Intro/Decisions...

[dieselcruisertoo]

Hello all,

Will introduce us briefly and ask for your wisdom/advice.

Recently retired after 25 years in military. Have 4 kids and
presently own a 34' Airstream. Tow vehicle is a Chevy Silverado CC
with D/A combo. We're looking at taking a year or two off and
exploring the lower 48. Have made the decision that spending that
amount of time in a crew cab won't be the most comfortable nor
safest way to travel. I've been researching motorhomes for several
years now and have ended up with either a BlueBird or Newell. I've
searched through the archives and haven't found these specific
area's dealt with. There are pro's & con's for each one. One huge
pro for the Bluebird is forums like this. After owning an Airstream
for the last 10 years, I'm used to quality, timeless design, & other
owner support/fantastic forums. Anyway, here are my
questions/issues:

*I'm 6'5", so need head room. From what I gather, the earliest rigs
that I'll be able to stand in w/o problems are the SP/WB coaches
that started in 88. Is this correct?

*Having 4 kids we're focusing on the center door units which due to
above primarily mean the SP coaches. We don't want the traffic
through the whole coach just to run in and get a drink, etc. Also
we can have the kids sleep up front and not disturb them if we want
to go outside. Have those of you with kids discovered that the
front door units aren't as much a problem as we feel it will be?

*All SP's I've seen so far have walk-through baths. We don't want
to be kept in/out of the bedroom because someone is in the
bathroom. Are there any SP's that don't have the walk-through
bath? Again, are we blowing this one out of proportion by feeling
that they will be a problem with a family of 6?

*My wife and kids love to bake. I haven't seen a late 80's early
90's coach yet that have a conventional oven. Are there any of you
out there who bake and cook that have found the microwave/convection
oven sufficient? Has anyone installed an oven in their coach?

*Have any of you found that having a 40-43' coach a distinct
disadvantage vice having a 36' coach as far as ability to drive or
camp in certain areas?

I appreciate all advice you can give.

Paul