Lazy Daze Factory visit October 16, 2016, 11:22:21 am My husband and I will be visiting the LD factory/showroom this month. We have never owned a motor home of any kind so this will be a whole new experience. We've been researching RV's and think LD is the brand we're most interested in purchasing in 2017. For those of you who have owned other brands of motor homes, how does LD compare? Any information, advise or recommendations would be so much appreciated. Shari
Re: Lazy Daze Factory visit Reply #1 – October 16, 2016, 05:20:27 pm IMHO best review on the market. Cost a few dollars but its unbiased. RV Consumer Group
Re: Lazy Daze Factory visit Reply #2 – October 16, 2016, 05:21:39 pm Well, we have not owned another RV, but we cruised a number of RVs, RV shows, and RV dealerships before we went to The Mothership to look at LDs. Still do see the shows in Phoenix when we're there.If you, too, have been in other RVs, one thing you will find different is that the Lazy Dazes you see on the "showroom" floor are all in perfect shape and ready to roll. There are no trim pieces hanging off, off-kilter shelves or drawers, no shoddy workmanship anywhere. What you see in the LDs on display will accurately represent what you will be delivered...no punch list, no items to be made good at a later date (possibly the 12th of Never). There's no flimflam or empty promises or need to run anything by "my sales manager."The Mothership is a very modest affair and could have the effect of putting one off...don't be fooled. There's been no money wasted on glitz or showmanship. It's clean, spare, outdated and the restroom sink has only cold water on tap. They might still use carbon paper (this is no joke!).You will not have to fend off salesmen or put up with silly questions. You will be offered help and questions will be answered directly with no interpretations necessary. You will be offered a test drive if you wish one. Folks are friendly, but don't hover. You can spend as much time as you wish crawling in, out, over and under the models on display. Someone will check back on you, but again, you're not hovered over. You can also see LDs under construction (you cannot go out onto the production areas, but you can get pretty close). We would caution you to (a) not ask if there's a discount...the price is the price is the price; (b) don't ask about slides...never have been, never will be as long as a Newton owns the company; (c) ask for custom features that are not already on offer. There's a good palette of colors, interior and exterior, and it's all pretty straightforward. There are options (which you should read about on the official LD website), and you will be dissuaded from spending your money unwisely! Steve Newton is an engineer and can be a bit prickly, but is proud of his products and his company. I find him easy to get along with because (a) I've been married to an engineer for almost 50 years and know how "they" think, and (b) followed the above cautions. Truly, in order to appreciate the experience or the products, be sure to visit showrooms and shows featuring other RVs. TinaP2006 MB "Wild Thing"Ready to Roll Once I Get Medical Clearance 2 Likes
Re: Lazy Daze Factory visit Reply #3 – October 16, 2016, 07:45:10 pm "They might still use carbon paper (this is no joke!)"----They do, but I think it's limited to the receipt pads. And, they don't take credit cards; only checks or cash! Ditto on Tina's "evaluation"! A visit to the factory can be a time warp journey back to the 50s; much of the area open to potential customers does look like a good candidate for "neighborhood revitalization", but, as Tina said, LD's focus is not on fancy trappings and snappy décor. I know that some feel that the appearance of the office, the "showroom", and even the yard, reflect the quality of what comes out of the back, but they are mistaken! Who cares if the ugly, dark wall paneling hasn't been manufactured in the past 50 years? "Guts", not "feathers", is what LD is about. Joan 2 Likes
Re: Lazy Daze Factory visit Reply #4 – October 17, 2016, 04:46:40 pm Hi Shari! Sounds like you are in a similar situation to me and my husband. We have been doing research for the last two years on RVs and motorhomes.Just this past weekend, we made a quick trip out to California to visit the Lazy Daze Mothership (Friday) and also took in the Pomoma RV show on Saturday. It was...enlightening to say the least! We had a nice visit with Todd at LD, who answered all our questions and let us crawl in, around and under the two models in the showroom. We even got to briefly look at the construction of a unit that didn't have the aluminum "skin" on yet. I preferred the 27' Mid-bath just for the extra space, but my husband likes the 24' TK because of the shorter wheelbase and better maneuverability. We both agree that slides in an RV are unnecessary, and unwanted.Saturday we went to the Pomona RV show, and started making comparisons. We have been to other RV shows, and looked at units at local dealers but it was interesting to have the back to back comparison with LD from the day before. There were a few brands that I'd never seen "in real life", only in websites, so the show was a good chance to check some of these out. Born Free was at the show, and they do some very good quality work. Unfortunately, they only had the Sprinter-based chassis and none of the Ford chassis units at the show. I don't know if they have a good floorplan for us, although they were amenable to making some changes (for a price..!)We were quite underwhelmed with the quality of most of the other offerings at the show. Even some of the supposed "high end" class A motorhomes (such as Newmar) are still using cheap stapled drawer assemblies and thin wallboard paneling. They seem to put all the money into appearances, with fancy lighting, tiled showers and wood trim. The other thing I was surprised to see was how many of the RVs had broken cupboard latches, missing screws, poorly-fitted joints & seams, and touch ups in the interior walls. Granted, this was in vehicles that had a few thousand people looking over them over the past week, but they are also brand new RVs! I would expect the manufacturers/dealers to put their best foot forward with some of these models, but I would hate to see what they look like after a few years of intermittent use. Had I unlimited funds (ha!) I might be tempted to buy a custom designed Showhauler-- they had nice fit and finish, and put out a quality product, custom designed to your specifications. But after the RV show, we've come back around to LD for our first choice--a practical floorplan and quality product that should suit our needs fine. We just have to decide new or used...
Re: Lazy Daze Factory visit Reply #5 – October 17, 2016, 08:01:52 pm We owned a 21 ft class C "starter home" prior to getting out LD. The quality of the LD is so far beyond our "mass market" RV that we still can't believe it. Everything on the LD worked properly the first time. Nothing feels cheap or junky. The LD just feels like home. Our old one, even after almost 4 years never did. We were always waiting for something else to fall apart.
Re: Lazy Daze Factory visit Reply #6 – October 17, 2016, 08:46:20 pm "I preferred the 27' Mid-bath just for the extra space, but my husband likes the 24' TK because of the shorter wheelbase and better maneuverability. "We have owned both the MB, and currently, a 24' TK. The TK is essentially a shrunken MB without the front dinette area and a much smaller bath.Based on our current use, I.e. short, local trips, the TK is perfect.Both plans have adequate storage for our needs. The MB for our former extended trips and the TK for our current short trips.If we were shopping between the two, based on our experience.1) more than two people? MB2) more than one dog? MB3) like a decent sized shower and a bathroom with storage for bathroom stuff ? MB4) a little more personal space at times? MB5) most maneuverable? TK.6) trips longer than a few weeks? MBAfter a few weeks of driving the 27' model, it will be a piece of cake. Look at the people driving a 40' DB. They seem to manage just fine. What we miss the most about the MB is the, relatively speaking, generous bath with lots of storage for bath sorts of stuff. The TK has essentially zero bath storage with the exception of a small medicine cabinet.Others will have their opinions; these are ours based on our 12 years of Lazy Daze ownership.Ed and Carol.Enjoying our '15 TK. 2 Likes
Re: Lazy Daze Factory visit Reply #7 – October 18, 2016, 09:44:40 am Lazy Daze used to have every model on the floor, but not these days. Apparently they now have the Mid Bath and Twin King only. You might be able to see some others under construction or in for service. It's getting to be model year changeover time and there could be different models on the floor once those there now are sold. You might want to inquire of LD what models will be on display in the future and time your visit accordingly.On the other hand the two there now would give you a good sense of the size difference between the 24' and 27' models, since they are essentially the large and small versions of the same floor plan.Terry
Re: Lazy Daze Factory visit Reply #8 – October 18, 2016, 12:08:01 pm Another owner of the "shortie" and the "longie" here. We happily owned a 22-foot Twin King for ten years, BUT we went on short weekend and vacation-length jaunts while still gainfully employed full time, with only one or two of multi-month duration. This was in the era of desktop computers - no portables available at the time. We have no pets. This length suited us fine for those years.When it came time to fulltime, we went with a 40-foot diesel pusher - still no pets. This was totally lovely - for the passenger. The driver was not as thrilled. This lasted eight years.Enter a debilitating illness . . . back to the Lazy Daze store for another round of "small" motorhome. This time we chose a Rear Bath because of the openness of it. Still no pets. We have now had the Rear Bath for seven years, and are still quite happy with it. We have taken several multi-month trips, but have not fulltimed in it. In good health, I would not hesitate to do so, though.I was distressed to hear the Newmar has succumbed. Their retail prices are astounding, so I cannot imagine poor workmanship, but I guess that is the way of the world now. Our fulltime unit was a 1999 Mountain Aire that was very comfortable and well put together. We had a few stumbles along the way: generator blew up, transfer switch refused to transfer, and one small slide-out problem, but the fit and finish of the coach was excellent. It was a sad day when we had to give it up.The best way to decide on floorplan is to experience each one in person. Drawings can be deceiving. We always thought we would do best in a Mid-Bath because we have wildly differing hours of consciousness. Turned out that the Mid-Bath floorplan felt overwhelmingly confining to us. The Rear Bath is not ideal because of the one-huge-room effect, but the openness outweighed everything else. We love the many windows in the front of the coach, and the one in the bathroom is sufficient that the whole of the interior is nice and bright. We struggle to make this work, but it does.When you are going through the motions of living in the unit, be sure to consider where everyone will be if one person wishes to sleep when the other doesn't. Where will you "be"? That was our biggest problem with the Twin King. If someone was asleep (and not in the overhead bunk), where does the other person stay for the duration of the nap? Three options: Right underfoot on the other sofa, trying to remain quiet; in the passenger seat; or the bathroom. Don't laugh - sometimes the "throne" (with the seat down) was the best option!Fresh water capacity is essentially the same across the board for all models, but the "used water" tanks can vary, as does the propane tank capacity. Something else to consider.Add large dogs . . . their physical size and the space it takes to keep their "stuff" at hand must be taken into serious consideration. I have no experience with traveling with pets, so cannot really address this in the context of a moveable, small space. Plenty of experience with multiple large dogs (St. Bernards and Poodles) in a 1000-square foot house, and all I can say is "OY"!There is at least one member of this board who fulltimed in a Twin King for several years with a medium-sized dog. Perhaps she will weigh in on the experience.You have the right brand; now to just find the right floorplan! ;-> Virtual hugs, Judie •~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•Quote from: shari2121 - October 16, 2016, 11:22:21 amMy husband and I will be visiting the LD factory/showroom this month. We have never owned a motor home of any kind so this will be a whole new experience. We've been researching RV's and think LD is the brand we're most interested in purchasing in 2017. For those of you who have owned other brands of motor homes, how does LD compare? Any information, advise or recommendations would be so much appreciated. Shari 1 Likes
Re: Lazy Daze Factory visit Reply #9 – October 18, 2016, 02:58:05 pm Thank you Judy. Hope to meet you someday. Shari
Re: Lazy Daze Factory visit Reply #10 – October 18, 2016, 07:50:47 pm One can get a measure of "separateness" in a TK by adding a swivel base to the passenger seat. This creates a small "retreat" while your significant other is occupying the rear lounge. Excellent for reading, knitting, working on laptop, etc. If more privacy is desired, the accordion door can be deployed, creating two "rooms." Works great for us on numerous multi-month trips. - Jon ('06TK "Albatross") 3 Likes
Re: Lazy Daze Factory visit Reply #11 – October 18, 2016, 08:13:03 pm Quote from: Jon & Loni - October 18, 2016, 07:50:47 pmOne can get a measure of "separateness" in a TK by adding a swivel base to the passenger seat. We did that on our TK, as well. Makes for a very comfortable seating area with my legs stretched out onto the drivers seat.Ed
Re: Lazy Daze Factory visit Reply #12 – October 18, 2016, 10:56:04 pm We did not have a swiveling passenger seat, so I resorted to putting pillows up against the door for a back rest, and then using the driver's seat as a footstool. A dedicated posture pillow stuck in front of the door might have improved my lot, but I never thought to try that. We were a lot younger, so were out and about a lot more then, so this didn't come up as often as in later years.I used this area to read books and magazines (remember: no portable computers or other electronic devices were available back then in the "stone age"), but that area could now serve for reading or tapping on such, particularly with some sort of either a lap board, or a pseudo desk with legs - something like a breakfast tray might work, too. I've seen a "desk" that fits over the steering wheel, which is intriguing. Not sure how comfortable the driver's seat might be for using electronic devices for any length of time, but probably no worse than using it as . . . well, a driver's seat to steer the vehicle.We didn't have a toad with the Twin King, but such a vehicle might serve as an alternate place to be. Actually our "toad" these days is a Sportsmobile van camper, so I simply retire to the sofa in there when it is nap time in the Rear Bath! We just use that vehicle as a "den", so to speak, when we are camped.I actually read on my iPhone a lot in bed, even at home, so I just prop it up on a fuzzy, soft, but substantial, knee separator pillow to bring it up to eye level. I don't need glasses to read, but if you do, this might not work very well.We're not outside sitters, but of course that is always an option during clement weather - and daylight. Virtual hugs, Judie •~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•Quote from: Ed D. - October 18, 2016, 08:13:03 pmWe did that on our TK, as well. Makes for a very comfortable seating area with my legs stretched out onto the drivers seat.Ed
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