Fixed beds - or not?

[Chrissylizzie]

Hi Everybody

I am interested to know whether those of you who swopped to a fixed bed model are pleased they did so or are they not as good as you expected? We are trying to decide on this one.

Thanks for any replies

Chris

 

[gypsy]

We have twin beds at the back of the Van, and I wish these had been around when we first bought a Caravan, we would never have looked at another Van, so as you can guess we have found our perfect Van, not interested in looking at Vans anymore.

 

[emmitdb]

Hi Chrissielizzy,

You pays your money and takes your choice.

Make the wrong choice and you could end up not enjoying the whole experience.

We started our caravanning with a fixed bed, thoroughly enjoyed it and then made the mistake (for us) of opting for the luxury bathroom, make your bed up model.

Hated it to the point where we took a big hit financially to revert to another fixed bed.

Other contributers will say the total opposite, BUT, unless you are happy doing either the bedmaking or not, it will grate on you if you get it wrong..

 

[WatsonJohnG]

We are on the second fixed bed with the bed on the offside .

It depends on who needs to get up most which side you have the bed on but its great having the bed made up all the time and we would not go back .

 

[Lol1]

Yes, Yes, Yes to fixed beds. Better still on a twin axle where you don't loose out on bathroom/kitchen/seating options. They are better for couples than they are for families. They are very popular at the moment and as such command a bit of a price premium.

 

[BigRoy]

the thing that I don't like about fixed beds is that you have to have one leg shorter than the other to compensate for the curve on one side

 

[Val & Frank]

Fixed bed without any doubts at all.

If only one of us wants to go to bed it's fine. If only one of wants to get up it's fine. And the matress, well we changed ours totally for one of the memory foam ones (heaven). I can't imagine what it's like sleeping on a matress made up of 6/8 different cushions.

Then again only the two of us using our van which is almost 8m long. So it's what you Need that counts at the end of the day. As John said in an earlier answer it depends on who needs to get up most often if you have a side bed, as opposed to an Island Bed, when it don't matter at all.

Val & Frank

Val & frank

 

[Simon Burton]

Fixed bed every time, now on our second fixed bed van, just been to the NEC and know what we will get when our current van is three years old next year. Can't wait.

 

[LizCornwall]

I Have been inside a few vans on site which have fixed beds, but to me all the main seating area seems much smaller, obviously to accommodate the fixed bed. Liz

 

[WatsonJohnG]

Wow you must be really big Roy if you and your partners ankles are each a foot wide

 

[MONKEY1]

Our Next van is going to have a fixed bed as I've begun to tire of the daily pack away or bed making ritual which took up to much time.

Were also buying a van with bunks as well - so far I've only found German manufactures who have this layout !!

Monkeys Husband

 

[spj]

Hi,

we are awaiting delevery of a Fleetwood Heritage 640ES 8m fixed bed, the bed goes accross the rear and is 6'6"x4'6" which is the same size as a domestic double bed with no corners missing and could be swapped for a domestic mattress if needed, it also comes with a memory foam mattress topper standard. This van will be used as a two berth which I think fixed beds are more suited for, currently we have a 4 berth with an end bathroom and side dinette which is an excellent layout, when we bought it we could have had a fixed bed van the in the same range, and the same size, weight and price but my feelings at the time were why do people need a fixed bed? putting up the bed only takes 10 minutes and you lose half of your van, so we bought the 'normal type'. After spending 52 nights in the first year of the vans life I would now rather drill my kneecaps than put up the bed, so we started looking at fixed beds.

We first nearly bought a Bailey Senator Wyoming which is a nice van but as in all the end bathroom fixed beds the bed has a corner missing, we looked at the Louisiana but the end bedroom would not close off with the bathroom door so closing of all the blinds was required if you wanted a shower.Baileys are also hard to get a discount on so the resale or part ex price put me off, they are also very common which can be seen as good or bad. End bathrooms are good but how long do you spend in the bathroom and how long in bed? We went for the Fleetwood because I believe the layout is unique, one of us will have to climb over the other tho get into bed as in the side bed end bathrooms but I can live with that and the same van is available with fixed single beds or a double dinette. The bathroom door will also close the rest of the van off which a lot of similar vans will not. We chose this van as it suited us and as Frank said if one of you wants to get up or go to bed you can, it is a matter of personal choice, 2 years ago I didnt mind making up the bed, now I do.

Good luck with the van hunting.

spj.

 

[Lol1]

Wow you must be really big Roy if you and your partners ankles are each a foot wide

Come to the Easter meet and find out for yourself JohnG. They don't call him Big Roy for nothing!

 

[WatsonJohnG]

There is now a Fleetwood with transverse double island bed

It has both bottom corners rounded off

Roy it would be ideal for two people with your size of legs so long as they both had one leg shorter than the other (one left and one right!!)

 

[Chrissylizzie]

Hi everybody

Thank you all for your replies. You all cover the issues we have i.e. just retired, been caravanning for 25 years. I love a nice washroom and now dislike making the beds. Husband also likes a nice washroom, but doesn't mind making the beds, but even him doing them doesn't convince me that I want a new van which requires bed-making. This has to be the right decision as we will not be able to afford to just replace it, so we must get it right.

Thanks again

Chris

 

[Rioja]

You probably spend more time in the bathroom than actually making the bed. You also have to consider how much use you are going to make of your shower. If you use it regularly you certainly won't want a shower/toilet combination which most fixed beds have. Again, it's more effort drying off the shower than making a bed.

If you are going to use CL's you need to have everything on board.

A fixed bed , with an end bathroom and seperate shower would be ideal. Don't think we could contemplate a bed were one leg hangs off the bottom though.

So, to save the effort of making the bed you have to go down the big van route. Big van means big tow car. Big tow car means more expense.

If you are still working it may be affordable but does it represent good sense if you don't use it too often. If you are on a limited income , do you want the extra expense ?

Decisions, decisions.

The best end bathroom fixed bed layout I have seen was in an Hobby. You needed a truck to pull it.

 

[Rod_5041370]

I would never go back to a non-fixed bed.

I am on my fourth caravan with fixed beds.

The first two were twin beds, the third was a double against the wall.....big mistake, getting up in the night to visit the loo was a disaster.

Fourth one is back to twin beds and luxury.

Unless you are young and need an excuse to clamber over your partner, go for either twin beds or a penisular double!

 

[Rod_5041370]

I would never go back to a non-fixed bed.

I am on my fourth caravan with fixed beds.

The first two were twin beds, the third was a double against the wall.....big mistake, getting up in the night to visit the loo was a disaster.

Fourth one is back to twin beds and luxury.

Unless you are young and need an excuse to clamber over your partner, go for either twin beds or a penisular double!

The caravans were two Knaus twin axles, one Fendt Platin and currently a Hobby 540WLU.

The Knaus did need a large tow car but the Fendt and the Hobby do not....both 1600Kg.

 

[LizCornwall]

To Rioja, you obviously know your vans, I have seen a Hobby very nice van, arrives on site on a low loader!!! Or their is always a TEC same required low loader. Liz

 

[Chrissylizzie]

The caravans were two Knaus twin axles, one Fendt Platin and currently a Hobby 540WLU.

The Knaus did need a large tow car but the Fendt and the Hobby do not....both 1600Kg.

Thanks for suggestions Rod - will look at these. It's twin beds I favour (although husband is still not averse to clambering over!!!)

 

[Steve L]

We are going to a fixed bed at our next van change. I realy can't do the acrobatics of climbing over "ere in doors" to fight back our boysterous chocolate labrador who's got his paws crossed at 5am and needs walkies "now"!!

Roy will be fine walking the Welsh hills, the stuppy leg will keep him upright if he walks anti clockwise round the hill while we all list to the right ??!! Thats why welsh lamb is cheaper, you don't get as much on the hillside leg.

Oh and of coarse we will avoid the slat rattle at midnight and the cushion fight after the customary two bottles of wine too. Not.

Cheers.

Steve.

 

[Arrow1]

Our first caravan was a gift from the mother-in-law after my father-in-law died and the van was not used. It was an ABI Award Daystar, 2-berth, makeupbed. We loved it, but over the next two years of caravanning, decided that the 18yrolder was due to retire. We made up a list of what we considered defects in our requirements that we'd seek to put right in a new van. The fixed bed issue was considered a must. We bought a new van lat year, with a fixed bed. Never looked back and are still enjoying the fixed bed scenario. Admittedly, we are 'just the two of us', but the new 4-berther has the option for a slide out bed if my kids from marriage No1 decide to come (unlikely now as they are that bit older). It has to be a personal choice whether to go fixed bed or not, but for us, there is no choice, the fixed bed is THE only option. Any additional price is far outweighted by the convenience, or the lack of incinvenience of making a bed up each night.

 

[RogerL]

What's wrong with a conventional 4/5 berth?

The rear dinette can be left made up when being used by a couple but still has the flexibility to accomodate the family without giving up your lounge when the youngsters want to go to bed!

 

[Lucylou]

I have always thought that fixed beds are for the infirm or just bone idle and lazy folk. A fixed bed takes up a minimum of at least one third of your caravan! now thats a lot of space that cannot be denied and a great deal of wasted space underneath which is pretty useless and not generally easily accessible unless your arms are six feet long! It's the end bathroom for me everytime. We use our OWN facilities in total pricavy and have our own hygiene standards, not sitting on seats for example that have had hundreds of strangers sat there before you if you get my drift! or having a shower not knowing what other people have done in there before, yes, I have heard it all before so its what makes you comfortable and what you can shut out and kid yourself doesn't happen. With two long seats, it takes but a few minutes to remove the cushions and back rest, put a sleeping bag on each seat together with a pillow and bed sorted, in the morning again but a few minutes to put the bags and pillows under the seat and put the cushions back, and if either person wants to get up in the night they do not have to clamber over the other to get out and then clamber to get back in again. My privacy and hygiene factor is undoubtedly 100% first and foremost over a few minutes to make up a bed as opposed to a fixed bed that takes up one third or more of your van and valuable space which is dormant other than for approximately one third of your time in the 'van. But it's your life, your 'van your decision, if a fixed bed has priority over total privacy and hygiene and you prefer to share other peoples toilets etc. etc then that's the bottom line.

 

[Wendy-Norfolk]

Chloe,

Just because you have a fixed bed in your caravan, does not mean you have to economise on the bathroom area. Ok it probably entails a twin axle caravan, but the choice is there.

Having had the two berth end bathroom arrangement, and I agree, it isn't that big a deal making up the two single beds if you prefer that arrangement. But for those who like a double bed, then you have the chore of arranging cushions every night.

We prefer the fixed bed in our 'van, and we are certainly not lazy or infirm. It is our choice!!