Meriwether, our 2004 Tiffin PhaetonDue to my rush to start redecorating, I accidentally skipped the photo tour of our RV at purchase! For those who are new to our blog, we own a 2004 40′ Tiffin Phaeton diesel pusher. Overall, our decade-old home is in great condition. The previous owners put in a lot of upgrades that we’re very thankful for!
Without further adieu, here’s the walk-through of our beloved Meriwether. As a disclaimer, RV photography is harder than you might think. Such enclosed spaces make it hard to really capture the space! I did my best.
On walking in the door by the front passenger seat, you enter our spacious living area. On the drivers’ side is a comfortable couch which converts to a bed, and a dinette that also converts to a bed (the RV sleeps 6). When we purchased Meriwether, the passenger side had an ottoman and recliner in between the captain’s chair and kitchen area.
Living area with slides outHere’s another view of the couch and dinette. Eric works lounging on the couch every day, and I work sitting at the dinette!
Our couch and dining areaThe dining and kitchen area has real tile flooring – something you’ll only find in a diesel model that is able to take the weight.
My kitchen has a three-burner propane range (underneath the cover on the far right) and a duel microwave/convection oven. I’m also blessed to have double sinks – my largest pot fits!
In the left foreground of this photo, you can see a piece that folds up for extra counter space. It makes a HUGE difference! There is a ton of storage space under the sink and under the range. I didn’t have any issues fitting the dishes and cookware I wanted to bring with me.
Kitchen areaThis is a weird photo because the slides were in when I took it, but it’s time to move into the rest of the RV! Past the kitchen is our roomy refrigerator and a vertical pantry beyond that, with sliding compartments. The pantry isn’t quite as organized as I’d like to be, but everything fits!
Hallway to bathroom and bedroomOpposite the fridge is our duel washer/dryer. Above the unit is a large counter space where I keep my paperwork, and above that is a huge cupboard space where I keep laundry and cleaning supplies and my iron.
Our washer/dryer unit is the Splendide 2100XC and I’ve been really happy with it. I always use the Express wash because I’ve found that it’s dramatically faster than the other settings. I also appreciate having the dryer because I can pop our towels in after showers and take that humidity out of the air (humidity is always a reason for paranoia in RVs). All I need to figure out now is how to keep the clothes from coming out so crazy wrinkled! I burnt Eric yesterday while trying to iron his blue jeans before church…
Duel RV washer/dryerDirectly past the dryer is our large shower. It even has a slight bench and a shallow tub – things you don’t see a lot in RVs.
Paired with the shower is a HUGE vanity with tons of cabinet space, drawers, and space under the sink. I’m not even beginning to use all the space.
Shower and large vanityAcross from the shower is a door to the commode and yet another sink and vanity. This is Eric’s getting-ready area. Two sinks and mirrors – better than we had in our last apartment!
Eric’s vanity and sinkWho knew 40 feet of space could hold so much? Last, but not least, is our bedroom with an extremely comfortable queen-sized bed (thank you, previous owners, for the amazing mattress!). Again, the slide is in here, but when it’s out you gain access to a coat closet to the right of the full-sized closet, as well as a couple of drawers.
BedroomOpposite the bed is a nice ledge with four large drawers underneath. When the slide is out, we gain a couple feet of space at the foot of the bed.
BedroomIt’s impossible to overstate how much storage space the 2004 Phaeton has. Maybe one of these days when I get around to doing a video tour, I’ll open everything up so you can see!
And that’s it! Sorry many of the photos leave much to be desired. When I do our “after” post, I’ll do a much better job!
Let me know if you have any questions. We’re huge proponents of this RV model and would be happy to help you get to know it better.
-Brittany
Awesome guys! Good Lord willing I will see you on the road some day! It is my dream!!!
That would be fabulous, Deborah! Can you remind me which part of the country you’re living in now?
Beautiful! We have a 35′ Tiffin Allegro RED, which also has the “bathtub” feature. We love it because it gives us just a few more inches of vertical space, which means it was the only RV we could find that my 6’5″ husband could fit in without his head being above the shower head!
That’s great, Jennifer! It’s the little things that make a big difference. 🙂
We moved into a 400 sq ft house about a year ago, and while obviously larger than your space, it is amazing how compact our living can be. It is liberating to determine what you actually need, and even to find that it is less than what you have. Thanks for sharing. I would love to hear more about the adjustment to life on the road, especially as it comes to all the things you left behind. <3k
Kirsten, I’d been planning an article about the downsizing process – basically how to liquidate all your possessions! But an article on the transition to life on the road is a great idea. I’ve added it to my list!
Thanks for the tour! That looks like a great layout and very plush. Congrats!
Appreciate the kind words, Greg!
Very nice looking and cczy. You have all the comforts of home wherever you go . Happy Trails Thanks for the photos .
It is lovely to be able to take our home with us. We have everything we could need!
Very nice! I like how you have a such a neutral color palette to start with. So many RVs are filled with dark colors and flowery patterns that make it hard to adapt to your own style. I am always jealous of rigs that have a washer/dryer. So convenient! Sure looks like you have plenty of space and storage- in fact I think our entire 25-ft Airstream would fit in your living room 🙂
Amanda, I didn’t think I really needed a washer/dryer. But I have been so grateful to have it! Because we work full-time, it’s challenging for me to get out and run errands during the week. Laundry would pile up like crazy if I had to do that!
Very nice rig and so bright and airy, wonderful with so much storage too! Congrats!
I do not own a Splendide but I have read that it made a huge difference to remove some of the clothing once the washing was done and only have the machine at half capacity for the drying cycle. Good luck!! 🙂
Good tip, Anna! Someone else commented on Facebook that I should consider taking all the clothes after wash, shaking them, and then putting them back in to dry. Apparently there’s also a spray I can use on the clothes before drying to help with the wrinkles. It’s a learning process, right?!
I think you did a wonderful job! Your fabric painting and such is beyond what most could even imagine! Bless you both. Make sure you enjoy every minute of your adventure!
Aw, such kind words George! I will press ahead with my adventures in crafty creativity. 🙂
I love the glass backsplash around the stove. I bet it’s easy to clean. Do you think that glass would work in a 5th wheel? I worry that there would be more jarring motion that would possibly break it.
About the washer/dryer… how big of a load can you actually put in one of those? And, can you retrofit a rig to have one if it doesn’t come with one?
Thanks,
~Deborah, your RVilliage friend
@disqus_hEwPtIgPxk:disqus, the glass is original to the coach. However they secured it, I’m sure you could do the same in a 5th wheel. It’s not going anywhere!
You really have to stay on top of laundry with a unit this size. I can fit a sheet set, included four pillowcases. That pretty much fills it up. So it could also take a couple of pairs of jeans, a handful of shirts, a towel. Plenty for two people.
And yes, I know people add these to their RVs all the time. It’s just a matter of having space for it!