When you can mix a holiday along the California coast with the pleasures and comforts afforded by a well thought through motorhome, you’re mixing the best of all worlds. Such was the case during my review of the all-new 2002 Atlantis Class C motorhome by Holiday Rambler.

If there is any manufacturer that can begin with a clean sheet of paper and design and build from the ground up a totally new Class C motorcoach, Holiday Rambler is the one that can do it, and they have. Being a shaker and mover, a leader in the RV industry for almost 50 years, Holiday Rambler brings to the design table unsurpassed experience, excellence in forethought and the greatest of depth in understanding and using cutting-edge technology. Their engineering ability to glean weight from a recreational vehicle while maximizing livability, and to do this without compromising structural integrity, is clearly evidenced in the new Atlantis Class C.

It’s important to look below the surface and cosmetic appeal of a coach and understand what’s going on in the places where you typically can’t see. The way a complex object such as a motorhome is designed and put together is what defines whether or not the end user will experience years of trouble free use and enjoyment. Using what Holiday Rambler calls their Alumaframe Construction (a 10-layer roof and five-layer wall construction process), the Atlantis is designed to do exactly that, provide years of reliable service.

To begin with, its floor of steel merits special attention. It’s created by welding tubular steel to create the floor frame itself. Foam core insulation is cut to fit and placed between the steel frame members. Using five-eight’s inch thick Structurewood (on the interior side) and luan panel (on the underside), the constituent parts of the floor are sandwiched together through a lamination process that creates a one-piece structure of strength. This floor is then anchored to Holiday Rambler’s unique welded steel saddlebag support system, a structural support system that is welded directly to the frame rails of the Ford E-450 chassis.

This saddlebag design represents creative engineering at its best. This is Holiday Rambler's engineering design solution for creating a support structure on which to cradle or carry the exterior storage cargo compartments which house the gear you will want to take with you. Unlike many others manufacturers, Holiday Rambler has elected not to use outriggers, for with outriggers the exterior storage compartments typically hang from above instead of being supported from beneath.

The storage compartments are low maintenance molded polyethylene units that are strong and light in weight and can be hosed out after a day at the beach or when ever the need arises. Each compartment bay door features a single handle latch and inside each compartment is an interior light. Total exterior cargo capacity is nearly 90-cubic feet. The mid-coach bay offers coach wide storage to handle the stowage of long items like skis or fishing poles. Holiday Rambler has even gleaned additional exterior storage capacity by adding a rear coach storage compartment that is easily accessed and requires little bending to reach the items stowed inside. To winterize the holding tank area, a 12-volt electric heater is offered in part of the Atlantis’ optional Cold Weather Package.

The fresh, gray and wastewater holding tank capacities are 35-gallons, 40-gallons and 40-gallons, respectively. The LPG tank holds 28-gallons. A single 13,500 BTU roof air conditioner (standard equipment) is ducted through a series of adjustable ceiling registers. On the other end of the heating and cooling spectrum, the Atlantis is warmed by a 35,000 BTU forced air furnace that delivers warm, toasty air on cold mornings through a series of floor registers that lace the Atlantis front to rear. The standard 6-gallon hot water heater is designed to use LP or shore power as its energy source. The Atlantis is wired for 30-amp shore power (it has a 25-foot shore power cable). For full stand-alone camping capability, an optional 4.0 kW Onan genset is available.

The Atlantis Class C product line is offered in four models and four different lengths. All sit on the Ford E-450 chassis and are powered by the Triton V-10 gasoline engine. The Atlantis comes standard with a 3,500 pound receiver hitch for towing, but the chassis comes rated with a 20,000 GCWR. All are 100.5 inches wide. Either one or two slideout rooms are featured, depending upon the model. All slideout rooms extend and retract using an electric rack and pinion mechanism. This in/out evolution is completed simply by the touch of a button. Always with an eye on safety, Holiday Rambler has designed an electrical interlocking device that prevents the slideout button from activating the electric slideout mechanism when the ignition key is on. They don’t want anyone extending the slideout while the coach is motoring down the road. Every slideout room comes with a topper awning to prevent the collection of debris (like leaves and dirt) and to direct rain away from the slideout roof. Holiday Rambler uses the tried and true automotive type bulb seals to keep the outside environment where it belongs, and that’s outside. Large heavy-duty rubber wiper blades glean any moisture that may collect from the exterior walls off the slideout room while the slideout room is being retracted.

Slideout rooms have revolutionized the comforts afforded those who live the RV lifestyle and no one knows or understands slideout technology better than Holiday Rambler. Even the smallest Atlantis, the 24RBS rear-bath comes with a front slideout that houses a sofa and a wardrobe. The 27PBD features two slideouts, a front dinette/refrigerator and a rear queen bed slideout. The 30PBS model features one slideout, a sofa and L-shaped galley slideout. The largest model, the 31PBS, features a single front slideout that measures 135-inches long and 20-inches deep. For example, 19 additional square feet of living space is instantly created in the 31PBS when the slideout is extended. In the 31PBS front slideout, the sofa and a standard bench style dinette are housed. The beauty part of the Atlantis slideout design is that the interior of the coach is fully useable, even when the slideout room is retracted. Fixing lunch, a mid-day nap at a rest stop doesn’t require the slideout be extended to fully enjoy all the features and appointments that abound on the inside.

Holiday Rambler brought to this project years of experience in a unique construction process they use to build the roof and walls. As noted, it’s called Alumaframe construction. In the walls, C and J aluminum channel members are configured, with the C members running vertically (every 24-inches) and the J channels running horizontally (also every 24-inches). Where ever a C and J member intersect they are welded on the front and backsides of the intersection.

The 0.040 exterior aluminum skin is riveted to the channel members, with residential type insulation tucked in and around every C and J member to preclude hot and cold spots from developing. To counter-act this thing Sir Isaac Newton called gravity, adhesive is sprayed on the insulation, a process that keeps it permanently in place. The walls include a vapor barrier, a thermal insulator barrier and an interior vinyl dressing. During assembly, the walls are lagged into the tubular steel structural perimeter members of the floor assembly.

The structural members in the roof are 2.25-inch I-beams, with contoured bead foam insulation shaped to give the roof its crown and radius. The roof includes a systems of layers which also include rolled fiberglass insulation, ducting, vapor barriers, a foam thermal insulated barrier, bead foam and foam padding. The interior or ceiling side is dressed with an attractive, low maintenance vinyl, while the exterior skin of the coach is 0.030 gage aluminum. When assembled, the roof is lagged into the perimeter aluminum frame wall members.

Okay, we’ve looked at the areas of motorhomes that typically are never seen. Now lets walk through the interior of this coach and see how Holiday Rambler has maximized the livability and functionality in the Atlantis. Without equivocation they have appointed the Atlantis in such a way as to satisfy the creature needs and comforts of the most discerning RV enthusiast. The long and short of it is that the Atlantis provides an environment to relax and recreate in following a long travel day, after visiting a favorite or newly discovered spot, or if the decision has been made to simply spend several days at an RV resort or in some off the beaten path location under primitive camping conditions.

Three décor groups are offered, Sea Side, Sand Dune and Sunset Rose. Plush nylon carpet covers the floor except for immediately in front of the galley counter top and in the center aisle bath. In those area a low-maintenance high-gloss, rugged linoleum dressing is used. Day/night pleated shades are standard in the bedroom (mini blinds are standard up front), but the day/night shaded can be enjoyed as an option in the living/salon areas as well. Fabric covered valances and lambrequins surround the sliding, single pane windows. Western Oak cabinetry is standard, but Holiday Rambler also offers the cabinets in optional Regal Cherry and Walnut woods. Counter, lavy and table tops are dressed with a laminate. A dinette style booth with bench seats is standard, but for those who prefer a table and chairs, that is also possible.

The area above the cab comes with a queen size bed but a state-of-the-art entertainment center with a 25" television and VCR can also be chosen. The galley will satisfy "the chef" (what ever level that may be) that’s found in all of us. In addition to the standard large double door refrigerator, microwave oven, 3-burner cooktop and range hood, an ice-maker can be added, as can a microwave convection oven, a water filter and even an outdoor barbecue.

The bath comes with a shower/tub and glass door. A private water closet with lavy and medicine cabinet is standard in all four models. The three largest models feature a rear bedroom with a queen size bed and wardrobe.

Whether you’re spending a day at the beach, a weekend in the mountains or full-timing in the nooks and crannies of this great country, the new Atlantis Class C will get you there in comfort and style. For more information, you can visit the Holiday Rambler website at: www.holidayrambler.com, or you can give then a call at (800) 245-4778. You only go around once, but if you do it in a Holiday Rambler, that’s all you’ll need.

J. Martin Kohler is a freelance writer based in Northern California, and author of several Holidays features.