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It's the next big thing in combined indoor/outdoor living space
Jeff Johnston of MotorHome, June 2008

Photo courtesy of http://www.countrycoach.com

Country Coach has the whole mobile luxury living gig down pat. From innovative floorplans to hardware and equipment assembled with a meticulous eye for detail, Country Coach customers expect and receive nothing but a top-shelf Class A experience. To add another twist to the luxury quotient, the company has developed its exclusive new Veranda-equipped coaches that are sure to create some major waves in the industry and among buyers.

The Veranda feature, which is covered by multiple pending patents, is a 4 1/2-foot-deep by 13-foot-wide deck platform that hinges down from the side of the coach at floor level to create a 58 1/2-square-foot living space. The top portion of the opening incorporates a large horizontal window, and when deployed, the window segment articulates to remain parallel to the coach wall so it forms the outside "wall" or railing portion of the Veranda. Folding machined-metal railing assemblies deploy to protect the open ends of the deck.

How is the Veranda different from a similar slideout-enclosed area? It's a wide-open addition to your living space that's just as useful and valuable as adding a deck to a house. It shifts your focus from "live inside and exit the coach" to enjoy the outdoors, to "living inside and out" in one large, expanded area. By moving a portable dining table and chairs to the Veranda you have a dining or general use spot that's unparalleled in scenic enjoyment while it's conveniently accessible to the rest of the coach. As users place the Veranda into action and the Country Coach designers have more time to explore this exciting new feature and its applications, we'll see even more creative examples of what the Veranda can do for you and your mobile lifestyle.

Development and Applications

The Veranda was on the drawing board for more than a year. Even though it employs some technologies similar to those used for the company's slide-out rooms, the Veranda called for an entirely new engineering approach to make it both robust and cosmetically appealing. It had to fit the Country Coach mold of being a classy, durable and functional piece of equipment.

The fact that Country Coach designs and builds its own chassis is a big part of what makes the Veranda possible. The heavily reinforced chassis structure combined with the beefy coach body framing produce the kind of strength and rigidity needed to ensure the mechanism operates smoothly and the seals and joints remain tight.

Strength to support the whole party isn't a problem. The Veranda has a 3,000-pound load rating. You'd need to try hard to get enough large persons comfortably onto the deck for a long enough time to cause any component failures.

Viewed in travel mode, the coach looks as sleek and stylish as anything Country Coach offers. Other than for the very different-appearing horizontal window high up on the side wall, it's difficult to tell that the minimal trim around that rectangular wall space isn't just another slide-out.

A push-button wireless remote operates the Veranda so the user can stand outside the coach while deploying the unit, which takes about 16 seconds to go from travel to in-use mode. This adds a measure of safety both for possible bystanders as well as making sure there are no obstructions in the way. There's also a traditional wall-mounted switch for operation from inside. Folding the unit again requires about 25 seconds and there's an interlock so the coach engine can't be started until the unit is fully locked and loaded for the road.

The Veranda is such a significant evolution that Country Coach has launched an entire branch divison to support it with each coach bearing the Veranda name. The unit we photographed was the Veranda 600, and others also available include the 43-foot Veranda 300 Red Cloud Peak, the 45-foot Veranda 400 Mount Rainier, the 45-foot Veranda 500 Mount McKinley and the 45-foot Veranda 700 Custom Mount Whitney.

In addition to the normal bedroom and bath variations between the floor plans, the assorted Veranda applications offer different approaches to the lounge and galley-area living spaces. Each of the above-listed floor plans incorporates a large street side slide-out room opposing the Veranda. Our demo Pike's Peak, for example, has a fixed dinette and an L-shaped sofa bed in the slide-out and the main galley cabinet extends about halfway over the Veranda wall opening. This gives the cook a great view outdoors. The Mount Rainier and Red Cloud Peak both have the galley and a sofa bed in the slide-out, the main 52-inch LCD TV in a cabinet that abuts the aft end of the Veranda opening, and a wide-open view through the sliding doors for those seated on the sofa bed opposite.

Coach access is provided by a large three-panel sliding patio door, borrowed from the fine-homebuilding industry, that's hurricane-rated in residential use and includes three sliding screen doors for bug-proof enjoyment. The doors feature dual-pane glass for temperature and noise control. For a maximum opening size, two of the doors slide back next to the third, and the screen doors can then be positioned to cover the opening.

When folded for travel, the seal around the Veranda perimeter keeps most moisture and dust away from the mechanism, but it's the sliding door seals that provide the maximum protection for the interior.

Although extremely heavy-duty and well built, the doors slide with surprisingly little effort. They provide a true weather-tight seal when closed so even the most robust weather conditions shouldn't result in air or water leakage.

Dual-layer power shades drop down to cover the door opening with a shade that allows light in but maintains privacy, or a blind to keep the sun completely out as needed.

Speaking of weather conditions, the Veranda-equipped coaches all have awnings selected to accommodate the deck and its occupants. Some coaches include the Carefree Paramount awning that's a two-stage model with a nearly horizontal segment next to the body and an additional section that angles down farther out. Regardless of the model, you'll be well protected from heat or moisture when enjoying the Veranda.

Product development, naturally, is ongoing and optional or standard features will be added to future Veranda models. Right out of the gate there's an optional fold-away 37-inch LCD TV that pivots up from a storage spot in the wall at the Veranda's aft end so you can enjoy the game while ensconced in the great outdoors.

A large part of the Veranda design objective is providing the means for Country Coach users to further enjoy the surroundings they travel to see while simultaneously being cradled in luxury. From an expansive view of the seashore or forest to a great spot for dining, to watching a desert sunset or wind-lashed Pacific Ocean storm, the Country Coach Veranda is an exciting new feature that's rife with possibilities limited only by how you want to use it.

Article courtesy of www.motorhomemagazine.com

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