Here we go again. We have been caravanning/motorhoming for the past twenty years and have had a few different layouts,
After making a bad decision and buying a new 7.4m motorhome last year with fixed beds we sold it after ten months, It was just too large.
We are now looking at a smaller two berth with no fixed beds, back to making the beds up every night.
Are we going to regret this? The caravan spends more time on our drive than away on holiday. We spend,on average,six weeks away each year, occasionally maybe eight.
Not sure if drop down beds exist in caravans like they do in motorhomes, however, I would research and see if they do, as they are space-saving with the same floor space that serves dual purposes; plus the advantage of not requiring the bed to be made up every night and put away every morning.
DK
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We've had a fixed bed but found it cramped and the little corner shower cum toilet was awful. The living space was cramped and dominated by the huge looking bed.
When we updated we bought a Bailey Pursuit 400-2. This van looks tiny from outside but the living space appeared huge as most of the van was all low level living space. Two 6 foot long settees, a kitchen and a side board. The kitchen was the tallest item.
It had a end washroom with toilet, washbasin and large shower and also, very usefully, a wardrobe with shelves. We were able to keep all our clothes for a week in the wardrobe on 2 large shelves, 1 each.
We used the 2 front settees as single beds and used sleeping bags. I'm 6'4" tall but found the bed long enough.
One was slightly longer than the other.
The gas locker was in the side and integrated with the sideboard inside. The was a huge storage cupboard under it.
We too like the internal space that a smaller 2 berth, end bathroom van gives us. Making the bed up every night is a small price to pay (in our opinion) for the spacious bathroom area and living space. We're now nearly 6 weeks into a 7 week holiday, and still no moaning about making the bed. We do have Duvalays though, so once the cushions are rearranged, bed-making is a doddle!
In our minds, standard caravans come in 3 sizes. Small 2 berths, medium 4 or sometimes 6 berths on a single axle and then large 4/6 berths on a twin axle, often 8 foot wide now.
We have what I class as a medium sized caravan. It is a single axle 4 berth with a fixed bed. With my bad back, I need a proper mattress and this works well for us. The debate we had when buying our current caravan was whether to have the fixed bed in the middle with a rear washroom (like the Swift 580s) or have the fixed bed at the back with a mid washroom (like the swift 560s). We went for the bed at the back, and it has worked out brilliantly for us. My husband is a very early riser (5.30am this morning) whereas I am more an 8am girl, so with this layout, he can get up early and go into the front part of the caravan and close the door. There is then the buffer of the bathroom and 2 closed doors between us so he can have the lights on, make coffee, even watch the morning news on the TV if he likes and it doesn’t disturb me sleeping peacefully down at the back.
We find this medium size caravan the best for us as it gives us the fixed bed without the massive size and weight of some of the newer large caravans. It is still heavy (1550kg) so needs a big car but we find it much easier to tow than our previous smaller caravan at 1150kg.
Much prefer to have a 2 berth van (Elddis Affinity 520) & spend 5 minutes each morning & night sorting out the beds, the extra floor space more than compensates for the minor inconvenience. We use Duvalay toppers which we store under one of the seats, duvets in the overhead lockers.
Quote: Originally posted by dk168 on 20/6/2023
Not sure if drop down beds exist in caravans like they do in motorhomes, however, I would research and see if they do, as they are space-saving with the same floor space that serves dual purposes; plus the advantage of not requiring the bed to be made up every night and put away every morning.
DK
They used to but I'm not sure they do now as I haven't seen one in years. We once had a Sprite Musketeer back in the 1980s, and it had a double bed that pulled down from the back of the van next to the toilet compartment. I thought it was a great design as you could leave it made up. You just fastened a strap across it leaving the bedding in place then lifted it up. At night you just pulled it down and undid the strap.
Our caravan is not very big, but it's the biggest we can get on our driveway. Plenty of room in it for the two of us. At night we just throw a couple of sleeping bags on the front seats, job done. We could make it into a double, but if we did that it would take longer, and if the one nearest the front of the van had to get up in the night they would have to clamber over the other one. Not worth the bother for us oldies.
When deciding to go down the caravan route as upgrade from tenting, I somehow got bigger and bigger with my 'must haves' in the search for the right van, and ended up with a 4 berth (that's a bit of a misrepresentation, as it's really a 2+2, 2 adult sized singles/double, and 2 young teenager sized fold up/down bunks). I was looking to accommodate two adults and a medium sized dog. Decided a full width rear bathroom was a must have, as was a decent kitchen. Regarded a fixed bed was a waste of space in a smaller single axle van and often resulted in huge compromises in other van features like a tiny bathroom.
5 years on, can't say I made any mistakes in my choice, and would replace pretty much with the same if looking for another van.
Can't see any problems with making up beds every night, it literally takes around a minute to rearrange cushions and throw a sleeping bag and pillows on bed, and just as quick to reverse into bench seats. The bedding and PJs all stow in overhead lockers when not in use. Really can't understand how some people seem to make it into such a drama. I find the bench cushions perfectly comfortable as a bed and sleep like a baby.
The diner/bunks are always set up in 'bunk' format, the unused cushions and ladder are stored at home, the lower bunk has a dog crate on it as well as a portable camping fridge/freezer (I go away with frozen food for the duration of my stay), the upper is used for bag and other storage.
The choice of van is a very personal thing, ideals are sometimes compromised by what's on the market, what weight the tow car car handle etc., but reckon with a enough research you can get to something you'll be happy with.
Quote: Originally posted by path20 on 21/6/2023
Where do you keep your Duvalays when not in use bofs?
Under one of the front seats.
With the pillows and a rug for if it gets chilly when winter caravanning.
We use our shower as a shower, or sometimes as a place to hang damp towels, waterproofs etc.
Quote: Originally posted by Monty15 on 21/6/2023
Can't see any problems with making up beds every night, it literally takes around a minute to rearrange cushions and throw a sleeping bag and pillows on bed, and just as quick to reverse into bench seats.
The one 'problem' that i eventually found, was that it became a pain in the arse!
I Had to flip the seats - as everyone does, but draw the line at 'slumming it' with a sleeping bag. We have a comfy bed at home, so why would you crease yourself in the van for a night or 14? After flipping the seats, i had to put a topper on, then the wife put a sheet on, then the duvet. Result, very comfy bed. But, we've binned that van off for a fixed bed model - not a narrow corner thing though. On this lives the old topper, and the rest of the bedding. Wouldnt swap back.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Small or large caravan.
via mobile 20/6/2023 at 7:27pm
