You’d think the day would come when people, even the people at Holiday Rambler, would run out of ideas for new ways to stuff more livability, luxury and storage space into a box. But it hasn’t happened yet.

The Big Thing in fifth wheels this year is adding storage space to the basement. The idea involves dropping the frame rails about eight inches where they run under the basement storage area. The concept didn’t originate in Elkhart County, but, as is often the case, Holiday Rambler saw a good thing and made it perfect.

The two new 2006 Alumascape Suite models, introduced late in 2005 are a 33 SKT triple slide and a 36 RLQ quad. Both are great coaches for people who spend a lot of time on the road and need more easily accessible space to store tools, outdoor furniture, toys and gear.

I got my first look at one of these coaches, a 33SKT, in Elkhart in December. Brad McKinney, Holiday Rambler national sales manager towables, gave me the official tour. As basements go, this one is impressive, with 116 cubic feet of basement storage, up about 70 percent from the standard Alumascape model. Not only is the area a good deal deeper, but it is completely unobstructed.

McKinney pointed out that all the appliances — heating and electrical equipment and so forth — have been moved out of the open area behind a sliding bulkhead, where they are still accessible for service. He added that the configuration of these components, along with freshwater and holding tanks beneath the floor — are now standard in both models, which simplifies things for service technicians.

Concentrating all the mechanicals in this area has added storage volume elsewhere, too, such as the space under the dinette seats.

The basement storage area floor covering has been upgraded from linoleum to a heavy-duty non-skid commercial material. The new basement doors are gel-coat fiberglass and have seals to help keep water and road dust out. The area is accessible through large doors supported by gas struts on both side and a double door in front that hinges at top and bottom, enabling you to get it open even when the rig is hitched to a truck. Inside that front opening are the battery cases and switches.

The basement ceiling is also, of course, the bathroom floor. This deck is well insulated to keep your feet warm on cold winter mornings, and it also helps that the storage area itself is heated.

The basement is well-lit and even has a 120V outlet, TV/Internet cable and telephone jacks. This led me to ask McKinney whether Holiday Rambler is positioning this area as a mother-in-law apartment. He just sort of sighed and said the outlets are to facilitate TV and phone use in the patio area.

So what else is new?

Alumascape Suite models have several upgraded features in addition to the improved storage.

The LP gas bottles, 30-pounders, have been relocated to hatches; one on each side of the coach just aft of the basement doors.

The front jack system has been improved. There is now a heavy-duty motor for each jack, which means you can level the front of the coach, side-to-side, without having to get down on your knees to adjust the drop-tubes. There are separate switches located in a small hatch near the front basement door on the road side.

The water management bay has some nice improvements. Inside the hatch, along with the usual handheld shower head and controls for freshwater fill, sanitizing and winterizing, are a new soap dispenser and paper towel holder. There is also a power-washer fitting. And the

As basements go, this one is impressive, with 116 cubic feet of basement storage, up about 70 percent from the standard Alumascape model. Not only is the area a good deal deeper, but it is completely unobstructed.

water-hose port now feeds through the floor of the bay rather than the hatch door for a better appearance. Also, the holding tank dump-valve handles are positioned about at waist level, once again saving you from having to stoop or kneel.

The Alumascape Suite has beautiful new front and rear fiberglass end caps, and it is distinguished from other Alumascape models by special exterior graphics.

There’s a lot to see inside these new Suite models as well. McKinney said the 33 SKT is a longer, improved version of the former 31-foot version of this floorplan. How was the additional spaced used? The entertainment center and desk are larger, a washer-dryer cabinet has been added, and there is now a king-size bed option.

In fact, space is used so well in the 33 SKT that you really don’t miss much compared to a longer unit. The curbside slideout houses a sofa bed and the dinette. Opposite is a slideout containing the computer station and entertainment center. At the rear are two fully upholstered swivel recliners with a nice free-standing table with magazine rack between them. The entertainment center is now large enough to accommodate the optional 27-inch TV that was in the model I saw.

The L-shaped kitchen packs a lot of workspace and storage into minimal length. You’ll face the rear of the coach while doing dishes in the double sink, and at your left will be a large fold-up counter extension. There is plenty of kitchen storage, including a slide-out pantry. The rig I visited had a free-standing dining table with an extension leaf. The four dining chairs are oak framed and beautifully upholstered — a fifth serves as the desk chair.

There is liberal use of oak trim throughout this coach, including the slideout fascias. Principal fabrics are elegantly understated; the accents are in the dark, floral fabrics on the dining and office chairs and the printed wallpaper band. It’s a great-looking luxury coach.

Upstairs, the entire master suite is on one level. The configuration is similar to that found on the larger Alumascape fifth wheels. On the right, the private water closet and the washer-dryer closet. On the left an angled tub-shower and nice-sized lavatory with a beautiful, large oak medicine cabinet above.

My rig had the optional king bed built into the roadside slideout. Opposite is a dresser and overheads with TV cabinet. At the rear is a full-width wardrobe with mirrored sliding doors.

In short, there is plenty of everything you’d need to winter in this coach, all in a nice 33-foot towing package.

Packing a Payload

One of the nice things about the Alumascape Suite models is that you can use the exceptional storage space with reasonable confidence that you’re not going to overload the coach. Alumaframe construction cuts down on the overall weight of the coach, leaving more of the GVWR available for payload.

Like other Alumascape and Presidential models, the Alumascape Suite features a nine-layer ceiling with three layers of insulation and two vapor barriers. The walls have six layers, including two insulation layers and two vapor barriers. The underbelly is completely enclosed with a

The L-shaped kitchen packs a lot of workspace and storage into minimal length. There is plenty of kitchen storage, including a slide-out pantry.

rugged composite material that protects the wiring and plumbing from road hazards while improving aerodynamics.

See it now

The “Suite” concept, with its dropped forward frame section and huge basement storage area is also available in the Presidential line. There are two 37-footers, one with a conventional doorside kitchen and enclosed rear living room (37 RLQ) and one with a J-shaped kitchen (37 SKQ). Both are quad slides.

When I talked to McKinney, it was too early to get numbers on how the new units were selling, but the anecdotal evidence was excellent. “We just shipped the first two units to a dealer down south,” McKinney said. “The Presidential Suite sold five hours after it arrived at their store. The Alumascape Suite didn’t sell until the next morning, but less than 24 hours is pretty good,” he said with a grin.

If that’s any indication, you shouldn’t wait long to check out the new Alumascape Suite model yourself. You’ll be amazed by the extra storage space. But don’t go hiding out in there like my friends in the picture. At the rate these fifth wheels seem to be rolling off dealers’ lots, you could wind up stowed away in somebody else’s new rig and headed for parts unknown.