We are considering progressing(??) to an end fixed bed van. However I'm not sure about the island bed layouts as these seem to visiually shorten the van and the separate toilet and shower make the van seem narrow? Also can anyone tell me what it's like to have to go through the shoer to get to the toilet on the end side washroom next to an end fixed bed? If someone has just used the shoer don't you get your feet wet going to the loo? Anyone got any advice?
Fixed beds, side toilet/shower
- Thread starter Margaret_374318031
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Margaret,
We bought a Bailey Senator series 5 Indiana in November 2006, it has the side fixed bed & the toilet & shower next to it.
We chose the Indiana over the Virginia, which has the central fixed bed, because we felt that the Virginia's layout "closed in" the interior of the van, but it did have a superior toilet & shower room. We figured that we spent more time in the lounge & kitchen area than in the bed or toilet, so that's where we wanted it to be bright, big & airy, it works for us, but it may not work for you
To go back to your question, yes with our chosen layout, you will get your feet wet if you use the toilet after someone has used the shower, if the non slip shower mat is still in situ and it has not been hung up to dry & the shower tray has not been "mopped" up.
The way I got over this problem was to make a "duck board" grating for the shower tray and place a bath mat outside the toilet/shower room. Any half decent wood worker should be able to make you on for a few
We bought a Bailey Senator series 5 Indiana in November 2006, it has the side fixed bed & the toilet & shower next to it.
We chose the Indiana over the Virginia, which has the central fixed bed, because we felt that the Virginia's layout "closed in" the interior of the van, but it did have a superior toilet & shower room. We figured that we spent more time in the lounge & kitchen area than in the bed or toilet, so that's where we wanted it to be bright, big & airy, it works for us, but it may not work for you
To go back to your question, yes with our chosen layout, you will get your feet wet if you use the toilet after someone has used the shower, if the non slip shower mat is still in situ and it has not been hung up to dry & the shower tray has not been "mopped" up.
The way I got over this problem was to make a "duck board" grating for the shower tray and place a bath mat outside the toilet/shower room. Any half decent wood worker should be able to make you on for a few
Hi Margaret
We have a Swift Challenger 500se with side fixed bed and washroom/shower next to it. We would prefer a Conqueror 630sal as this has the washroom with seperate shower but havnt got the towcar to tow it. The bathroom's to the side tend to be quite spacious and to overcome the going to toilet and getting wet feet ordeal we simply (after a shower) put down a shower mat. I know this may not make sense but it works perfectly. We put the mat outside the washroom during a shower so you can step on it and then once had a shower we put it onto the shower tray and no we feet !
We also recently upgraded to this van from a 1994 double dinette van and although had doubts first off we are now 100% sure we did the right thing. We considered the pageant vendee but this was too heavy for the car and also to long. We also considered the ranger 460/4 as this is the same layout as our van but on closer inspection it had small front seats, small bed and no window in bathroom which we felt makes a massive difference. The interior quality of the swift is great and it tows really well.
Our friends own an island bed van and after being in it and going to our van we notice how much wider and roomier ours feels.
Sorry for going on a bit but wanted to make things clear and helpful.
Hope this helps
Ian
We have a Swift Challenger 500se with side fixed bed and washroom/shower next to it. We would prefer a Conqueror 630sal as this has the washroom with seperate shower but havnt got the towcar to tow it. The bathroom's to the side tend to be quite spacious and to overcome the going to toilet and getting wet feet ordeal we simply (after a shower) put down a shower mat. I know this may not make sense but it works perfectly. We put the mat outside the washroom during a shower so you can step on it and then once had a shower we put it onto the shower tray and no we feet !
We also recently upgraded to this van from a 1994 double dinette van and although had doubts first off we are now 100% sure we did the right thing. We considered the pageant vendee but this was too heavy for the car and also to long. We also considered the ranger 460/4 as this is the same layout as our van but on closer inspection it had small front seats, small bed and no window in bathroom which we felt makes a massive difference. The interior quality of the swift is great and it tows really well.
Our friends own an island bed van and after being in it and going to our van we notice how much wider and roomier ours feels.
Sorry for going on a bit but wanted to make things clear and helpful.
Hope this helps
Ian
If you choose a van with a folding screen in the shower it should be fine. Try using a slatted wooden mat (available from Homebase etc.) which will keep you feep up from a damp floor.
If your van has a curtain, this will tend to cling to you when showering. Picnic table cloth weights at the bottom work quite well, but better is to use some double velcro patches sewn to the curtain / stuck to the walls in appropriate positions. Then, when in shower, press the curtain against the pads and they will hold the curtain against the walls and away from you.
I had a non-fixed bed van which had a separate shower and was reluctant to give this up but my present van with fixed bed and side shower/loo has worked out very well with this mod.
If your van has a curtain, this will tend to cling to you when showering. Picnic table cloth weights at the bottom work quite well, but better is to use some double velcro patches sewn to the curtain / stuck to the walls in appropriate positions. Then, when in shower, press the curtain against the pads and they will hold the curtain against the walls and away from you.
I had a non-fixed bed van which had a separate shower and was reluctant to give this up but my present van with fixed bed and side shower/loo has worked out very well with this mod.
Hi, happy new year. We have an abbey 495 (nearside fixed bed) with a folding door between shower and toilet. On the floor we keep a a rubber, exterior mat (for scraping etc) turned upside down so it's flat and comfy as well keeping the feet dry. Works just fine. We very rarely use site facilities.
Chris
Chris
Hi Margaret
We have a 2004 Abbey GTS Vogue [single axle]. The fixed bed is across the rear of the van, as I like to have 'thru the van vision' when towing [ no blindspots]. Bathroom is at the side with a round shower, door is sliding half round shape - no curtains. We have never ever used the shower, but if you did and stepped out onto a towel then the floor would stay dry for toilet/washbasin use. Storage under the fixed bed is cavernous and can be accessed from outside as well as lifting the bed up on hydraulic struts. A folding screen can be pulled right across the van for privacy [children sleeping etc.]
This layout suits us and has been brilliant to live with, which is important.
Good luck with your search.
We have a 2004 Abbey GTS Vogue [single axle]. The fixed bed is across the rear of the van, as I like to have 'thru the van vision' when towing [ no blindspots]. Bathroom is at the side with a round shower, door is sliding half round shape - no curtains. We have never ever used the shower, but if you did and stepped out onto a towel then the floor would stay dry for toilet/washbasin use. Storage under the fixed bed is cavernous and can be accessed from outside as well as lifting the bed up on hydraulic struts. A folding screen can be pulled right across the van for privacy [children sleeping etc.]
This layout suits us and has been brilliant to live with, which is important.
Good luck with your search.
We had a Lunar Lexon EB for 5 years which had the fixed o/s bed and combined shower and toilet beside the bed. Never had a problem with wet feet when using the toilet after someone had used the shower. As others have said use a mat when showering and after showering I always dry the walls and showers with a cloth.
When it was time to change we wanted a Lexon 640 EW with walk round bed and seperate shower and toilet beside the doorway into the bedroom. However when we actualy looked at the van it felt narrower with a small wardrobe either side of the central bed and whereas the EB had the small vanity sink in the bedroom the EW had the sink in beside the toilet. We ended up going for the Delta 640 which is very similair layout to top the EB but with a full width washroom at the rear.
When it was time to change we wanted a Lexon 640 EW with walk round bed and seperate shower and toilet beside the doorway into the bedroom. However when we actualy looked at the van it felt narrower with a small wardrobe either side of the central bed and whereas the EB had the small vanity sink in the bedroom the EW had the sink in beside the toilet. We ended up going for the Delta 640 which is very similair layout to top the EB but with a full width washroom at the rear.
We bought an ACe van with fixed rear bed and side toulet last year brand new. We bought it October 2006 and sold it July 2007. It was the worst layout van we have had in over 30 years of caravanning, It was great for the two of use but when the grandchildren came with us at Easter it was very overcrowded - the fixed bed took up so much floor daytime circualtion space we could hardly move. We vowed then to get rid of it and we part exchanged it for a new Bailey 500/5 which we took deleivery of in Novemebr 2007. We were so fed up with it that we were prepared to forfit the summer holiday season. Never again will we have a fixed bed van.
Hi. We exchanged our Sterling Moonstone for a Sterling Eccles Jewel (near side fixed bed) in August. We are now talking about exchanging this for a caravan with an end shower - I find the bed, although quite comfortablw, takes up too much room in the daytime and,personally, I miss the large end bathroom - easier to store clothes and toiletries.
HiHi. We exchanged our Sterling Moonstone for a Sterling Eccles Jewel (near side fixed bed) in August. We are now talking about exchanging this for a caravan with an end shower - I find the bed, although quite comfortablw, takes up too much room in the daytime and,personally, I miss the large end bathroom - easier to store clothes and toiletries.
We have a Lunar Lexon EW (2006) with the full width washroom at the back. The main problem is the wash basin. There is not enough room to bend down to wash the soap off your face and you have to stand at an angle to do so. Also the fitted shelf directly above the wash basin had to be removed as I kept banging my head on it. Lunar seem to have responded to the problem on the 640 EW.
Having had a fixed side bed for 2 years I am now seriously considering a big single axle something like the Lunar Clubman ES (2008) The bathroom on that seems very big and has had a good write up in the CC mag - 9/10. As Eileen says it does take up a lot of floor space that you can only use for sleeping.
Being just over 6 ft tall I am starting to feel the fixed bed a bit claustraphobic. When sleeping on the wall side, I feel very 'closed in' and on the gangway side, the weight of the extra duvet hanging over the shaped end of the bed is a 'pain'. My wife is also as tall as me and we feel the the double front bed set up gave a lot more space & freedom, especially when the dog decides that he wants to join us.
We have an Eccles Onyx with a N/S washroom. To stop the clingy curtain we use small clips to hold the curtain to the shower head rail, another clip on the door handle and a length of 10mm tube, slightly longer than the width, to hold the curtain over the loo. This gives more room than the folding door type and the toilet seat lid is ideal for soap, shampoo and conditioner.
Mike
Mike
Another point to be considered with a N/S rear bathroom is that the WC must be emptied through the awning. We had an inner tent with our awning and every time we had to empty the toilet we had to take the inner tent part down. Very inconvenient.
With fixed bed vans you either love ar hate the layout, yes the fixed bed does take up a sizeable part of the van, but you have the benifit of a bed made up to use when reqeired and you dont have to stow bedding away. We done a lot of researching an viewing different vans at dealers before deciding on our our 1st fixed bed van and we werent dissapointed. What I would say (and is also said by a lot of caravan jurnelists) is that fixed vans should be looked at as 2+2 berths, whilst they are suitable for 4 they are mostly used by couples.As there is normally just the 2 of us in the van the layout is excellent for our needs and when the daughter and son in law come with us there is enough room for the 4 (no awning requiered).
Emptying the toilet from the n/s isnt a problem , if we had an awning we would have opted for an o/s toilet hatch. As for the size of bed again you go for the layout to suit you. Some manufacturers do a transverse fixed bed wich is the full width of the caravan.
Buying a caravan is an expensive purchase and shouldnt be rushed, it make take a while to check out all the options available and decide what is best for you, but it can save a lot of problems later. Our current van took us over a year to find the right one but it was worth it in the end.
Emptying the toilet from the n/s isnt a problem , if we had an awning we would have opted for an o/s toilet hatch. As for the size of bed again you go for the layout to suit you. Some manufacturers do a transverse fixed bed wich is the full width of the caravan.
Buying a caravan is an expensive purchase and shouldnt be rushed, it make take a while to check out all the options available and decide what is best for you, but it can save a lot of problems later. Our current van took us over a year to find the right one but it was worth it in the end.
hi, we have gone from a 6 berth, end fixed bunks, side washroom to a side fixed bed, side wash room and it top of the range. the washroom is not on the awning side so thats good and we have gone from bottom of the range to top of the range. it fells so much bigger because its wider and open plan. i cant wait to go away in february with it.
jo-anne
jo-anne
Hi and thanks to everyone who replied to my query regarding crossing the shower to get to the toilet. Off to the dealers now to continue looking at the layouts!
Thanks
Margaret
Thanks
Margaret
Hi, we have a Fleetwood 560/4 this has fixed twin beds at the rear with the toilet and shower in the centre of the van, toilet on one side, shower on the other this can be used by front and rear occupants at night without disturbing others due to the configuration of the doors. we find this layout great, the beds are out of the way during the day, but are there for lounging and ready made up for sleeping.
Senator Louisiana has an Island bed which is great, no need to climb over Mrs T at 4 am to pay a visit.
No need to make up or take your bed to bits twice per day.
In the Louisiana you won't get your feet wet as the shower is internally seperated from the toilet, well not unless you've had one can of cider more than you should.
I'd agree that the layout means that the Toilet intrudes into the lounge making it a little more claustrophobic.
I wouldn't give up my Island bed.
No need to make up or take your bed to bits twice per day.
In the Louisiana you won't get your feet wet as the shower is internally seperated from the toilet, well not unless you've had one can of cider more than you should.
I'd agree that the layout means that the Toilet intrudes into the lounge making it a little more claustrophobic.
I wouldn't give up my Island bed.
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