We have a 4 yr old only and have a bunk house with a single super slide (no slide for bunks). The superslide gives us lots of floor room for those rainy days so we aren't tripping over my daughter or 70 lb dog. The bunks are definitely very narrow and boxy. If you think your DS will be broad then look into the wider double bunks. Our TT is perfect for our needs but I do think there is something to be said about having an area that you can close off for the teenagers. I can tell you the downside is hauling a 30ft trailer is not the easiest thing to do. I love the inside space but don't like hauling it down the road. Of course we are hauling with an armada so the wheelbase is a little shorter making it a little more difficult. I wouldn't want to go any bigger with my current TV. Remember any model you llook at is likely to be a few feet longer from bumper to ball than listed as many companys (not all) list just box length. As for the rear slides, we looked at them but couldn't find any that had a side slide as well and they felt really cramped to us but that is just my opinion. Good luck.
We have a 6 and 4 year old and have the Jayco 32BHDS. This model has the two slides with the bunk house in the back. The really nice part is that with the 2nd slide, you get a lot of room for a rainy day. You end up with 4 beds in the back with this model, and it depends on what you preference is. On one side you get a bunk with an entertainment center, closet and 2 draws, while on the other you can have a bunk bed up top with either a trundel bed underneath or you can have two J-cubes which are basically fold out beds that when folded up, doube as chairs. That is the option we have and so far we have loved it.
The only drawback with this model based off what you said is that it is 35 feet long. But other then that, it has been awesome. I am so happy we bought the larger TT first.
My kids are 18&21 - we have had a popup for the past 10 years, and just recently got a TT (which is going to be used at one location, and we will keep popup for camping...)
My kids will still go camping with us - when they are home from college, and I think it is partially because we have always tried to make sure they had comfortable sleeping areas. With the popup, they used to swap between the bunk end and the dinette - which we almost never used as anything but a bed, so they each had their space. When our son got older, we bought him a good tent and a comfortable pad. Our daughter then had the bunk end.
With the TT I wanted the bunk room - it has a couch that folds out to a bed and we can use the air mattress from the living room couch. I bought good bedding, and my daughter really liked it. It also has a loft bed that is almost the size of a real twin - again, I bought good bedding. If one or both go with us, they have comfortable accomodations. If they do not, we have a den. We did look at a slightly smaller TT that would have had them sleeping on couch and dinette. We would have had a much nicer bedroom. But, why would they choose to go with us, to be stuck sleeping in the living area? Your kids will someday be teens...
Get the Bunks and if you can afford one with a slide out, go for it. In 10 years or so when kids are grown and probably not camping much with you, you can upgrade to a newer trailer that suits your lifestyle at that time. We used to have a trailer with a bunk room and I even slept in it occasionally when DH was snoring too much and they were fine. Now we just have one bedroom with sofa-bed and that works fine when and if we have the occasional guest or family member. Plus if need be, can use the dinette table if necessary for a nite or two.
Course if the adult kids want to come, I encourage them to get a motel!!!!
Just wait until they get older and want to sleep in until noon,converting the dinette leaves you without your living room until noon,wake them up early and see the mean bear who is in your camper.Go with the bunks,my kids have spent plenty of time in thier room and leave us the living room.....We would love to have a little more room in the living room with out the bunks but having thier own area is a better thing.
If its Friday,see ya on monday.Have camper,will camp.
We have two kids, boy 15 and girl 13 and we got a Rockwood with quad bunks. The kids sleep in the wider bunks and use the narrower bunks for storing their gear and for bringing friends. As our kids became teens they also began balking at going camping. So getting the quad bunks and having friends along is a way to keep them happy and enjoying our time away.
With 2 kids you and them would appreciated a bunk room and if you can swing it with your TV and finances get a Bunk Room with a slide. Best decision we made was to get a double slide TT.
I’m going to write from experience, currently having two teenager’s one boy 16 and one girl 17. But up until 3 years ago camped with three children the oldest would be 23 today.
We tent camped for years and then stepped up to a HTT with a rear double bed for the two youngest, the oldest slept on the jack knife sofa and a front queen bed for us
The double bed was fine when the kids were 5 & 6 but became an issue as they got older. Mike graduated high school and went into the Army and we were camping with 2 teenagers, and my daughter was sleeping on the sofa bed (because sharing a bed with her brother was “yucky”).
We upgraded to our current rig in 2009, it has front bunk beds, a double bottom bunk for my son who like yours is tall and broad and my daughter sleeps on the top.
Your question about choosing a Bunk House Unit or just bunk beds (like ours) really comes down to HOW you camp. We have friends who have televisions, laptops with internet access, DVD’s and PS2 games in their RV.
While there is nothing wrong with televisions or entertainment centers, our camping style is different; we do not carry a television or entertainment center of any type. We have games like Dominoes, Ticket To Ride, Skip-Bo etc, hiking, riding bikes with friends and other outdoor stuff. When the kids were younger they would be catching frogs, now my son and his mother go fishing while my daughter and I are looking for photo opportunities. At night we like to spend time around the fire, sometimes just sitting back and listening to the kids talk. I think it because we tent camped for so long we just never bought a television for the RV.
If you need the bunkhouses with an entertainment area then go for it, if you don’t then save money and go smaller. Either way you’re making memories with your kids that will hopefully stay with them.
I know this didn’t answer your question, but I hope it gave you food for thought, because only you can answer what kind of RV style you have.
* This post was
edited 07/05/11 07:40pm by searfoss *
Bunkhouse for sure. Our first TT was a 16' Sunline and when the kids were really small (2 & 5) it wasn't a problem to break down the dinette for one and pull down the fold-a-way bunk for the other. The thing was we knew the future was going to be cross-country trips so we wanted the kids to have their own place and we wanted to be able to break camp real fast on heavy driving days. Our kids are now 16 & 19. DD is off in the Navy and sonny-boy, while he may not be broad-shouldered, is on his way to being the tallest in the family. That said, I would avoid any floor plan that does not have a bunk that is open for its entire length. Watching my son try to get in and out of his bunk (only about a third of which is open to the rest of the TT) is kind of comical anymore. Sort of like watching a snake wriggle out of its old skin..............
Thank you for all of the replies. Your insight is very helpful.
We have seen PLENTY of models and really liked the Prime Time Builders Tracer 3150BHD with the additional slide out at the bunk/entertainment area.
I think we are going to pull the trigger on it. As I mentioned in a previous post, we have already received pricing and we are comfortable with the number so I think it's just a matter of us actually doing it now.
Searfoss, I like your point of view. We are a "modern" family but I hope to instill the outdoors and old fashioned entertainment in doing this.....like I was raised. Just because we may have a entertainment bunk area does not mean this is to be used as an arcade all trip.
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