front bunk sleeping and sitting on

[denny w]

How well does front bunk function on S16? Are any Problems? Can a 5'7" 150 lb adult comfortably sleep? How well does it work as a couch? How much storage under?

[beckyruns]

I think that the bunk/couch works just fine. My husband is 6'2" and he has slept on the bunk. We currently have a 19 footer (previously had a 16 footer) and we keep the bunks in position so that when we put a back cushion from the dining area on top of the top bunk, we are able to extend the length of the bed. We sleep with our heads toward the front of the trailer and by adding the extra space, we find it much more comfortable and we just use the lower bunk as added storage area.

[Roger C H]

We have developed this arrangement in Homelet:
My wife sleeps on the 3/4 bed in the rear of Homelet and I sleep on the small front bunk which we make into a table when we want.
The front bunk is only about 26" wide and I am 6', 200# but I find it fine for sleeping.
What we do do is place a mat on the wall. A Jazzercise or shooting mat. This helps keep the cold from the sleeper. We both use sleeping bags which work fine even with heat in Homelet set at 65°F.
We don't have an 'upper bunk' but from what I have read on these forums, I would not sleep an adult on the upper bunk. Use the upper bunk for storage. I think they are limited to 100#...


BTW, Welcome to FGRV!!

[Timber Wolf]

I made a fixed-but-removable brace system for the front of my Scamp 16 to keep the upper bunk/sofa back up all the time. It also makes a much more secure sleeping area and handhold for my daughter climbing up there. Since it is up all the time we can’t sit on the sofa but since I removed the lower cushions (to the spare bedroom in the house) we have all kinds of storage underneath. It works for us. And my system can hold anything or anybody that can fit up there. I also use the under-seat areas for seldom accessed (i.e., forgotten) stuff.

[Carol H]

I am 5' 10" and weigh.... well lets just say enough that I am able to sleep on both the lower and top bunk and never had a problem. When I have had others travel with me the bunks get used and they bottom one is fairly good - width wise. Perhaps even more room than sleeping with two in the back main/table bed.

I keep the bunks down in couch position most of the time and its very usable for sitting on to take shoes on and off or add some pillows to it and its fine for sitting and reading. Actually more comfortable for relaxing on that the back table area.

I use the far storage area (front of the bathroom) for items I seldom use as its hard to get at. Extra paper towels, air pump, 12v vacuum etc. The centre storage area holds my portable BQ and flat spare parts container nicely. Easy to get things in and out of that space. The under seat storage by the door is not the best for getting at either so I store items in that area when traveling and take them out on arrival if I am going to stay for more than a night. Items such a outdoor table cloths, extra outdoor lights and a toaster etc. Would not put much in there that needed to come out and go back in daily though.

[CampyTime]

My son is 6 foot, albeit slim, and sleeps like a baby there. When I take the full fam, I sleep on the bunk and the two grown kids get the dinette bed. I'm 5'2", around 112 lbs and I sleep just fine there too. But I admit I don't like the upper bunk over my head. But a little kid would probably think it's cool. 😀


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[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by denny w

How well does front bunk function on S16? Are any Problems? Can a 5'7" 150 lb adult comfortably sleep? How well does it work as a couch? How much storage under?

Describes me pretty closely, and I sleep comfortably on the bottom bunk. My daughter sleeps on the top, which is good for about 100-120 pounds. The bunk is very easy to set up, and everything stores neatly behind the backrest out of sight and out of the way when not in use (even my homemade safety rail). It's really a very clever design.

Headroom is limited on the lower bunk, enough to turn over without bumping the top, but not much more. With the upper bunk support posts in place, crawling in and out requires some dexterity, but once you're in, there's plenty of length and width. Think Navy bunks.

The upper bunk, on the other hand, is very roomy for kids. Unlike some trailers that cram the bunk way up against the ceiling, it's fairly low for easy access and has sit-up headroom, so no bumped heads. It lacks a safety rail, but that's easily remedied.

If I only needed the bottom bunk, though, I'd probably remove the top bunk and store it at home Some large pillows would do for a sofa backrest, and the headroom problem would be solved. A few screws hold it in place, so it's simple to remove & reinstall.

I find the sofa configuration fairly comfortable. Unlike typical RV dinettes and gauchos, the upper bunk/backrest has a slant to it. In the 16' model, more of the sofa is tucked behind the bathroom, so less of it is usable as a sofa.

Storage underneath is divided into three sections. The two side compartments are shallow and hard to access, so I use them for infrequently needed items: extra canned goods in the port compartment and tools in the starboard. The center compartment is deeper and accessible from the front without moving cushions. Some use it for a porta-potty, but we use it for our shower totes.