2008 Fleetwood Revolution 40V

The 2008 Fleetwood Revolution 40V is like the elite of the "V" floor plans that Fleetwood diesel pushers had from 2006 - 2008 which included a full wall slide on the street side and a bed slide on the curb side, somewhat similar in design to the Itasca Suncruiser 35P.  This includes the Bounder Diesel, Expidition, Discovery, Excursion, Providence, and the Revolution, with the Revolution being the nicest and best equipped.

Technical Data

Exterior dimensions are:

• Length: 39' 11.5"
• Width: 8" 5"
• Height: 12' 10"
• Wheelbase:  266"
• GVWR: 49,600
• Engine: Cummins ISL 8.9 Ltr, 400 HP, 1200 lbs-ft torque

Capacities are:

• Basement storage: 205 cu. ft.
• Fresh water: 105 gallons, including water heater capacity
• Grey water: 60 gallons
• Black water: 40 gallons
• LP: 38 gallons

Interior dimensions are:

• 8'  wide
• 7'  high

Benefits of the Revolution LE 40V:

1. The full wall slide enables a tremendous amount of space inside the rig, giving a roomy and open floor plan, and combined with the bedroom slide gives even more room in the bedroom.
2. Excellent storage throughout the rig with lots of wall cabinets, and plenty of space in the basement storage area.
3. Extending the pocket doors between the galley and the bathroom gives plenty of room for dressing and moving about the bedroom and bathroom in privacy .
4. Excellent basement storage with 205 cu. ft of basement storage including sliding storage trays which extend out both sides.
5. Tank capacities are excellent with 105 gallons of fresh water including the 10 gallon hot water heater, 60 gallons of grey water, and 40 gallons of black water.
6. A fiberglass roof, which is used in higher end rigs.
7. Cummins ISL engine mated to a chassis with a 15,000 pound towing capacity.  Very few other motor homes have a towing capacity that high.
8. Cabinet frames that have no paper wrapped around them so they won't fade to a lighter color than the cabinet doors.
9. The galley has extra counter space, and a 12 cu. ft. refrigerator as standard equipment.
10. The rear view mirrors are suspended from above them rather than supported from below, giving the driver and passenger better visibility of the road. 
11. Seat belts are integrated into the cockpit seats rather than the superstructure of the coach making it easier to put them on.
12. There is no "engine hump" in the floor above the engine in the bedroom as in most other diesel pushers.  Rather, there is a step up going into the bedroom which is more visible.  
13. The bed is a residential queen size bed, 60" x 80".

Drawbacks of the Revolution LE 40V:

1. Because the street side full wall slide comes out but not the basement storage compartments, getting to items stored on the street side isn't convenient.  
2. With a wheelbase this long (266"), maneuvering in a store parking lot may be difficult.
3. There is no clothes hamper.
4. The TV is not directly across from a couch or chair, but above the dashboard. 

History of the Revolution LE 40V

In 2006, Fleetwood came out with a similar floor plan, the 39V, in three of their lower priced diesel pushers lines, Discovery, Excursion, and Providence.  The floor plan was basically the same except that it was shorter at about 39'; the basement storage was less, 149 cu. ft., along with fresh water storage at 86 gallons.  The reason the basement storage was so much less is that the chassis wasn't the same as the chassis of the Revolution and only allowed that much space.  All three lines had smaller engines as well: 330 hp/860 tq, 350 hp/860 tq, 350 hp/860 tq respectively.

In 2007, the 39V was modified into the 38V in the Bounder Diesel and Expedition lines, being 38' 4", each, with an even smaller engine: 300 hp/860 tq.  The Discovery, Excursion and Providence continued with the 39V.  The Revolution LE lines got it's own version of the "V" on it's Liberty chassis allowing for greater storage capabilities in the basement and a few extra inches inside.  It remained virtually identical in the 2008 model year, and was discontinued after 2008, although other drivers side full wall slide models were still available in 2008 & 2009.  

So, having said all that, the "V" floor plan is available in several different lines in Fleetwood's stable for less money than the Revolution LE's version of it.  It also means that just like most anything else, ya get what ya pay for.  While the other lines' version of the "V" may be nice and have some goodies, the Revolution LE 40V is the best version with the most quality, goodies, power and capacities.  


Full time thoughts on the Revolution LE 40V

As the flagship of the "V" floor plans, Fleetwood has made the Revolution LE's version of it sumptuous.  While it is complete as it sits, I'd suggest removing the couch on the curbside and installing a desk with a TV lift in it so that TV viewing could be done across from the couch on the street side, and an additional flat surface could be used if necessary.  If another workspace is needed, the lounge chair in the bedroom could be removed also.  While doing these modifications may take away from the way the rig was to begin with, I believe that if you're gonna full time in any kind of RV, it should be made to fit what you want.

Regardless of what type of RV you may be contemplating (pop-up trailer, travel trailer, toy hauler, fifth wheeler, or motorhome), remember to look for storage places for these five necessary items in any RV you look at, with those five items being: shoes, dirty clothes, a garbage receptacle, a broom, and hooks.  In other words, where would these items go?  In the 2008 Fleetwood Revolution LE 40V, these are the spaces that could be used:

• Shoes could go in the closet in the back of the bedroom, or ?
• Dirty clothes could go in a hamper in the closet in the back of the bedroom.
• A garbage receptacle goes in its designated area under the sink.
• The broom could go along the wall in the bathroom immediately to the left as you enter, on a wall in the closet in the bedroom, from one of the hooks installed in the rig.
• The hooks could be put on the wall shared with the bedroom and the bathroom.

Also, if you’re gonna be a full time RVer, I suggest getting the following items for comfort and safety:

• Vent covers to allow the roof vents to be open during rainy weather for better ventilation.
• Upgrade the loud ineffective bathroom vent fan(s) with a quieter, more efficient Fantastic or Create-a-Breeze fan that can be used to ventilate your whole rig rather than provide noise while you're using the bathroom.
• Invest in an rv surge protector to protect your rig from electrical spikes and/or an autoformer to step up voltage when shore power voltage is low to protect your electrical and electronic components such as air conditioners, refrigerators, and TVs.
• If the rig has a crank-up TV antenna, replace it with a TV antenna that doesn't need to be cranked up to save you from embarrassment and the cost of replacing the antenna later when it hits the roof, and a possible roof repair.
• Replace the tires if they're more than five years old to save you from having a blowout while you're going down the highway and causing a lot of damage to your rig.
• Replace the toilet bowl seal if the rig has been sitting for long periods of time with the toilet left dry, or if water leaks out of the toilet bowl causing the seal to dry out.  It helps keep odors where they need to be kept rather than in your rig.
• If you're contemplating a motor home, consider upgraded shocks and anti-sway bars for a better ride, and a steering damper or similar equipment for steering safety in case of blow out or heavy winds.

With the exception of the tires, you can buy the above items at reputable RV parts stores.

HAPPY TRAVELLING!

1999 Winnebago Chieftain 35U

1999 was the first year that the 35U floor plan was introduced to the public in the Winnebago Chieftain and the Itasca Sunflyer, with the Sunflyer being a few inches longer in the front than the Chieftain. Here is the floor plan:

Technical Data

Exterior dimensions are:

• Length: 35' 9"
• Width: 8" 5.5"
• Height: 11' 11"
• Wheelbase:  219" for Chevy chassis, 228" for Ford chassis
• GVWR: 21,000 for Chevy chassis, 20,500 for Ford chassis
• Engines: Chevy 7.4 ltr, 265 hp, 390 lb-ft torque, Ford, 6.8 ltr, 410 lb-ft torque.

Capacities are:

• Basement storage: 92.1 cu. ft.
• Fresh water: 98 gallons
• Grey water: 48 gallons
• Black water: 40 gallons
• LP: 28 gallons

Interior dimensions are:

• 8' .5" wide
• 6' 8" high

The  benefits of this model include:

1. Two slides increase the living space adding to the living/dining area, as well as at the end of the bed, and on the forward side of the bed. By having the closet be a part of the bedroom slide on the forward side of the bed, it opens up a large area when the slide is extended that can be combined with the bedroom and/or the bathroom, and be used as a dressing area.
2. The design is such that the bathroom door doubles as a divider to segregate the bathroom and bedroom area from the forward part of the coach.
3. The RV queen size bed has good walking space on both sides of it, allowing for ease when making the bed, along with a fairly secure storage area between the bed and the rear wall when traveling.
4. Lots of cabinets in the living/dining area on just about all the walls, as well as in the bedroom with cabinets above and across from the bed, and next to the bed with large night stands that have deep drawers.
5. Able to run both air conditioners on 30 amp service easily.
6. Has a 7,000 watt generator as standard equipment rather than as an option, as other brands of gas coaches did at that time.
7. A convenient driver's door with a crank down window enabling a 2nd entrance and exit, that's useful when getting gas, or checking the coach on the street side.
8. A fiberglass roof, which is something all higher priced motor homes have.

The drawbacks of this model are:

1. The galley is very small with very little counter space between the range and the sinks, and not counter extension.  In order to have a decent food prep area, one, or both, of the sinks need to have its cover on, or the dining table needs to be utilized.
2. Cabinets have premium wood doors, but the framework is made of cheaper wood covered with paper.  The paper will fade over time making the cabinet doors and the frames look like they're not meant to be together.  Cabinet drawer sides are made with a lower grade of wood which may result in the drawers falling apart and needing to be rebuilt.
3. The dashboard has been designed so that the steering wheel blocks much of the instrument panel, regardless of where the driver has the seat positioned.  The driver has to be tall, or lean forward to see all the gauges. 
4. The curb side, middle basement storage area is cluttered with hydraulic lines for the dining/living slide and leveling jacks going through much it, hampering storage of long items.
5. There is no window in the rear cap which could be used to let in more light, nor are there north/south windows in the slides where there are spaces for them.  If there were windows in the slides, they could also be used not only for light, but to help with ventilation.
6. The living/dining slide doesn't make a flat floor when it's out, there's a 2 3/4" lip that has to be stepped up to get to the dining table.
7. Going into the rig means stepping onto carpet at the top of the steps so that area gets more traffic than other places.  A good alternative would be to have hard flooring, or a throw rug there.
8. The crank up TV antenna has no warning light to say when the antenna is up.  This can lead to an embarrassing situation and/or possible antenna and/or roof damage if it's left up while traveling.

History of the Chieftain 35U

Model year 2000 changes:

• Counter top extension added in 2000
• Air conditioners moved from the roof to the basement reducing the capacities for basement storage to 72.4 cu. ft.,  and fresh water to 86 gallons.
• North/south windows added in the dining/living room slide.

Model year 2001 changes:

• Capacity for fresh water increased to 90 gallons.

If you like this floorplan, it was added to the Adventurer/Suncruiser lines in 2000, continuing with them until 2006, and was deleted from the Chieftain/Sunflyer lines after 2001.  The length of the Adventurer/Suncruiser models was shortened by about six inches or so, making the walking room around the bed at the rear of the coach somewhat tighter, and making the storage areas that much less also.  Similar floor plans were designed by different motor home manufacturers later on.

Thoughts about the 1999 Winnebago Chieftain 35U.  

As my wife and I live in this particular model, it's obviously a good choice for a full time RVing.  It's been our choice of a full time rig for many years as it works well with all the above benefits listed above (drawbacks too).  It wasn't until we started driving it that I noticed that I couldn't see the speedometer at speeds up to about 40 miles per hour, or the gas gauge without leaning over the steering wheel.  And that's about the same time we discovered situations with the rig as we started giving thoughts to make it the more livable than it was to begin with.

The first situation that we took care of was the sofa that was not as comfortable as we wanted it to be.  I'm  not saying that Winnebago puts uncomfortable furniture in their rigs, I'm saying that the rig was six years old when we got it, and it wasn't until six years later that we started full timing.  Eventually, we got a love seat recliner in place of the sofa, and were able to place a small chest of drawers on the north end of the love seat that acts as an end table and adds more storage.  It isn't odd to replace couches, may RVers do it.

Next was the dining table which was taken out when we started full-timing as it just wasn't right, neither were the upholstered chairs which were just too big, making it hard to get in and out of under the table.  After a few iterations of what we wanted, we finally settled on putting two 24" kitchen base cabinets on the dining area slide, separated by 24" where counter top is suspended between the cabinets and stands on two table legs on the other end on the floor.  Six feet of counter top was then put on top of the cabinets for a nice, long buffet.  When the slide extends, the table is then exposed and usable, and when the slide retracts, the table is then covered by the counter top on top of the cabinets.


As we're great proponents of not having to turn our necks to watch TV, we removed the lounge chair and pull up table behind the passenger seat, and covered up the window there also, so we could install an entertainment center enabling us watch our 46" TV across from our love seat.  The plastic frame and metalwork cabinet which held the TV above the dash was removed and replaced with a storage cabinet similar to the cabinetry in the rest of the coach.  This gave us even more storage in the entertainment center as well as the cabinet which replaced the TV cabinet.

Aside from various other slight modifications, the coach remains the same.

Regardless of what type of RV you may be contemplating (pop-up trailer, travel trailer, toy hauler, fifth wheeler, or motorhome), remember to look for storage places for these five necessary items in any RV you look at, with those five items being: shoes, dirty clothes, a garbage receptacle, a broom, and hooks.  In other words, where would these items go?  In the 1999 Chieftain 35U, these are the spaces that are used:

• Shoes go in the closet across from the bathroom, or possibly behind the lounge chair next to the door.
• Dirty clothes go in the hamper on the street side of the bedroom.
• A garbage receptacle goes in its designated area under the sink.
• The broom goes along the wall in the bathroom immediately to the left as you enter, on a wall in the closet in the bedroom, from one of the hooks installed in the rig.
• The hooks are put on the bedroom side of the sliding door between the bedroom and the bathroom, or on the wall next to the bathroom door to hang those clothes you want handy.

Also, if you’re gonna be a full time RVer, I suggest getting the following items for comfort and safety:

• Vent covers to allow the roof vents to be open during rainy weather for better ventilation.
• Upgrade the loud ineffective bathroom vent fan(s) with a quieter, more efficient Fantastic or Create-a-Breeze fan that can be used to ventilate your whole rig rather than provide noise while you're using the bathroom.
• Invest in an rv surge protector to protect your rig from electrical spikes and/or an autoformer to step up voltage when shore power voltage is low to protect your electrical and electronic components such as air conditioners, refrigerators, and TVs.
• If the rig has a crank-up TV antenna, replace it with a TV antenna that doesn't need to be cranked up to save you from embarrassment and the cost of replacing the antenna later when it hits the roof, and a possible roof repair.
• Replace the tires if they're more than five years old to save you from having a blowout while you're going down the highway and causing a lot of damage to your rig.
• Replace the toilet bowl seal if the rig has been sitting for long periods of time with the toilet left dry, or if water leaks out of the toilet bowl causing the seal to dry out.  It helps keep odors where they need to be kept rather than in your rig.
• If you're contemplating a motor home, consider upgraded shocks and anti-sway bars for a better ride, and a steering damper or similar equipment for steering safety in case of blow out or heavy winds.

With the exception of the tires, you can buy the above items at reputable RV parts stores.

HAPPY TRAVELLING!

2009 Itasca Suncruiser 35P

In 2009, Itasca continued to offer one different model from Winnebago Class A motor homes, and expanded on the 2008 Sunrise 32H full wall slide design by introducing the 2009 Suncruiser 35P.   Here's the floorplan of it:






Technical Data

Exterior dimensions are:

• Length: 35' 5" 
• Width: 8" 5"
• Height: 12' 3"
• Wheelbase: 228"
• GVWR: 22,000 or 24,000
• Engines:  Ford: 6.8 ltr, 362 hp, 457 lb-ft torque   Workhorse: 8.1 ltr, 340 hp, 455 lb-ft torque

Capacities are:

• Basement storage: 85.9 cu. ft.
• Fresh water: 85 gallons
• Grey water: 60 gallons
• Black water: 43 gallons
• LP: 28 gallons
• Fuel: 75 gallons

Interior dimensions are:

• Width: 8'
• Height: 7' 2"

The benefits of this model are:

1. Three slides, including a full wall slide on the street side, a dinette slide and a bed slide.  The opposing slides in the living and dining area make that area open and inviting.  The opposing slides in the bedroom gives the bedroom plenty of room for changing clothes and ease of movement at the foot of the residential king size bed.
2. A dining area on the curb side giving a good view over your campsite while eating.
3. A 37” LCD TV mounted amidships rather than over the dashboard as most other motor homes did at the time, making better use of the cabinet storage, and taking away the chance of head injuries by banging your head into the cabinet while getting in or out of cockpit seats.
4. Great storage cabinets throughout the coach, with a convenient countertop storage cabinet in the galley, and designated storage slots for the Corian sink tops and a garbage receptacle under the counter.  The bedroom has lots of drawer space including a built in clothes hamper.
5. Space for a washer/dryer amidships rather than at the end of the rig for less “tail wagging” and vibration when using the washer, or the space can be used for even more storage.
6. A spacious, well laid out bathroom with plenty of cabinets and a roomy shower.
7. Good basement storage space with 85.9 cu.ft of pass through basement storage, 85 gallons of fresh water, 60 gallons of grey water, and 43 gallons of black water storage.
8. A convenient driver’s door with a sliding window, enabling a 2^nd entrance and exit, that’s easy to use when getting gas or checking on the street side of the coach.
9. Sleeping room for 6.
10. Opening north-south windows on the bed slide for excellent north-south fresh air ventilation in the bedroom, along with non-opening north-south windows on the dining slide, allowing folks at the table to see better the curbside of the rig (like who was knocking on the door.
11. A fiberglass roof, which is something all higher priced motor homes have.
    
    

The drawbacks to this model are:

1. While the LCD TV is mounted mid coach, it isn’t directly across from the couch, which is the optimal viewing angle.  This means that anyone in the most comfortable seats in the rig would still have to turn their necks to watch the TV, having almost the same effect on TV watchers necks as if the TV was placed over the dashboard, where most other motor homes had the TV mounted.
2. The cabinetry frames need to be made of the same wood as the cabinet doors rather than pine, or some similar wood and wrapped with paper that looks like wood.  The color on paper will wear out over time and eventually the frames look different than the doors.  Also, some of the upper cabinets have a storage space opening behind the doors that is less than the size of the door.  If there is a cabinet door, the storage space opening behind it should be a similar size to that cabinet door, or better engineering needs to be done.
3. The furnace has floor registers rather than registers mounted in the bottom of cabinets.  Registers mounted in the bottom of cabinets give better heat dispersion and isn't a problem when walking on the floor barefooted.
4. The galley doesn’t have a countertop extension which always helps out in a motor home galley.  More counter space equals a happier cook, which equals a happier time camping.
5. No television “Antenna Up” warning which would save on roof top and antenna damages.
6. As the top of the line gas rig for Itasca or Winnebago, it should at least include as an option, an electrical package that is closer to, if not the same as, the electrical packages found on entry level diesel pushers, which means a larger generator of at least 7.5 killowatts, a total of four coach batteries, and a 2,000 watt inverter.
7. While the 85.9 cu. ft of pass through basement storage is easier to manage due to the basement storage compartments not sliding out with the sides, other rigs of similar length offer more basement storage space.  Also, supports for the slides inhibit opening the side opening doors all the way.
8. The length of the 35P should be lengthened by about a foot to give six additional inches of floor space on each side of the bed  for walking around it.  Maybe it'd be called the 36P then, ya think?  Another option would be to have a queen size bed instead of a king size bed.
9. Rework the hydraulic ram for the bedroom slide so there is more storage space under the  bed.

Thoughts about the 2009 Suncruiser 35p:

Having said all the above, I still feel like the 2009 35P would make an excellent full-time rig.  If a 2009 model isn’t available, the 2010 – 2014 Suncruiser and Adventurer 35Ps have made improvements which might overcome the increase in price since the 2009s were introduced, and would be very viable rigs as well.  During those model years, improvements have been made that don’t make the criticisms quite so bad, such as:

• A galley countertop extension being added in 2013.
• A digital TV antenna was added in 2011 replacing the old antenna that had to be cranked up.
• Basement storage was increased to 105.1 cu. ft. in 2011, 107.6 in 2012, and 125.5 in 2013.

Regardless of what type of RV you are contemplating (pop-up trailer, travel trailer, toy hauler, fifth wheeler, or motorhome), remember to look for places for these five necessary items in any RV you look at, with those five items being: shoes, dirty clothes, a garbage receptacle, and hooks.  In the 2009 Suncruiser 35P, it seems rather obvious to me that:

• Shoes could go in the closet in the bedroom, or in the cabinet to the left of the entry   as you climb the stairs to enter the rig.
• Dirty clothes would go in the hamper in the bedroom.
• A garbage receptacle would go in its designated place under the counter.
• The broom would go along the wall in the bathroom immediately to the left as you     enter, or in the closet in the bedroom.
• The hooks would be put on the sliding door on the bedroom side to hang those clothes that you want handy.

Also, if you’re gonna be a full time RVer, I suggest getting the following items for comfort and safety:

• Vent covers to allow the roof vents to be open during rainy weather for better ventilation.
• Upgrade the loud ineffective bathroom vent fan with a quieter, more efficient   Fantastic or Create-a-Breeze fan.
• Invest in an rv surge protector to protect your rig from electrical spikes and/or an autoformer to step up voltage when shore power voltage is low to protect your electrical and electronic components such as air conditioners, refrigerators, and TVs.
• If the rig has a crank-up TV antenna, replace it with a TV antenna that doesn't need to be cranked up.
• Replace the tires if they're more than five years old.
• Replace the toilet bowl seal if the rig has been sitting for long periods of time with the toilet left dry, or if water leaks out of the toilet bowl causing the seal to dry out.
• If you're contemplating a motor home, consider upgraded shocks and anti-sway bars for a better ride, and a steering damper or similar equipment for steering safety in case of blow out or heavy winds.

With the exception of the tires, you can buy the above items at reputable RV parts stores.

HAPPY TRAVELLING!