Apparently, someone in our paint department is a descendant of the fabled King Midas. That could be an explanation for the prevalence of gold as a base color for many Safari coaches this year, as seen in three of the four paint schemes of the 2004 Zanzibar. (The other scheme is silver-based.) Gone are the greens and the blues, except as highlight colors; this year our coaches would have made the 49ers drool.
Okay, maybe a better explanation for the gold movement is this: we’re listening. Our engineers and coach designers do not make changes willy-nilly, they are almost always based on information we receive from owners and prospective buyers. So, if it’s clear that our gold coaches are more popular, guess what we’re going to give you?
Still, a quick preview of the 2004 Zanzibar reveals that more is changing than hue, so I digress. Here are some other areas where you should expect change in this already impressive coach.
Floorplan Expansion
That’s right, you’ll see the number of floorplans in the Zanzibar jump from eight to 12. That means many more options when it comes to bathroom arrangement, furniture placement and entry location. You can now choose between a 36-foot coach, four 38-footers and seven 40-footers.
“I’m referring to more than a color change when I say the 2004 Zanzibar is a prime example of Safari’s golden touch.”
An increased number of floorplans is complemented by an increased number of furniture options in the 2004 Zanzibar. Last year, there were four furniture options you could choose between, now you’re looking at as many as 17 depending on the floorplan you pick. Fabric Magic Bed or Ultraleather? J-lounge or European style with ottoman? Computer desk? These choices and more will be yours in the new Zanzibar.
Options Now Standard
Upgrading equipment from the option list to the standard list is great to see in every new model year, and it must feel good, because the brain trust here at Safari just keeps doing it. This year, they did it to the cockpit seats, which were upgraded from vinyl to Ultraleather, the kitchen flooring, now ceramic tile instead of wood, and the water purifier next to the sink.
Of course, new standards and options have been added and I’ll start with my personal favorite: The Aqua Hot heating system. As I write this, I feel like trumpets should be blasting in the background. The Aqua Hot is the Holy Grail of heating systems and I imagine many future Zanzibar owners will jump at the opportunity to include this innovate heating alternative.
“As I write this, I feel like trumpets should be blasting in the background… Aqua Hot is the Holy Grail of heating systems.”
Other new options that shouldn’t be overshadowed are the 30-inch LCD flatscreen television, the Sirius satellite radio system and the On Star Mobile Assistance option. We will go into these last two options further in an in-depth Zanzibar review later this year, but as a starter, imagine listening to 100 non-stop radio channels uninterrupted coast to coast, or having a satellite unlock your coach for you if you forget your keys inside.
Details Not Downplayed
One of the things that I appreciate most about Safari is the attention to detail. Most folks will naturally be drawn to big visible changes and innovations in new model coaches, and those are present in the Zanzibar, but I believe what really sets a product out from the competition is how the details compare.
In the 2004 Zanzibar attention to detail can be seen in the bedroom, in the form of the tip out clothes hamper, in the kitchen as a four compartment drawer organizer, slide out wire pantry and special wastebasket storage, and in the cockpit as a 12-volt chassis battery gauge, improved anti-skid steps and a color rear vision system instead of black and white.
Taking the pioneering details with the very visible changes, I think you’ll see that I’m referring to more than a color change when I say the 2004 Zanzibar is a prime example of Safari’s golden touch. If you don’t believe me, check one out at a Safari dealer in your area. |
