i.) C14 - Sunday, March 20, 1983 - North Shore News CHECK OUT THE BATHROOM AND CLOSETS I EYED those recreational vehicles as to comfort, my own, in mind. After the first hour or so, certain features began to impress or annoy me. First, the plumbing. The showers, cum tubs, come in several shapes and sizes. | didn’t care much for the shower that floods the entire bathroom every operation and would choose this model only if the alternative was the creek with the soap and towel. Most of the trailers and RVs, even of moderate size, were equipped with a tiny tub, many with a seat, that would effectively keep the water off the toilet. Most, too, had what we consider essential in a shower, a “telephone” style nozzle, which removes itself from a hook for ease of shampooing. I looked for storage space in the bathrooms. One model used-up a large area for a_ three-way murror. -Waste. tf T-want to took at ~ the back of my head, a hand mirror will do nicely, thanks. Have you ever studied the contents of your bathroom cabinets? So many essential items — nght on down to the hot water bottle. have to be stored. Each person must have a drawer or shelf of his own plus common areas for the aspirin, mouthwash, shampoo and the hke. Another feature that I'd avoid hke plague is_ the clothes closet inside the bathroom. Any idea how the moisture would destroy the wardrobe? I think a firmly closing bathroom door ts essential. Let's keep the steam where it belongs! I'd never touch a unit with only a_ plastic curtain over the doorway. Beds. No matter what else goes to hell in a handbasket, I can cope if I get a good night's sleep. Bed styles ranged from double to twin to bunks to queen. They had various arrangements for accessibility. Some were rue beds and stayed bed- like always. These appeared in the larger RVs_ and Travel - by Barbara McCreadie ee bedded. He called the bunk ~ breathe. housewife's mind was thinking — bedding! For any RV we purchased, I'd provide duvets in wash-and- wear covers along. with matching fitted sheets. These can fold to nothing but fluff to absolute comfort at night. I sat firmly on most of the beds and can report with all confidence that the mat- treses are great — heavy duty foam rubber. One comfort Id insist upon would be a thick, quilted, pure cotton mattress pad so that the whole thing could Kitchens. Mostly variations on the same theme but with some dif- ferences. First, storage space. Naturally, the bigger the unit, the more counters and cupboards. Not always well designed. Watch for the sliding can drawers - full _ length. counter to floor but trailers. Others did double duty as chesterfields and dining nooks during the day or collapsed over the driver's seat at night. One model had two bunks (check the Vanguard models). Brian, with some encouragement, stretched-out full length and found that his six-foot frame was more than adequately If you wou o place your advertisement in this special feature call Cathrine at 980-0511 makis Nhoes shoes 98 OO handbag LO OO Multi nervy Park Roya) south Gallery West 922 “cosy” and we both would give a lot of serious con- sideration to this arrangment. | like to read in bed while he hkes to watch TV. I could nicely retire to the upper with light, my head well away from the Dukes of Hazzard. Whatever model we chose for sleeping room, my only five inches wide. Cans can be stacked single file and the whole unit pulls out smoothly to pive you the news ata glance. Of all the units we saw, my vote for the best kitchen went to the 18% foot Frontier model. The kitchen area, at the rear, boasted wide counters, L-shaped ENITT EB ded LN Upto 50% off selected styles REEFER SHOES 205 Lonsdale © 984-7778 WESTMINSTER MALL. NEW WEsT. SSS} quality eyewear by norman g. Cull trv Park Royal North V22 ill “refrigerator-freezer with plenty of light. The storage was better than most but the whole work area was as functional and cheery as most homes. Refrigerators came in several styles. The best for me would be the separate alrang- ement with separate doors. Why warm your freezer every time you reach for a head of lettuce? I'd always wondered how RV refrigerators operated. Simple. The new ones have three-way power. While you tool down the highway, you switch to battery power. If you stop at the side of the road, two buttons bring on the propane. When you stop for the night at a campsite, 110 volts take over and run the fndge. The stoves and furmaces are propane. A word of caution — these should never be operated in a moving vehicle since it 1s very dangerous — read explosive — and worse. your insurance ts void should you have an accident involving propane fire. One feature that Vd consider adding to any RV that we purchased is a small microwave. After getting so used to my own, I know that I'd save a helluva lot of Rita Moore Ri OPTIX Classic Eyewear Inc On the road in a brand new camper propane by preparing simple meals (especially vegetables, eggs and sauces) in the micro. Small things caught my eye. In many models, a cup and ashtray receptacle was placed between the two front seats. Neat. With a thermos of coffee we could sip and smoke in comfort while driving. One gadget that horrified me for sheer ugliness plus waste of space was a lazy- Susan bar apparatus in the 26-foot Leocraft. By removing that garbage you could have a cupboard big enough to store half your grocenies! Wall-to-wall carpet or lino? Some units come with built-in vacs to keep the whole thing clean. If we bought a smaH unit, Id consider the lino for sanitary reasons but I'll bet those floors are dam cold on a frosty morning. Well, we sure got a plate- ful of food for thought at the RV show! Want to know the truth? I'd sell half my cats for one — but only after all our kids are grown and gone. If ] can't stand the mess they CONTINUED ON PAGE C16 BEST 14860 Manne love West Vane ouver Y25 Ib22 SPRING BREAK CUBA - VARADERO BEACH Direct trom Vancouver March 27 to April 7 Au Fare/2 Meals a Day / Transters/ Tips Each of 3 Each of 2 Single Child Taxes & Visa 2420 Marine Dr West Vancouvel! Ce eo i rh ore i ha SVNANSNAN ENS eee ets BSRATWARL OA: SAAN A NNASAAS ASA”