Hi all.
We are currently tenters, but would consider a caravan at the right price.
Now, this question might sound stupid, but without actually knowing the difference, I cant really proceede any further.
Here goes...What is the difference between berths and people in the van?
simply put, there are 4 of us, made up of 2 adults, 1 boy age 5 and 1 girl age nearly 3.
Do we require a 2 berth or 4 berth van?
Now you've finished laughing at my daft question, give me some answers.
Thanks
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Berths are the number of people it can sleep so you would need a four berth of possibly a five berth. Some people go for more berths than they need because the extra room is useful for storing items ect. We used the spare bunk for storing toys, games ect.
Not a daft question at all! Tents have 'x man' size, so a 3 man tent is supposed to be big enough for three - but they rarely are IMHO, unless you plan to sleep like sardines and co-ordinate turning over!
So I can quite understand the confusion using a different term for the bed spaces. And like Sennen says above, you will need a minimum of 4, but two of those could be bunk beds while they are small, so you wouldn't necessarily need a huge caravan. Although little ones generally take up a lot of room..and of course they will grow...!
If you can afford it, and can tow the weight, I would suggest looking at 5 or 6 berths. As others have said a 4 berth will sleep 2 adults and 2 children but unless its a big 4 berth you may find it a bit tight for space without a full awning. We have a 4 berth and one child and have said that as and when number 2 arrives we will probably change to a 5/6 berth van for more storage and living space.
We have bought a 6 berth as our first van for two reasons:
1. Space - far more room to move around and store stuff - don't need an awning on a weekend trip
2. When kids are a bit older I am sure they will want friends on holiday with them - so we are ready for that.
We went for fixed bunks at the back with a side dinette - this means kids have somewhere to sit and play without taking over the whole front area of the van and we can have a cup of coffee in the morning without having to put out bed away.
We were restricted by weight & price but we managed to get a 5 berth, twin dinette, which has an end bedroom closed off by a wooden folding door. Initially I slept with our daughter at the front end using our sofas as singles and my husband slept at the rear end made up as a double. Now our daughter has the rear end with the bunk made up & this is her bedroom for the duration & my husband sleeps on the front singles with me - his is 6ft1" & mine is 5ft11" so just right, we don't need to make up the double bed. I think the more berths you can get the better as you have more options for sleeping arrangements as your children get older.
Each berth is identified by the maximum amount of beds that the unit will accommodate for example, a 4 berth can be a fixed double bed plus another double bed converted in the seating area or a double bed converted in the seating area with two single bunks elsewhere in the caravan. As 4 berth caravans are usually heavier than 2 berths caravans some people will find the alternative by having a 2 berth caravan, erect a full awning and then either install a hanging bedroom within the awning itself or better still purchase an annexe which is basically an extension that is zipped to the main awning. Inflatable camping beds are then used in the sleeping quarters but this option is suitable for the summer months but not recommended during winter time due to the cold. So basically your best option under the circumstances is a 4 berth caravan with a layout having two bunks, one for each of the children.
There are 4 of us and we have a 5 berth twin dinette van. At the front you can have a large double or 2 6ft singles. The rear seats face each other and could be used for very small children as they are or made into a double bed. There is a pull out bunk over this which is suitable for a young/lightweight child. My advice would be to get a van that you can all sleep inside rather than use a tent in the awning as you may want to use it for overnight stops or winter breaks. I would look at 4, 5, or 6 berth vans.
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Topic: Berth/person
