Hallmark-style over-dinette bunk in FWC/ATC?

[mkish]

Thanks all. I appreciate your patience with someone so clearly clueless about campers.

A cot might be doable. I'll have to research that.

The Flippac is interesting but probably not for us. It's, you know, a tent. (I wonder if it can get you registration as a non-commercial truck in CA though...)

Comparing floorplans for the smaller popups, it seems there aren't many variations. And no manufacturer really seems to think they're family compatible. Maybe it just can't be done.

I'm really unfamiliar with campers, so this is probably obvious, but why no dinettes aft? My "RV" experience is from an older folding trailer and it has the classic dinette that turns into a bed by dropping the table. I assume you have to pack things in so tightly that the table would need reducing so you could get into the seats and you'd have to climb on one bed to get into another but there's got to be a better reason it's not done than that. Obviously I've moved beyond a 6 foot floor at this point...

 

[pods8]

Thanks all. I appreciate your patience with someone so clearly clueless about campers.
I'm really unfamiliar with campers, so this is probably obvious, but why no dinettes aft? My "RV" experience is from an older folding trailer and it has the classic dinette that turns into a bed by dropping the table. I assume you have to pack things in so tightly that the table would need reducing so you could get into the seats and you'd have to climb on one bed to get into another but there's got to be a better reason it's not done than that. Obviously I've moved beyond a 6 foot floor at this point...

Alaskan campers has some floor plans like that.

If I were going to stick to a rear entry door camper I'd give something like that more consideration.

 

[mkish]

They do! They seem to be able to fit everything in on an 8-foot floor. Even my precious potty! :Wow1:

And I thought I'd have to be slumming it in a tenty popup. (Even my popup trailer is a hardside.)

Those are just a bit over the top, although they are almost as cool as an Avion. I do think those floorplans have a lot of potential though.



Wonder if you can use the bathroom and fridge with the top down...

 

[pods8]

Front opening fridges can be accessed with the top down most of the time. Those compartment bathrooms I have no idea, as I've said in other threads I'd never dedicate the space for a bathroom in a camper of this size. Having a porta potty under a seat is one thing but an actual walled out area, no way. Esp. on a short bed model camper, MAYBE on an 8' but I'd need to ponder on it. Just takes too much away from the space and flexibility of the space.

 

[mkish]

When the kids are out of diapers, you might want that portapotty.
Or when you get old like me!

I have enjoyed (that sounds bad) the portapotty in my trailer. I'd enjoy it even more if the kids and I could use it en route or on day trips away from the camp site. This is actually one reason we're looking at truck campers. That said, I don't need a built in cassette toilet. A spot of open floor big enough to hold a porta even when the beds are deployed is perfectly fine.

I guess I need an 8 footer, don't I? So I'll have some camper hanging over the back end after all. I really don't want a long bed truck.

This minimalist luxury business is tricky!

 

[pods8]

A porta pottie under a seat or in an isle is find to me, I just don't like dedicated bathroom "closets" for my preference.

If you want the pottie out while the beds are deployed you'll likely need to go beyond a shorter model or have limited counter space if you had the beds across the front like in an Alaskan.

There is another floor plan for an alaskan non-cabover I've seen with the counters across the front and beds along both sides (feet go under the counter), you could see if someone would custom build a unit like that with a cabover still as well. I'll look for pics in a bit but I got a crying kid to go get.

 

[pods8]

Here check this out: http://www.alaskancamper.com/mini.html

Maybe one of the folks would build this type of floor plan with some tweaks with a cabover too.

 

[mkish]

Interesting. I didn't even look at that one, but it's different alright! Reminds me of the coroner's van for some reason.

It's becoming apparent that with all the stuff I want and all the stuff I'll have to haul, I need to just make it "easy" and go with an 8 ft. floor. I really like the general layout of this 8 ft. cabover Alaskan: http://alaskancamper.com/8FD.jpg. (Isn't it nice how they put measurements on everything? They might be rough but they give you an idea.)

These are both more appealing than a bunk bed.

A toilet cabinet doesn't need to be that entire big box (not unless I'm getting a shower out of it, which I'm not). The toilet room in that layout could just be a cabinet with a potty on the bottom that slid out, shelves above. We're primitive enough that if the cabinet door swung inwards, that would count as privacy. Once you're too old for that, you can go outside and set up one of those little cabana tents. My current Thetford is about 18" square and as important as I think it, I don't really use it often enough to deserve full time setup status. (I was traumatized as a child when my mother told me about the ghost in the pit toilet that would reach up and pull you in.)

 

[Scoutman]

Kicking up an older thread for more discussion since I'm considering doing the same thing. We currently have a fold out couch and I'm thinking ahead for making an upper bunk over the couch area. Mine are 7 and 4 and currently are ok on the couch together but I know those days may be limited.

 

[Umtaneum]

I recently picked up my new Phoenix, which I ordered with an upper bunk for a second kid. I haven't actually used the upper yet, I've been leaving it at home since I don't need it. There isn't much to one, it's just a big padded shelf, really. Anyone with moderate fab or carpenter skills should be able to add one to just about any camper with a dinette or settee along the side.

 

[Scoutman]

I recently picked up my new Phoenix, which I ordered with an upper bunk for a second kid. I haven't actually used the upper yet, I've been leaving it at home since I don't need it. There isn't much to one, it's just a big padded shelf, really. Anyone with moderate fab or carpenter skills should be able to add one to just about any camper with a dinette or settee along the side.

So it's something you either have in place or leave at home? I guess it's probably too long to store under the main bed.

 

[Umtaneum]

There isn't a whole lot of storage space in a pop up at the best of times. That upper bunk shelf is way too big to fit under the main bed, so it has to store in the middle of the dinette when it's not in use. It just seemed easier to take it out when I don't need it.

 

[mkish]

Scoutman, what kind of lift system do you have in your Starcraft? I ended up with a Northstar for more elbow room, no bunk yet but thinking about it. The HECO lift in mine(which I don't think the Phoenix or Hallmark have, and FWC definitely doesn't) sort of intrudes on easy bunk installation like the Hallmarks had. On the other hand, I do have enough of storage under the cabover bed to carry a bunk if I get around to figuring out how to mount it. I'm also considering a hammock. If a kid fell out of the hammock, he'd just land on the other kid and that's okay, right?

 

[Scoutman]

Scoutman, what kind of lift system do you have in your Starcraft? I ended up with a Northstar for more elbow room, no bunk yet but thinking about it. The HECO lift in mine(which I don't think the Phoenix or Hallmark have, and FWC definitely doesn't) sort of intrudes on easy bunk installation like the Hallmarks had. On the other hand, I do have enough of storage under the cabover bed to carry a bunk if I get around to figuring out how to mount it. I'm also considering a hammock. If a kid fell out of the hammock, he'd just land on the other kid and that's okay, right?

I'm not sure who makes my lift system but it's an outside crank mechanism that pushes up on 4 corner lift tubes. (you can see it in my thread) I'm taking it out this coming weekend so I'll be giving some thought to how I can make this happen.

 

[brian90744]

I think the FlipPac hammock is prefect for a teenager/child. the 4 end pcs you can get @ home depot & the poles also. just FYI=brian