Coachmen Mirada 35ES—A brilliant solution to the bunkhouse dilemma

Today’s RV review is of the 2024 Coachmen Mirada 35ES motorhome. This is a motorhome that solves a problem I’ve never seen done before and sets a new standard in this area. What the heck am I going on about?

Bunkhouse dilemma

When I was selling RVs, a good number of people had these grand visions of taking their grandchildren or older (teenage) children with them camping, so they would seek out bunkhouse RVs. After talking to them and, sometimes, meeting the younger people who were the theoretical travel companions, I often tried to dissuade them from getting a bunkhouse because those younger people were never ever going camping with them. 

They frequently said I was wrong and that little Johnnie would love camping and then, the following year or two when they wanted to trade out the bunkhouse model because it didn’t suit them, I secretly muttered “I told you so” as I gladly earned a second commission on a replacement RV. 

I told you so. 

This motorhome solves this problem so brilliantly that it sets a new standard for this type of RV. 

What Coachmen has figured out is a way to make the bunk room convertible such that a center panel flips up so you can now use the bunk room as an office. It’s absolutely brilliant. They even include a folding office chair for you to use in here. 

But wait, there’s more. You can also use this space as a wardrobe. 

So if you’re buying this for the bunk function but then realize that that won’t work, you now have either a wardrobe or an office. And if you buy this for the office and now realize you need bunks, you’re set. No trade-ins necessary. 

More to love

Another thing I love about the Coachmen Mirada 35ES is the entire back area. The bedroom offers a 72” X 76” RV king-sized bed in a slide. There are cabinets over the bed specifically designed to accommodate things like CPAP machines, which is a plus, and there are USB and household outlets as well. 

Another thing that’s nice is the ability to accommodate a stacking washer and dryer back here. There’s also more storage plus hidden storage behind a flip-up television. 

But the bathroom, ooh la la! So much space back here including a huge shower. This whole master bedroom and bath really do feel spacious and luxurious. I like it quite a bit. 

Coachmen Mirada 35ES - 2024

1 of 19

Sleeping spaces

In addition to the bedroom, which can be closed off from the mayhem that may come from children or grandchildren up front, there is that bunk-office-wardrobe room.

There is also sleeping space in a fold-out couch if you don’t choose the theater seats. Further, there’s a dinette with a Dream Dinette table that mashes down to create more sleeping space. 

Lastly, there is a 45” X 75” bunk over the cab of this motorhome that’s rated for 500 pounds of capacity. I like that it’s a manual mechanism which is fast and easy to get down. I much prefer this to the power bed mechanisms in some motorhomes just because it’s simpler, faster and less troublesome. 

I’ve heard from more than a few people who found that the complicated interlocks of those keyed, powered bunk lofts have failed and have left them compromised or even unable to start their motorhomes. Manual is better for some things, including these lofts. 

What’s more, the bed sits on a slatted platform which adds springiness and comfort to the mattress. And, with this over-the-cab bunk, you could sleep a total of ten people in this rig. That is a lot. Heck, the Brady Bunch could let Alice come along. 

The kitchen in the Coachmen Mirada 35ES

There’s so much to like about this motorhome, but I’m not a fan of the kitchen. It suffers from the tiny oven syndrome which, in a $200,000 RV, seems extremely cheap. There is a big microwave, but they could have dumped the whole propane oven and put a convection microwave in and that would be good. Or a real oven. But this is a joke. 

Beds for ten, oven for show. 

I’m also not a fan of residential refrigerators in RVs. A 12-volt fridge would seem better, but I know most motorhomes spend a lot of their time with hookups. Still, why run an inverter or a generator if you don’t have to? Plus, the better 12-volt fridges are hardened to be roadworthy. Home fridges are not. 

And for all of you who say you’ve been running with a home fridge for years, I can show you receipts for warranty claims where we had to remove a windshield or a slide box to get the darned things out of RVs after juggling warranty claims between appliance makers and RV builders. 

Boondocking and travel access

You can get to everything you’d need on the road in this rig with the slides in, which is pretty typical in a motorhome. They actually consider roadworthiness in the design. The hallway is a bit snug but it’s usable, so that’s a pass. 

There is also a 5,500-watt inverter generator aboard. The holding tanks are big, although if you have teenagers with you they will never be big enough. But that’s not this camper’s fault. 

This does come with 100 watts of solar panels, which is as useful as a saddle on a Chihuahua. What’s the point of 100 watts of solar, quite honestly? Either do it up or do away with it. But this is just like one chocolate chip in a muffin. Pointless. 

My thoughts

There is so much to like about this and I think the bunk-office-wardrobe is absolutely one of the more significant advances I’ve seen in an RV in some time. 

One thing I don’t like is that there is almost no camp-side window coverage. That’s kind of a big deal if you have the Brady Bunch with you. After all, what’s Marsha, Marsha, Marsha doing out there? And I’m sure the rest of the bunch is up to funny business and you can’t supervise them well. 

And what is with all the Brady Bunch references in this story, for Pete’s sake? 

Also, I have heard that the Ford RV chassis feels every bit as unsophisticated as its delivery truck roots would indicate. Many of you have shared that you love some of the upgrades like LiquidSpring^® suspension, and those are not cheap. I wish they would offer that from the factory. 

Overall, though, this is a motorhome that could serve people so very well with some absolutely first-rate features, that bunk area being primary among them. But there were some corners that really shouldn’t be cut in something that’s a quarter-million buckaroos. Perhaps focusing on something other than the disco cruise ship graphics might help. Which, as I’ve kvetched about before, is something that is so common among motorhome manufacturers. There’s more information on their websites about the ridiculous (to me) paint or sticker packages than about things that actually matter. 

I’d love to read your feedback on this rig and, as always appreciate your readership here. 

More about these RV reviews

These RV reviews are written based on information provided by the manufacturers along with our writer’s own research. They are based on information from a single unit and may not reflect your actual experience. Shop your RV and dealership carefully before making a buying decision. We receive no money or other financial benefits from these reviews. They are intended only as a brief overview of the vehicle, not a comprehensive critique, which would require a thorough inspection and/or test drive.

-form broken-

##RVT1121