Where have all the Double Dinettes gone?

[JenniferB]

Why are there no (new) DD layout options offered these days? Families with older teen kids needing decent adult sized beds (not bunks) are not catered for.

We are not interested in having a fixed bed layout as we prefer lots of flexible interior space and don't mind making beds up each night.

Ideally, we would like a single axle double dinette with proper bathroom (separate shower cubicle). Cannot find a single van that has a DD layout. Nearest option would be Bailey Pegasus Grande SE Ancona but it's a wide chassis and has a small child's fold down bunk that we would never use.

I cant believe there is no market for this layout any more. Can anyone suggest a caravan I may have missed?

 

[Raywood]

As far as I know there are non left. Weinsburg will sell you one with a single dinette at the rear, but I think the last double was a Lunar Quasar in about 2014. By the time Lunar made this the other firms had dropped there similar models.
We have had two in the past and it is a good workable layout but could be a problem with mixed sex children, or where ages vary, if the oldest goes to bed later and has to climb over the younger ones to reach the bunks. If weights become a problem iit may be revived though.
The main advantage of the layout was it helps to keep the caravan shorter and lighter, but as makers dropped it steadily in favour of the other layouts, it clearly was not selling well enough for even one firm to produce it.

 

[JenniferB]

As far as I know there are non left. Weinsburg will sell you one with a single dinette at the rear, but I think the last double was a Lunar Quasar in about 2014. By the time Lunar made this the other firms had dropped there similar models.
We have had two in the past and it is a good workable layout but could be a problem with mixed sex children, or where ages vary, if the oldest goes to bed later and has to climb over the younger ones to reach the bunks. If weights become a problem iit may be revived though.
The main advantage of the layout was it helps to keep the caravan shorter and lighter, but as makers dropped it steadily in favour of the other layouts, it clearly was not selling well enough for even one firm to produce it.

Agree with your points - we have two teen sons - so wouldn't have an issue sharing a double bed, and when they are no longer interested in joining us we would keep the rear dinette permanently made up as a bed. On rainy days it's so much easier to be inside when you have two separate areas to sit in. We currently have a Geist with rear fixed side bunks and side dinette which has been absolutely brilliant - but they have long outgrown the bunks! I have made a wooden insert to join the lower bunk and side dinette and make what is effectively a sideways double bed (with redundant bunk above),to get one more season out of her, but we've had our van for 14 years old and it is time to move on.

Love the layout of the Bailey Pegasus Grande SE Ancona, but it has a flip up bunk only suitable for a smaller child. (Useless to us) and because they have added a sideboard, the second bed wouldn't be long enough for my boys!

WISH they would bring out a similar layout on a regular width chassis with no sideboard. Effectively, a double dinette, but L-shaped rear lounge. 4 berth. Perfect!

 

[Mel]

Look at the Xplore 585.

Xplore 585 - 5 Berth Caravan | Xplore Caravan Range

The Xplore 585 is a flexible, family friendly caravan.

elddis.co.uk

mel

 

[otherclive]

Look at the Xplore 585.

Xplore 585 - 5 Berth Caravan | Xplore Caravan Range

The Xplore 585 is a flexible, family friendly caravan.

elddis.co.uk

mel

That looks an interesting layout. Easy to use the rear area as a dinette by buying a lightweight table.

 

[Glowlight1970]

Yes, but from Elddis' website:

"Rear Mattress Sizes: 1 Drop Down Bunk 550mm x 1650mm /1'10" x 5'5" and 1 x Double 1080mm x 1825mm /3'7" x 6'0" "

So the bunk over the bed is only suitable for a small child, and the bed below is only really a large single. 3'7" isn't wide enough to be called a double especially if your kids are older heading into teens.

 

[RogerL]

Yes, but from Elddis' website:

"Rear Mattress Sizes: 1 Drop Down Bunk 550mm x 1650mm /1'10" x 5'5" and 1 x Double 1080mm x 1825mm /3'7" x 6'0" "

So the bunk over the bed is only suitable for a small child, and the bed below is only really a large single. 3'7" isn't wide enough to be called a double especially if your kids are older heading into teens.

Our first caravan, an '83 Ace Globetrotter, had a front dinette 3'8" wide - served us well for 17 years so wide enough.

 

[Buckman]

How about Compass 585?

 

[Raywood]

The Compass has the same bed size at the back so looks a problem with the width. I am not sure what the tow car is as well and the Compass might be a bit heavy,

 

[JenniferB]

Thanks for all the suggestions, however, as already mentioned, the rear bed in both the Xplore and the Compass is no way big enough for two 6 foot teenagers. I just cant believe that with all the multiple offerings from all the manufacturers, no-one is doing a traditional double dinette!

 

[Glowlight1970]

To be honest I think your only options are to either seek out a recent Sprite Quattro DD, so not new, or compromise and go for a twin bed layout with central bathroom (no walking through others' sleeping area for loo visits) and possibly getting custom cut foam to make a "back" to run along the sides of the beds, to make them into "day beds" if you see what I mean. Once covered with the same colour material as the mattress, and a couple of large scatter cushions added, it would look pretty much like a sofa.

We have done something like this in our van; in our case I bought two long bolster pillows and covers, put a matching colour sheet on the mattress, and positioned the pillows to form a back and sides to lean against, along with two large square cushions. This is used as a "sofa" for our 12 year old daughter, although our middle child (aged 21) has moved back in with us, so it's back to being a standard bed again if the four of us go away. Just as well our eldest has her own life with her partner, half way across the country!

We are also fortunate in being a household where the tallest person is only 5' 8"! I can only sympathise with tall people dealing with the challenges caravanning brings.

Best of luck with your search, Jennifer, goodness knows you need it!

 

[otherclive]

To be honest I think your only options are to either seek out a recent Sprite Quattro DD, so not new, or compromise and go for a twin bed layout with central bathroom (no walking through others' sleeping area for loo visits) and possibly getting custom cut foam to make a "back" to run along the sides of the beds, to make them into "day beds" if you see what I mean. Once covered with the same colour material as the mattress, and a couple of large scatter cushions added, it would look pretty much like a sofa.

We have done something like this in our van; in our case I bought two long bolster pillows and covers, put a matching colour sheet on the mattress, and positioned the pillows to form a back and sides to lean against, along with two large square cushions. This is used as a "sofa" for our 12 year old daughter, although our middle child (aged 21) has moved back in with us, so it's back to being a standard bed again if the four of us go away. Just as well our eldest has her own life with her partner, half way across the country!

We are also fortunate in being a household where the tallest person is only 5' 8"! I can only sympathise with tall people dealing with the challenges caravanning brings.

Best of luck with your search, Jennifer, goodness knows you need it!

Sounds a good arrangement. We had a Sprite Musketeer TD which served well for us two, or with our granddaughter plus friend. The rear double would take two teenagers. Generally though if there were three of us my wife and teenage granddaughter would sleep on the made up double at the front and I would use a single at the back which was the lower of two bunks. At 6 ft 4 I’ve never felt “ challenged” in a caravan since Bailey increased head height in the Series 5s. 😀

 

[JTQ]

Are "pup" tents not the turn to solution for older children these days? Possibly not on reflection, as the CMC pitches are barely viable for the standard unit.

Our two children, and in later years our grandson much preferred their own space, along I suspect importantly with its personal freedoms.
They never came when into their "older teens".
That aspect, the limited years older children want to come with parents ( or be seen to) could well be why models aimed at those with older children is not well covered by makers?

 

[otherclive]

Are "pup" tents not the turn to solution for older children these days? Possibly not on reflection, as the CMC pitches are barely viable for the standard unit.

Our two children, and in later years our grandson much preferred their own space, along I suspect importantly with its personal freedoms.
They never came when into their "older teens".
That aspect, the limited years older children want to come with parents ( or be seen to) could well be why models aimed at those with older children is not well covered by makers?

Our children would sleep in the awning or it’s annex if we had one, or sometimes I would. But that does get a bit less comfort as the weather cools down. Grandkids always were inside the caravan although on its decommissioning trip last summer the granddaughter and her friend took their tent as the site allowed side pitching.

 

[Glowlight1970]

For our part, we use the van in autumn and winter, when I would not expect anyone to sleep in a tent in temperatures that can drop below freezing.

I know many people have an awning, but again, I can't imagine that being very warm to sleep in during cold weather, and we haven't bothered with one so far.

Obviously our twelve year old will be joining us for a few years yet; it will be her choice when she's older but I imagine she will stop wanting to join us sometime in her mid to late teens.

Our van has two doors each side of the central bathroom, which when closed blocks out much of the sound from either living area or bedroom, so both parents and offspring have their own space and privacy.

Obviously, everybody has differing needs, hence the large variation in layouts.

 

[JTQ]

We similarly have done the "annex" solution in more recent years, where "visits" were so occasional it would have made zero sense to buy a caravan designed for such. Tall annex to our Magnum, with loo tent to the side.

This has worked out as a good solution for visiting adults, but as said it is not a winter solution, not that four adults "trapped" in the confines of a van, during cold wet periods is likely to "work" or be much fun either.