[JRTJH]

Travel trailer furniture, unlike that we have in our homes, must be light enough not to restrict its use in the trailer. Much of the "quality furniture" is just too heavy for use in an "ultra-light" trailer. So, what gives? Typically it's the thickness of the foam, use of cardboard (yes, really) as a stiffener under the cushioning on the arms and sides, and thinner springs (or even no springs but strings) to support seating surfaces.

Flexsteel manufacturers a line of "lighter weight" RV furniture and it's found in many "high end RV's". Just as a good flexsteel recliner "for the house" can cost upwards of $1000 (when a catnapper that looks the same can be bought for $199.99), RV furniture comes in many "quality price ranges". Quality is more than "light weight", but when given the choice, many RV manufacturers tend to choose furniture that works for trailer loading (balance) weight reduction and looks. Comfort (probably what we all wish for) is further down on the list of "what works best" in the RV environment. I wouldn't expect to find Flexsteel in a Hideout or Summerland, and I suppose the Thomas Payne Collection by Lippert is an improvement over what was offered by Keystone in years past, still not up to "home standards" but better than the 3" foam slabs with cloth on one side and vinyl on the other that we had in the 70's and 80's.

When you think about the engineering that's involved in designing a travel trailer, the limitations of weight play heavily into the final product. As an example, one decision might be: Do we use a heavy sofa and remove the cabinets on the other side of the axle that is vital for good use of the kitchen or do we use a lighter sofa, remove the storage space (so trailer balance is maintained) at the expense of making the kitchen storage non-functional? Then you have to add the question, What does that extra 300 pounds do to the tongue weight on our "half ton towable" that makes it not compete with the competetion's ultra light trailer line?

There's a "balance" to designing trailers that goes far beyond what looks good and is comfortable to use. That's why you see a floorplan that becomes a "classic" and is used by all the manufacturers and a floorplan that's "a one year trial" and never produced again. If you add 300 pounds to the furniture on one end of that "classic" what does it do to the other end of the trailer? RV furniture is a part of that "model" that fits all the categories, comfort, eye appeal, weight, trailer balance, use restrictions, size, material finish, and the list goes on and on. In a "S&B" it's just a matter of what someone likes and whether it fits the space. Not so much the same in RV's.