OK have been to see a Coachman Amara 550/5 as a possible family friendly swap for our current triple fixed bunk Adria (not my idea I would add!). Idea being that as kids are getting taller they are outgrowing headroom in the bunks to use as anything other than sleeping area and OH wants to have option of leaving a bed permanently made up for us whilst away but still have lounge seating (hence twin diner)
Whilst viewing last weekend we ended up also seeing a Amara 530 fixed bed model (by accident really) and it set us thinking once we had spent 10 minutes inside or so. long enough front benches to sleep as kids single with Duvalay or sleeping bags for easy set up and put away and a comfy fixed bed with room divider, lots of storage lockers and cupboards plus under bed storage, decent size kitchen with pop down area of work surface aswell, walk through shower area with folding screen is compromise but better than we have currently that only has curtain (and does give decent square shower are as opposed to newer curved models), divider at back gives privacy for changing as kids get older (nearly 11 and 9 now)
Can any families who have been through this stage explain why this might not be a great idea and we end up with fixed bed earlier than anticipated?!
Sadly the 530/4 isn't made past 2009 and the 535/4 doesn't have same storage or bathroom. Lots of other fixed beds just don;t have the same size front lounge either or storage options
Come on tell me why we should be keeping our Adria please :)
Stop them growing sunshinetours lol.
This is why I went for the double bunk as there's more head room in mine.
The only thing I don't like with a fixed bed with kids as seems a waste of space during the day.
Decisions decisions.....
------------- Up there for thinking, down there for dancing. 😎
We purchased a fixed bed Elddis van 2 years ago and it just did not work for us when we had grandchildren with us. The idea of an always made bed was an excellent idea for when we were on our own, it just did not work with the little ones. At night they had to go to sleep on the double bed while we watched TV, then lift them onto the made up lounge beds when we were ready for bed. The next day we had to wait for them to wake before we could put the TV on or move around the van. During the day the rear washroom and fixed bed appeared to take up all the available space in the van, changed last year to the Swift 586, this works perfectly for us.
MrT - ha yes for me I don't think they have an issue but OH does - therefore it is an issue
Enoch - yes we never use the van on our own and most of our longer stays we are outside as usually abroad or for some 4 day plus stays we might have over here often the kids are usually outside somewhere or i guess if lounging around they could use our bed to read or play games etc
Bedtimes not such an issue as they don't go to bed much earlier than us usually on main holidays (and we would be in awning anyway in summer) and for off season we don't normally sit up and watch TV but read so do that in bed anyway.
It is hard as we all holiday differently and to be honest a fixed bed ever even entered our minds until we spent some time in this one which seemed to tick a lot of boxes I have to admit
I think so yes looks like 2008 or 2009 is last time they made that model. The 535/4 carries on but isn't quite same layout but need to check one out ion the flesh - don't think it will have storage we need and use whilst set up.
Problem is with such a big area taken up by a fixed bed you do need practical storage aswell as everything else and something has to give somewhere!
LOL the Pathfinder was great with its fixed beds and has spoilt us I think going forward that is part of the problem!
We have a fixed bed, our two (16 girl & 14 boy) use the front double made up and use sleeping bags, they do however have to share with the dog
We bought the caravan with the thought that, they wont want to come along soon, but they love it, and I see no end in sight of them leaving us alone
we had the fixed bunk amara 640, it was great while the kids are small, we now have fixed singles,big fixed singles! this gives my kids there own bedroom for telly xbox ect, I didn't think it would work but it really does, especially now they are just 2 kids coming along these days.
Our 1st van was a 2010 Adria Altea 542DT triple bunk which we loved, but with a tall 15yr old son and 13yr old daughter and lack of head room between bunks we decided to change to Adria Altea Severn with 2 bunks this year. Apart from some teething problems with the van, the layout works really well for us. Compromise is small bathroom, no shower cubicle but because we only go to sites with facilities we can live with this.
I really liked the sprite major 6 fixed bed when we were initially looking, but just couldn't justify the space being used for the bed during the day.
We went to the show this year and had a look around and it's still the only one that I liked apart from ours...and the new adrias aren't the same now. Ours just seems to have so much space and we were lucky that when we got it they'd started doing the double bunk version which does give much more headroom.
Hi sunshine tours. We had exactly the same van as you, Adria 542DT and had same issue with headroom on bunks.
We changed to a fixed bed last year girls have duvalay on lounge seats, we never make bed up and went for a Bailey Bologna twin axle as the lounge seats are long enough for an adult to sleep on them.
We love the van, the girls love the van, we would never ever go back to bunks again.
We have a fixed bed van (majority of the tie it's just the two us) but we do take grandkids with us quite regularly and they sleep on the front bed - either as singles or made up as a double - we just lie on the bed and read or watch a bit of tv after they have gone to sleep. We also have an annexe to the awning which they are chomping at the bit to use.
We wouldn't swap the fixed bed now though we did look at twin dinette vans and decided against them. Plenty of locker space for 4 and loads of space under the bed - sunbelt of course to weight and its distribution.
Thanks everyone for the input very useful. Especially Checkley and Jaiash with your very relevant personal experience
Veema yes I do think if we had the new twin bunk DT we might not be having this issue so early although it wouldn't change the fact Oh really doesn't like making up beds (even though I do it some of the time aswell)
Bottom line its an issue for her apparently therefore its an issue !
MrT as for whether we go older well it depends on what we find on other vans - I don't want a twin axle ideally and only limited vans (even with limited years within that aswell) with suitable size front singles.
The 2008 Amara 530/4 has 5ft 8" front singles which is big enough for all but fully grown adults in practice and they are about 2.5ft wide so again comfortable in theory
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Topic: Fixed bed as family friendly layout?
