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Old 01-12-2015, 01:05 PM   #1
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Impractical Options in Your Toy Hauler

I know Dutchman and all the other manufactures keep trying to "one up" each other by adding options and other "goodies" to their models, but I find some of them down right impractical.

The top of my list for most impractical is the granite counter tops. Yes, they are nice, but for home use. What is the biggest issue we deal with when hauling? Weight, and granite is heavy. Even the removable sink covers cut from the granite are heavy. Again, although they are nice, I would just as well liked Corian or something of that sort.

Next on my list, and my wife loves it, is the clear glass bowl sink in the bathroom. What were they thinking? The counter space is small enough as it is, without this think hanging over part of it. It's also a PIA to keep clean. I think a counter level (recessed) sink would have been fine, and possibly a few bucks cheaper.

The last on my list is more personal than anything. It's the fact that there are four TVs in the Voltage. This is our 6th camper. We've had 2 pop-ups, 2 bumper pull trailers, a 5th wheel, and now the Voltage. None of our previous units had a single TV, yet alone 4 of them. We will probably never use the one in the main bedroom. The main space large TV and small garage unit have been used the most so far. The garage unit so we can watch news while we are eating. The outside TV is a luxury that my wife thinks we don't need, but has been handy, again while we are eating.

I think if Dutchman (and others) had put more into the little options that most of us are doing ourselves, like back lighting the electric switch panel, money would have been better spent.

So, what other non practical stuff has anyone else found in their units?
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Old 01-12-2015, 02:52 PM   #2
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You said it yourself "Wife loves this option" !!
It helps sell these overpriced beast!
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Old 01-12-2015, 03:00 PM   #3
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Could have left out that cheesy bake oven... of course you need the stove top, but instead add a nice convection oven. Agree on the counter tops overkill on a trailer where weight is a constant issue.
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Old 01-12-2015, 04:11 PM   #4
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...Next on my list, and my wife loves it, is the clear glass bowl sink in the bathroom. What were they thinking?

...The last on my list is... the fact that there are four TVs in the Voltage...
I wondered the same about the glass bowl sinks until the logic was explained to me. By placing the sink on top of the counter, this gives more storage space in the cabinets BELOW the counter. With a recessed sink, you'd lose most of the cabinet space underneath.

As for the remainder of your items... they are all upgraded options included with the add-on packages. The outside TV? Part of the exterior package. Garage TV? Deluxe Garage Package. Granite countertops? One of the Epic packages.

If you wanted a rig without those options, you should have either bought or ordered a base model Voltage instead of one with those packages included.
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Old 01-12-2015, 04:26 PM   #5
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The problem with Packages no matter on RVs or vehicles, you always get items you didn't want or need with the items you did want.
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Old 01-12-2015, 09:10 PM   #6
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About those granite counter tops, I put a cut in mine with a sharp knife and I do have a few surface scratches in the kitchen top.

Isn't granite stone that has the same color all the way through? The knife cut is a white line, sort of what would happen with cultured stone products.
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Old 01-13-2015, 02:15 AM   #7
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I don't think they are granite counter tops. I cannot find the brochure, but I thought it said solid surface...I believe these are Quartz countertops..

For us, we fulltime, all these options keep the wife happy and me sane.

Cale
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Old 01-13-2015, 03:21 AM   #8
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I know many will disagree but I could do without the half-bath in the garage. It sounded like a great idea until I realized (after purchasing of course) that you have to move the stinky slinky to a different sewer pipe in order to dump its tank. And since there is no "gray" water to flush the slinky, you always end up handling the nasty, smelly hose. Because of this, we never use our half-bath.
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Old 01-13-2015, 04:27 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by calewjohnson View Post
I don't think they are granite counter tops. I cannot find the brochure, but I thought it said solid surface...I believe these are Quartz countertops..

For us, we fulltime, all these options keep the wife happy and me sane.

Cale
Cale is right they are quartz counter tops... still very heavy. I told mama dont drop especially on your foot..
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Old 01-13-2015, 07:58 AM   #10
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I am not trying to imply Dutchmen used any sense here in making to decision to use quartz over granite, but I can tell you that quartz does not have to be sealed periodically whereas granite does...oops...could I have just implied Dutchmen made a good call?
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Old 01-13-2015, 12:10 PM   #11
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I am not trying to imply Dutchmen used any sense here in making to decision to use quartz over granite, but I can tell you that quartz does not have to be sealed periodically whereas granite does...oops...could I have just implied Dutchmen made a good call?

Nope - they just went the cheaper route !
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Old 01-13-2015, 01:06 PM   #12
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Quartz it is now? That's still a stone isn't it? Get out your brightest flashlight and hit the floor. Look at the underside of your granite/quartz counter tops and see if you can find a few assembly scratches or very strange white edeges that just don't look right.

If nothing pops up grab one of your bastard files or even the boss's nail file and test your stones for harness. I bet you can file the material just as easy as you would a solid block of fiber glass and resin.

This stuff reminds me of cultured marble found in bathrooms in a lot of homes a few years back. Once set it looks like stone but to make it fit a normal circular saw did the trick.
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Old 01-13-2015, 06:15 PM   #13
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I was watching Extreme RVs once a while back and they were building someone's top of the line land yacht with some type of stone counter tops. They showed how they actually use a much thinner piece of stone countertop than typical home kitchens in order to minimize the weight. Then the way they trimmed it up you wouldn't know it was actually a thinner sheet. I'm not saying that this made it lightweight, or that Dutchman does the same, but maybe they do to minimize weight.
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Old 01-16-2015, 09:51 PM   #14
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Oh yea, I don't have one, but there are those useless fireplaces.
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Old 01-16-2015, 10:11 PM   #15
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Oh yea, I don't have one, but there are those useless fireplaces.
Yep, can't roast weenies or marshmellows in the fireplace but it does keep my livingroom comfortable until I need the furnace blast.
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Old 01-16-2015, 10:19 PM   #16
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Yeah, when I first saw them... I thought those LR fireplaces were pretty worthless too. I had no intention of doing any cold weather camping, so why would I want one?

Fast forward a few months... and I end up stuck in Texas for 4 days last winter because of ice & snow on the roads. I got to thinking about that fireplace again, and thinking it would be pretty damn handy to have!! Then I get to AZ this year, and find 3 weeks of temps in the 20s-low 50s, and decided that I could have definitely used it.
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Old 01-17-2015, 12:34 AM   #17
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The stereo control puck mounted on the exterior nowhere near the stereo.

One of the best things I do like is the refer on the lazy Susan with access from outside!!!
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Old 01-20-2015, 04:17 PM   #18
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Used my fireplace each morning this past weekend while boondocking out at Quartzsite Az.
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Old 01-20-2015, 08:48 PM   #19
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Used my fireplace each morning this past weekend while boon-docking out at Quartzsite Az.
I saw a Voltage boon-docking out off of Plomosa road at about mile marker 2 on the south side of the road. Was that you. We were camped about a mile farther down towards Bouse.
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Old 01-20-2015, 11:07 PM   #20
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I saw a Voltage boon-docking out off of Plomosa road at about mile marker 2 on the south side of the road. Was that you. We were camped about a mile farther down towards Bouse.
No that's where we use to camp. I was off Dome Rock Road with twenty other rigs from Joshua Springs Church from Yucca Valley.

Over Thanksgiving we were out at Hi Jolly BLM area boondocking.
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