Advantages of a Center Door, Center Restroom Motor Coach

No Undesirable Seats - This is the most obvious benefit of the center restroom. In a motor coach with a center restroom, every seat is a good seat. In a rear restroom coach, typically no one wants to sit in the seat next to the restroom because the view is blocked by the restroom and the obvious concern- a restroom odor.

Full-Width Rear Window - How many coaches can offer a great view out of the back of the motor coach? When you travel with this coach, you can look out the back window that covers the compete width of the coach. This is in addition to having unobstructed views through each side window at the rear of the coach. You'll be amazed at how open the coach feels with the rear window!

Greater Seating Configurations - By having the rear of the motor coach available without the restroom, there are many more options for seating such as a couch seat straight across the rear of the motor coach, booth type seating on either side of the aisle with card tables, one card table on one side of the aisle, or a number of other options.

Contents Heated to 200 degrees F - With a rear restroom, the holding tank is located below the toilet in the engine compartment. And since most diesel engines operate at approximately 200 degrees F, it's a rather simple deduction that anything located close to the motor is going to be heated as well. If you've ever wondered why the rear restroom on a motor coach seems to be constantly subjected to "restroom odors," a major contributing factor is that all the contents of the holding tank have been heated. (At Progressive Travel, we take extra measures to ensure our motor coaches are as odor free as possible, but unless the tank is completely empty and there's nothing to be heated, it's impossible to be 100 percent odor free.) With a center restroom, there is no concern of the restroom being "preheated" by the engine. Furthermore, there are exhaust fans that run any time the coach is running and additional exhaust fans that run when the restroom light is on. These fans continually exchange air in the restroom and ventilate air from inside the restroom to the exterior of the motor coach. The end result is that the restroom stays fresher even with heavy use.

Safer - In the event that the front entrance door is damaged in an accident and is not operable, the middle door would allow the passengers to disembark the motor coach. Since most motor coaches do not have the middle exit door, if the front door is disabled, it forces passengers to exit the coach through the emergency exit windows or an escape hatch in the ceiling. Often times, more passengers are injured attempting to exit the motor coach after an accident than during the accident itself. This is particularly true for senior adult groups. Furthermore, in the event the motor coach must make a sudden (panic) stop at highway speeds, the occupant in the restroom will be facing the side of the motor coach while they are seated. Therefore, in a panic stop, they would simply be supported by the wall beside them as the forces of the stopping motor coach moved them toward that wall. In a rear restroom motor coach, the person is facing the front of the coach as they are seated and in a panic stop, the person can literally be thrown forward and hit the wall in front of them. While this is embarrassing, it is also a major safety concern.

Expedited Loading and Unloading Time - This is an obvious advantage. With two doors, it simply takes less time to get people on and off the coach.

Sleeper Berth - With groups that travel through the night, our full size, legal sleeper berth assures our relief drivers they can get good rest and be refreshed and ready to safely drive their shift. We remove the rear couch seat, install insulated and noise reducing walls and then install the bed. We complete the installation with an intercom phone so the relief driver can be in touch with the driver when necessary. No company goes to greater lengths to ensure that drivers are comfortable and well rested.

Easier Access for Better Maintenance - By having the restroom in the center of the motor coach, there are no holding tanks, plumbing lines or other related items blocking access to the engine compartment. Therefore, technicians have better access to the engine compartment. This is an important issue because better maintence means safety and security for all the passengers. At Progressive Travel, we stress the importance of safety and proper maintence of all of our equipment. With more complete access to our engine compartment, it gives us yet one more advantage over our competition. And if there's ever a problem on the road, it becomes even more important because a technician can see the entire engine, which means quicker resolutions and less downtime.