Rear lounge or fixed bed (1 Viewer)

[Christy]

I’m sure this has probably been asked countless number of times but I can’t find anything on the forum. We are looking at a two berth around 6. 5 m length home. Mostly for use in the UK but possibly two weeks in Europe. We don’t want an overcab one.

Just wondered what people’s views were on rear lounge v fixed French bed?

We have had a Vw camper for 15 years so are used to lack of space and making the bed up!

 

[KeefieWeefie]

I’m sure this has probably been asked countless number of times but I can’t find anything on the forum. We are looking at a two berth around 6. 5 m length home. Mostly for use in the UK but possibly two weeks in Europe. We don’t want an overcab one.

Just wondered what people’s views were on rear lounge v fixed French bed?

We have had a Vw camper for 15 years so are used to lack of space and making the bed up!

I prefer a rear lounge and make up the bed each day. It only takes a minute and the rest of the day you have more living space. The absolute best option would be a drop down cab bed. My friend has a Cathago A class and the dropdown bed is larger than his fixed rear bed!

 

[MillieMoocher]

Hi
Is the near side seating longer,Interested as still want to convert to 2 singles

You’re right, the near side seat is longer but wouldn’t be long enough for an adult sized single bed. Might be ok for a child, but there are only 2 belted seats.

the front drop down bed does configure as 2 singles though (I mention this in case your question is more based on a preference for single beds as opposed to wanting to have 3 or 4 people sleeping in the van)

 

[Otter Spotter]

Rear lounge, i agree that having to make bed up each night is a pain but we have reduced bedding to 2 Duvalay sleeping bags which you can overlap as a double. Fixed beds with ladders and little head room was the design feature of last years vans and both my wife and I would struggle during the night on toilet trips If we had one. Also garages appear to waste a lot if space unless you have bikes etc.

 

[Landy Andy]

Fixed beds don’t only give the advantage of not having to make beds every night, but also have proper mattresses to sleep on. Not a mix of different lumpy/gappy cushions

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[robnchris]

Rear lounge, best views and a large comfy space to sprawl with the over cab bed ready made up and very comfy.
A fixed bed in the limited space a motorhome offers is just a waste of space to us just a rather large coat hanger in the day time.

 

[M-J]

Fixed bed a must for us, wouldn’t want to make it every night out of a Tetris of cushions and don’t want to climb any ladders to get in to over cab or drop down. Island bed likely to be on our wish list next time.

 

[peterc10]

Not quite right - Hymer Duomobil has a garage and rear lounge, I accept this is unusual but there might be others too. It was certainly a clincher for us, a garage is so useful for all the reasons you say ??

View attachment 357734View attachment 357735

Looked at that before. The garage is big, but you can't get a scooter in it because the handlebars are too tall to go under the seat bases. And the taller bit at the back behind the seat is not wide enough for those same handlebars.

 

[Bognor Saint]

We've progressed from bed to make up, French bed and now island bed. Large garage underneath. Perfect for us. 6.6 metres.

 

[DangerMousy]

A decent rear lounge is a must for us - we like to have space to stretch out with our feet up to watch TV, play games or just read. I find the tiny front lounges are fine for dining but not for relaxing: they're too upright and even the ones with slightly longer sofas aren't great because the sofas tend to be quite shallow so you can't lounge on them properly.

The downside of course is having to make the bed up - but most rear lounges covert with fairly big cushions so they're pretty quick easy to do.....even quicker and comfier if you use a mattress topper. We use stuff sacks to store the pillows and duvet during the day so it takes up less space, but the bedding and topper do take up one of the under-seat lockers entirely.

The perfect motorhome for is one of the A classes with a UK-style rear lounge and a drop down bed at the front. You don't get much of a garage on most of them, but that's a compromise we're willing to make.

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[M-J]

Large garage underneath. Perfect for us. 6.6 metres.

Could fit a small motorhome in your garage lol

 

[MillieMoocher]

Looked at that before. The garage is big, but you can't get a scooter in it because the handlebars are too tall to go under the seat bases. And the taller bit at the back behind the seat is not wide enough for those same handlebars.

TBH I doubt there is enough payload either - without upgrading to the max 4 and a bit tonnes, which involves some changes to the van.

We up plated to the “free” 3860 weight and in full touring trim (including full water and fuel) have only about 100 kg left. And SWMBO and I weigh around 65kg.

 

[DDJC]

The downside of course is having to make the bed up - but most rear lounges covert with fairly big cushions so they're pretty quick easy to do.....even quicker and comfier if you use a mattress topper. We use stuff sacks to store the pillows and duvet during the day so it takes up less space, but the bedding and topper do take up one of the under-seat lockers entirely.

The perfect motorhome for is one of the A classes with a UK-style rear lounge and a drop down bed at the front. You don't get much of a garage on most of them, but that's a compromise we're willing to make.

Having arrived at the age of creaking and groaning as we get up of a morning, we spent a mint on some triple layer orthopaedic sleep4dayz, hypercomfort type memory foam mattress on both beds. Obv, you can't easily have a decent mattress if you are making the bed up every night.

We figure that you go on holiday to relax. Waking up ache-free and eight hours later, is a must. In days of yore, when we used to tug, we made the backrest/seat bench bed jigsaw every night. And we woke, cursing the sodding thing. Took an hour of coffee to stop the awful whining noise.

So for us, fixed beds and custom made memory foam mattresses. It costs, but it is soooooo worth it.

 

[Lenny HB]

And SWMBO and I weigh around 65kg.

Less than 33kg each are you stick people?

 

[MillieMoocher]

Yes peterc10 ours is the shorter and narrower one.

Lenny HB ??? you know what I’m saying ???

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[Bognor Saint]

Could fit a small motorhome in your garage lol

Not quite! But it is generous for us.

 

[Drexxer]

Rear lounge, best views and a large comfy space to sprawl with the over cab bed ready made up and very comfy.
A fixed bed in the limited space a motorhome offers is just a waste of space to us just a rather large coat hanger in the day time.

Unfortunately you have to buy an English van to achieve this, or very little amount of European ones

 

[pelican]

Unfortunately you have to buy an English van to achieve this, or very little amount of European ones

What a strange comment to make

 

[Graham of Madrid]

European vans from what I've seen don't have rear lounges or ovens for that matter. Here is Spain we don't want to sit in the back of a hot cramped van with the kind of furnishing suited best to cooler climates.

 

[sallypat]

A decent rear lounge is a must for us - we like to have space to stretch out with our feet up to watch TV, play games or just read. I find the tiny front lounges are fine for dining but not for relaxing: they're too upright and even the ones with slightly longer sofas aren't great because the sofas tend to be quite shallow so you can't lounge on them properly.

The downside of course is having to make the bed up - but most rear lounges covert with fairly big cushions so they're pretty quick easy to do.....even quicker and comfier if you use a mattress topper. We use stuff sacks to store the pillows and duvet during the day so it takes up less space, but the bedding and topper do take up one of the under-seat lockers entirely.

The perfect motorhome for is one of the A classes with a UK-style rear lounge and a drop down bed at the front. You don't get much of a garage on most of them, but that's a compromise we're willing to make.
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[sallypat]

QUOTE]
Thanks for your comment, this sounds perfect for us, what motorhome do you have? Sally

 

[Jewellbags]

We’ve a chausson 640 . Massive drop down bed , big garage , full size shower , separate loo . 6.99 metres . Only gripe is the table - would prefer to have a non fixed model

 

[DangerMousy]

QUOTE]
Thanks for your comment, this sounds perfect for us, what motorhome do you have? Sally

We currently have a Bailey 625 - fabulous lounge which makes up into a huge and very comfy bed. But we're changing to a Rapido 9094 with a good rear lounge (not quite as good a lounge as the Bailey but still one of the best we've seen in an a-class) and a drop down bed at the front.

 

[Gagneur]

We’ve tried PVC beds, drop down over the lounge (Bessacarr 424) and currently fixed island with an occasional drop down for the grandkids. We found the most comfortable is the current island with easy access to both sides, but still like PVCs for their ease of driving and parking.
We had one instance where the electric drop down on the Bessacarr wouldn’t go up after prolonged off grid camping. Fixed bed usually gives a useful garage/wine cellar...

 

[KeefieWeefie]

Fixed beds don’t only give the advantage of not having to make beds every night, but also have proper mattresses to sleep on. Not a mix of different lumpy/gappy cushions

I use a memory foam topper on each bed rather than sleep on lumpy cushions. Only takes 2 minutes each night and morning and the rest of the day I have more living space than the rest! It's just a matter of choice. ?

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[KeefieWeefie]

We currently have a Bailey 625 - fabulous lounge which makes up into a huge and very comfy bed. But we're changing to a Rapido 9094 with a good rear lounge (not quite as good a lounge as the Bailey but still one of the best we've seen in an a-class) and a drop down bed at the front.

That sounds perfect to me! My buddy had a Rapido. Very good quality! Now he has a Cathago!

 

[Otter Spotter]

I use a memory foam topper on each bed rather than sleep on lumpy cushions. Only takes 2 minutes each night and morning and the rest of the day I have more living space than the rest! It's just a matter of choice. ?

The Duvalay sleeping bags we use have a built in memory foam mat which acts as a topper to the cushions. ???????? Sooo comfortable

 

[Top Hat]

Fixed bed is a must and the older we get the more of a must it becomes, another thing is we have different body clocks, if we had to make up a bed there would be a disagreement every night at what time it should be done.
We have a PVC so for a choice of where to relax I put a tv in the sitting and fixed bed area.

 

[KeefieWeefie]

The Duvalay sleeping bags we use have a built in memory foam mat which acts as a topper to the cushions. ???????? Sooo comfortable

Nice, I will recommend then to my other half. Personally I can't sleep in a bag because I toss and turn all night plus I get too hot! Even with a duvet I keep having to throw it off to cool down, even in winter!?

 

[Otter Spotter]

Nice, I will recommend then to my other half. Personally I can't sleep in a bag because I toss and turn all night plus I get too hot! Even with a duvet I keep having to throw it off to cool down, even in winter!?

Check them out at Go Outdoors if you want to get a idea of thickness of quilt and mat. You can replace the quilt which feels like a 7.5 tog. They are not like a traditional sleeping bag you are not zipped in.

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[KeefieWeefie]

That's exactly how I like it too. My friend has a Cathago with a fixed rear bed, it takes up so much room that his lounge is pokey and uncomfortable to relax in. He also has nowhere for the TV other that near the roof. I find it uncomfortable to look up all the time. Rear lounge every time for me, but hey he likes his layout!