Family Friendly Floor Plans

[mgbbob]

Hi
Bob here from Kansas. I have been considering an RV for several months and have been all over the place as to what I want. I had not even considered glass until today. I have found my research interesting. I joined up to get some additional information.

I am 6'2" and a bit concerned with height. I know there are probably some tall guy, or gals out there. How is the close quarters. I was really interested in the Scamp 5th wheel but anything with a real bed area and bathroom would probably qualify with the wife.

How about fuel economy. Are these things better than the bigger rigs.

Thanks
Bob

[Frederick L. Simson]

Hi
Bob here from Kansas. I have been considering an RV for several months and have been all over the place as to what I want. I had not even considered glass until today. I have found my research interesting. I joined up to get some additional information.

I am 6'2" and a bit concerned with height. I know there are probably some tall guy, or gals out there. How is the close quarters. I was really interested in the Scamp 5th wheel but anything with a real bed area and bathroom would probably qualify with the wife.

How about fuel economy. [b]Are these things better than the bigger rigs.

Thanks
Bob

Hi Bob. Welcome to FiberglassRV.
A lot depends on your family situation. There are many, many variations to these trailers. A lot depends on how much time, effort, work (aka sweat equity), and money you have at your disposal. I am only 5'6", so I don't have to deal with your headroom issues. Wouldn't you know it that the trailer I found has 6'3" interior height. But that is offset by having a door that is only 5'0" tall. Features are a real smorgasboard of variables.

[john hassell]

Whoa! Somebody please help me out, here. I was just about to order something along the lines of a 16' Scamp...rear dinette/bed, bunks and a bath. Now I'm reading that the weight capacity on the bunks is something like 80 Lbs????? What in God's name other than a small child or a Labrador is that going to sleep? I'm 6'1" and 200 lbs. My fishing buddy (son) is 6'1" and 175 lbs. Am I barking up the wrong tree when looking at eggs?

[Byron Kinnaman]

Whoa! Somebody please help me out, here. I was just about to order something along the lines of a 16' Scamp...rear dinette/bed, bunks and a bath. Now I'm reading that the weight capacity on the bunks is something like 80 Lbs????? What in God's name other than a small child or a Labrador is that going to sleep? I'm 6'1" and 200 lbs. My fishing buddy (son) is 6'1" and 175 lbs. Am I barking up the wrong tree when looking at eggs?

I don't think that 80lbs is right. Call Scamp and ask them.

[Bill F.]

Whoa! Somebody please help me out, here. I was just about to order something along the lines of a 16' Scamp...rear dinette/bed, bunks and a bath. Now I'm reading that the weight capacity on the bunks is something like 80 Lbs????? What in God's name other than a small child or a Labrador is that going to sleep? I'm 6'1" and 200 lbs. My fishing buddy (son) is 6'1" and 175 lbs. Am I barking up the wrong tree when looking at eggs?

If you look closely or ask Scamp you will likely find that the 80 lb limit is for only the upper bunk, and I would be reluctant to exceed that weight. I know the upper bunk in Trillium trailers are suspended(wall side) on small hinges screwed on to a wood beam(covered by ensolite) that might be glued to the fiberglass and is held by screws from the outside through the bottom of the front window frame. If the window leaked at anytime I know from experience the wood can rot to a point where it is no longer capable of supporting much weight without showing any outward sign of a problem. If the hinge lets go the other side is resting on stilts(like shower curtain rod)and you're in for a quick fall. The bottom bunks however are usually a fiberglass box which is quite capable of holding an adult. If I were sending anyone close to 80 lbs up there I wouldn't want to be sleeping in the bottom bunk unless there had been some additional means of support added under the top bunk. Hope this helps.
Bill

[Thane]

The noted 80 pound limit is the Casita bunk limit, please post the Scamp limit when you get it.

[Kurt & Ann K.]

We love our 98 Scamp. It has the bunks in front, the 13-year-old boy is in the bottom and the 10-year-old girl gets the top. I agree with the earlier post, I think the top bunk will hold more than the stated 80 lbs. If not, we will reinforce it. Storage is a problem; personal space is less of a problem. A few weeks ago I fell to the Syrians song of a larger bathroom in a newer Casita. I rushed to buy the Casita even though I know it would sleep only three in beds. I was a fool! Have you ever told a kid they will be sleeping on the floor of a trailer for two weeks on vacation while getting stepped on several times when her/his parents get up to go to the bathroom each night? It was not a pretty scene… Needless to say, I now have a 03 16-foot Casita in great condition for sale…
In a nutshell, my advice for a family new to small trailers would be, respect others personal space, keep you stuff picked up and in you space, have a bed for each person.

We pull ours with a Dodge Ram 1500 and get 15 mpg. So, on a trip to Austin – the best place in the world – we spend $50 extra on gas to tow the Scamp round trip. We stay at the Pecan Grove RV Park on Barton Springs Drive for …. I’m not sure I should say…. Ten bucks a night! That’s right ten bucks! Water and power with a nice shower house. We can run on the Town Lake Trail and walk to Barton Springs to swim. Paradise! Lots of great restaurants within a few minutes walk.

If I could give one reason to take your family camping it would be, College. If your kid is in the seventh grade, he’ll be off at school in a short 5 years. We don’t have them long. At some point they may not really want to hang out with you. Do it now. Make the memories, they’ll thank you later.

Sandy
North Texas

Sandy, Is it possible one of the kids might be happy sleeping in the tug? Just an alternative which might not have been considered.
Kurt & Ann K.

[Frederick L. Simson]

Sandy, Is it possible one of the kids might be happy sleeping in the tug? Just an alternative which might not have been considered.
Kurt & Ann K.

Sometimes I try to think outside the envel... er, trailer. I have fabricated pedistal bases so I can use my Odyssey's 2nd row seats as comfortable chairs under my awning. [b]I have now found a 3-fold "futon" that is 48" wide at a yard sale. It is a perfect fit in the back of the Odyssey when the 3rd row is folded into the floor and the 2nd row is outside. And it folds enough to not interfere with other luggage even with all 3 rows in the seating positions!
All I need now will be a curtain system for all of the van's windows.

[michael heit]

HI every one I am a new member
I dont have a TT yet but I have been intrigued by the Egg for years
I have a family floor plan question;
I have a 9 and a 6 year old as well as myself and my wife.
I was thinking of getting a 16 foot SCAMP or CASITA I like both.

Here is my question, I see all the modiifications to make a bunk bed but is it possible to have a side dinette that converts to a bed and a front bench that converts to a bed supplying 4 beds and not have to do any modifying?

Its not that I am not handy but I live in an apartment and workshop space is not available.
Also this would be a step up from tenting so I would not need a seperate bathroom or shower and I would do most of my cooking on a grill.

In fact I am not only used to tenting but I was a backpacker (very small stoves and lanterns etc...)

thanks in advance
michael

[Brian B-P]

...Here is my question, I see all the modiifications to make a bunk bed but is it possible to have a side dinette that converts to a bed and a front bench that converts to a bed supplying 4 beds and not have to do any modifying?...

I believe that the "Spirit" model from Casita has the side dinette, the Standard (not Deluxe) version of any model would have a front sleeping area (instead of the bathroom shown on the Deluxe floorplan), and thus a 16' or 17' Spirit Standard would fit this description; however, I'm no Casita expert so someone who is should step in.

From Scamp, I think the closest equivalent would be a Scamp 16' with Side Dinette, but it seems that you would have to convert the front storage to a bench/bed or buy a Custom version, and have Scamp build it the way you want in the factory. Again, Scamp people need to confirm or correct this.

[Thane]

Casita will install an optional bunkbed on the side mounted dinette area. The dinette is replaced by a couch and the window is smaller. With a couch/bunk bed in the front and on the side you would have four beds and keep the aft dinette.

[Thane]

Attached is a picture of the Casita side mounted bunkbed.

[Karalyn]

I have seen the Scamp with the front bunk, and side dinette that folds into bed. I saw one advertized last year up in Duluth, Mn. I think the side closet has to be omitted. , Just tell the factory what you want. You could possibly get front, and side bunks and the rear dinette that folds down. Thus you would definately be able to sleep 5 or 6.
Then get the porta potty (and little outhouse tent from Wally world for about $100.)and set it next to the camper. You would then have it made. I would definately want that set up if not wanting a shower and toilet.

[Donna D.]

The problem I see with having a side dinette and front goucho bed is you're losing soo much storage space. You may chose to cook outside, but you'll still need to store all your cooking equipment, pots and pans, plates, etc. The nice part of the closet and cabinets is that stuff is in the trailer, not hauled around in totes in the tug, etc. You're only a few years where your oldest child will prefer his own space...maybe a tent right outside the trailer door or sleeping in the tug. Trust me it happens quicker than you think . I don't want to harp on it either, but there's always the resale value. I'm a storage space junky and if I saw a trailer with very limited places to store my "stuff" out of sight, well ...... Like a lot of members I tented for years. One of the best parts of trailer ownership is everything I need or want is right where I can see it, not buried in the bottom of a tote.

[Thane]

The storage space is a good issue. With the side mounted Casita bunk there is no overhead storage cabinet but the area under the couch is available for storage. The extra space where your feet would normally go with a side mounted dinette is converted to a storage area.

[michael heit]

hi every one and thanks for the replys

Just a short follow up (at least for now)

Why would having a side dinette eliminate the possibility of having overhead storage cabinets?

When I mentioned a side convertable bed/dinette I did not envision a over/under bunkbed set up but two seperate beds at seat level, ie one at the side and one up front.

Maybe I don't know of some structural problem limiting overhead storage using this set up

thanks again and Ill wait for your replys

michael

[Thane]

On the Casita's, the side bunkbed option does not include the overhead cabinet as the headroom is subsequently restricted and chains are used to hold up the side rail.

You could ask that the upper cabinets be left installed, but I am not sure what the space impact would be.

[Donna D.]

So, you're asking about really two couches rather than bunkbed setups. Yeah, that would give you the overhead cabinet space....but you really don't want to put a lot of weight in those overhead cabinets. Not a good place to store canned food, extra water, cast iron pots...and the like. More like plastic cups, potato chips, etc. Those cabinets are basically hung from the ceiling with some support at the sidewall. If you got the bunkbed setup, you really don't want the overhead cabinets...unless you want to deal with children getting headaches....there just not sufficient room.

[Brian B-P]

I agree that overhead cabinets are for relatively light stuff - for both structural and dynamic reasons, but that's still valuable storage. I can really understand wanting two seat-level beds with cabinets overhead, instead of one bunkbed and another closet area, because if the upper level isn't great for storage, it's even worse for sleeping!

It seems like a reasonable plan to me, Michael.

If the load capacity of overhead cabinets is a concern, then I would consider adding supports from the floor level, like the structure which holds the bunk/cabinet over the gaucho in 17' Bolers.

[Pam and Mike]

We just bought a Casita 16ft SD with no bath...We only do the weekend camping so we really don't need the bath...Just use the bathhouses...Ours is very roomy without the bath..It has the counch on the front that makes a bunk...There's only the 2 of us, but we still like the roominess...We haven't camped in it yet cause it's too hot...We are near Nashville, TN and have a heat wave and drought here...But as soon as the weather breaks we're outta here!!! We've had the big campers and just hated pulling them...The Casita is sooo easy to pull.