under the bed, but most had it in the dinette drivers side bench about 4" off the floor near fridge. The move to the drawer stack was due to the old unit being discontinued and the present model being too big to fit back there.

 

[BCnomad]

It is my understanding that the propane furnace used to be under the bed on the 21' but it is now in the drawer stack (as of 2016)

however interior pics of the 2017 21' have not been posted quite yet, so this might change yet again.

:whistling:

The furnance model changed and Reace couldn't fit it under the dinette driver side of the recent 21 builds. Whether the squaring of the tub will allow dinette placement again is a question mark.

Edit: what Ross said.

 

[LosAngeles]

....Whether the squaring of the tub will allow dinette placement again is a question mark.

I am excited to see the 21' 2017 interior pics, when they are posted..... soon-ish

 

[cpaharley2008]

The furnace will remain in the drawer stack in the 21 and not under the bed as it was felt that bedding would interfere with it's operation.

 

[Brian B-P]

The furnance model changed and Reace couldn't fit it under the dinette driver side of the recent 21 builds. Whether the squaring of the tub will allow dinette placement again is a question mark.

Interesting point - I suppose the dinette fit issue for the new AFSAD12 model was the depth (front to back, which is dinette bench face to exterior wall). It was never clear to me what dimension was an issue, because there were mentions of height but the new AFSAD12 is lower than the old 8012.

Unfortunately, the morons who run the Atwood web sites (atwoodmobile.com and askforatwood.com) are still showing the old model and not the new one. The downloadable furnace catalog is from 2007! It's hard to imagine any other business in which your published catalog can be years out of date without going bankrupt... but this is the RV world so it's okay.

The furnace will remain in the drawer stack in the 21 and not under the bed as it was felt that bedding would interfere with it's operation.

I agree that the logic of avoiding under-bed placement has not changed.

To me, the middle of the trailer seems like an inherently better location that stuck in the far back end, anyway.

 

[Rossue]

Difference is 5 feet. Wanna bet where most would put it if they had a choice?

A. Leave it where it is and be closer to the bed where you use it much less
than at the dinette, particularly in the morning.
B. Move it to the back and get the drawers back and if you do want it on at night it
heats the trailer up more than you want and have to limit it with thermostat and
is quieter to those sleeping being located in the rear.

 

[Greg A]

Never had the 21 with a heater in the dinette, but I remember one model trailer where they did that and it was "hot leg" very uncomfortable when sitting at the table for meals etc.

 

[Rossue]

Never had that problem and have never read about it on this Forum either.

 

[Brian B-P]

Difference is 5 feet.
...
B. Move it to the back and get the drawers back and if you do want it on at night it heats the trailer up more than you want and have to limit it with thermostat and is quieter to those sleeping being located in the rear.

This assumes that only the permanent bed in the front is being used for sleeping - true for many owners, but not all... and is that five feet now more important for noise than it was for airflow?

Never had the 21 with a heater in the dinette, but I remember one model trailer where they did that and it was "hot leg" very uncomfortable when sitting at the table for meals etc.

That's one potential issue. The other is a lack of proper airflow when the dinette is in bed mode.

Never had that problem and have never read about it on this Forum either.

It would only be a problem if actually using the furnace, and most owners are south of where they would often need it.

Anyone buying a new-style 21' could ask Escape if the dinette location is again a possibility... if they would prefer that.

 

[Rossue]

Don't want to rehash this whole 21 heater thing again - Brian expressed an opinion about location and I offered mine as a real-world user of it. One can talk in theory about things but I like first hand experience when evaluating. The dinette as a bed has zero effect on heating the rest of the trailer and yes it naturally is noisier there for the occupant than 5 feet away.