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Full Review | 2018 Winnebago Era 70M | The Only Class B with a Slideout and Dry Bath! - YouTube
Channel: Ultramobility
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It is one of only a couple camper vans with
a dry bath AND it's the only one with a slide
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out.
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We're reviewing a 2018 Winnebago Era 70M and
we're starting right now!
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Hello everyone!
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Neil Balthaser here and welcome to Ultramobility
Reviews the channel where you vote for the
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Have you cast your votes yet?
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Head on over to my Community Tab and vote
in the polls!
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There's only one other class B camper van
that has a dry bath and that's the Arriva
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by Coach House.
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A lot times in these small class B vans we
get a wet bath where the shower shares the
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same area as the toilet.
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But with a dry bath, there's a separate shower.
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We've got a lot of ground to cover with this
van so let's jump straight into this review
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starting with the exterior where we're also
going to talk about those chassis specs and
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hookups.
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Like all Eras the 70M is built on the extended
170 inch wheelbase Mercedes Sprinter chassis
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which means this van is the longest class
B available here in North America coming in
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at a whopping 24'3" in length.
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You're definitely not going to be parking
this coach in a single parking space.
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Dual rear wheels give you improved handling
especially on these longer wheelbased chassis.
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The Era is powered by a very capable 3.0L
V6 diesel engine with a 5 speed transmission
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that can deliver 188hp and 325 lbs-ft of torque.
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It has a tow capacity of 4,200lbs. and over
1,700 lbs of occupant and cargo carrying capacity.
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As far as safety features, the Winnebago has
opted for all the Mercedes safety upgrades
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including Lane Keeping Assist, Hill Start
Assist, blind spot and collision detection,
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side wind stabilization and auto headlights
and rain sensing windshield wipers.
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I personally like the look of the Era.
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It has a very automotive look with no swoopy
graphics, black tinted, automotive style windows
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- which by the way come directly from Mercedes
and available aluminum dually rear wheels.
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I especially like the polished stainless steel
quarter panel valance trim which is an available
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option.
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Let's take a look at hookups while we're on
the driver's side.
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It's pretty clean.
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There's very little in the way of access panels
and venting!
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Your shore power is located up higher as is
your exterior shower.
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But your service center is located down low
just in front of the rear wheels and includes
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your city water, cable tv hookups and your
black tank flush.
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I also like that Winnebago has included a
water pump control in the service center so
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that you don't have to run back inside the
coach if you forgot to turn on your water
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pump.
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Your propane fill is located directly in front
of the service center and your dump station
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is at the rear behind the rear wheels.
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I do appreciate the service center light located
above the right-most rear window.
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Often times when you pull into a campsite
at night it's dark and having that service
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center light is definitely convenient.
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Before we head into the van let's take a look
at the driver's seating position.
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Like all Sprinters I have plenty of leg room.
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And look how far back I'm able to recline
the seat.
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Keeping in mind that I'm 5'10" you can see
that my arms are pretty much fully extended.
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The steering wheel both tilts and telescopes
so that combined with the ability to adjust
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the seat's height means Taller drivers are
going to have an easier time finding a comfortable
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driving position in this coach.
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Okay it's time to head inside to see how this
van is laid out and also check out this van's
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dry bath!
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There is 4 floor plans available on the Era:
The 70A which has a permanent bed in the back,
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the 70B which has 3 captains chairs up front,
the 70X which has 4 captains chairs and the
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model we're reviewing today the 70M which
has a dry bath in the rear and a slideout.
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Here's our opening shot of what it looks like
stepping into the van.
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You've got your lounge/bed directly in front
of you.
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Now keep in mind that the slide is out here
and that's required if you want to use your
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lounge with a pedestal table.
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Along the passenger's side is your galley
and in the back is your dry bath.
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There are two color options available: Fusion
and Quantum.
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Let's take a quick look at the driver's seating
position from the inside.
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Notice that with that slide out I have plenty
of room but if the slide is in the wall of
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it is going to block my seat from going back
any further.
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Let's have a quick look at the dimensions:
pretty good cargo carrying capacity at over
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1,700 lbs. and the interior height is 6'3"
and there are no step ups.
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This is a two person coach.
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Only the cab seats have 3-pt seatbelts and
this coach comes with only a 1 year warranty
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and I'll speak about its build quality at
the end of the video.
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Let's head onto the galley where we're also
going to talk about this coach's electrical
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system.
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This is a small galley which is surprising
because we're in one of the longest class
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B vans available here in North America today.
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You do get a flush mount counter extension
there to the left and I do appreciate the
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large window behind letting lots of light
in and the tile work backsplash.
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Like all Eras you get a 3 burner stove which
is the largest in its class.
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You've got a stainless steel sink with a proper
residential style faucet and I do like the
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thick, solid surface Corian counter top which
is curved and matches the drawers beneath.
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It just gives the coach a more upscale feel.
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Look at all that storage!
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There's a bank of 4 deep drawers under the
stove and then a cabinet under your sink AND
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a large pantry/wardrobe closet to the right
of the sink.
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Above the pantry is your convection microwave
oven.
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Across the aisle-way is your enormous 6 cu.ft.
compressor driven refrigerator and this refrigerator
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has a separate 2.5 cu.ft. freezer and then
to the left of your refrigerator is even more
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storage including a deep drawer which would
be perfect for pots and pans and then just
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all this other storage space that frankly
I wouldn't know how to fill!
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Let's take a look at the aisle-way.
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It's okay.
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With the slide out you've got space for someone
to go around you but when the slide is the
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sofa goes up to the pedestal table mount in
the floor and you can see that it's going
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to be pretty tight.
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One small detail that I appreciate however
is that the cabinets have a bit of room along
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the bottom for your toes.
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That's a very residential design and it just
helps to move you in an inch or so closer
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to the counter while you're cooking.
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Okay, let's move on to the electrical system.
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Standard on this coach are two 6v lead acid
batteries with 2,400wh of capacity and a standard
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2.5kw LP generator and a kind of lacking 1000w
inverter.
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100w of solar is the only option available
but that's for the 2018 model year.
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For the 2019 model year 200w of solar is standard
and then there would be no electrical upgrades
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at all.
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So this is a basic electrical system.
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It does cover all your bases especially the
2019 model year which gives you everything
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you need except for an upgrade path to lithium.
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Hopefully soon Winnebago will offer their
Pure3 lithium upgrade by Volta systems on
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their Era line.
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The Pure3 lithium upgrade is currently only
available on their Travato line.
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Before we move onto the lounge and bedroom:
take a look at those lighting controls there
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to the left of the stove.
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Those kind of controls means this coach features
multipliex wiring which is great.
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Multiplex wiring lets you centralize all kinds
of lighting and other controls into these
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control panels which can be placed throughout
the coach.
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Additionally, Winnebago uses the FireFly integrated
control system which lets you control a load
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of functions from your mobile phone or tablet
using the Precision Plex app for Android and
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iOS.
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Okay let's head on into the lounge/bedroom
where we're also going to talk about the bathroom
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and take a look at available options.
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And you're going to want to stick around because
I'm also going to talk about build quality
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on this coach.
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Here we are in the lounge now keep in mind
that this lounge and bedroom are only usable
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if the slide is out as you see here.
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When the slide is out the two cab seats can
swivel around and you've got seating for 4.
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There's a pedestal table that can be setup
in front of the sofa but it's not quite large
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enough for the two cab seats to use comfortably.
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You've got lots of light coming in from the
cab and the sliding door has These are sliding
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type windows has a big window that opens with
privacy shades.
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I especially like the large skylight letting
in lots of light.
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The skylight has screens and privacy shades
as well.
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There is a window behind the sofa which you'll
see in a minute when I lower the bed.
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I do wish that they would have kept this window
when the bed is up like they used to have
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on their previous model the Era 70C.
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There's a 24" LCD TV on a swingout armature
that is also positive locking.
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The TV's sensibly placed where people can
see it AND it's mounted up and out of the
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way and not on the kitchen counter like the
70a floor plan!
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Here's a shot that you'll rarely if ever see
with the slide in.
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I want you to see what it's like to have the
slide in because you're not always going to
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want or be able to extend out the slide.
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Take a look at the space behind the driver's
seat.
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There is none because the wall of the slideout
is right up against the seat.
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Also it's kind of difficult to see but notice
that the sofa is pushed all the way out into
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the entry way.
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There is no entry way and the sofa is pushed
nearly up against the entryway grab bar.
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So when the slide is in like this, the driver's
seat cannot spin around and the pedestal table
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can't be setup so you don't really have much
of a lounge.
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Okay, I thought that was important to show
you because most dealer and manufacturer videos
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don't show this floor plan with the slide
in.
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Let's put the slide back out and talk about
sitting comfort.
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It's just okay.
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While Winnebago does use memory foam it's
thin and you can feel it.
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I do like that there's nothing behind my head
and the seats are a good size with plenty
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of elbow room.
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I'm 5'10" and I can sit here just fine with
proper back support and without my feet dangling.
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One thing that I wish Winnebago would do is
figure out a way to attach the sofa back cushion
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so the wall so that it doesn't fly about when
you're driving.
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Good news however is that Winnebago placed
a couple usb ports on the side of the sofa.
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That's a great location because who wants
usb ports up in the ceiling where cords dangle
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in front of your face?
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As far as storage you've got a large overcab
cabinet and then all that storage that we
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saw opposite the galley.
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I really don't think there's a lack of storage
in this coach.
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Let's see how this area functions as a bedroom.
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Setting this area up as a bedroom is straightforward.
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You just need to find a place to stow the
sofa back cushion.
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Then you manually flip out this leg extension
and push a button to electrically lower the
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murphy bed and TADA! you have a 52"x75" bed!
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Keep in mind that you have to have the slide
out in order to drop the bed.
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Here I am laying on the bed and you can see
that that I'm 5'10" and I have plenty of space.
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If you're 6' tall you're going to be able
to sleep on this bed just fine.
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Bed comfort was just fine.
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It's nice having a proper mattress with now
seams between seat back cushions and seat
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bottoms.
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One really nice feature of a murphy bed is
that you can leave your bed made up when you
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put up the bed so you don't need to find places
to stow your pillows and blankets.
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As you can see here there's a couple more
cabinets above your bed along with readings
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lights and some storage underneath where the
pillows are.
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And I really like that window in the back.
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Those windows are awning style so you can
crank them open even when it's raining and
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rain won't get in.
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Okay let's move on and take a look at some
of the available options and their prices.
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You can upgrade to a 9" color touchscreen
info and gps system in the cab.
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It's a Rand McNally RV system that has some
RV specific features in it like knowing bridge
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clearances and things like that.
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It's a pricey $2,700 upgrade but it replaces
the old and kinda outdated Becker system that
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Mercedes installs and gives you all the latest
and greatest connectivity options like Apple
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Car Play and Sirius XM satellite radio.
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You can upgrade to the Mobile Eye Collision
Avoidance System for $1,000.
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Again I'm not sure you need this since you're
already getting as standard the Mercedes collision
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avoidance and lane keeping assit safety features
although it is only air to point out that
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Mobileye does do a few things that the Mercedes
system doesn't do like headway/following time,
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and pedestrian hazards.
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You can get a roof rack, ladder and aluminum
wheels but the big upgrade that's missing
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is the 4x4 chassis upgrade that's offered
on every other Era floorplan but is not available
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here on the 70M.
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That's the sum total of your upgrade options
let's wrap up this review by taking a quick
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look at the bathroom before I give you my
final recommendation.
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Here's the big reason why you would consider
the 70M - a dry bath!
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Dry bath means that you get an enclosed shower
separate from the rest of the bathroom and
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dry baths are rare in the class b segment.
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I'm only aware of one other class B van, the
Arriva by Coach House that can boast a dry
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bath.
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The enclosure for your shower is a single
piece of fiberglass and not paneling with
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seams that need to be sealed.
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There won't be any potential for leaks in
this bathroom.
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Bonus points for the textured glass shower
door although these doors will have a tendency
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to rattle going down the road.
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Here I am standing in the shower.
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The dimensions of the shower are a good size:
24"x31".
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I've got plenty of headroom I'm able to turn
around easily when inside without bumping
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into a sink or toilet.
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Speaking of which, here I am sitting on the
toilet.
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While there is a cabinet and towel rack above
and behind my head they're not bothering me
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and I've got good shoulder room.
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I kinda like that little ledge that houses
the Truma Combi system.
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It's a great place for your phone!
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Take a look up: there's a dedicated roof top
vent in here.
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That's in addition to the large skylight in
the lounge so plenty of ventilation in this
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coach.
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Before we talk about tank sizes I just want
to admire this bathroom.
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I love everything about it.
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That solid surface Corian counter top and
its mosaic backsplash and humongous mirror
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look like they would fit right into a nice
condo.
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There are much more expensive class A coaches
on the market that don't have as nice as dry
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bath as this coach has.
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Okay, let's take a look at these tank sizes.
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Wow!
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Wow! and Wow!
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An enormous 44g fresh water tank is approaching
the size of a class A's fresh water capacity.
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That's beyond good.
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That's fantastic.
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A generous 25g grey water tank and a massive
22g black water tank.
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AND you get a standard black tank flush system
which is always appreciated.
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So all around really great tank sizes.
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A couple is going to be able to boondock for
days in this coach no problem.
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Before I give you my final recommendation
I have to talk about this coach's build quality.
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On the surface this coach shines - literally.
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Its high gloss cabinets are beautiful.
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The halo rope lighting is gorgeous.
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The solid surface counters are thick and lustrous.
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It's easy to fall in love with the look of
this coach.
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But... as I do in every coach, I pulled out
drawers and looked behind panels and I do
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have to report that I saw extensive use of
stick framing and staples.
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Stick framing and staples is a construction
technique that involves stapling together
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pieces of wood to form the structural support
elements of cabinets.
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It's a fast and cheap way of constructing
cabinets as opposed to using solid pieces
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of wood that are then cut out and screwed
together to form the structure of the cabinet.
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I personally would never buy any furniture
for my home that was stapled together but
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it makes even less sense when the cabinets
are subjected to the stresses and constant
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vibrations when driving down the road.
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you'll have to make your own call and determine
if you're okay with stick framing but I feel
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it's important to at least make you aware
that stick framing and staples are being used
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behind the scenes on this coach.
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You won't find any other dealer or manufacturer
sponsored video reviewer telling you this.
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So what's my final recommendation?
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Should you avoid the 70M?
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Consider it?
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Short list it?
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Or buy it?
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I think you should...
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Consider it but only if you're a couple who
want a dry bath in a class B camper van.
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Honestly if it weren't for the dry bath I
would have to recommend that you avoid the
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70M but because there are just no other options
available on the market today this coach's
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dry bath saves it from the dreaded "avoid"
rating.
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Let me know if you agree with me in the comments
section below and if you like this video - you
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know what you need to do!
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Give me that thumbs up; subscribe and hit
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are released.
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And please don't feel guilty if you can't.
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You're watching is always good enough for
me!
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That wraps it up.
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Thanks so much for watching Ultramobility
Reviews where you vote for the RVs that you
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want me to review.
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Watch out for the 360 degree video tour of
the CrossFit dropping soon after this video
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releases and a live questions and answer session
following that!
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I'll see you soon everyone!
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Take care!
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BBye!
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