Coachmen Saratoga ducted air conditioning

[shoalster]

k.

Originally Posted by stanw909

The guy selling mine had the fridge running when I got there but it was only a little cool.I thought my fridge was bad but after running it a couple days it has been great. That being said. I got the rig so cheap that a new 12 volt fridge would still put me well in the black. Class B's command high prices here in SoCal. The only reason I gotI saw it the rig is that it was so far out in the boonies. Maybe you should focus your search to the desert South West. I should add that I think using the fridge on 110 really got it going but now it works just as well on propane.

Thanks for the info. Are the prices of class b's higher there because of the fuel prices of gasoline being higher in California? Gas here in the Keys is is $2.12 a gallon for regular. I just saw a 97 model in California for over 20k. Another one in California for 15k but I think it was an old ad from 2011, both with 50+ k mileage and both had gen sets.

Next time I look at one I'll know that if the reefer has been sitting that it will take a while to work.

When I saw it initially the deal breaker was the fridge not working but after thinking about it its really the rust problem. The only cure for the rust hole by the windshield is to remove the windshield And try to treat the pillar post with Eastwood interior rust spray, then spot weld a repair, paint the windshield frame and then replace the windshield, lots of work and even then the rust might pop up somewhere else near the pillar posts. Under the hood was a lot of rust, ie: ac hardware, fittings and the brake vacuum assist was really rusted. The chrome lug nuts were all beginning to rust. The ding in the passenger door was at least 12 inches long and there were a number of small dents near It, it looked like somebody intentionally dinged it. Since this a Florida vehicle I think the previous owner to the one who was trying to sell it to me must have lived near the ocean. The upside was the interior was nice with no leaks, what a contrast to the outside. In retrospect, If the body had been decent I'd have bought it with a bad fridge.

Good idea about looking for one in the SW. It's a good thing I have the CL notifier but even with that it's going to be difficult to find one.

[shoalster]

Originally Posted by monaw81

I have the 95 Saratoga I love it. We are a family of 4. We use the main bed, build a frame in the back (over the rear toilet) that lifts up for access and became a bed for one kiddo. We also made a front cab pvc hammock. Ours is really similar to yours.
I do not have a/c, we have the fantastic breeze fan which has been great.

Sounds like you came up with a great solution for your kids sleeping areas! I'd like to see that setup.

No ac? Do you live in northern California? Here in Florida you have to have it or you die! I can step onto my patio at night and in 30 seconds I'll be sweating. Around October it cools off until mid April.

Another good report from you re. the layout. I had a Pleasure Way with the twin bed layout which was good and it had an enclosed bathroom and shower, but I never used the shower, so the whole bathroom/shower area was wasted space. I've found, in my case, an inside shower isn't needed. I had it in my mind in the past that I "had to have an inside shower" which I discovered I don't.

I'm 6' tall and wide shouldered and I was able to squeeze tightly into the bathroom area in the Saratoga but it's only for a short stay to use the bathroom so a lot of space isn't need and would be wasted. The person or persons who designed the Saratoga were really using common sense, they must have been using class b's themselves.

I like the Saratoga twin layout because I can enter the van, take a short step left and flop down on the couch. I have arthritis in my knees and hips so that helps.

To me, it's kind of like the layout for a boat, the areas where the most use occurs gets the most space. The lounging area is the biggest, then comes the galley and last is the bathroom.

[g1g]

I like the ability for both queen and twin beds. Once I injured my shoulder and the twin made it easy to go in and lay down to sleep but then it was bad. The queen size is nice for extra room and can fit 3 people if they are not to big or even have a small storage of something sitting on the end but it is harder to get in and out of especially when I had the injured shoulder. Also when it is a queen there is storage under the center. pros and cons to both

[shoalster]

Yes, I too like the fact that it is convertible from a twin to a king bed. That really came in handy to have a twin with your shoulder being injured. My Pleasure Way was a convertible twin/king but it was hard to set up, not as easy as the Saratoga appears to be. I almost always left it in the twin setup.

Did you have to travel far to find your Saratoga? Seems like they are rare, even rarer than a Roadtrek 170, which I was looking for for awhile until I found out the sleeping and lounging areas are too small for me.

[Adriana]

I have the 95 Saratoga

What is the head room in the Saratoga? Does it have a shower?