color schemes on RVs

[Jerrygroah]

Something has been bugging me for the longest time. Maybe some of the old timers and possibly a newbie can help shed some light on the bug.

This is the bug. I have observed that most high end coaches have a dark color scheme, usually dark brown, (some times black), or some variation of the same. whereas most of the entry level coaches have a light color scheme, running mostly to white and light blue. Is this industry standards or does stats show that this type color scheme produces the most sales or is there some other rationale that I am not seeing?

Living in the south, I personally prefer the lighter colors as they will reflect the sun rays better and generate less heat inside the coach, or so I have been lead to believe.

Thanks for any replies that I get, Jerry

 

[Tom]

Jerry,

Could it be that some of those "white" coaches you see are merely unpainted fiberglass? Full body paint on a coach, irrespective of the color, is an expensive option and probably doesn't fit with the price point of an "entry level" RV.

OTOH there are several "light colored" American Coach motorhomes right here in the forum and they're certainly not entry level coaches.

 

[Ron]

There are several coaches among the members here that have full body paint that are not real dark in color.  I know I would not want a black or any of those dark colored coaches.

 

[Tom]

Black definitely isn't "our color". We tend to favor tans and browns for our vehicles. But color and the perception of it is such a personal thing.

 

[Ron]

Black definitely isn't "our color". We tend to favor tans and browns for our vehicles. But color and the perception of it is such a personal thing.

How true.  I wasn't inferring a dark color would be bad just that dark would not be for us.  I like the color of your coach too as well as most others we have seen at form rallies.  Color like many other things is really a personal thing like you said.

 

[Ray D]

If Jerry's perception is in error, a fantasy, a perception, it is nonetheless shared. I have the same perception.

I don't see the "tendency" for more expensive coaches to be darker as a global fact. I see it as a common thing. I have seen lighter colored luxury coaches. But, the tendency to be dark in color sure seems real, to me. And, I have not to my knowledge seen a dark colored "entry level" coach.

Our Challenger is white. OK, off white - dirty white - whatever. The Daybreak, the next level down is invariably white - with fewer, smaller swooping stripes. Next level up has larger, fancier swoops. Go up to the top-o-the-line, and they are all darker.

I see it as a patern - with exceptions.  :-\

Darker is higher class, and takes an extra airconditioner to keep it cool. Costs more for the extra air.    ;D

Go ahead! Beat me up for envying the dark colored coach folks!  :

Ray D  ;D

 

[Ron]

The reason you don't see many dark colored entry level coaches is because they are not painted.  As to darker looking higher class I would think just the opposite since the dark colors certainly do not appeal to me.  Again personal preference.  I am aware that some of the coach manufacturers got a lesson in engineering when they found their dark coaches with dark colred roofs could not be cooled as efficiently as the light colored ones.  Some of which repainted the roof to white.

 

[Tom]

Ray,

I don't believe anyone is questioning Jerry's (or your) observation, but we've offered a possible explanation.

Are the Challenger &/or Daybreak painted or unpainted fiberglass/gel coat?

While it's possible to have gel coat in different colors, white or off white are most common. An all-dark (black?) fiberglass coach probably wouldn't have a wide appeal, so there would definitely be a need to break it up with either paint or decals.

 

[Tom]

Adding to Ron's comment, Monaco had an expensive re-paint of numerous coaches which, although due to some underlying material, was exacerbated and more obvious with their black paint.

 

[Tom]

Isn't it funny how Chris and I gravitated to this coach when we visited the Marathon Prevost conversion factory. Aka tans and browns again, although it did have a very dark roof.

 

[Ron]

Adding to Ron's comment, Monaco had an expensive re-paint of numerous coaches which, although due to some underlying material, was exacerbated and more obvious with their black paint.

Several of the coach manufacturers had the same problem apparently something to do with the fiberglass materials in the walls not being properly cured at the vendor.  This not only affected painted coaches but also some with gel coat.  Yes the darker colors were more susceptible to this anomaly.

 

[Ray D]

Tom, I'm just trying to stir up trouble!  ;D And - - - my judgement is challenged on a regular basis, so I don't let it bother me.  :  OK, maybe a little.  :'(

I'm not sure about the Daybreak, but I understand it is fiberglass with decals. Didn't look like gel-coat.

Supposedly, I have full body paint on my Challenger. (Several thousand dollar option, listed in the options, installed, to bring the price up.) Truth is, it is hard to tell from jel-coat, so I'm not sure.

I gotta tell ya - I've seen a bunch of black, luxury, DPs and they look pretty classy, to me! And, pretty spendy!   (Almost intimidating!) Cool!  8) Well, maybe not "cool."

Ray D  ;D

 

[Tom]

... I've seen a bunch of black, luxury, DPs and they look pretty classy, to me! And, pretty spendy!

Maybe there's something to Jerry's observation after all  ???

OTOH that Marathon in the photo had an MSRP of $1.6M; Sounds pretty spendy to me. No, we didn't buy one  ;D

 

[Ray D]

Checked out the Challenger paint. Remembered that I ran over our fence, shortly after getting it. Looked at the repairs and then the rest of it. It's paint. No decals.

Ray D  ;D

Tom, that was a pretty nice looking MH. Should'a bought it!

 

[Tom]

.. that was a pretty nice looking MH. Should'a bought it!

I would have, but my wife didn't like the interior. Oh, there was also the small matter of $1.6M. Actually, I could have bought it for a mere $1.16M. They take trades at the factory - "we'll take anything you can drive here" was the response I received to that question.

 

[Wendy]

High end, low end, IDK. Me, I like the light colored RVs and I mean that for both inside and outside. I don't think the light outside colors show the dirt as much as the dark and I think they make for a cooler RV. And the inside, I definitely like the lighter colors, including the wood (espcially like the light oak).

Wendy

 

[leahkb]

I agree with Wendy, love the light oak. but we have light tan carpet, wish it was darker. It picks up every piece of dust, and with an 8 yr. old, you can't keep it clean. We put down rugs and runners to help with this.

 

[Pierat]

Living in the desert, we've learned to stick with light colors when possible, for protection from the sun. We've been looking at diesel Class A's for awhile, and there don't seem to be many in light colors. We prefer the light interiors, too.

 

[ArdraF]

Hi all,

Sorry I'm so late getting into this thread.  My cell phone access was agonizingly slow at FMCA and/or I got the dreaded "Waiting for RVforum.net" message.  Boo hoo.

Anyway, as some of you know I detest all the browns and blacks in RV colors and I've been pretty vocal about it with Monaco - which is why we special ordered our beautiful (to me) blue coach.  I had some interesting discussions about it at FMCA - again - and I've discovered an interesting Catch 22.  When I talk with manufacturers about it, they say they make what the dealers and customers say they want.  When I talk with the dealers about it, they say they order what the manufacturers have to offer and hope their selections will be what buyers want.  Then the dealers get all these rigs, the buyers don't want this, that, or the other thing, and make a special order instead.  The dealers then are left with a lot full of RVs that they need to sell.  So, my take on this is that we buyers have to push BOTH the manufacturers and dealers about it so they aren't put in the position of blaming one another.

Once again at the Monaco prerally we said the dark colors are too hot in the desert southwest where many of us live or "fly" to for the winter and the dark colors show dirt too much.  Many of the manufacturers (especially high end ones) truly believe the darker colors look more elegant and, therefore, are more appealing to their potential customers.  I could care less about elegance.  I want coaches that can be comfortable when it's hot, cool better and stay cool longer in hot climates, and look cleaner for longer on the exterior.

As to the carpets, forget them.  Get tile or wood instead and only have carpet in the bedroom.  I can't tell you how often I have been thankful for our tile.  Grease can be cleaned off tile easily.  After leaving home we had a problem with something in the front A/C that caused condensate to come out of our front A/C vents.  Had we had carpet instead of tile, it probably would have been very wet and probably would have left unsightly stains.  We just moved our lounge throw rug out of the way and let the water fall into pans until we found out what was loose.

Another comment regarding Ron's about the paint problem with several RV manufacturers.  We were told at Monaco that they are still in litigation about it and, at this point, can do nothing further to help anyone.  Apparently it involved a bad batch of something from Corning.  Until the lawyers get it all sorted out, folks affected by it are in limbo.

Back to dark colors, let's hear it for RVs that are light and pretty!

ArdraF

 

[Wendy]

Amen, Ardra, on the tile recommendation. And it makes even more sense if you have a very hairy child. Sam's hair is much easier to pick up or vacuum up off the kitchen tile (or linoleum) than it is to get off the carpet. And when you're somewhere muddy, it's WAY easier to mop mud up off the tile than to get it off the carpet. Of course, the older those hairy children get, the harder it is for them to get up off those slippery tile floors but good area rugs can help a lot there.

Wendy