“Home on wheels” takes on special meaning with this new wide-body fifth-wheel floor plan, which incorporates two bedrooms, a loft, and a bath and a half.
By Robbin Gould, Editor
March 2022
Since its founding by industry veterans in 2009, Prime Time Manufacturing has focused on the design and production of towable RVs. Today, as a division of Forest River, the company continues along that path, building travel trailers and fifth-wheels in Wakarusa, Indiana.
The Sanibel 3602 WB fifth-wheel offers open-concept living, with a 50-inch LED TV and a fireplace next to the galley.
The Sanibel fifth-wheel falls at the luxury end of the spectrum. Prime Time bills it as an “intelligent” model intended to exceed customer expectations for construction, design, features, and eye appeal. The Sanibel 3602 WB should be attractive to an even more specific niche: larger RVing families or friends who wish to travel together. It incorporates two private bedrooms, a loft above the rear bedroom, and a bath and a half.
All these accommodations are housed in a unit that measures 44 feet 6 inches long, with four slideouts that further expand the living space. Its unloaded vehicle weight (UVW) is listed at 13,097 pounds, and it offers 2,344 pounds of cargo carrying capacity (CCC).
The dining table and chairs host four.
Construction And Utilities
The Sanibel is built using Prime Time’s Eternabond technology, which concentrates on increasing strength and durability. The sidewalls, rear wall, and main floor start with a welded aluminum framework and are laminated to create 2-inch-thick structures. The slideout walls and roofs are built similarly.
A one-piece TPO roof and 3/8-inch decking cover 5-inch “snow load” truss rafters on 16-inch centers. Two attic vents atop the roof help to eliminate condensation and moisture during cold-weather use.
The floor incorporates powder-coated I-beam frames, a vapor and moisture barrier, 2 inches of high-density EPS foam, and 5/8-inch one-piece floor decking, among other layers. The underbelly is heated and covered with ABS plastic panels that can be popped off for access to this area if needed.
A view of the full bath.
A number of other standard enhancements provide protection from temperature extremes, humidity, and other weather issues. These include heated, enclosed waterlines and gate valves, as well as heated holding tanks. The roof incorporates a double layer of fiberglass insulation with a value of R-14, plus radiant shield technology rated at R-38. The EPS foam in the main floor is rated at R-14, and the floor includes radiant shield technology as well. Radiant shield technology also helps insulate the area behind the front cap.
The Sanibel 3602 WB rides on dual 7,000-pound-rated Dexter axles, with G-range tires on 16-inch aluminum wheels. Dexter’s E-Z Flex rubberized suspension helps to smooth out roughness in the road. A tire-pressure monitoring system comes standard, as does six-point electric auto leveling with hitch memory. A 1½-inch accessory hitch is included. Other standard features include Lippert Solid Step entry steps, backup camera prep, and solar prep.
The unit’s high-gloss fiberglass sidewalls are enhanced with con-temporary graphics. Baggage doors are equipped with slam latches and magnetic door catches. One storage area is an oversized, heated pass-through compartment with a rotocast interior and drainage spouts. Another houses a universal docking center, which places a number of features in a centralized area; these include an outside shower, black tank flush, winterization valve and connection, easy-access low-point drains and low-point drain shut-offs, the city water connection, battery disconnect, and cable and satellite connections. Dual 30-pound propane cylinders are stored in front compartments on either side of the RV.
Theater seating faces the TV.
The Sanibel utilizes a 50-amp electrical connection and has a detachable power cord. It has a large 12-volt converter. Two Dometic Quiet Cool air conditioners are installed, a 15,000-Btu unit in the living area and a 13,500-Btu unit in the front bedroom. Heat is handled by a 35,000-Btu furnace. The direct-spark-ignition water heater has a quick-recovery feature. The fresh-water tank holds 54 gallons; gray and black water tanks are 73 and 78 gallons, respectively. The RV comes with Lippert’s One Touch control, which enables easy monitoring of lights, slideouts, and other systems.
Windows — and there are many of them — surround the Sanibel. Framed in black, they incorporate deep-tinted safety glass. Dual-pane windows are optional.
Occupants can take the party outside if they choose. The 3602 WB provides a patio setting with a 20-foot electric awning, which is lighted, and an exterior cooking area with a grill and a refrigerator located just behind it. A “doggy D ring” serves as a handy connection point for leashes. An exterior entertainment center, available on all Sanibel units, provides outdoor speakers, a coaxial TV connection, a 120-volt electrical outlet, and accessibility to USB charging ports in a basement storage compartment.
Floor Plan Features
The Sanibel’s clean, contemporary look is made possible by Shaker-style doors and furniture, hardwood raised-panel cabinetry, and wood-plank-look flooring. Plentiful lighting includes flush-mounted LEDs in the ceiling, “stay cool” lighting elsewhere, motion-sensor lighting, and safety lights on the interior steps.
Sleepers can nestle in the cozy loft.
The 3602 WB is designed to make convenient use of all available space. It begins with the entry doors — two of them. One ushers RVers into the rear of the unit, near a ladder that ascends to the loft area; here, a 60-inch-by-80-inch bunk mat provides a sleeping berth youngsters may particularly enjoy. A railing cordons off this area, which contains storage cubbies for blankets, toys, etc. The loft is positioned above the rear “bunk room,” which contains a 54-inch-by-74-inch full-size bed. The room enlarges when the slideout behind the head of the bed is extended. This sleeping quarter can be closed off from the adjacent half bath via a sliding pocket door. The bath contains a porcelain toilet, a vanity with a double-handle sink, and a mirrored medicine cabinet.
This bathroom also is accessible from the 3602’s main living area. In this open-concept space, 65-inch theater seating faces an entertainment center on the opposite wall. Adjacent to these seats, a freestanding dinette table accommodates four chairs, which offer hidden storage beneath their upholstered cushions. Spacious atrium-style windows next to the dinette provide a nice view of the outdoors. Here and throughout the RV, windows are paired with blackout roller shades. The entry door, seats, and dinette fill the curbside slideout.
The half bath opens into the living area and is near the rear entry door.
The entertainment center resides at the rear of a slideout on the opposing wall. A 50-inch LED TV is concealed in a cabinet below a solid-surface countertop and raises for viewing. The cabinet also contains a sound bar and an electric fireplace that warms the room with 5,100 Btu of heat. Overhead cabinets with decorative panels offer stylish storage.
This slideout also houses the Sanibel’s stainless-steel galley appliances: a 30-inch microwave; a 24-inch residential four-burner range and oven; and a 15-cubic-foot residential refrigerator with a dedicated 1,000-watt inverter.
RV cooks may appreciate the spacious galley island. It holds a deep farmhouse sink accompanied by an arched faucet and sprayer and is topped by a flush-mount stainless-steel drying rack. And when extra room is needed for serving or dining, flipping up the hinged counter section along the opposite side of the island expands the surface considerably.
Floating steps provide access to the full bath and front bedroom.
The galley is filled with a variety of cabinets and drawers, including one sized for pots and pans. A full-height pantry conceals groceries and other goods behind a closet door; next to it, a built-in buffet with tall cabinets above it creates another counter and storage area.
The second of the two entry doors grants access into the galley, next to floating steps that ascend to the full bath area and the front bedroom.
In the bathroom, the roomy shower is equipped with a molded seat and topped by a skylight. The area also contains a 12-volt vent fan, a porcelain toilet, and a vanity with a dual-lever bath faucet. A linen cabinet fronted by large doors and a mirrored medicine cabinet accommodate bath essentials.
The bedroom houses a king bed and a wall full of storage.
In the bedroom, a slideout houses the head of the 72-inch-by-80-inch king bed. Small shelves flank the bed, serving as mini nightstands. USB charging ports are located nearby. Across the room, a dresser with a solid-surface top leaves room above it for a TV should RVers wish to add one. The front wall of the bedroom houses a complex of cubbies and a wardrobe with mirrored sliding doors; walk-in storage includes areas for stowing shoes and adding a stackable washer and dryer if desired. More cavernous storage is found under the bed.
Prime Time officials make note of the company’s customer assurance inspection process, which requires each completed RV to satisfy a 125-point checklist before it is allowed to leave the premises. Technicians check water tanks, the electrical system, underbelly, appliances, countertops, and more.
RVers who are searching for a lot of house in their rolling home might want to check out the new wide-body Sanibel 3602 WB and other floor plans in this “intelligently” designed fifth-wheel travel trailer line.
SPECIFICATIONS | PRIME TIME SANIBEL 3602 WB
MANUFACTURER
Prime Time Manufacturing, 66149 State Route 19, Wakarusa, IN 46573; (574) 862-3001; www.primetimerv.com
MODEL
Sanibel
FLOOR PLAN
3602 WB
EXTERIOR LENGTH
44 feet 6 inches
EXTERIOR WIDTH
100 inches
EXTERIOR HEIGHT
13 feet 3 inches
INTERIOR HEIGHT
main floor — 8 feet 5½ inches; upper deck — 6 feet 5 3/8 inches
GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING (GVWR)
15,500 pounds
UNLOADED VEHICLE WEIGHT
13,097 pounds
HITCH WEIGHT
2,194 pounds
CARGO CARRYING CAPACITY (CCC)
2,344 pounds
TIRES
G range
WHEELS
aluminum, 16 inches
BRAKES
Dexter
FRESH WATER CAPACITY
54 gallons
HOLDING TANK CAPACITIES
gray water — 73 gallons; black water — 78 gallons
PROPANE CAPACITY
60 pounds (2 30-pound cylinders)
WATER HEATER
6 gallons, direct-spark ignition, quick-recovery
ELECTRICAL SERVICE
50 amps
HEATING SYSTEM
35,000-Btu furnace
AIR CONDITIONING
(1) 15,000 Btu; (1) 13,500-Btu Dometic Quiet Cool
REFRIGERATOR
15-cubic-foot residential
TOILET
(2) porcelain
WARRANTY
1 year limited
MANUFACTURER’S BASE SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE
$96,437