Fixed bed or 2 berth
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To add to my earlier post, with our fixed side bed my OH slides out the end of the bed so climbing over doesn't come into it... We are both tall-ish, I sleep on the outside and the cut off has never been a problem. We also looked at a Bailey(?) with a French
bed and that had room to slide out the end but other factors were against that particular van. So we have t/a, 7.92m x 2.35 and 1619kg MTPLM, fixed bed, side dining, L shape lounge, adequate shower room, all boxes ticked! Yes, the length was bit tricky on
a couple of occassions but used to it now.0 -
i think its essential to do as Alan describes, try the bed, the shower, are wardrobes big enough etc....after all, its our money.......
Absolutely BB. We are all different and our requirements vary so much, so what suits one may well not suit another. One thing, when you check things out, make sure there is enough leg room when you sit on the loo. The van we bought which was stolen was
a bit of an error on our behalf. I found I couldn't sit on the loo without having to leave the door open. Ever since then, it's the first thing I check.
David
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Our current van is fine for us, twin couches that we sleep as twin singles. No jigsaws no knee rolls, just 2 long comfy single interior sprung bases. When we change vans it will be for the same type or fixed singles but not side beds, or transverse, when
I go to bed I like to sleep not spend the night performing gymnastics
the most uncomfortable bed we ever had was in a Coachman, side bed, cut
off corner, off centre spar. Bed making was a right pain in the you know what, access to the overhead lockers could only be got by climbing on the bed. The shower room was a tiny wet room with the toilet at the rear, so you had to stand in the shower tray
to get to the toilet. Best van was a Luner SB but at 7.4m a bit long, the Elddis 2 berth end bathroom was much better for size, with make up beds. we have never used sleeping bags we like to sleep the same as home with proper bedding.0 -
.......Bed making was a right pain in the you know what, access to the overhead lockers could only be got by climbing on the bed. The shower room was a tiny wet room with the toilet at the rear, so you had to stand in the shower
tray to get to the toilet....Your not wrong about the cupboards TG. We tend to put the stuff we rarely use in those cupboards. We don'l find bed making too bad, and our washroom goes right across the back of the van so we have a seperate toilet, wash basin and shower - this is just
right for us.David
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i think its essential to do as Alan describes, try the bed, the shower, are wardrobes big enough etc....after all, its our money.......
Absolutely BB. We are all different and our requirements vary so much, so what suits one may well not suit another. One thing, when you check things out, make sure there is enough leg room when you sit on the loo. The van we bought which was stolen was
a bit of an error on our behalf. I found I couldn't sit on the loo without having to leave the door open. Ever since then, it's the first thing I check.David
I would hope it was not at the NEC David
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my question would always be....if you were at home, would you sleep downstairs on the sofa rather than going upstairs to bed? i know what our answer would be.
Lots of people sleep downstairs on the sofa - usually though it is because they are in disgrace!
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.... outweighs making up the jigsaw of cushions for a most uncomfortable sleep.
4 piece jigsaws are easy peasy and we both sleep like a log. I know not all fixed beds are the same but there are loads that are eaither rounded off ie D shaped or a corner cut off ..... what do you do with your legs if you have the cut off corner?
My wife is only 5ft tall so she sleeps where the cut off corner is lol
Write your comments here.. Hubby has the window side. I'm only 5ft too so I have the cut off bit. I like to sleep with my leg out anyway so suits me.
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Our previous van was a 4 berth with side dinette, but we had always intended to downsize to a 2 berth when DD stopped coming along.
However, after our first 3 month long "retirement trip", I came to the conclusion that the bedmaking was a bit of a hassle and we bought a bigger fixed bed van instead.
We have a big rear shower room with large walk-in shower, side fixed double bed, kitchen with good workspace and large fridge/freezer, and a lounge area that sits 4. Being short, the lounge area is still OK for stretching out on, and the cut-off bed corner
works fine too, OH sleeps on that side and I get to do the climbing over when necessary.It is however long, almost 8m, but I have no problem with towing a van that size.
While away recently for 4 weeks, we have been looking at MHs and doing as suggested.......trying out the beds, shower etc and seeing how the kitchen would work for us.
The result at present is that we have not found a MH that will meet our needs, particularly in the shower and kitchen areas, and while the island bed was very comfortable, there was too little space to manoeuvre easily around it.
Several looked good on paper, but when we actually tried them out it was a different story.
We also looked at new caravans, and did not like those either, mainly we thought the shower area was cramped, and getting past a transverse double bed was tricky.
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you certainly wont be able to 'replicate' your caravan in a MH under 3.5t....
time to change the towcar?
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We had a 2 berth and changed it in '14 for an island bed and wouldnt change back. For the 2 of us it is ideal especially as I rise early even on hols and with the 2 berth I had to spend time in the awning even thro the winter trips as wife slept on etc.
Also no having to sort out the bed pm/am.
We would not change back but thankfully to each their own.
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Kj, I can say we found the same as you when looking for a m/h. We took years to find one that was right for us but there were compromises, for us it was lose the fixed beds. We felt at the time that the m/h's that had them were either to big or the lounge area was compromised, kitchens were practcally none existent. We've recently looked at new caravans and haven't yet seen anything we would consider, so its a good job we like what we have.
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Thanks for so many responses. As folk have said, it is all so individual. After 50 years of sleeping together we like it so single beds are not an option. We also look forward to going back to the large double made up from the two singles. Neither of us
like the idea of sleeping against the wall in French bed and our present trip has demonstrated that the transverse bed layout does not work for us. Now we hope we will not lose too much in parting with a 6 month old van. We also want a mover with automatic
engagement as the manual one hs been an effort this year even with putting all my weight behind though 9 stone isn't much I know.0 -
I have said that we wouldn't consider a fixed bed but there is one that we keep coming back to and wondering if we could manage or if the washroom would be a compromise too far
It won't be for everyone but it's 90% there for us
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I have said that we wouldn't consider a fixed in bed but there is one that we keep coming back to and wondering if we could manage or if the washroom would be a compromise too far
It won't be for everyone but it's 90% there for us
...saw one of these while abroad, they did have a motorbike on board and 2 pushbikes. 2 adults 2 kids, they also had a rear awning, not sure how that would work on a cc site though
the
couple were from Norway and we saw them in Germany, they were on their way to Italy.0 -
- side garage doors
- Sufficient area on the roof for bulky goods via rear ladder
- Longer 'A' frame for mounting bycycles
and yet it states a User payload of 170kg which is not unusual in our market. Time you took advantage of the bikes, roof luggage and garage there would be nothing left <confused>
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Practical caravan has reviewed it and did a live in test at Glastonbury. I saw it in real life at Camperex earlier in the year. It's a bigger van than you'd think.
It's missing oven, grill and microwave but we don't want them anyway. The shower is an option and it's really clever. The shower tray fits in a drawer under the washroom and pulls out to form a sort of cubicle with curtains across the rear door. There are two doors so not a problem with access but it's the area where we'd have to consider whether it was a compromise too far.
The ability to carry the bikes or the motorbike may swing it for us.
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you certainly wont be able to 'replicate' your caravan in a MH under 3.5t....
time to change the towcar?
Maybe!
However we have not totally given up on MHs yet, we did quite like a Burstner with a drop down bed as it had a larger kitchen area and a larger shower room with a good sized shower.
There is also a Dethleffs that might work.
However, if we decide a MH is for us, I plan to apply to get my 3500+ licence back, so that we will also be able to consider heavier vans and vans up to 7.5m (the max we can fit on the drive), so looks like it is all up in the air again!
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my question would always be....if you were at home, would you sleep downstairs on the sofa rather than going upstairs to bed? i know what our answer would be.
Lots of people sleep downstairs on the sofa - usually though it is because they are in disgrace!
or cannot make it up the stairs
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my question would always be....if you were at home, would you sleep downstairs on the sofa rather than going upstairs to bed? i know what our answer would be.
Lots of people sleep downstairs on the sofa - usually though it is because they are in disgrace!
or cannot make it up the stairs
. . . or live in a bungalow!
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I have said that we wouldn't consider a fixed bed but there is one that we keep coming back to and wondering if we could manage or if the washroom would be a compromise too far
It won't be for everyone but it's 90% there for us
the Knaus is a prize on the CC competition webpage....have a go!
we looked ot ine recently, its a great van (it even has a garage for bikes) a large fixed bed and an opening tailgate....
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Seems to be missing the corners of most fitments, not to mention the toilet door! Is there a version with some floor space?
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Seems to be missing the corners of most fitments, not to mention the toilet door! Is there a version with some floor space?
There's loads of floor space Nav. It doesn't photograph at all well but if there's enough room for a motorbike there's plenty of floorspace. There's definitely a toilet door
You don't like the curves?
http://www.bmvleisure.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/knaus-sportfun-interieur-design_06.jpg
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Ha! So that's what a toilet you can't use with the door closed looks like!
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Cheers Jay
