Preface

I took delivery of Dutchmen’s brand new 2011 Voltage V3900 Toy Hauler the week before Christmas. My plan here is to give a detailed  2-part review with the goal of informing potential new buyers and to possibly help the manufacturer learn from someone who uses their toy hauler like it was intended; off-road and without hook ups. This first part will be devoted to the delivery experience and the interior.

The Delivery

First off, I’d like to give a thumbs up to my dealer Richardson’s RV for assisting me in this review and coping with my “pickiness”. During the PDI they had a technician that shadowed the salesrep making on the spot repairs that were found, most of which had already been noted and some of which, requiring parts; had already been ordered.

Most issues found were purely cosmetic like scratches in the bathroom pocket door and closet door. Also, the wooden furnace intake vent below the stairs had been kicked in. This is partially due to the step being too short for a guy who has big feet like me. Voltage would do well to replace this with a brass vent or better yet increase the tread width a few inches. We also noted a kitchen drawer that was out of alignment that wasn’t shutting all the way and one of the bar stools was crooked. On the outside we found a crack in the air conditioner cover near one of the mounting screws.

Other than these minor items all major systems and appliances worked flawlessly as expected and the PDI went far smoother than I thought it would for a first year model trailer.

Interior

The Voltage is not at all like most toy haulers in that it has a high-end motorhome quality interior throughout. The centerpiece of which is the full walk-around island in the kitchen. The solid surface countertop and bar by LG is very spacious and the two sided stainless steel sink gives it a residential feel. All doors use hidden hinges and pulls are brushed nickel. All drawers use solid maple fronts, laminated hard wood sides, full extension ball bearing glides and all are deep. Although deep cabinets are nice, I would’ve liked to have seen a shallower top drawer in the island to use as the utensil drawer.

Storage space in the kitchen is pretty good thanks to the huge full door pantry. Expect to lose some space if you opt for the 12 cubic foot refrigerator, but trust me; it’s worth it! Although 8 cubic foot is adequate, the extra 4 cubic feet makes it a whole lot easier to find that hidden item and the double freezer holds quite a lot of ice; a huge plus for us boondockers.

Lighting is extensive with 17 puck lights throughout the living room and kitchen and 3 pendant lights above the bar. The control panel which contains no fewer than 19 switches sits behind a glass door that also houses the Samsung home theater system. Although each switch is labeled as to its function they are impossible to read when it’s dark. A suggestion would be to backlight the panel to illuminate the labels. Another nice touch would be to put a light switch on the wall just inside the door to make it easier to turn on the lights upon entry.

The main entertainment system includes a Samsung 40” HD LCD and a 1000 watt 5.1 channel Samsung surround system with an Ipod dock. I found the HD image of the Samsung to be top notch and my favorite surround sound test: the D-Day invasion scene from Saving Private Ryan; to be as good a my home system. The bedroom and garage also have 19” Haier TV’s but at this time I’ve yet to use them.

The couch measures 10’ long and with the extension seats six adults. A standard inflatable air mattress hide-a-bed integrates with the couch if needed. Also included are two reclining rocker chairs and two bar stools. All windows have day and night privacy shades. The central vacuum system is an option that works really well; especially the dust pan slot on the floor. This makes it really easy to dispense with all that sand which tends to build up during the day.

The heater is ducted through the floor and works surprisingly well considering the high ceilings. The Air conditioner is a Dometic 15,000 btu Quiet-Zone model which is almost impossible to hear from the inside. It is also ducted but through the ceiling. We also opted for the Bedroom A/C which is also ducted. The garage is ducted for both heat and air as well and works good. The thermostat is digital and multi-zone. The optional Fantastic fans, of which I’m a huge fan of, are thermostatically controlled and have sensors that automatically close the vent in case of rain.

The bathroom is the best I’ve seen in any toy hauler or motorhome and one which the women will love. It has a very large one piece fiberglass shower enclosure with glass door, skylight roof, and a top-notch adjustable showerhead. The porcelain toilet is likewise of high residential style quality. The same solid surface countertop from the kitchen is also used in the bathroom and counter space is maximized by the really cool “fish bowl” style sink. The only thing Voltage forgot was putting a latch or some other way to lock the bathroom pocket doors from the inside.

The bedroom has a separate hallway entrance on the left side as well as the one from the bathroom so you can still have access to the bedroom while someone is using the bathroom. It also has plenty of storage space with the highlight probably being the huge walk-in closet that has a fixed hanger system and plenty of shelves. The shelves are really nice to store large coats and riding gear. The queen bed is topped with a quality Evergreen pillow top mattress that in this model is contained within the slide out. The V3905 model swaps the bed with the closet in the slide out but you lose some closet space.

Well that’s about it for the interior. In summary, its got a “WOW”  factor that I haven’t seen in any other toy hauler with a fit and finish that is well above average. As you can tell it’s probably the Voltage’s main selling point which is ok for me because being comfortable is important especially with the other half. And if she’s happy we tend to go on more trips, don’t we?

What I like

• Luxurious Interior
• Solid Surface Countertops
• Huge Pantry
• Full walk around island
• 12 cubic foot refrigerator
• Bathroom layout, shower, toilet, and sink
• Bedroom Closet

What I don’t like

• Steps to bathroom too short
• No light switch near entry door
• No backlight to control panel
• No shallow drawer in kitchen
• Can’t latch or lock bathroom pocket doors from inside

In the next installment I will review the exterior and the garage. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to post them here or on Toy Hauler Adventures Facebook page.