We've just tried to have a holiday with our 13 month old baby and gave up at 10.30pm on the first night and came home.
We can't find anywhere safe for her to sleep.
We swapped our much loved caravan with an L shaped front and fixed bed for one where we make the bed up and have a side dinette thinking she could sleep there but she wouldn't lie down and was leaning over the edge (we do have a travel barrier but it's too low and she can easily climb over and fall even further than she would without it)
We then made our bed up and tried her in between us but she wouldn't settle and was crawling around getting cranky as she was so tired, at home she is a dream baby and sleeps from 6pm to at least 7am without a murmur.
In hindsight we should have kept the old van and set up the travel cot in the L shaped bit and we could've gone to bed and watched telly but in this van the walkway is too narrow for the travel cot and even though there is a big bathroom we wouldn't be able to get to the loo if we set it up in there and the site where we keep it hasn't got a toilet block.
I wondered if anyone has any experience of caravanning with a baby or knows of anything that we could buy to keep her safely on the side dinette, at the moment we're thinking that we just won't be able to go away this year and maybe next year when she's 2 she'll understand more that she needs to lie down and sleep.
We have one of the koo di pop bubble travel cots and we put it at the foot of the double bed that we slept on (front dinette). It wasn't ideal but it worked for us for the 18 months we had Her in it. I was a little cramped up at night but luckily I'm not particularly tall.
------------- Amanda
May - Scarborough
July - Mablethorpe
August - Godrevy, Cornwall
I removed part of the end dinette in our previous van and used a large travel cot in its place. It didn't have blown air heating vents or anything under it though. It was only held in place by a number of screws.
Thanks everyone,
We've already got the rail Brian and were using it but it's not tall enough and she was leaning over it, it's also not long enough for the side dinette and she crawled to the end and tried to get off. I think it will be more useful next year to stop her rolling out but not suitable for a baby on a mission to escape!
The koodi pop up looks like a good idea, the side bit measures 50 cm and the koodi is 60 but I'm thinking we could remove the top bunk pad that lies against the wall and maybe try and wedge it in, also get her to have her naps in it at home during the day to get her used to it.
All the best for your new baby Aldoscott, the first year will be easy, Emma slept anywhere last year, we've got a photo of her sound asleep on the cooker, it's so much more challenging once they're on the move and can pull themselves up to standing.
We had the same problem with our youngest (2 1/2 yr old) who kept falling out of the bottom bunk. So on the advice of my father who is a sailor we've bought some guard netting from a chandlery to attach between the top and bottom bunk. It goes the whole length of the bed so better than a bed guard.
We Just had to make sure that little heads couldn't get stuck in the netting. We haven't tried it properly yet so don't know if it will work but it looks like it will,do the job
------------- I'm still trying to think of a witty comment!
We had exactly the same problem last year. I fashioned a guard using a net curtain. We put 2 loops in under the top bunk and then with the metal bungey you use for net curtain attached the curtain at the top then hung the curtain down and tucked the bottom under the mattress. Need quite a lot to tuck in to make it secure. He didn't go off the first night particularly well, as was so exciting but now we have no problem. He's now 2 and it still keeps him in. Only cost a couple of quid. [/IMG]
The samsonite pop up travel cot was ace for our little escape artists, I used to wedge it in place using a bed guard rail, zip up and they always settled quickly,
I also bought a vetch lullaby lamb which was ideal for the van as small and battery powered and the batteries last ages, it gives out a nice melody and gentle lights seemed to soothe,
------------- Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
We cut a sheet of plywood to fit the bottom bunk. The cushions hold the ply very well. The ply is cut to fit the gap so if he tries to climb out it won't move. It is also 18inches above the cushions as my wife is worried about him climbing over the top. My son was 9 months when we first tried this method and it has stayed, he is now 18 months old and has slept though for the first time ever (typical it's in the caravan and not in his bedroom). We used a travel cot at first but it took up too much room.
1, there is a Hauck travel cot (currrently in Aldi) which fitted perfectly between the two seats in the back of the van ( we had a crusader Superstorm 2009 with the double dinette) the van was 7ft 6 wide. The cot would also fit between the front seats too if your van is wide enough.also handy as a play pen outside if you need it in the awning
2 we also bought a motorhome bunk guard which you cd use on your side dinette need to screw it on tho and put up the upper bunk to get the fixings to attach but that was also good very secure and I could sleep without worrying (it does look a bit like a cage tho !)
We have same thing. What we do is missus gets in the big bed with the urchins and I sleep on the side diner bed. But about two in the morning the urchins wake up and we all move around. Can't wait till they are bigger and go on the bunks .
I know this is an older thread, but I looked at it when we were buying our caravan, so I Just thought I'd share what we did, it might give someone else an idea...
Day 1 we collected caravan and took it straight to a campsite, armed only with a bed guard and a vague notion of creating a good sleeping area for Thing 1(3yrs) and Thing 2 (10m). Because of the shapes of the cushions in the rear dinette limiting how and where the guard could sit, we ended up with one bed across the back of the caravan for the baby, with guard rail separating him from his sister, who had a slightly cramped bed running down the side of the van. All night we stressed and worried about the baby crawling over the guard and dropping over onto the floor, so each night he wound up sleeping with one or the other of us in the singles at the front. It was exhausting.
So, Monday morning I took a few measurements, then headed off to Ikea for their cheapest cot and a mattress (sniglar, if you are wondering). Husband after work unscrewed a small lift-top cupboard that ran between the dinette seats and bathroom wall, assembled cot, cut legs off it, and created two new longer legs. Cot is now situated on top of the seating area, with new longer legs on the front and rear corner adjacent to the bathroom, where the cupboard was. should make more sense when you see the picture.
The existing bed cushions fit snugly down the side of the cot to create a comfortable full length single (I can happily lay and imagine snoozing in it). So, now both kids have a larger bed than before, and both are much safer, and us parents will actually be able to relax come bed time!
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Where does the baby sleep?
[/IMG]
[/IMG]
