hi, we are looking to purchase our first caravan, my son who is 14 is 6ft tall, he wont want to share a bed with his 11 eleven year old sister so any suggestions please for layout? We are looking to get a new tow car in the next 2 weeks. I have been to a local dealers and not over keen on the side dinette as too small for my son. any comments from experienced caravaners welcom! thank you
We've been looking at this recently and have found some with permanent single beds like the Swift Challenger 510. There seem to be several makes that have this sort of layout.
we are in exactly the same position Ness P with a tall 15 yr old boy and 12 year old girl. After alot of thought and viewing some private vans/ going round the dealers we have narrowed our search down to either a 4 berth with fixed bed and two long front seats to use as singles or a double dinette layout with the long front seats again. Dealers just keep telling us to stick one of the kids in the annexe but we dont want to do this!!! and its of no help to use on overnight stops when we dont want to putting an annexe up. Our 15 yr old wont always come with us and I do wonder if we are trying too hard to find the perfect van as if it was just our daughter to consider the choice would be much wider!
Michaels suggestion is ideal (he gave me the link too when I asked a similar question when we began our search) and it really helps to see whats available.
Your choice will depend on your budget, tow car and if you are happy to tow a twin axle (something my OH has refused to consider)
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Nantcol June
Domaine du Verdon Castellane and Etoile d'Argens Frejus Aug
Quote: Originally posted by johnks on 23/3/2011
Caravanning and teenagers don't always go together very succesfully but depends on the teenagers,. Speaking from experience!!!!
My son preferred a pup tent or inner sleeping tent in the awning! Sometimes took a friend, so they both had their 'own pad' to camp in! Rarely saw them except for meals...!
Why do you hire a caravan to see how you get on. As I said, not all kids enjoy it and if you have one that doesn't then they can make life miserable for the others
We are in same position too....my 15yr old is nearly 6ft and shows no signs of stopping...he also sleeps in a double bed at home and likes his space. We tried him on a bunk and he couldn't move! We are looking at a 5 berth, double at front for us and a double dinette at back which converts into either a 3/4 or double with bunk above for 5yr old!
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Quote: Originally posted by julzgeraghty on 23/3/2011We've been looking at this recently and have found some with permanent single beds like the Swift Challenger 510. There seem to be several makes that have this sort of layout.
We have the Challenger 510. The reason we brought it was our 2 lads both 6 foot tall.
They say the beds are comfy
We have 2 teenagers..an over 6ft tall son and a 16 yr old daughter..a few years ago when we got our first van..we were thinking the kids would come with us all the time and they would probably want to bring their mates ect..so we went for a 6 berth..it had fixed bunks across the back of the van..a side dinette that turned into bunks and the front seats made upto the double bed for us..How wrong were we?..
Within the 6 months of us havin the van from new..we knew we had made a huge mistake in our choice of layout..The kids both had a growth spurt and became too big for the bunks..they didnt always want to come away with us either..So we decided to look into part exchangin it..we part chopped it for a twin axle fixed bed..end bathroom 4 berth and it was the best decision we have made..
If the kids come with us..they can either sleep on the front seats as singles..sometimes they make the bed up and sleep top n tail on it as a double..and other times one will sleep in the annexe of the awnin..they both like to sleep in there..especially on hotter nights..
When the kids arent with us..this means we have a luxurious van all to ourselves..with a bed we can fall straight into at night..plus the end bathroom is great for privacy when changin/dressing ect..which is somethin we didnt even consider when gettin the first van with a diddy side bathroom..
You have to think that before long..the kids might not want to come along with you anymore...Then you'll be left with a van with lots of beds and only the 2 of you..my advice would be to think of yourself for once..(as my other half put it to me) Cos if youre anythin like us..you'll be goin away in the van alot more than the kids will want to go with you...
Sal, thanks for your post, you've said what I've been thinking and I completly agree with you and thats the conclusion we've come too now. We want a fixed bed as we plan to keep the van for a few years by which time we'll only have our daughter with us or her and a friend (then they'll go in the annexe or make the front bed up and share that.
------------- Thistledown Easter
Nantcol June
Domaine du Verdon Castellane and Etoile d'Argens Frejus Aug
We have been caravanning for a couple of years (this will be our 3rd summer) and have a 14 yr old son. We have the side dinette layout which up to now has worked for us, only having one child. However this year we are already getting comments like "oh do I have to come?" and "its so lame" etc and he has already decreed he will NOT be sleeping in the van but bringing his own tent, which is fine with us. So in all honesty Id focus on what YOU want, and buy a decent little tent and kit it out nicely for the teenager.
The German caravans such as Geist and Dethleffs have full size bunks at the back - it would be worth looking at these layouts. The Dethleffs have a German website but show all the layouts. We love ours!!
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Topic: first caravan, suitable for teenagers pls
