I agree. While I love this floorplan, I absolutely hate Grand Designs murphy beds. So many better designs out there that are way more comfortable (love seat) and actually look really nice both up and down.
@@ThomasVMan - It’s the mattress sticking out that irks me. When camping you make friends and both invite them over for dinner or go to their RV for dinner. When you see people’s bedding sticking out, often in glaring colors or obviously filthy… it is unattractive. The whole point of a Murphy Bed is to be invisible or disguised when it is put away. Ember excels at this. I get it might be just me, but I like a nice clean presentable house and RV. LOL!
My opinion is that if they east/west a FULL SIZED QUEEN for the murphy bed instead of north/southing a much inferior bendy bed, they may be approaching camping Nirvana in the under 6500 lbs range of RV's. Cheers!
We have had a 17MKE for 3 years and very happy with it. Packs a big punch for a small unit, very easy to handle and great for getting into spots that have size restrictions, like national parks. Spent 4 months snowbirding in it just fine. Replaced our mattress with a regular queen 8” foam one that bends just fine. Has awesome storage and cargo capacity for its size. We keep air fryer, coffee pot in the corner by the fridge just as you mentioned. Keep garbage can in shower. Added a 2nd solar panel along 2-6 volt batteries for added capacity.
I swear this would be close to the perfect camper for us. I'm pretty sure the GD Imagine was the first camper review we ever watched, and it got us started watching camper videos.
Enjoyed this video. The size of this camper is especially appealing to me and the storage looks great. Not having a clear path to the bathroom from the murphy bed could be a deal breaker for me. Appreciate how you show the good with the bad and the camper in road mode. Wish all campers had the water-miser shower system as I anticipate doing more boondocking camping than park camping.
Like this! My most favorite part is the huge mage kitchen. Love all the cabinets storage. The door side windows are ok. Love how they do the bed storage. Love that huge sofa. The bathroom is a little small. Like the head room in the shower. Like the out side storage. Like this lay out. Have a good day josh!
Thanks Josh I have been following you for a long time and enjoy what you bring to RV world. You helped us in picking this one out. I would have bought it from Bish if one was closer. Pulling it with a 2017 Ram 1500 Bighorn. Also with the weight distribution hitch and an anti sway bar. Thank you for all the info and will continue to dream of a bigger one day.
Feeling froggy 🐸 and sleepy 💤 Q&A & story time…. 1) How comfortable was that sofa? The height of the back didn’t look all that comfy, definitely not like the love seat. 2) Spacious, love the counter top. Looks like one would either need long cords for your appliances, or place them on rollers with rope as a handle. Could one even reach to the far back? Looks deep. 3) I like the cpap storage holes. Was that an outlet that I had seen in there, or something else? 4) I think one could make their own cafe style curtain and get one of those springy rubber tipped curtain rods to cover the mattress peel-a-boo. 5) Good job on the light tech instruction. 6) I honestly didn’t even notice the lack of fireplace until you mentioned it. 7) Love the extra portable table. 8) Trash can is a trash can. You can always move it into the kitchen for easier use when doing your prep then move it back when finished. 9) Stripe: New nerdism word. 10) Love the full attached ladder, glad to hear the 300# rating. They should all be that way. No loof footage though on top. 11) But will the spare fit through that basement door? 37) Nice looking camper.
These are really nice for the size, very efficient use of space! Not a fan of GD's murphy bed design though, it's one of the worse ones I've seen in person. The MB "sofa" is very uncomfortable, but I do like that they give you the second sofa instead of a dinette.
The floorplan is okay. The features are okay. The cabinet area is good. The countertop area is good. I'd have a blender stored in there...cant survive without the protein shakes. 💪 The bathroom looks reasonable with good counterpart and storage. The solar is okay, but I might want more. I like that it has two axles instead of one. The empty weight is okay for my Tacoma, but the weight with max payload is way over the Tacoma's specs. So, if I bought this, I'd have to be cautious with cargo. I will ad this to my list of traiers to consider.
We have all heard of the Tower of power but @ 1:22 " It'S The Puck Of Power" and honestly I would have preferred the Tower of power so I could plug my coffee pot in just saying , Thanks Nerd
A general question to anyone here... How could I mount grab bars to the shower? 2 of the shower walls are on outside walls of trailer, one is on a wall shared by the fridge. Anyone ever done this? Of course this would apply to any rv, not just this model, but since this and one other are a favorite, time to get down to the nitty gritty.
My big gripe with these campers is : why make the windows so small??? Surely buyers would enjoy the optics of the outdoors while being inside, right? From the looks of it, there is plenty of space to expand the size! Anyways, thanks for the thorough and entertaining reviews as always!
@JoshtheRVNerd Hey Josh! Specifically, the three windows behind the couch. And more natural light in the kitchen area. In general, if the camper had a closed off bedroom, I'd like to see more designs with skylights/ceiling windows. I think Airstream does their windows really well, but when it comes to other manufacturers, the windows look like they belong on a small airplane. I realize there are certain safety specifications, but the design of a lot of these windows say "push out in case of emergency" rather than "look at the outdoors through this beautiful opening." The inside of these RVs should feel more like home than commercial transportation.
Torn between this and the 19MRK... researching this unit, I believe its priced too high for something with no azdel, the use of OSB instead of plywood... I've seen 13K-15K Stick and Tins used OSB and if Grand Design wants to be a premier brand, then they shouldn't use the same as a stick and tin.. JMHO... off to view the rest of your comparison vids of this unit.
@@JoshtheRVNerd very true... I'm losing faith in Grand Design.. its cray because Tampa 2023 and 2024 they were the classroom favorites... tons of folks were in their section including me but they are short changing people with the use of subpar materials... and the frame flex situation isn't helping either
Where are you supposed to sit and eat when in road mode? Can't sit on the slide and about half of the front is taken by the slide. So you can't eat or sleep without the slide out.
Sorry - can you clarify? I don’t know what piece of furniture you’re referencing Sofa bed sounds the Murphy But you said theater.. so I am confused Theater seats don’t convert to a bed if that’s what you’re asking
Cant seem to get a hold of you Josh. We were very interested in an Outdoors toy hauler. If you get this, please let me know if your able to assist. Thanks
I am not in sales nor able to offer direct consultation currently. My duties making all these videos occupy a tremendous amount of time. Our local folks at the stores are best able to assist you!
Like this floorplan but would go with the same floorplan from Rockwood, Surveyor, or Jayco. Could be a pipe dream but I really hope all the negative press around the GD brand prompts them to step up with features. Small bed, no stable steps, crappy stabilizers, no slam latch, fart fans, no outside kitchen. I also think the interior decor is very dated.
@@JoshtheRVNerd I think I have compared just about everything in this size. I have not found one better than the Ember Overland 190MLS. My 2024 F-150 (3.5L with all of the trailering options + FX4) is due for delivery the end of this June. I assume Ember provides factory tours. I wish to try out how the interior feels before ordering one. The only thing is I my end up going to a second choice based on price.
Not being able to use the bed in travel mode is not going to work for a lot of people. It’s a dealbreaker for me. Why don’t they make the couch a little bit smaller so we can use the bed in travel mode.
Third year and going strong - Zero Issues other than a couple of loose screws ! IMITATION is the Sincerest Form of Flattery - Love their attempts to pretend they just happened to See The Light ? Brand Loyalty will prevail - Time Will Tell the Story ? Happy Camping 👍
Love this layout but disappointed the bed cannot be used in road mode! In our current RV the main lights come on with a switch but the bathroom and bedroom lights have the push button to turn on...........so being short with short arms I have to use a stick to turn on the lights. Do you know any trave trailers with this layout that have a switch for the bedroom and bathroom lights....so I can get rid of my stick!!! We are actively looking!
Two suggested updates: 1. Reduce the size of the couch in the slide, and go with something a touch smaller more loveseat-like, which would make the bed potentially more walkaround. With the Murphy bed, there is plenty of seating. And a smaller couch would provide room to store some folding chairs for improvement #2 2. Replace the top big drawer on the left side of the counter with a pull-out drawer/table/desk. It would provide a nice work area and kitchen space and eliminate the need for the table.
We love our 2024 17MKE. I did analysis-paralysis before settling on this model. The kitchen countertop space is the best in any of the couples campers we researched. We don’t have any issues with the Murphy bed arrangement. I found a small wastebasket for under the sink and use plastic grocery bags as a liner. We take out the trash so often to keep the camper fresher that the small wastebasket isn’t a problem either. Thank you Josh for your insightful videos. You helped me through all my research!
My trash receiving container is inside my bathroom door easy to find and use no open &close cabinet doors. Strip light in pass thru will be an upgrade for mine. Size & weights of this couple camper is very impressive. My only rather have is entry door away from the bed BUT murphy helps offset that. Thanks Josh I like tours of the smaller affordable RVs.
Well done, Imagine! You’ve aced the stowed appearance of the Murphy Bed! I’ve wondered why designers haven’t leaned in on that even in some expensive motorized units. It makes a difference. This unit is just awesome and I’d grab it in a minute were I going for a towable.
We liked this model when we were in the market in late 2019. The short queen Murphy bed was the deal killer. Fortunately that was the month that GD came out with the 22MLE, which provides a full-time full queen and a dinette, while still being a manageable 26'. Plus road mode is great.
Imagine, a singles or couples camper with decent camp-side window viewing and a huge prep area for fueling your day - we have entered into the Twilight Zone......... (queue the music morons). Lmao. Plaid is nowhere to be found today, seems like my efforts have paid off. LoL.
Great video Josh. I would love this layout if the slide out couch was single over single bunks for kiddos. The small trailer single over single bunk Floorplans are so boring and standard.
The theater seating/Murphy bed combination allows for seating if you have guests on a cold rainy day or night, but most importantly allows for a comfortable place to sit and read or watch TV when your spouse or partner goes to bed earlier than you👍
I really like this one. BUT as a Fluffy person, FID and I would have to leave Hubby at home or make him sleep in truck with that bed. A little more solar would be nice. Awesome kitchen. Room for Air fryer and Coffee Pot ❤
1) You need new socks. We can see the holes from across the room. 2) I'm short so the shorter Murphy bed is OK with me, but I'd be adding a foam topper or maybe replace it. 3) That back corner of the kitchen counter next to the fridge would be IDEAL for an appliance garage cabinet with an electrical outlet where one could store a Keurig or other coffee maker and a blender, etc. 4) Didn't see anything on an outdoor propane outlet. That's not a difficult retrofit though.
