Bunk house conundrum and older kids

[garysol]

We have been out of the camping scene for a couple years and ready to get back into it. Here is my conundrum. Our last "child" starts college this year but oddly enough she still loves hanging out with mom and dad and wants to continue camping with us. So here I am at 53 years old looking at bunk house trailers when I figured by now I would be looking at a couples style rear living with a nice big back window. I guess there are worse problems to have. I just really wonder how much free time our soon to be 18 year old daughter is really going to have to go camping with us. I hate the idea of giving up all the room a bunk house takes up if she isnt going to be using it. Wish I could see the future. So my conundrum...... do I get a "us" camper and have her sleep on the couch or look for a bunk house where she has some privacy......

[jt301]

This reminds me of an episode of Tiny Homes. The parents sold their home to pay for the tuition fee of their daughter who will be going to college and decided to downsize. Their tiny home was customized to accommodate their 3 kids whenever they visit.

[garysol]

We ended up pulling the trigger on a lightly used 2018 Kodiak 288BHSL. It is a traditional single slide rear bunk model. It has a pair of bunks in the right rear that is big enough for an adult but nothing that I would call sleeping in luxury. The bunk area is small enough that I felt like we didn't lose all that much living space for when its just the wife and I. In the end the condition and amenities of this travel trailer were the deciding factor (auto leveling and 50amp)which are not all that common to find on a used TT....

[Lexx]

We have a Grand Design Reflection 28bh with double bed bunks in back. They work great for our triplet 7 yr old boys.

We’ve been thinking of replacing the 2 cushion sofa in the main room with a sofa bed that works much better than the awful unit that came with the trailer.

[garysol]

We are going out later this week to look at a trailer that I think will fit our needs and make everyone happy. It is a Crossroads Sunset Trail 33BD. It has a dedicated bunkroom that has 2 bunks and sofa. That arrangement should fit our daughter as well as the occasional adult guests and it can also be used as a second TV room or a reading room for us if we are traveling alone.. The living area has opposed slides so even though we are losing some living space length due to the bunk house I think the extra width will still make the trailer feel big enough for the wife and I to be able to spend extended time together without being at each others throats. I do wish the master had a slide but at least it does feature a full size queen and not a shorty. Fingers crossed this is the one.

[Acdii]

While not in the same "boat" as the OP, I have a similar situation. My 78 YO mother travels with us and has her lower bunk, while I also have a 12 and 13 YO. My current trailer is a Coleman 274BH, no slide on it, but the rear bunks are roomy and so far has worked out the past three years. Both my kids have outgrown the jack knife sofa. Pretty goofy sized one, 12" of arms take up a lot of room, so contemplated upgrading to a larger one with a slide while keeping to the same GVWR as the current one.

Well I did find one that fit the bill, but is $10K more than what I paid for the one I have now, so would have to first sell mine rather than take a hit on trade, then of course purchase the new one, spend more money to outfit it, because we all know what worked on one, may not work on the other, and then of course timing. The weather this spring was so bad I couldn't get it out of storage, and when I finally did, the weather prevented me from working on it to get it all cleaned up and ready to sell.

So after all that back and forth and everything, I did the next best thing, replaced that worthless Jack Knife with a much longer one. Trailer is good for a few more years for us. 🙂 The sofa is rather comfortable to sleep on, so what I suggest is find a trailer you can live with for a while that has a nice sofa bed. Some of those are pull out too. If you can make it work and be happy, go for it.

[theoldwizard1]

My daughter's family camps a lot and they have double bunk beds in the rear. The kids are 6 and 10. In a couple of years the older one will not be able to fit two in a bed unless they "spoon". Even with their oversized dinette laid down in a couple more years when the little ones fit teenage years, they are going to need individual bunks.

BH models with 4 real bunks are not as common as they used to be ! Many times you loose a bunk to an outdoor kitchen.

[garysol]

Sandia Man wrote:

We certainly are not looking at typical bunkhouse models at this point since we desire a spacious rig for extended RVing escapades, since the sofas readily turn into queen beds along with ample floor space for air mattresses, we feel they are adequately accommodated when they are in the mood to accompany us. It is about our comfort level this time around.

Have you found any floor plans that have sparked your interest yet?

[Lantley]

I would suggest a mid bunk model if you want to give her dedicated space.
However if it were me I would be looking at couple models and let her wing it with sofa or air mattress when she come along

[Sandia_Man]

We are in a similar boat looking for a new rig more suited for couples with young adult children that occasionally enjoy RVing with us. Since they are all working and attending college the frequency of them tagging along is sporadic at best, we may consider a mid bunk room style of rig although those floorplans really eat up kitchen and living room space.

We certainly are not looking at typical bunkhouse models at this point since we desire a spacious rig for extended RVing escapades, since the sofas readily turn into queen beds along with ample floor space for air mattresses, we feel they are adequately accommodated when they are in the mood to accompany us. It is about our comfort level this time around.

[wildtoad]

My kids are in the late 30’s married with no kids. My wife has a niece and grand nephew. She wanted to get bunk beds incase the kid wants to go along. So far in three years, just three times. However, the bottom bunk sans mattress makes a great place for ( at various times ) a dog kennel, cat kennel and litter box location, their assorted foods and toys. Upper bunk used for storage most of the times and it works out well. Just a an idea.

[cbwallace]

I has a similar issue where I wanted the rear living area but still had a need for a small bunk room. I found the Grand Design Reflection 31MB (mid-bunk) to work perfectly for us. I have no issues with pin weight, it provides ample room for the family and provides for a separate sleeping area for the kids.

[Hondavalk]

When I was looking to buy my current trailer I too didn't think I had any desire for a BH either. One of my adult daughters came with us trailer shopping one time and was looking at trailers along with us. She convinced us into buying a BH because our grand kids would love it. Both of our adult children almost always accompany us at some point during our trips. The private bunk room has worked out great for us. When we have no guest its also great using it for extra storage. Our adult children are like friends and its great sharing our camping adventures with them.

[wanderingaimles]

Why "give up" anything?
You have enough truck for a small 5er.
Sprinter campfire bunky

One for sale with pics

[DownTheAvenue]

Only you know your daughter; however, what about the older kids? Their path may be telling for your youngest. Personally, I would buy for the long term, and let her sleep on the couch for the very few times she will go with you. At 18, she is becoming an adult and it is time for her to learn to fly away from the nest.