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STUPID STUFF

Yahoo Message Number: 16048
We all know and appreciate the fact that Country Coach builds a great motorhome, but occasionally they do some really STUPID STUFF.
We also know that Country Coach monitors this web site to see what we are all talking about to try to improve their products and image.
I have two examples of Stupid Stuff that could have easily been fixed at no or little additional cost. Maybe you have more you'd like to post.

Stupid Stuff #1 -- my 2003 Intrigue has two Hadley air horns that are exactly the same length. The coach air horns sound flat and don't have the big coach sound that most other coaches have. Country Coach could have installed two different length Hadley air horns for no extra cost and given us a much better sounding horn. Now, I have to pay several hundred dollars to buy a single longer horn to upgrade my horn sound, when they could have done it for no additional cost!

Stupid Stuff #2 -- When I open my swing open bay doors, the doors don't open nearly as far as they should because the air springs are too short. I ordered extra long air springs from SPD and installed them at a cost of several hundred dollars, when Country Coach could have installed the longer air springs for no additional cost to them or me!

What kind of Stupid Stuff has Country Coach done on your coach? What kind of suggested improvements would you make that cost little or nothing?

Regards,
Bob Kumza

2003 Country Coach Intrigue #11581

Re: STUPID STUFF

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 16052
Bob,

There may well be engineering reasons for not opening the bay doors much closer to the 180 degrees that you were looking for. One should realize that each gas spring requires 90 pounds of power to close.
When you open it on too large an angle and then close it, there is a large transfer of power shift on the hinges.
Stupid question: Can the hinge and its attachment to the frame take this?

Quote from: rvrobert2003

Re: STUPID STUFF

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 16058
Henk, based on my actual experience, the answer to your question is YES. The doors and hinges have no problem with the longer strut.
While I went through the process of upgrading to longer air springs, I also added a second air spring to every door. I got tired of the wind blowing the doors shut on top of me with the single air spring. Now with the two air springs on each door, it works really great. Each door opens to approximately 160 degrees (almost vertical) and I no longer bang my head on the doors when they are open.

Regards,
Bob

Quote from: Henk J\. Bots
>

Bob,
> There may well be engineering reasons for not opening the bay doors > much closer to the 180 degrees that you were looking for. One

should

Quote
realize that each gas spring requires 90 pounds of power to close.
When you open it on too large an angle and then close it, there is

a

Quote
large transfer of power shift on the hinges.

Stupid question: Can the hinge and its attachment to the frame

take this?

Quote
>

[quote author=rvrobert2003"

> Stupid Stuff #2 -- When I open my swing open bay doors, the

doors

Quote
don't open nearly as far as they should because the air springs

are

Quote
too short. I ordered extra long air springs from SPD and

installed

Quote
them at a cost of several hundred dollars, when Country Coach

could

Quote
have installed the longer air springs for no additional cost to

them

Re: STUPID STUFF

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 16060
Great post ... been thinking of this since we picked up our Affinity in November.

Little stupid stuff ...

The receiver for the stereo system is at the top of the stack. Can't see the readout if you want to manually tune. Could have traded places with the switcher right below with no sacrifice. Not a biggie but annoying as hell.

You can turn off the outside steps so they do not extend when you open the door. Can anyone explain why this is a 'feature'? Talk about a liability suit waiting to happen. Not sure how I did it, but I did.
This is a biggie.

Also, putting the house battery disconnect as the first and most accesable switch on that panel as you enter the coach is kind of weird. How often do you shut down the house elect system? Actually, quite often until I figured out what how the switches were arranged.

The whole elec system is WAY too complicated. I cannot believe it could not have been made more user friendly. My company builds computer controlled equipment for the printing and converting industries, using our own proprietary distributed control systems (RS485 and CAN bus), so I don't scare easily, but I sometimes feel a little intimidated by the various methods for accessing the available data and settings. I don't want to think real hard when motorhoming, I just want to have a beer or two and relax.
Very good coach, and very good company, but we all do dumb stuff. I can't wait to read other comments.

I did figure out how to get the satellite receiver to work with the component input on the tv, and not just channel three. Small victory.

John and Terry Keene
Affinity #6453

Happy but sometimes confused campers.

Re: STUPID STUFF

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 16062
In the past four years I believe I have used my horns just three times. First time just to see if they worked, second time to attract the attention of my neighbor's young children and one time when an inconsiderate four wheel driver cut me off.

 I don't think I need any special horns!

Re: STUPID STUFF

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 16097
I'd put the location of the inverter in my coach high on the stupid stuff list. If you pop one of the breakers, you have to get out your tools and remove that heavy metal coverplate in the battery compartment so you can reach inside and reset the breaker.

Next on the list is the design of the electric step cover system.
With the trans cooler located where it is, almost impossible to work on this thing.

Third on the list is the location of the heater intake. When you are rolling, the lowered airpressure in the area of the intake, caused by motion, cuts the air flow in half and the heater doesn't heat worth a darn. Had to build an intake air diverter for it.
Forth is that no one took into account all that noise the awning arm next to the entry door would create in motion. Should have been equipped with an air diverter. Fortunately, found a very inexpensive solution right here--stuffing one of those plastic flexible pool "worms" they sell at Walmart into the space.

Quote from: rvrobert2003
>

We all know and appreciate the fact that Country Coach builds a > great motorhome, but occasionally they do some really STUPID

STUFF.

Quote
We also know that Country Coach monitors this web site to see what > we are all talking about to try to improve their products and

image.

Quote
I have two examples of Stupid Stuff that could have easily been > fixed at no or little additional cost. Maybe you have more you'd > like to post.

Stupid Stuff #1 -- my 2003 Intrigue has two Hadley air horns that > are exactly the same length. The coach air horns sound flat and > don't have the big coach sound that most other coaches have.

Country

Quote
Coach could have installed two different length Hadley air horns

for

Quote
no extra cost and given us a much better sounding horn. Now, I

have

Quote
to pay several hundred dollars to buy a single longer horn to > upgrade my horn sound, when they could have done it for no > additional cost!

Stupid Stuff #2 -- When I open my swing open bay doors, the doors > don't open nearly as far as they should because the air springs

are

Quote
too short. I ordered extra long air springs from SPD and installed > them at a cost of several hundred dollars, when Country Coach

could

Quote
have installed the longer air springs for no additional cost to

them

Quote
or me!

What kind of Stupid Stuff has Country Coach done on your coach? > What kind of suggested improvements would you make that cost

little

Re: STUPID STUFF

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 16109
John Keene,

The step switch is used when you do not want your step to stay out in a parking lot.
You will find this out the first time a truck takes off your step when you stop in the lot of a flying J or at a repair facility.
You will use the power shut down switch whenever you store the coach without power. Not to often for most folks like us but there are people that store their coach without power. Put a piece of tape over the switch to keep from hitting it by accident.

Bill g. 2005 Magna #6425

Re: STUPID STUFF

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 16110
Quote from: gablerwh@a\.\.\.

John Keene,

The step switch is used when you do not want your step to stay out

in a

Quote
parking lot.

You will find this out the first time a truck takes off your step

when you

Quote
stop in the lot of a flying J or at a repair facility.

You will use the power shut down switch whenever you store the
coach without

Quote
power. Not to often for most folks like us but there are people

that store

Quote
their coach without power. Put a piece of tape over the switch to

keep from

Quote
hitting it by accident.

Bill g. 2005 Magna #6425
Thanks Bill ...

I understand this should be a good feature, our Dutch Star worked this way. When you closed the door, the step pulled in.

However ...

What I found that is if you switch off when the step is in, and you are inside, the step does not extend when you open the door. This means when you go to leave, the step does not extend so you better we watching. The step should extend when you open the door no matter what.

I also understand the house power disconnect is a good feature, but the switch is placed right next to the interior light switch. Not sure why it is on this panel, it should be stuck somewhere special so you have to overtly press it ... not press it by accident.

Thanks again for your response,
John

Re: STUPID STUFF

Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 16180
I wish our CC had a water pump switch in the toilet room. We dry camp a lot (~60 days so far this year) and we turn the switch off when we leave the coach. Often, when returning to the coach, the first one in heads to the toilet room and usually forgets to hit the switch (above the entry door) when first entering the coach. Fortunately, all they need to do is yell for the other one to turn it on. It'd be a little awkward if we were solo.
This is not a big deal, of course, but is annoying.
Another stupid thing is that the driver's seat isn't mounted "square" with the steering wheel. The straight ahead locked position isn't really "straight ahead" and, even if it were, the seat wouldn't be centered with the wheel. This leads to discomfort when driving long distances. Many cars are like this, by the way.

Another stupid thing is the location of the switch for the sliding interior step cover. It should located within the co-pilot's easy reach.
Not a "stupid thing" ... but to eliminate the need for the driver to putz with the dashboard stereo when trying to drive, we replaced the stock AM-FM/cassette player with an AM-FM/CD player WITH REMOTE CONTROL. If I want the station changed, I simply ask my wife to change it. Volume up? Ditto. Volume off 'cause we're coming into a toll booth? Double ditto.
Insert CD? You got the idea. It works well for us.

And yes ... she's always within earshot 'cause she's always in the co-pilot's seat.

Dick (& Geri) Campagna (at Lazydays, Seffner, FL) '98 36' Intrigue #10571
Mfd: 11/97

Re: STUPID STUFF

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 16190
Dick, every item you mentioned has been corrected by CC in the newer models, with the possible exception of the driver's seat alignment. Since you mention it, I think my seat is a little off to the left of center.

Walt Rothermel
03Allure30811

Re: STUPID STUFF

Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 16200
I must disagree, Bob. The important part is the steering wheel which determines the direction my coach will take. It is a little to the RIGHT of center where it should be for a loyal Republican like me.

Walt Rothermel
03Allure30811
 

Re: STUPID STUFF

Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 16208
From: Spiker1029@...>

(snip) > Dick, every item you mentioned has been corrected by CC in the newer models,

Quote
with the possible exception of the driver's seat alignment. Since you > mention it, I think my seat is a little off to the left of center.
Yeah ... it matches my political views. I'll modify the seat mount ... but not my views.

Dick (& Geri) Campagna (at Lazydays, Seffner, FL) 36' Country Coach Intrigue