21bhs Wasted Space

[drake]

I've noticed that some bhs have a hatch on the exterior of the slide out. I'm not sure if this is just on the couch models, but ours has the dinette and no hatch. Does that mean the cubby area there is just wasted space?

I also noticed the upper levels of the nightstands on either side of the bed appear to dead spaces. Theses are above the pass through storage.

Since these areas have the siding/tops glued, I don't want to tear into them blindly if the space is already used. On the other hand, if they are just wanted space, I'd like to use them for light storage.

Anyone familiar with these areas?

[thedusty]

We do not have a hatch on our 2016 21BHS. Bummer. Another user who took deliver before me does. It seems like they phased it out. I wonder if people overloaded the hatch with stuff/weight and it caused issues?

[charliem]

[font size="3"]The original 21s came with two options. The 21RBS came standard with the couch and no outside storage area; the 21BHS came standard with the dinette and did have the outside storage. The dinette also had a small shelf below the window that allowed the outside storage compartment. Either model offered the option of the alternate configuration and the outside storage was always associated with the dinette. If you have a dinette without the storage compartment it is another result of the Thor acquisition. They are attempting to standardize their factory and reduce cost, along with other cost cutting actions. So, to those of you with the new dinette and no outside storage: Do you have a narrow shelf under the window? If not, does the table extend all the way to the wall and/or is it attached to the wall?

Scott Tuttle RIP.
[/font]

[mjhall]

I have a 21 BHS and have done some mods for better storage and it's rather simple to take things apart on these campers and make it to fit  your needs. If you unscrew the black trim pieces the panel pieces have a thin double sided tape that holds it to aluminum frame work. I have used a stiff paint scraper to get behind the panel and carefully run the scraper along the aluminum frame to separate the tape glue from panel. It's also easily to cut with a sharp razor blade. So you could cut along the aluminum frame edge of the panel and then use the material to make a new flat panel door, with some aluminum from Home Depot or Aluminum metal shop.  A good place to see the panel is the front panel of the hot water heater. I have the exterior storage on the slide out and have two folding tv trays, small two burner stove, awning tie downs and few other small items and it doesn't effect the slide out.

I tried to add a photo but it's too large.

[djsamuel]

My 2013 21BHS does not have the outside storage hatch in the slide.  I'm glad it does not because that storage area results in a slightly deeper slide.  The increase in depth brings the end of the slide very close to the cabinets in the kitchen and you cannot walk back to the bathroom area with the slide in.  

[gbpack]

Our 21BHS that we took possession of in December (2015) must be one of the last ones where they included the outdoor storage cabinet under the dinette shelf. And yes, that results in a deeper slide which extends all the way to the kitchen cabinet when it's pulled in (so we cannot walk through to the fridge or bathroom when it's pulled in), but I'm very glad that we've got it. I use it for a lot of different things such as tools, electric cord and adapters, water hose, water filter and adapters, wheel chocks, clothesline, vinyl gloves, hand sanitizer, silicon spray, 3-in-1 oil, TV cable, etc. Don't know where I would store all of those things if we didn't have it because the basement is already full of other stuff! Eliminating that storage area was likely a cost cutting measure by Thor (as mentioned) because you cannot get enough stuff in there for it to be a weight issue with the slide. For those of you with the dinette and no outside storage compartment, if you have the narrow shelf under the big window, then you have space there that you could use if you were able to make yourself an outside door to that compartment. However, that may not be possible without also reworking some of the internal aluminum vertical support members in the outside wall (under the window) because you wouldn't really be able to get into that space easily without doing that. To those of you who have a dinette but no outside storage cabinet, do you have the narrow shelf under the big window?

[djsamuel]

No, there is no shelf.

[thedusty]

I have a window shelf on mine. No storage on the slide though.

[drake]

Thanks everyone.  

We have the shelf under the window, no hatch and interestingly enough, our slide almost touches the kitchen cabinet, no room to walk through.

[djsamuel]

This is interesting. They have no hatch, yet leave the shelf which results in not being able to walk past the dinette with the slide in. Sounds like the worst of both worlds.

[tinkeringtechie]

[quote timestamp="1464605883" author="@djsamuel" source="/post/21725/thread"]This is interesting. They have no hatch, yet leave the shelf which results in not being able to walk past the dinette with the slide in. Sounds like the worst of both worlds. [/quote]Yeah, it sounds like there's actually three configurations:

1- Shallow slide, no storage, but walk through while in (djsamuel's)
2- Deep slide, storage, no walk through while in (mine)
3- Deep slide, no storage, no walk through while in (Drake's)

1 & 2 seem like a trade off. 3 seems like a waste.

[charliem]

[quote timestamp="1464616857" author="@tinkeringtechie" source="/post/21733/thread"]3- Deep slide, no storage, no walk through while in (Drake's)

1 & 2 seem like a trade off. 3 seems like a waste.[/quote][font size="3"]Not a waste. Thor saved itself $1.75.[/font]

[tinkeringtechie]

[quote timestamp="1464616857" source="/post/21733/thread" author="@tinkeringtechie"]3- Deep slide, no storage, no walk through while in (Drake's)

1 & 2 seem like a trade off. 3 seems like a waste.

[font size="3"]Not a waste. Thor saved itself $1.75.[/font]
[/quote]Seems like they could have saved even more by just making it a shallow slide... it's a waste from both perspectives.

[charliem]

[quote timestamp="1464620756" author="@tinkeringtechie" source="/post/21741/thread"]

[font size="3"]Not a waste. Thor saved itself $1.75.[/font]

Seems like they could have saved even more by just making it a shallow slide... it's a waste from both perspectives.[/quote][font size="3"]Standby. It's coming. [/font]

[drake]

Yeah, kind of dumb.

Think I will open it from the inside, great place to store an AR10!