Home Tour: Remodeled Anderson Township barn becomes gorgeous modern dream home

Read article : Home Tour: Remodeled Anderson Township barn becomes gorgeous modern dream home

ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Jerry Whitney wasn’t looking to move, but he was looking for a clear route from his Anderson Township home to the airport on a day when interstate traffic was heavy. So he cut down Five Mile Road toward Kellogg Avenue.

“I didn’t want to miss my flight,” he said. “And then I saw this place and said, ‘Oh, my god, look at that barn.’ And then I saw a ‘for sale’ sign and Five Mile Creek behind it.”

He fell in love. When his wife of 14 years, Karen, saw it, she fell in love, too.

On Dec. 31, 2012, seven days after that first sighting, the Whitneys bought the 30-year-old horse barn and its seven acres at a 30 percent discount from a motivated seller. It cost them $300,000.

Fast forward 18 months and the Whitneys – who had no previous home construction experience – moved out of a 300-square-foot trailer on the property into a home like no other, a dream house they played a big role in designing and decorating.

The shock of the unexpected experience has worn off, but not the excitement and contentment they feel for their fully modern, energy-efficient barn house. Also still strong is their appreciation for their project partners – among them architect Marc McConnell, builder Paul Kapitula, Keidel Supply, A&S Lighting, Tate Builders Supply, Cooknee Cabinets, KBR Countertop Specialists, Home Depot, IKEA, The Container Store and Peoples First Savings Bank.

All these forces came together to produce a four-bedroom, three-bathroom showcase of modern architecture and engineering that surprisingly fits inside a big, old, round-top home originally built for horses.

Not only does the place run on a geothermal energy system that held down last summer’s utility bills to $90 per month, it is designed to be the Whitneys’ "forever home." The couple asked for and got what architects call “living in place” features that will allow the Whitneys, who are in their 60s, to stay in their home permanently.

The house’s hallways and doors are extra-wide. There’s a 4-foot-wide shaft just behind a door off the entry hall where an elevator to the second floor and its master bedroom can be installed if and when it is needed. Next to the shaft is a laundry room with a chute from the second floor. The master bathroom’s shower door is wide and wheelchair-accessible. Even the landscaping is designed to require minimal maintenance and no chemicals.

There are picture windows in every main room through which the Whitneys, for the rest of their lives, can watch the water rush down Five Mile Creek, lots of wildlife – deer, cardinals, doves, woodpeckers, nut hatches, tufted titmice and blue jays – and the moon and stars.

Take the Tour

The Whitneys – she’s from Bridgetown and is a University of Cincinnati graduate, he is from Lima, Ohio, and is a Xavier University graduate – wanted to retain the bones of the barn. And there’s no mistaking what it used to be when you turn off Five Mile Road onto their curved driveway. The house’s Quonset hut shape is enhanced by two second-floor dormers, a glassy grand entrance and the original cupola poking out at the roof’s center.

The barn’s industrial-strength foundation passed inspection with flying colors and was retained, but most of the interior – the stables, tack room and hayloft – was gutted to the arched laminated beams that support the rounded roof. To keep it water-tight during a 100-year flood, the entire house had to be raised 14½ inches.

Architect McConnell was so inspired by the place, Jerry Whitney said, that he sketched the floor plan in eight hours and then started marking off the layout with blue tape.

What strikes visitors upon entering the Whitneys’ home is its whiteness, its angular walls and windows, and its uncluttered, modern décor. Yet hints of the barn are there in the entry in the form of a frosted two-paneled sliding door that leads into the living room and a long, floating ledge made of chocolate walnut Jerry Whitney picked up on a one-day drive to Kansas City, Missouri, and back.

The Whitneys had hoped to repurpose two sliding wood doors in the old stable, but their condition was too poor.

“So we were in IKEA one day, and we saw those panels on some cabinets and said, ‘There’s our barn doors,’” said Jerry Whitney, a sales executive with a logistics software company.

The doors might leak a little heat, but the gas fireplace and heated, polished concrete floors keep the living room warm.

“My parents came here for two weeks in October, and they were so warm. My mother learned how to work the thermostat and kept it at 70 degrees. We practically had to kick them out,” joked Karen Whitney, a longtime physician’s assistant.

To the left of the entry hall and beyond the elevator shaft, laundry room and mechanicals closet are two bedrooms that share what the Whitneys call their “spa room.” The bathroom features sparkly, speckled gray quartz countertops, a dual-sink vanity with matching mirrors, a standalone soaking tub and a glassed-in shower with grass-like textured tile. Chrome is the metal of choice for the hardware and fixtures.

To be added to the “spa” features later this year is a fenced-in outdoor shower.

While family photographs in the bedroom at the front of the house stir memories, the bedroom in the back is filled with a mix of family-made art and heirlooms and images from vacations the couple and their four adult daughters have taken.

A glass door from the back bedroom leads to a covered concrete deck that stretches almost the entire length of the house. The deck faces Five Mile Creek and the woods of Withrow Nature Preserve and is accessible from the living and great rooms as well as the 2½-car garage.

Walking back to the entry hall, visitors pass a colorful Campari liqueur poster and a large portrait of an 11-year-old Jerry painted by the late College of Mount St. Joseph art instructor John Nartker.

Across the hall is a stairwell that reaches to the roof. It features a light oak staircase with stainless steel chords and rail and leads up to two more bedrooms, the kitchen and a beamed great room. The vaulted room includes a sectional couch and two stuffed chairs, a glassed-in wine closet, recessed lighting and one floor lamp, a 9-by-6 picture window, a gas fireplace, a big-screen television and a separate dining area with chandelier that faces the front yard.

The great room is where they wind down on weekends with wine and the Wall Street Journal or watch birds – on sunny or gray days.

“Even if it’s raining, we don’t care. With all these windows, it doesn’t matter,” Karen Whitney said.

Three bird feeders hang off the fully plumbed, second-story deck where the couple grills out with friends and watches the ever-running creek and forest.

The 30-foot-long deck is party central when the weather is nice, but the kitchen fills the bill in the winter. Stainless steel appliances, a long, two-tiered white quartz cooking and eating island and glossy white and textured gray European-style cabinets give the kitchen the modern feel Karen Whitney prefers.

“It’s a fun, fun, fun kitchen to cook in,” she said. “We hosted Thanksgiving last year, and I couldn’t believe how easy it was to cook the meal. There’s so much space and convenience.”

To the side of the kitchen and overlooking the stairwell’s cathedral-shaped window is a quartz-topped desk that the couple uses as command central, to pay bills and handle other household business. 

Two bedrooms are situated down a hall behind the kitchen, but before them is an inviting, steel-railed spiral staircase. Karen Whitney uses the slanted-wall and naturally lighted bonus room – which has two large cubbyholes behind doors for storage –for yoga, Pilates and TRX workouts. The third floor’s balcony hovers over the kitchen and great room and provides an up-close view of a special light fixture suspended inside the windowed cupola.

“My parents gave us that,” she said of the brass and crystal chandelier. “It came out of the old Shubert Theatre in Cincinnati.” It lights up the great room like a stationary disco ball, her husband said.

A guest room with full bath and the master with bath and massive walk-in closet are back down the spiral staircase and below the bonus room. The couple outfitted their closet with a system purchased at the Container Store that holds all their clothes and accessories. There is no dresser or wardrobe in their room, just open space and a clear view from the bed of the backyard and the rising moon.

“It’s the most wonderful bed to sleep in, until you have to get up,” Karen Whitney said.

'We Took a Gamble on it'

The Whitneys had just remodeled their contemporary house on Little Dry Run Road, which sat on a half-acre and was what they thought they always wanted. Leaving it was far from their minds – until they spotted the old horse barn on Five Mile.

“We took a gamble on it,” said Jerry Whitney, whose experience rebuilding vintage cars equipped him with mechanical skills and gave him confidence they could build their own home.

“Our financial adviser said, ‘You guys are crazy if you don’t do it,’” he said. So they did, but not without sacrifice. Living in a trailer during the treacherous winter of 2013-14 and storing their belongings in a nearby 20-by-30-foot shipping container for 18 months weren’t the only challenges they faced.

“We’d never built a house before or made all the decisions we had to make, sometimes instantaneous ones like when your builder asks, ‘What do I do now?’ and you’ve got to have a decision right then,” he said.

“We turned it into an adventure that we could write a book about,” Jerry Whitney said. “Karen’s quote is, ‘We never thought we would live in a dream house, and now we own one.’ To go from a normal house to this is just amazing. I swear we were meant to be here.”

Chance to See the Whitneys’ House

The 2016 green living tours by the Cincinnati chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council includes the Whitney house on Sept. 17 ($15 for non-members). To join the Green Living Member Circle, click here. The group will tour a modern house in Northside on Jan. 16.

Why Zimbabwe should be your next holiday destination

Read article : Why Zimbabwe should be your next holiday destination

Source: Why Zimbabwe should be your next holiday destination – telegraph.co.uk  13 December 2016

Last month, after years of discussion and a £120 million loan from China, Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls International Airport was finally opened by President Robert Mugabe.

There are no direct flights from the UK as yet, but with a runway capable of handling the world’s largest planes, plus 28 aircraft docking bays which could triple the capacity of the old airport to 1.5 million passengers a year, it looks set to usher in a new era of tourism for Zimbabwe.

When I landed there from Johannesburg a few weeks before the official opening, there was already a buzz in the air – particularly at the Victoria Falls Hotel, where the patio restaurant was full of diners in celebratory mood.

One official told me that between 3,000 and 5,000 visitors are arriving by foot each day on the Zimbabwe side of the falls (which straddle the border with Zambia), a clear sign that the country is back on the tourism map. The number of arrivals should increase dramatically now that the airport is complete.

What can visitors expect? On the one hand, “Zim” is spectacular, a place the BBC’s former Africa correspondent Michael Buerk called “the most beautiful country on the continent”. It has impressive natural features: mighty rivers (the Zambezi and Limpopo), game-filled plains (at Mana Pools), a lake half the size of Belgium (Kariba), a national park the size of Wales (Hwange) and boulder-strewn hills adorned with ancient San art (Matobo).

But it is also a country that has seen horrific genocide, its people brutally suppressed by politicians who have tried to quash democracy, destroying a once-thriving agricultural economy and creating hunger, homelessness and 80 per cent unemployment.

Despite all this, Zimbabweans are positive people, their motto being “We’ll make a plan”. Now that Robert Mugabe is 93, their plan – of a country without him – is gaining momentum. Tourism will be a big part of that.

I have been back to Zimbabwe every year for the past three decades, to visit the country of my birth. On my latest trip, I was amazed by the number of old friends returning to tourism as a way of making a living.

Over two weeks, every camp I stayed in was full of international guests, enjoying an experience every bit as enriching as in any other southern African country – and substantially cheaper than neighbouring Botswana or Zambia.

For those who want to see more of the country, new internal flights on the low-cost FastJet airline, together with private aviation companies, make this possible. I combined flying and driving around the country’s three biggest tourist destinations – Victoria Falls, Hwange and Lake Kariba. Here is my guide to the highlights.

The Explorations Company (01367 850566; explorations company.com) is offering a 12-night trip to Zimbabwe, with three nights at Zambezi Sands, four at Little Makalolo and The Hide, and three at Changa Safari Camp, from £4,790 per person, including flight, transfers, full board and most activities.

Victoria Falls

Why go?

One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, this is the world’s greatest mass of falling water. Some 5,633ft wide and 343ft tall, the falls are as impressive today as when David Livingstone wrote that “scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight”.

On the Zimbabwean side there are far more viewpoints (16) than in Zambia, including one above the thundering Devil’s Cataract and four facing Main Falls, where at peak season more than 27 million cubic feet of water fall per minute, drenching onlookers.

Because Victoria Falls has been a hub of tourism for decades, there are lots of activities on offer, from bungee jumping, abseiling and white-water rafting to diving with crocodiles. For the less adventurous, there are craft-shopping trips and sunset cruises.

While first-timers might prefer to stay in the town – at the relaxed Ilala Lodge (ilalalodge.com), the glamorous colonial Victoria Falls Hotel (victoriafallshotel.co) or the family-friendly Victoria Falls Safari Lodge (africaalbidatourism.com), new camps have been built just a 45-minute drive out of town – a welcome option for those who prefer to get away from it all after they have seen the falls.

The place to stay

Zambezi Sands, a bush camp on a remote stretch of the Zambezi river, was created by conservationist Mark Butcher. He has been protecting Zimbabwe’s wilderness for decades, both as a national parks ranger and through his community-based Imvelo Safaris group (imvelosafarilodges.com), to which Zambezi Sands belongs.

Butcher knows the falls area intimately and can arrange almost any activity, from fly-fishing for tigerfish to photographing lunar rainbows over the falls at night.

On this tranquil bend in the river, hippos snort and luminous blue kingfishers swoop. In the surrounding Zambezi National Park, plentiful wildlife roams. Days can be spent on game drives (mainly for elephant), walking through forests of Jackalberry and palm, fishing or canoeing with naturalists or affable camp managers.

This elegant, contemporary camp operates like a friendly boutique hotel. Its eight enormous Bedouin tents are on timber decks, with a plunge pool, outdoor shower, living area and bathroom with roll-top bath.

The big communal living room has colonial-style furnishings, the wide deck outside features a firepit (a cosy spot for stargazing) and the outdoor dining tables are in the daytime shaded by big cream umbrellas. The food is fresh, inventive and presented with pride by 27-year-old chef Frankie Banda.

Best of the rest

For real luxury, Matetsi River Lodge (andbeyond.com) offers the best of all worlds: big elegant rooms, a wine cellar and spa, as well as water activities and game viewing.

The 13 new tents at the Victoria Falls River Lodge (victoriafallsriverlodge.com) are airy and contemporary, with private plunge pools – but views are of the outskirts of Livingstone in Zambia, so the camp doesn’t feel remote.

The Elephant Camp (theelephantcamp.com) is highly recommended, but it is in the bush rather than on the river.

Hwange National Park

Why go?

This game park is not just huge – 5,625 square miles, about nine times the size of Greater London – but also boasts a wider variety of wildlife than anywhere else in Africa. As well as an estimated 50,000 elephants, in herds as large as 400, it is home to more than 100 species of mammal and 400 types of bird – a biodiversity to match that of the Kruger National Park in South Africa or South Luangwa in Zambia, but with fewer people, camps and cars.

What game you see depends on the area. In the hillier north-west (near Sinamatela, Nahimba and Camp Hwange), wild dogs are common. In the centre, near Main Camp, lions are frequently spotted, including prides that have perfected the art of elephant hunting. In the south-east, grassy vleis attract a staggering range of game.

Over four days in the central area, staying at three camps, I saw elephants, lions, a cheetah with three cubs, big herds of buffalo and giraffe, as well as relatively rare sable, eland and roan, and birds ranging from a giant verrose owl, with its distinctive pink eyelids, to the tiniest golden shaft-tailed whydah, trailing long glossy feathers to attract a mate.

The place to stay

Of three camps recently refurbished by Wilderness Safaris (wilderness-safaris.com), the smallest – Little Makalolo – has the most charm. (The others are Davidson’s, with a stylish new thatched lounge and pool, and the totally rebuilt Linkwasha, which has swanky new tents with sliding glass doors.)

Sleeping just 12, Little Makalolo is contemporary in style, with six mesh-walled tents containing shabby-chic furnishing. It feels more like a friendly little bush home than a luxury camp, and is set beside a watering hole where so many wild animals congregate that at night you are accompanied to your tent by an armed ranger.

Tents feature deep copper basins, outdoor showers open to the stars, comfortable beds with crisp white linen, and strong reading lights (a rare but much-appreciated extra).

Best of the rest

The Hide (thehide.com), a homely thatched camp built by the Preston family in 1992, is set on a private two-square-mile concession on the park’s edge. Its 10 thatched A-frame rooms are well laid out, with shaded verandas, practical shelving and, in the honeymoon suites, outdoor baths and double showers.

Head guide Nicholas Gaunje has worked for the family for 13 years, and imparts knowledge with sensitivity and dry humour, whether on a walking safari, a sleep-out in the Dove’s Nest treehouse, or a night drive (allowed on the concession).

He remembers the days when rhinos were frequently spotted in the area. “We haven’t seen any for about three years,” he says. “If it continues like this, the Earth won’t have any left.”

Lake Kariba

Why go?

This is one of the biggest man-made lakes in the world, like an inland sea covering an area roughly the size of Wales. When it was created in 1958 to generate hydroelectricity, more than 1,700 animals were rescued by conservationists from the rising waters and relocated to the adjacent Matusadona National Park.

Today the 540-square-mile park teems with wildlife and has just three places to stay within it: Rhino Safari Camp (rhinosafaricamp.com) in the north, a haunt of fishermen; Spurwing Island (spurwingisland.com), a favourite with families; and Changa Safari Camp, a smart new camp on a peninsula in the east.

Lake Kariba is a place where there is little to do but take in the big skies, the spectacular escarpment that stretches all the way to the Rift Valley, large expanses of water and the rich diversity of wildlife on its shores.

Activities revolve around water: watching birds, elephants, buffaloes and sometimes lions from a small speedboat; taking an atmospheric sunset cruise; kayaking (while looking out for hippos and 14ft-long crocodiles more than a century old) and fishing for bass, catfish and prized tigerfish.

The place to stay

Changa Safari Camp (changasafaricamp.com) is located  on the shores of Matusadona National Park. Owners Kevin Higgins and Angus Preston are keen conservationists intent on eradicating poaching, which is prevalent here. This they hope to achieve through their new NGO, the Matusadona Anti-Poaching Project (MAPP), and by attracting tourists back to enjoy Zimbabwean wildlife.

The camp – 23 miles from the main Kariba harbour – can be reached in 40 minutes by Avoca Transfers’ 16-seater speedboat, or in 20 minutes by plane to Fothergill Island. Whichever option you take, the journey there is an adventure in itself; we saw elephants before we had even reached the camp.

Like the Hide, Changa has been designed by people who understand what makes a safari pleasurable. The eight tents – two of which can accommodate a family of four – are large and well spaced out, with shaded verandas, comfy living spaces and bedrooms enclosed by big mesh windows which keep out bugs without cutting off the views.

There are several places in which to socialise, too: a bar shaped like a boat for sundowner G&Ts; a plunge pool surrounded by shaded bandas; a living area with a library and squashy sofas; and a dining space where the chef creates delicious buffets, from Cape pickled fish and Neapolitan meatballs to inventive salads and fresh fruit platters, all served with South African wines.

Most guests spend their time either out on the water, G&T in hand, or walking on the shores with an armed guide, seeing elephants, buffaloes and occasionally lions.

Best of the rest

Hire a houseboat. Arguably the most glamorous is the Matusadona (mv-matusadona.com), sleeping up to six.

Award winning home hits market in Bellaire

Read article : Award winning home hits market in Bellaire

From its sleek lines to its wide open spaces, this modern award-winning home could be yours if the price is right.

4931 Willow Street has everything you could want in a home and more. The 5,671 square foot, five bedroom, six full and one-half bath home features an open concept feel, perfect for the person looking for all the bells and whistles, to the family looking for a home to grow into.

The wide open entry with an office to the left and serving bar directly ahead makes this the perfect space for entertaining. Just past the bar is an incredible kitchen with all custom appliances and opens up to a large living area.

Just beyond the kitchen to the left is a hidden media room and to the right your own outdoor patio with summer kitchen and fire place. The back yard even has space to put in a pool if you would like.

All the bedrooms are upstairs including the master suite which has its own balcony overlooking the front yard. The master bath models the rest of the home with a large seamless glass shower with multiple shower heads, dual sinks with sitting area in the middle and stand alone soaking tub, perfect for relaxing after a long day at the office.

The master closet has all the extras including built-ins and plenty of space to store all your fabulous clothes.

All of this luxury will run you $2,298,000.

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1675 S Prom - Fantastic Oceanfront.. (5707)

Read article : 1675 S Prom - Fantastic Oceanfront.. (5707)

Fantastic Oceanfront Home on the Promenade has a terrific view of the beach and Tillamook Head. Vacation House in Seaside Oregon Bedrooms: 5 Bedrooms • Sleeps 15 Bed Arrangements: 3 Queens, 6 Twins, 2 Queen Hide-A-Beds Bathrooms: 2 Full Bathrooms Location Setting: Beach Internet: Internet Access Television: Satellite/Cable TV
Television more details Vacation Rental Rates Information   (Rates Displayed in USD)
Daily Rates from $350 per night Vacation Rental Description COMPLETE REMODEL IN PROGRESS (Photos will be updated when completed!) Kitchen under EXTREME remodel with wall removed allowing oceanview from the kitchen and living room! The living room is very large with lots of room, lots of windows and a majestic stone fireplace, flat screen TV with cable and free WiFi. Upstairs you will find 3 bedrooms. Bedroom 1 has a King bed. Bedrooms 2 and 3 each have a pair of twin beds. There is one full bathroom with a tub/shower, plus a half bath common to the hallway. Downstairs, (not accessible from the interior) has a living room with TV/DVD, Queen hide-a-bed, plus 2 bedrooms and a full bathroom. Bedroom 4 has 1 Queen bed 2 twins; bedroom 5 has 1 King bed. Linens supplied, but please bring beach towels/blankets for beach use. Charcoal BBQ on back deck, plus ping pong table in garage area. Parking for 4 cars only on property, no RV's or trailers allowed at the property at any time. Activities and Special Interests This property provides access to the following activities and special interests: Property Amenities Property Features » Towels/Linens
Featured Amenities » Internet Access » Satellite/Cable TV » Grill
Kitchen » Coffee Maker » Dishwasher » Kitchen » Microwave » Oven » Refrigerator » Stove
Entertainment » DVD Player » Television Other Property Amenities Stone Fireplace

High-End Homes: French-style chateau on the Thornapple River listed for $1 million

Read article : High-End Homes: French-style chateau on the Thornapple River listed for $1 million

ALTO, MI – Located along a wooded stretch of the Thornapple River, this chateau at 5945 Tannon Court SE offers a French Country décor with Parisian accents.

Joann Amash, who is an aunt to U.S. Rep. Justin Amash, R-Cascade Township, has put the house on the market for $1 million with Realtor Robert Antonini of Coldwell Banker AJS.

Amash said she decided to put the 10-year-old house on the market after her husband, Mike, died last year and their children started to leave the nest. The family has owned the house for seven years.

Located on two acres in a subdivision half an hour southeast of Grand Rapids, the three story mansion offers views of the river from centrally located great rooms on each level.

Guests enter the home through a large foyer with porcelain tile flooring and a cherry-trimmed staircase. Off to one side, there’s a small room with faux-painted walls and a grand piano. The room could be converted into a home office.

Straight ahead is the great room with a large limestone hearth and a series of ornately draped windows that overlook a deck and a path down to the river about 200 feet away. In the summer, there’s a deck on the riverbank that allows for relaxing and offers a launching point for tubing, canoes or kayaks.

The great room opens up to a large kitchen with a large granite-topped island. Appliances are commercial grade with a hand-painted French country hood over the stove. An adjoining dining area is filled with light by windows that surround three sides of the room.

A hallway from the kitchen leads to a large laundry room that also includes an island for craft projects and a built-in desk for homework time. Another door leads to the three-stall garage with a flagstone floor.

The master suite on the ground floor features a large bedroom with river views and a see-through fireplace. The master bath suite features a powder room, walk-in closets, a glass-blocked walk-in shower and a Jacuzzi tub. Beaded chandeliers and wall sconces lend Parisian style to the suite.

On the second floor, there’s a great room that Antonini calls the “Safari Room.” Palm branch ceiling fans hang from the barrel ceiling. There’s a hearth with lion head corbels and a bank of arched glass windows overlooking the river.

Now configured as a large home office, the original owners used the upstairs great room as a play area for children. With 8,400-square-feet of living space, Antonini says the house is flexible enough so new owners could easily change the uses of the rooms through décor changes and minor alterations.

Also on the second floor, there are two full bedroom suites. Both feature full baths and large walk-in closets. On the ground floor, there are two more bedroom suites, each with a full bath – one with a steam shower.

Much of the lower level is dedicated to entertainment. There’s a large family room with a stone hearth and wet bar for parties. There also is a billiards room and a separate home theater room with a large wide-screen projection system.

For grown-up pastimes, the lower level also includes a well-ventilated cigar room and a tanning salon equipped with a tanning bed. The lower level also includes several large storage rooms and a two-stall garage and workshop that could be used to store watercraft or other toys.

Technologically, the house is up to date with security and lighting systems that can be centrally controlled and a surround sound system with built-in speakers throughout the house.

There are four furnaces that manage the heat and air conditioning in various portions of the house.

Jim Harger covers business for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Email him at jharger@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter or Facebook or Google+.

Dream Camper Floor Plan Contest

Read article : Dream Camper Floor Plan Contest

Dream Camper Floor Plan Contest – Part 2 http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/news/dream-camper-floor-plan-contest-part-2/"> Dream Camper Floor Plan Contest – Part 2&BODY=I found this article interesting and thought of sharing it with you. Check it out: http://www.truckcampermagazine.com/news/dream-camper-floor-plan-contest-part-2/"> 12 more reader submitted dream floor plans including raw concepts, wild ideas, and subtle refinements.  And the winner of the first ever dream truck camper floor plan contest is… Just last week we visited a prominent truck camper manufacturer and the subject of our dream camper floor plan contest came up.  We talked with great excitement about the variety of ideas our readers were presenting, and encouraged them to study the plans when they debuted.  No, we didn’t give them a sneak peak.  It’s more fun to tease. None of the submitted designs, including mine, are anywhere near production ready.  That was never the intention or spirit of this contest, nor is it possible without delving into details like plumbing, electrical, and code compliance.

The true potential of this contest is to give truck camper users from around the United States, Canada, and the world the opportunity to directly inspire professional truck camper design teams.  You know, the folks responsible for the truck campers you see debut here on Truck Camper Magazine, at RV shows, and dealer lots?  This was your shot to show them your big idea, and possibly change the course of truck camper design history.

I know, crazy talk.  Then again, crazier things have happened.  I’m going to lobby the industry to take your designs and ideas seriously, as I do with our bi-annual truck camper survey coming up this fall.  Together, we will change the course of campers.

Far be it for us to determine who should win the best dream camper floor plan, except that’s exactly what we had to do.  This is, after all, a contest, and we are the big cheese, cheesette, and cheese-cat for this electron-only magazine.  After considerable review, and a tail gesture we interpreted as positive, we have a winner.

The winner of the first ever dream truck camper floor plan contest is…

Karl Pettitt, Elmhurst, Illinois – Winner

Above: Click to enlarge this floor plan and the others below to see them bigger.

Although I don’t currently own a truck camper, I would like to in the future.  I often think of what an ideal floor plan would be so this was a fun exercise.  I first did the layout in a program that was to scale.  The dimensions should be pretty accurate.

The floor length is 11-feet.  The total length is 19-feet, 9-inches.  The width is 8-feet.  It’s a single-slide, dry bath, flatbed model.

Although there are a few flatbed model campers on the market, I think there is a great deal of room for more.  Specifically, I think there is room for a larger model that takes full advantage of the ability to place the door anywhere.

To this end, I created a floor plan layout that places the door towards the front of the curb side of the camper.  This allows for greater flexibility in the placement of the bathroom, which I put across the entire rear of the camper.

The slide allows space for both a dinette and a small couch that can turn into a bed.  Placement of the kitchen towards the front, along with the heaviest components such as the fresh water tank, battery bank, and propane tanks, will help in keeping the center of gravity as close to the front as possible.

The placement of the entertainment center allows for viewing either on the main floor or the cabover.  There is overhead storage above the kitchen and couch that makes up for the lack of floor cabinets.  There is also ample windows allowing light in from either side of the camper as well as views.  I think this would make an ideal camper for a family with the potential to sleep up to six people without the use of a bunk.

#16 – David Miller, Branson, Missouri – Honorable Mention

My camper is designed with the premise that the most important things about a truck camper use are (1) the nice, soft, queen bed for sleeping, and (2) the nice bathroom for showering; not a wet bath.

The dining aspect needs less emphasis because, typically, the meals are simple and small.  In most cases, weather dependent, we eat outside at the picnic table.  Thus there is no need for a large dining table.

There is also no need to accommodate guests for sleeping.  If the grandkids are camping with us, they will sleep in a tent outside.  The concept of having the table convert to a bed is unnecessary, and a waste of space for us.

The attached drawing is for a non-slide design to fit a full-size short bed pickup.  I figure this camper will hang over the back of a 6’6” truck bed by approximately 27-inches.

Here are the wonderful features of my perfect truck camper:

It has a dry bath and shower.  This is extremely important.

The dining area has been reduced in size to only seat two adults.  The table is curved and the back of the seat cushion is curved to give the feeling and seating of a corner booth in a restaurant.  The only slight difficulty is that the person who sits down first will have to slide in and cannot get back out until the other person stands up, but, that is just like a corner booth in a restaurant and won’t be too much of a hassle.

There is a closet on both sides of the bed in addition to the foot lockers.  The television is mounted above the table, on the wall of the dry shower.

As you can see, the bed and the dry shower get the most emphasis, and the dining facilities are minimized.  It’s the perfect camper for two adults who want to shower every day after a good nights sleep.

#17 – Jake Schultz, Washington – Honorable Mention

A Folding Camper for the Ford Ranger

This camper is designed to be less than 780 pounds to work within the payload limit of a Ford Ranger.  It’s also designed to be 64-inches wide, with a maximum travel height of 82-inches.  These dimensions allow the camper to fit into a standard 84-inch garage in the folded configuration.

The camper features a full stand-up heigh interior of 76-inches, as shown.  A sun-dome could be added for an additional three-inches of interior height.

The camper has a double-pivot folding hard wall roof and sides with an open and panoramic cabin.

The camper can be used in one of four configurations:

1. Wide open with magnificent panoramic views to the aft sides and back.

2. Open to the aft sides and back, with screen netting in place.

3. Polycarbonate window panels in place (inboard of netting) for inclement weather.

4. Window panels in place and privacy curtains on the interior.

There would be comfortable seating for two at the dinette with the cushions angled slightly inward to account for the wheel well.

The camper would feature a modified full-size bed available at all times.  There would be a 24-inch cabinet for hanging clothes under the foot of the bed.

To save weight, the roof would be built for structure and snow loads only, not to stand on. The floor would be to stand on only if the camper is on the ground or in the bed of the truck, again to save weight.

There would be no jack stands.  The camper is suspended from the owner’s home garage root trusses to remove and store.

There would be an ice chest under one seat and Porta-Potti under the other.  There would be no refrigeration systems or black water tank.

All systems are in one four-foot module along the right side for minimum weight and system run lengths.  The module contains the propane tank, propane heater, two-burner stove, sink, fresh water tank, grey water tank, battery, converter, inverter, and small item storage.

#18 – Mark Larson, Phoenix, Arizona – Honorable Mention

This is my drawing for one of my dream campers.  Please excuse the poor scale on the toilet, lavatory, and kitchen sink.

I know this would be better as a flatbed model because of the side aisle going to the cabover and the location of the shower.  It could also be an above the bed rail model.  I’m with you wanting a camper with no slide outs.  You had a great design of your own.

#19 – Kari Miller, Branson, Missouri – Honorable Mention

My truck camper is the best design ever.  Here are the great features:

1. There is actually a solid wall between the over cab bedroom and the rest of the camper.  This creates total privacy, similar to a fifth wheel with an isolated separate bedroom.

2. The step to the bedroom is offset so there is not direct line of sight into the private bedroom.

3. There is room at the foot of the queen-size bed to access the closet and a real two-drawer dresser, which is what is needed for storing clothes in a camper.

4. A narrow, but deep and tall closet is behind the refrigerator is accessed from the step.

5. Instead of wasting room on a full table top and a table that converts to an unnecessary bed, this camper has a bar top for dining.  The seating consists of two bar stools which can be clamped down for traveling.  People spend many hours sitting on a bar stool so, obviously, these would be comfortable.  Plus, for most eating situations, people will either sit outside at the picnic table, or go out to eat at a restaurant.  There is a big window over the bar top so it would be pleasant sitting.

6. There is a slide-out pantry between the bar top and the range

7. The bathroom has a dry shower, which is important.

8. This camper should fit in a full-size short-bed pickup.  There are no slides, and it is
hard-sided.

#20 – Mike Cianci, Loveland, Colorado

Here’s my plan.  It’s fairly basic.  I chose a wet bath because it’s easier to clean.  Put it in the forward section near the wardrobe with a privacy curtain so nobody has to see your business.  And it’s easier to keep the bed/bath/dressing area cleaner.

I chose wardrobes with shelves or drawers which is more practical than hanging closets.  Who is bringing their tux and ball gown while truck camping?  There are overhead bins throughout where practical.

There would be LED lights, two batteries on a movable tray, and a small solar setup.  Only simple shades are necessary; no cornice, or valance boxes around the windows.

There would be 12-volt and 110 AC throughout, two Fantastic fans – one in the bedroom and kitchen – and an air conditioner   There would be a full-size skylight/dome in the bath with a side wall exhaust vent.

The sofa could be a jack knife-style, or have storage underneath.  And it would have two pull-out tray tables mounted in or adjacent to the armrest.  Plus it would pivot for easy egress from the sofa while eating or using computer, similar to tray tables on airliners in first class.

The television would be on standard pivot for bedroom and living room viewing, and would recess in a cabinet above the slide out pantry.  The rear exit door would have a platform deck for easy entry/egress.

#21 – Kevin Pinassi, New York, New York

#22 – John Wells, Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania

My design is a modification of the Chalet Ascent S100F, a limited production model (six total!) that Chalet discontinued to pursue production of their more profitable double and triple-slide models.  We love ours because it is completely usable with the slide in or out.

It has huge floorspace when the slide is out for entertaining friends and for ladies to dress in Civil War hoops (don’t ask).  The front bath allows a full height pleated curtain immediately behind the dinette to be drawn across to create a dressing room with access to bath, bed, and wardrobe.

There are no appliances in the slide, minimizing slide-out weight, and wear and tear on electrical and gas connections while maximizing efficiency of the refrigerator.  While we love our camper, please allow me to debut … drum roll… The Wellspring S110F.

My modifications to Chalet’s original design are as follows:

There would be 10-inches of increased length in the main cabin.  On the slide-out side, this extra wall space at the junction of the overcab and cabin strengthens the exterior at the crucial front corner tie-down.  We have already noticed flexing at this point and have taken steps to greatly reinforce this important structural location.  On the kitchen side, this extra 10-inches allows an increase in much-needed counter space, as well as under and over cabinetry.

I would also add about four to five inches to the side-to-side width of the wet bath.  The wardrobe doors and bathroom door would still function even with the slide in.

Additionally, I’d add half-penguin cabinets to the night stands at either side of the bed in the nose of the overcab.  These units would be open-shelved on the sides, half-depth and about 3/4 height, with a small rail or lip on the shelves and top edge to keep books, phones, clock, etc from falling out during travel.

I’d also add a three drawer cabinet with open top shelf and top rail at the foot of the bed on the bathroom side.  I’ve avoided the side hampers as I feel they add significantly to the difficulty of changing the bedclothes, though they could be added quite easily as an option.

#23 – Bob Dold, Monson, Massachusetts

Attached is my submission for the dream floor plan contest.  It is based off an EarthRoamer layout modified with a fore/aft dinette and an undercover slide-out compressor refrigerator chest.  I chose the slide-out compressor fridge since they are more efficient than a three-way refrigerator, and it allows for additional counter space.

One of my favorite features of the EarthRoamer plan is how the closet and bathroom doors can be opened and secured to provide a changing area outside the wet bath with access to the closet.  The wet bath has a wooded floor grate to provide a cleaner surface for the bath when the shower isn’t being used.

Access to the toilet cassette is through the rear storage door which drops down and can be used as a counter when cooking outside.  Another door above the horizontal door to the left of the spare tire can be used to store chairs and other lighter items out of the weather.

I prefer the side entry design as it allows the entire back wall to be used for storage and it allows access to the camper from the curbside when parked without having to remove bikes/trailers from the back of the camper.

The pantry to the left of the closet would be a bank of drawers with a window air conditioner unit above to provide for cool air without the expense and height of a roof mounted unit.  The dinette would be a little under three feet wide and can convert to a single bed if needed.

Large awning windows on either side provide lots of light and views with storage cabinets above them (not shown).  The overcab queen bed runs north/south to allow for getting out of bed without having to climb over your significant other, and has windows on both sides along with a skylight/Fantastic fan for good ventilation while sleeping.

Another feature I don’t see included on many campers any more is a pass through.  I would like the ability to stealth camp and having the pass through allows one to enter and exit the camper without having to go outside.

#24 – Floyd Schotel, Williams Lake, British Columbia

I’ve been dreaming up my ideal truck camper for a little while now, so you’re design contest is a great opportunity to share my napkin sketches!

For fuel efficiency, handling, and stealthiness, my ideal truck camper would be a low profile pop-up design to fit a 6.5-foot bed, full-size pickup.

The camper body extends past the bumper, dropping down for a low step-in side door.  Inside steps lead to the floor height.  This way the back of the camper is open to mount bikes, fuel, spares etc.  Also, the side door is a natural access to the curb or side picnic area.

Most of the windows are in the soft sides of the pop-up.  That way the camper will be more secure when in the locked down position.  In fact, the camper may look more like a service truck than a camper when in travel mode.

I’d keep the camper as small and tight to the truck as possible.  To keep things simple, I can do without a toilet/black tank, but a collapsable shower would be nice.

This camper is designed for boondocking and overland excursions as well as urban stealth camping.  I love the idea of taking my bed and a hot shower with me in a compact camper for a road trip.  No need to stress about finding a hotel, and a meal can be fixed anywhere, pronto!

#25 – Glenn Yauney, Milwaukie, Oregon

Here is an idea of a dream truck camper floor plan.   We started with the floor plan of a 1140 Arctic Fox.   We added a rear slide-out and side entry.

We would prefer a camper with both a rear and a side slide-out.  When towing a trailer, a rear door entry is awkward, thus we prefer a side entry into the camper rather than a rear entry design.   We added a large closet in the rear slide-out opposite the entry door for boots, outdoor clothes, etc.

Storage space is also at a premium, so I propose one that has both ample wardrobe closets and storage space equipped with larger drawers.  You can’t have too much storage space.

Exterior storage isn’t shown, but basement and exterior storage are also a must.

#26 – TJ and Kelly Kretschmar, Kansas City, Kansas

I am a mechanical engineer and have the ability to convert .pdf’s to CAD.  The Unimog part of the drawing can be found in the technical manual from Mercedes Benz website.  I printed the drawing to .pdf, then converted it to CAD.  I then printed the drawing for the Pangea concept and converted the drawing to CAD.

The reason I choose to draw this concept in CAD was to see if it was physically possible to put a garage bay in an expedition vehicle, and to incorporate my own ideas into the same space that would fit on a Unimog chassis with a single rear axle.

I deleted the interior of the lower living area so I could insert my own concept.  The items that I used from the original GXV drawing are the exterior walls, entry door, cassette toilet, and spare tires.  The loft area and access stairway is also GXV’s design, only with one bed instead of the two indicated in their drawing.

I used the Unimog drawing to make sure the entry door, center of gravity, and departure angle were going to work with the design.

We like the Pangea Lifting roof on a Unimog concept, but wanted it to double as a toy hauler.  We put one bed in the loft area to give the dinette area a sense of a vaulted ceiling.  The unit can be used in the down position for extreme cold weather.  The garage door folds down allowing access to spare tires.  The ATV slide out is similar to a Tommy Lift gate.

The camper would be able to detach with its own hydraulic jacks and allow for the installation of a dump bed.

This, of course, is just a dream.  For now our 1994 Hallmark Ute and 2006 Nissan Titan will have to suffice.

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Miami's Top Hotel Penthouse Suites

Read article : Miami's Top Hotel Penthouse Suites

When a standard room simply won’t do, it’s a good thing that Miami’s already luxurious hotels can accommodate with over the top digs—and price tags to match. Here’s a peek inside Miami’s most sought after suites with room to spare, floor-to-ceiling windows, private rooftop pools, marble bathrooms, and panoramic views stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the downtown skyline. This is our ranking of the most outrageous penthouses in Miami.

1. The Setai 

The Setai (pictured at top) is perhaps the most expensive hotel in South Beach—period. And the penthouse gives you 10,000 square-feet of zen-luxe accommodations, including a 3,000 square foot ocean front terrace—all for a mere $32,000 a night. The views from the 40th floor are best enjoyed from the private terrace’s infinity pool and Jacuzzi. The four-bedroom, four-bath suite also includes a Steinway piano, a full-service kitchen and amenities like butler service upon request, Frette linens, a rainfall shower, and a Bose surround-sound system. 2001 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 305-520-6000; thesetaihotel.com.

Continued below Continued below

2. Faena

Checking into the Faena Suite is like setting foot on a Baz Luhrmann movie set. The filmmaker and his wife, set and costume designer Catharine Martin, collaborated with Alan Faeana on the creative direction of the hotel. The suite is awash in lush red velvet, lavish animal prints and turquoise and gold accents. Connecting to a premiere oceanfront suite, it can be arranged into an extravagant four-bedroom suite at 3,549-square-feet. Drink in panoramic views of the Atlantic from multiple bathrooms or retreat in one of the five oversized bathrooms with a soaking tub. From $20,000 per night. 3201 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 305-534-8800; faena.com. 

 

3. The Miami Beach EDITION 

A two-story bungalow at The Miami Beach EDITION is like a little slice of heaven. With blonde oak and walnut wood paneling and plush, white sofas piled high with pillows, the aesthetic is all understated elegance. Outfitted with a separate bedroom, dining room and living room, the bathroom is a spa-like treat with a personal sauna. Top floor bungalows are equipped with private rooftop soaking tub and all enjoy panoramic views of the sea with oversized balconies. 2901 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 786-257-4500; editionhotels.com/miami-beach.  

 

4. Mandarin Oriental Miami

Famous for being a Forbes Travel Guide Triple Five Star Hotel in Miami, the Mandarin Oriental, Miami features two presidential suite options that channel this tranquil-luxe experience. The Oriental Suite on the 20th floor is the largest room in the hotel at 2,365 square-feet. With floor-to-ceiling windows, an oversized master bathroom, and a working fireplace, it’s a cozy retreat with a wraparound balcony and sweeping views of the city and Biscayne Bay. There’s also a fully equipped kitchen, a dining room that entertains eight, and a piano “christened” by Luciano Pavarotti. For the true spa seeker, reserve the Mandarin Suite on the 19th floor and enjoy a personal therapist on call 24 hours a day for in-room services in your designated relaxation room. The 2,000 square-foot room also boasts an infinity-edge soaking tub and a two-person, glass-enclosed steam shower. A night in either room will run you $9,500. 500 Brickell Key Dr., Miami; 305-913-8288. mandarinoriental.com/miami.

5. The Confidante Miami Beach

The 14th floor penthouse at The Confidante Miami Beach boasts a wraparound private terrace with both ocean and city views. The 980-square-foot pied a terrehas a master king bedroom with separate living and dining room and can be expanded to include an additional 367-square-foot deluxe king room with balcony. The luxurious bathroom includes a rainfall shower and whirlpool tub. All of this in Confidante’s signature playful palette of bright colors and patterns with a touch of vintage glamour. Nightly rates start at $1,500. 4041 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 786-605-4041; theconfidante.unbound.hyatt.com

6. W South Beach

The W South Beach has a collection of VIP suites, but none is so glamorous as the E-WOW Penthouse. The 2,600 square-foot suite has three bedrooms, all outfitted with king-sized beds and four balconies with unrivaled views of the Atlantic Ocean. The modern-luxe furnishings are complimented with fresh orchids, a Nespresso machine, and a plush robe and slippers. Add to this a rooftop deck with private plunge pool and a grill, and you’ve found your home away from home. E-WOW comes with all the perks of a true VIP, including personalized concierge service, guaranteed entry into W’s nightclub Wall, and a farewell gift on the night of your departure. The E-WOW Penthouse is $4,000 a night. 2201 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 305-938-3000; wsouthbeach.com.

 

7. JW Marriott Marquis Miami

Situated 41 skyscraping stories above downtown Miami with sweeping views of Biscayne Bay and the Miami River, the JW Marriott Marquis’ Presidential Suite with floor-to-ceiling soundproof windows seems to float above it all. At 2,479 square-feet, the suite includes two bedrooms with Brazilian cherry wood floors, two and a half baths with Italian marble, a living room, dining room, office, and private treadmill room. This modern luxury in the clouds can be yours for $4,000 a night. 255 Biscayne Blvd. Way, Miami; 305-421-8600; marriott.com.

8. SLS South Beach

You can party like a rock star—or just sleep like one—at the SLS South Beach inside one of Lenny Kravitz’s Kravitz Design Inc. penthouses. Choose from the Villa overlooking the action at Hyde Beach or the Tower on the top floor of the historic tower originally designed by architect L. Murray Dixon in 1939. Each high design penthouse is about 1,500 square-feet with a spacious ocean view balcony. The Tower features a grand living room, dining room, bar, and master suite with sumptuous interiors, like black and white marble, glass mosaic tile, textured leather, and screen-printed wallpaper in pewter and gold. The Villa has a contemporary feel with Cyprus wood paneled walls and stone floors, and a master bath with white Thassos marble walls and glass mosaic floors. If “you’re gonna go [this] way,” pricing starts at $2,500 per night. 1701 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 305-674-1701; slshotels.com/southbea ch.

 

9. InterContinental Miami

Originally named for President Ronald Reagan and Princess Caroline of Monaco, the InterContinental Miami’s pair of penthouse suites have been given an upgrade thanks to a 30 million dollar hotel renovation and the eye of tennis superstar Venus Williams and her V Starr design firm. Now named the Royal Palm and the Metropolis, each 3,300 square-foot suite offers a master bedroom, living room, dining room, multi-media room, office, and kitchen with gorgeous views of Miami and Biscayne Bay. A favorite hotel of competitors and attendees of the annual Sony Open Tennis tournament, Williams’ aesthetic is the perfect compliment to this classic downtown destination. Both penthouses start at $3,000 per night. 100 Chopin Plaza, Miami; 305-577-1000; icmiamihotel.com.

 

10. 1 Hotel South Beach

At 3,600 square-feet, boasting two king master bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, a living room, pool table alcove, media room and a balcony with sweeping ocean views and a daybed for lounging, 1 Hotel’s Presidential suite is a luxurious retreat. With furniture made of rough hewn white oak and natural fibers, wood-grained tile floors and nature-inspired pendant lamps, 1’s penthouse reflects the aesthetic of “bringing the outside in” at this eco-driven luxury hotel. Bathrooms feature walk-in showers and free-standing Boffi tubs. A throne-worthy rattan swing adds a touch of whimsy to the blissful space. Rates available upon request. 2341 Collins Ave., South Beach; 305-604-1000; 1hotels.com/south-beach.

11. Delano

Delano is considered the original South Beach “scene” hotel. Designed by Philippe Starck to resemble a glamorous stumble down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland, it has an equally stylish penthouse. At 1,660 square-feet, it features a master bedroom, dining room, sitting area, and wet bar. Picture dazzling all-white rooms with Starck-designed custom furniture and the signature bowl of green apples amidst billowing floor-to-ceiling white curtains. The bathrooms feature oversized Italian marble soaking tubs, and there’s also a spacious private balcony for discreet sunbathing and incredible views of the aquamarine sea. Rates are available upon request. 1685 Collins Ave.; Miami Beach; 305-672-2000; morganshotelgroup.com/delano.

Shayne Benowitz is Miami.com’s Travel Editor. Sign up for her monthly newsletter at ShayneBenowitz.com.

2016 Travel Lite 625 Super Lite Review

Read article : 2016 Travel Lite 625 Super Lite Review 

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TCM reviews the half-ton targeted 2016 Travel Lite 625, a short or long bed hard side, non-slide, non-bath truck camper.  Can a camper small enough to fit inside a short bed tailgate actually be worth owning? According to Dustin Johns, President of Travel Lite, the reasons for building the 2016 Travel Lite 625 called him on the phone constantly.  When the625 debuted in Truck Camper Magazine in June of 2015, Dustin explained, “Our customers and dealers have wanted a half-ton short bed camper that would allow the tailgate to be kept up, offer plenty of interior room, and feature basic amenities including a stove, sink, and refrigerator.  I was asked to build this camper many, many times.”

Above: The Travel Lite 625 at D&H RV Center in Apex, North Carolina

From the repeated requests, the Travel Lite team designed a hard side truck camper that would fit inside of a 6.5-foot short bed truck with the tailgate closed.  Keeping the camper inside the tailgate would allow for towing without an extension hitch and provide the best possible turning radius for the rig.  Once lowered, the tailgate could then become a small deck for sitting or gear.

Perhaps the Travel Lite 625’s most impressive trick is its ability to work with short and long bed half-ton trucks.  It looks a bit odd mounted on a long bed, but the two feet of bonus truck bed storage is perfect for toys, gear, and water containers.

To keep the weight down, Travel Lite used the materials, construction approach, and design concepts of their best-selling 770 Super Lite model.  The 625 features the same overall profile, kiln-dried Banak wood from South America, and cabinetry netting as the 770.  Further eliminating weight, the 625 was designed without a bathroom, black tank, or grey tank.

Dustin reported the initial dry weight of the 625 at 1,285 pounds and gave the camper a $10,495 MSRP with standard build options; refrigerator, sink, stove, fresh water tank, converter, and manual Rieco-Titan jacks.  Clearly Dustin was looking to put a sizable dent in the half-ton truck camper marketplace.

Of course the path to half-ton truck camper paradise is paved with good intention truck camper designs that never caught on.  These campers were usually too heavy, too expensive, or too small to become a consistent seller in the marketplace.

The question is, will the Travel Lite 625 break through where so many others have failed, or end up in the half-ton truck camper bin of history?  It’s time to put the 625 under the microscope.

We photographed the 2016 Travel Lite 625 seen in this review at D&H RV Center in Apex, North Carolina.

Floor Plan Evaluation

As seems to be the trend of late, the Travel Lite 625 is infused with the ideas and lessons of the past five decades of truck camper design.  This is not a fancy SolidWorks modeled multi-slide with intricate cuts and exotic amenities.  You’ll find no CNC-routed curves or luxury appliances here.

What you will find is an firmly old-school, pencil-to-paper, saw-to-wood truck camper design that shoe-horns an impressive amount comfort and utility into a short bed half-ton compatible truck camper.  Shut the tailgate and that’s exactly what Travel Lite’s dealers and customers asked for.  As the saying goes, give them what they want.

Above: The large 4-foot sliding dinette window brings in a ton of light

Stepping into the 625, the careful design decisions are everywhere.  The main living space feels open and spacious with plenty of light from a dual-window entry door, two large windows in the dinette, and a cabover side window.  Kitchen and dinette cabinetry and storage are readily available and the overall level of materials feels solid and durable.

While we didn’t take precise measurements, it appears that half of the available kitchen counter top is taken up by the single-basin sink and two-burner cooktop.

The flip-up counter helps by adding about 25-percent more counter space, but it’s still a tight set-up for preparing anything other than the basics.

To put this into perspective, Angela and I are connoisseurs of culinary basics on the road.  Our coffee, tea, one-pot-meals, and endless PB&J sandwich preparations would all work fine between this kitchen set-up and dinette table.  Now our laptop-to-laptop work requirements would be seriously challenged, but that’s another topic.

The U-shape dinette in the 625 was designed to accommodate three to four adults (if they’re very good friends) around the table for meals, conversation, and cards.  In reality, the dinette seating, table, and available leg area is best for two adults.  With just two, there’s plenty of floor space for legs and feet underneath, and ample table room for two plates of food, and drinks.

If this were our camper, we would want a larger table, and a more stable table leg and/or wall attachment system.  There’s nothing worse at a restaurant than a table that moves when you put your dinner plate or elbow on it.  With a single post, this table is fairly stable, but requires care not to bump it.  Naturally, one table leg is less weight than two, and a smaller table weighs less than a bigger one.  Compromises, compromises.

Above: The table and table leg are easy to remove for more room, or to make the dinette into a bed

Above: The porta-potti has a convenient storage compartment under the dinette

The dinette quickly makes into a 6-foot bed with the provided cushions.  This makes the 625 an ideal choice for the hunter or fisherman who wants to bring a friend for a weekend trip to that remote hunting ground or fish camp.

Above: The dinette makes into a 6-foot long bed

On the rear wall, the 625 features a 110-volt outlet and the thermostat.  While I don’t foresee this unit connected to shore power often, this outlet will be vital for charging computers, phones, and cameras while hooked up to AC or a portable generator.

Above: Standard on the 625 is a two-cubic foot refrigerator, which can be upgraded to the three-cubic foot size shown

The three-cubic foot, three-way refrigerator is ample for a camper this size.  In the past, campers targeting the short bed half-ton size and weight came primarily with ice boxes if they had cold-food provisions at all.  Having an actual three-cubic foot, three-way refrigerator is quite a luxury in this weight category and price.

Just below the refrigerator is a cabinet dedicated to a sealed enclosure for the 625’s single battery.  When I opened this cabinet, I was hoping to see storage, and found myself disappointed that this space was almost completely used.

I would look into moving this battery elsewhere.  My favorite go-to battery moving product is the Torklift International Hidden Power that places a battery inside a protected and sealed box under your truck.  With this modification, you could recapture this valuable storage space without losing the house battery.

Another option is changing to sealed AGM battery in this location.  You won’t gain your storage back, but you’ll likely gain more amp hours.  Then again, a bigger battery adds cost and weight.  When designing a camper for a half-ton short bed, trade-offs abound.

To the right of the refrigerator and battery cabinet is a large two-section cabinet and pull-out drawer.  With its immediate proximity to the kitchen and dinette, the drawer will likely be used for silverware, cooking utensils, and other kitchen items.

The large two-section cabinet is open season.  Some will use it for dry food, pots, and pans, while others will store clothing and camping gear.  We would at least attempt to use the cabinet over the sink for all dry food, cups, and plates, and use this space for a limited number of pots and pans, and then clothing and camping gear.  In truck camping, less is more.  In truck camping in a small camper, even less is even more.

Below the pull-out drawer is where you’ll find the stereo system, power converter, and fuse panel.  Having the stereo system and fuse panel easy to reach mid-ship makes sense.

The opening into the cabover is wide open and inviting with white-color LED lights perfectly placed for general lighting and reading.

Above: The cabover ceiling has a 110-volt outlet and provisions to add a 12-volt television

On the other hand, there’s not a single cabinet for clothing in the cabover.  Not one.  There is however a main LED area light, two smaller reading lights, a 110-volt outlet, and provisions to add a 12-volt television.  No cabover muss.  No cabover fuss.  That’s it.

 
Above: The overcab bed on the passenger’s side (left photo) the driver’s side (right photo)

In practice, I expect most folks will bring duffel bags for their clothing and keep the bags in the cabover when they’re not sleeping.  Duffel bags (or whatever cloth based luggage you prefer) are light weight and highly portable, especially compared to standard wood cabinetry.  Unless you just have to have your clothing folded up and put away, duffel bags make a lot of sense in a small camper like the 625.

Specifications

Specifications
Dry Weight	1,285 pounds
Wet Weight*	1,755 pounds
Floor Length	6’2″
Overall Length	10’10”
Width	78″
Interior Height	6’6″
Exterior Height	7’0″
Center of Gravity	29″
Truck Type	Long or Short Bed

At 1,285 pounds dry, the Travel Lite 625 is not the lightest weight hard side truck camper on the market, but it’s in the ballpark.

Travel Lite offers a range of options for the 625 including a solar panel system, electric remote-controlled Rieco-Titan jacks, roof rack, ladder, and an awning.

Above: Rieco-Titan manual jacks, cable television connection, shower power connection, and 110-volt outlet

Unfortunately, you could quickly defeat the concept of the light weight 625 if you add a lot of options.  Just the above mentioned list could add 150 pounds, or more.  In a camper where the design team opted for cabinet netting instead of cabinet doors, that doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Above: The Travel Lite 625 is 78-inches wide and 7-feet, 4-inches tall on the exterior

The 78-inch width of the Travel Lite 625 is 14-inches narrower than Travel Lite’s mid-size truck campers and 17-inches narrower than their largest models.  Obviously, every additional inch in length, width, and height on a truck camper adds weight.  For a camper targeting short-bed half-ton trucks, the 78-inch width strikes a good balance between interior space, and weight.

Above: The ceiling in the 625 is full height at 6.5 feet

One aspect of the 625 design that’s full-size is the interior height.  At 6.5 feet, standing in the Travel Lite is like standing in a much larger truck camper.  There’s plenty of headroom, even for tall folks like me.  That headroom helps give the 625 its roomy feel.

Above: The Travel Lite 625 on a long bed truck, photo courtesy of Travel Lite Campers

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the 625 is its long bed compatibility.  Mounted on a long bed truck, the 625 looks fairly ridiculous as it locates the unit two-feet inside of the truck bed.  To say this is an unusual rig aesthetic would be an understatement.  For many – us included – the immediate reaction was, “What the heck is Travel Lite thinking?”

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Above: The Travel Lite 625 on a long bed truck, photo courtesy of Travel Lite Campers

Well, Travel Lite was thinking that the 625 is compatible with the widest possible number of truck bed lengths and payload capacities.  In short (no pun intended) the 625 is compatible with many half-ton trucks, all three-quarter and one-ton trucks, and works equally well with short bed or long beds.  Does it look funny on a long bed?  Absolutely!  But very few hard side truck campers have this kind of truck compatibility.

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Above: The 625 on a short bed truck with the tail gate closed, photo courtesy of Travel Lite Campers

And we must recognize the point that mounting the 625 on a long bed allows for the remaining two-feet of bed space to be available for whatever the owner wants it for; bikes, water, gear, you name it.

Capacities

Capacities
Fresh	9 gallons
Grey	N/A
Black	N/A
Water Heater	6 gallons
Propane Tanks	20 pounds
Batteries	Optional

With nine gallons of fresh water, no grey tank, no black tank, and no inside bathroom, there’s not much to talk on the subject of the 625’s holding tanks.  Since you’ll likely only be using the fresh tank to wash hands, wash dishes, and brush teeth, the nine gallons could last upwards of a week, or more.

If you plan to scare the bears and use the outside shower, the nine gallons may only last you a couple days.

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Speaking of bears, I can hardly believe Travel Lite included a city water connection for the 650, but they did.  Without an inside shower, I can barely find a reason for this.  Maybe so those who enjoy flashing the wildlife take extended outside showers?  Hide your eyes Mother Nature.  Nothing to see here.

The single vertical 20-pound propane tank is absolutely perfect for the 625.  Not only are vertical tanks exchangeable at nearly every Walmart, Lowes, Home Depot, and gas station from coast-to-coast, but a 20-pound capacity should last a long time in a camper this size, unless you’re camping in the seriously cold.

When camping with a single tank you always need to keep tabs on your usage.  When that tank runs out, there’s no second tank to change to.  If we had one tank, I would fill it long before empty, just like putting fuel in the truck.

Travel Lite lists the battery as optional on the 625.  You could connect the 625 to your truck’s battery and gain the space we talked about earlier, but that would not be our recommendation.  All it takes is one night of running the furnace in cold weather and you could be stranded with a dead truck battery.  Whether you get the built-in battery Travel Lite provides, or another battery storage solution, we definitely recommend a house camper battery.

Wet Weight Calculation

Using the standardized Truck Camper Magazine wet weight calculation, let’s run the numbers on the Travel Lite 625.

Base Dry Weight, plus single battery option

Travel Lite 625: dry weight, 1,285 pounds + 9 gallons fresh, 75.1 pounds + one battery, 65 pounds + 20-pound full propane tank, 20 pounds + stuff, 500 pounds = 1,945.1 pounds

Since we don’t foresee or recommend many options being added to the 625, we’re not going to run an optioned wet weight calculation.  As it is, the final wet weight of 1,945.1 pounds may shock some folks.

500 pounds of that weight is the standardized “stuff weight” that we add to each and every wet weight calculation in Truck Camper Magazine.  In a small camper with limited storage like the 625, 500 pounds of stuff weight is likely more than required.  If we subtract half of this stuff weight, we get a more realistic 1,695.1 pounds.

Truck Recommendations

To remain conservative, we are going to match the 625 with a 1,695.1 pound wet weight (250 pounds of stuff).  This may still be high, but we always play it safe when it comes to truck and camper matching.

For those who haven’t looked at too many payload stickers, it may come as a surprise to learn that many half-ton trucks don’t have 1,695.1 pounds of payload.  Many older half-ton trucks, or trucks with fancy packages and long option lists, have considerably less.  Do not assume that any half-ton truck has this kind of payload.  It might, but it might not.

That said, it would be a cinch to either locate or order a half-ton truck with 1,695.1 pounds of payload, or better.  If you approached your preferred local dealer and said, “I need no less than 1,700 pounds of payload in a half-ton truck” they should be able to work out the specifications you require, and locate or order the right truck without trouble.

You could also take those same specifications and find a used half-ton with enough payload.  New or used, always check the actual payload sticker (the yellow sticker inside the driver’s side door) on the actual truck before making a purchase.

If you are purchasing a new or new-to-you truck, it’s also worth considering buying even more truck.  Two years from now you may want a bigger camper.  Why not buy the right truck for that bigger camper now?  In trucks, you often don’t pay that much more to get a lot more payload.

The Verdict

Some truck campers are designed to wow the senses.  You walk in and they have a dance floor of interior space, a dinette ready for six, a refrigerator that could swallow a beer keg, and storage that could empty your attic.  You know you’re in one of these campers when the HDTV is almost as big as the one you have at home, and there’s a fireplace underneath it (almost kidding).

Where these campers “wow the senses”, the Travel Lite 625 “wows with common sense”.  From the very concept of the unit, to the way the camper was designed and built, everything about the 625 is a carefully considered compromise to create a hard-side unit that’s truly half-ton compatible.

Judged from this perspective, the 2016 Travel Lite 625 is a roaring success.  Yes, it’s chock full of compromises compared to the “wow the senses” models, but these compromises were the right ones to make the half-ton targeted size and weight.  The form, function, and comfort this camper offers half-ton truck owners – especially for the price – is very impressive.

In short, Travel Lite has built a truly half-ton compatible truck camper that’s worth owning.  Yes, you will still have to run the numbers to make sure the 625 will match your half-ton truck, but the chances are very high that it will.

If you’re in the half-ton truck camper market, and can live with the 625 list of compromises (tight kitchen, no bathroom, no grey tank, no cabover storage, etc.), this camper deserves to be on your list.  With the 625, Travel Lite has a serious half-ton ready contender.

Pros
Low weight and forward COG maximizes half-ton potential
Short and long bed truck ready
Tailgate closes on a 6.5-foot short bed truck
Excellent sense of interior space for a small camper
Good amount of kitchen and dinette area storage
Dinette makes into a 6-foot bed

Cons
Very tight kitchen area
Very limited 9-gallon fresh tank, no grey, no black
No bathroom, but features a porta-potti cabinet
Extremely tight kitchen counter space, but extension helps
Optional single battery takes up valuable interior storage
No storage in the cabover – pack your duffels

Model Information
2016 Travel Lite 625
MSRP: $10,495
Warranty: 1 year from time of purchase

Travel Lite, Inc.
71913 Country Road 23
New Paris, IN 46553

Phone: 574-831-3000
Request A Travel Lite 625 Brochure
Web: TravelLiteCampers.com

Quality, Customer Service, and Long-Term Reliability

Truck Camper Magazine inspects all reviewed truck campers for design, material, and quality issues and reports what we find.  However, since Truck Camper Magazine reviews only brand new truck campers, our reviews do not address long-term quality, customer service, or reliability.

To learn about a brand’s long-term quality, customer service, and reliability, Truck Camper Magazine recommends talking directly with truck camper owners at truck camper rallies and online via truck camper forums and truck camper owners groups.

Please be sure to balance your gathered feedback across multiple sources including direct correspondence with the truck camper manufacturers and your closest truck camper dealers.

If you are new to truck campers, start here.

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