Coachman do one, I can't think of any others off the top of my head. The three bunk set-up is great if you have 3 kids but seems a waste of space if you only have 2. I agree that it would seem sensible to offer a choice of 2 or 3 bunks as an option on a new van.I think we will sticking with our rear bunk layout for now.
Our Geist Aktiv 565 has that setup but I don't think they make them new any more (ours is 2 years old). Our friends have a Hymer which is also in that layout (not sure of the model).
Surely, in the other new ones, you can just use the 3rd bunk as a storage space anyway...?
------------- 'In later life, you will be more disappointed with the things you didn't do than with the things you did.' - Mark Twain
Surely, in the other new ones, you can just use the 3rd bunk as a storage space anyway...?
Not really, the space under the lower bunk in 2 bunk models is like under any seating so is well out of the way and secure, and the head space for each child is still more than a 3 bunk version.
We also use the rear chest of drawers for kids socks, pants, etc etc and that is also always lost with 3 bunk versions.
We have one and are over the moon with it. Very strong bunks - the top one takes up to 11 stone. Fantastic build quality. We did look at the Adria 542DK but the build didn't compare - the Geist is exactly how you would expect a German van to be.
I would never swap ours for a 3 bunk (even if I had another child) the 2 bunk bedroom feels very spacious, each bunk has plenty of head room and no-one has to sleep next to the floor!
Plus...The Geist and the Adria are (I think) the only two vans on the market with the front door at the front of the van (next to the lounge) rather than down next to the kids bedroom (a huge bonus when you have a little Houdini amongst your numbers!). This is probably different to your set up I think - but works very well for us.
The Geist is the layout..without the chest of drawers? door at front is better though, but we like a bigger bathroom with seperate shower to "bath " kids in the bottom and adria are not rear bedrooms with side bunks (couldnt find one anyway?, coachman site wouldnt load!.
To be clear, it needs to shut off the rear 6 foot of bedroom, in which there are 2 side bunks and a dinette on the other side with chest of drawers between on the rear caravan wall.
Looks like we will have to keep ours until kids are old enough to stay up as late as us!!
One of the triple side bunk models had the advantage that the bottom bunk could be folded and turned into storage but I cannot remember which one although for some reason the Lunar comes to mind. Have a look at all the triple bunk models and you should see (there aren't that many)
Hi there - Coachman 570/6 we've had a look at them all apart from Geist AK495 & this one for us is the best by far. It only has a double bunk but on the other side you can create another top bunk so you still can get 6 berths should you need to. It has a separate shower which was a must for us & the build quality seemed far better than any of its rivals which is why is probably why its a bit heavier than most. The only downside really is that it has the corrugated fabric door to close the rear bunks off rather than the sliding wooden door you will be used to in the 615 but we were told at the show that the fabric has soundproofing qualities. Oh and you can't get access to the underbunk storage externally not a problem to us but could be to others.
Quote: Originally posted by richard615 on 02/4/2010
The Geist is the layout..without the chest of drawers? door at front is better though, but we like a bigger bathroom with seperate shower to "bath " kids in the bottom and adria are not rear bedrooms with side bunks (couldnt find one anyway?, coachman site wouldnt load!.
To be clear, it needs to shut off the rear 6 foot of bedroom, in which there are 2 side bunks and a dinette on the other side with chest of drawers between on the rear caravan wall.
Our Geist has a rear washroom with separate shower which has a lot of storage space in it....there's only one of those concertina fabric dividers but works well enough...
Admittedly, you have to walk past the kids to get to the toilet - ok for us because our kids can (and have) slept through a thunderstorm in a tent!!
------------- 'In later life, you will be more disappointed with the things you didn't do than with the things you did.' - Mark Twain
One of the triple side bunk models had the advantage that the bottom bunk could be folded and turned into storage but I cannot remember which one although for some reason the Lunar comes to mind. Have a look at all the triple bunk models and you should see (there aren't that many)
Jon
Bailey GT60 and i think ranger models. We have a GT60 and love it
Our Avondale Argente 650-6 has the back layout you're looking for, but the bunks aren't fixed. Also, having gone bust, you won't find a new one! Although I've been calling it rotten lately because we had a problem with the pipes, I love it because of the layout.
Basically, the backroom consists of a long bench seat on the left (looking towards the back) and a single dinette on the right, with a chest in the middle. We utilise it as two single beds for the kids, but there is a collapsible bunk on each side, which comes in handy for friends. Because the chest is the same as the front, you can also make it into a double bed if you want.
There's a transverse bathroom forward of them, with a fabric concertina door between the backroom and the bathroom. Then a solid door separating the transverse bathroom from the rest of the van, so we don't disturb the kids in the night and they don't disturb us in the morning.
The shower isn't deep enough to "bath" the kids in though. its too shallow. Stacks of storage space, I still haven't managed to fill it.
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Topic: New 2 rear side bunk caravans????
