Coach House, a 15-year veteran manufacturer of Class B motorhomes, has entered the Class C market with a 23-footer dubbed the Platinum 232.
The new unit resulted from 18 months of development and is targeted at what the company perceives to be the two hottest segments in the motorhome market: the first-time buyer who may be intimidated by larger motorhomes, and the seasoned motorhome owner who may be interested in downsizing to something more manageable.
Based on the Ford E-450 chassis, the Platinum is equipped with the 6.8-liter Ford V-10 engine standard and the 7.3-liter diesel as an option. A one-piece fiberglass body houses four floorplans: side dinette, club lounge, twin sofa and twin bed. The top-selling floorplan features a curbside dinette that converts to a single twin bed, while the opposing power sofa converts into a compact double bed. The club-lounge layout is similar except that two large swiveling chairs are used with a narrower table, and the arrangement does not convert into a bed. The twin-sofa floorplan features two power sofas that can be folded down separately for a bed/sofa arrangement, or together to form one large 7-foot 5-inch king-size bed.
Similarly, the twin-bed floorplan can be configured with two twin beds or one 7-foot 5-inch king. All floorplans utilize a rear-bathroom layout featuring a large stand-up shower, a sink, a porcelain toilet and a large closet. The central lounge area has 6 feet 3 inches of headroom and features solid-surface countertops, a three-burner stove, a double-basin sink, a 6-cubic-foot refrigerator, a microwave/convection oven and a pullout pantry. Other amenities include a standard 13-inch front-mounted overhead television set (flat-screen television and VCR are available as options), standard day/night shades and overhead storage compartments.
Four fabric-color choices are available, and buyers can choose white or mahogany interior cabinets. Added to this year’s standard equipment list is a power driver’s seat, power heated rearview mirrors and an outside shower. Technical details include a 13,500-BTU roof air conditioner with a heat strip, a 30,000-BTU furnace with ducted floor-level heating, a 4-kW Onan Microquiet AC generator, a 45-amp power converter and two auxiliary coach batteries.
Exterior locking storage is provided (large enough to accommodate two sets of golf clubs, according to Coach House), and options include leather driver/passenger seats, a floor safe, a solar battery charger, an automatic satellite dish, a 1,500-watt inverter and a backup camera.
The Platinum utilizes a one-piece fiberglass body with double foil-backed R-14 insulation, a steel-tube floor with a 1-inch plywood subfloor and plywood/composite walls. Because of the relatively light weight (10,300 pounds dry) and aerodynamic shape, Coach House maintains that the Platinum can achieve between 11 and 16 mpg. Capacities for the Coach House Platinum 232 are 55 gallons of fuel, 30 gallons of fresh water, 30 gallons of gray water, 25 gallons of black water, 30 gallons of propane and a 6-gallon water heater. The coach has a gross vehicle weight rating of 14,050 pounds and a gross combined weight rating of 20,000 pounds. It retails for between $90,000 and $100,000 and is warrantied for three years or 36,000 miles. Article by: Chris Hemer
Coach House Inc., 3480 Technology Drive, Nokomis, Florida 34275; (800) 235-0984
