DP models that work well for families
I'm in the market for a used diesel pusher and have been looking at Newmar Allstars and other bunk models such as the Discovery 40G (leaning away from), and Berkshire 390BH. I like the Tiffin 38QBA, b...
Forum Discussion
Hi,
Our rig is not a DP. We bought it new in 2004 and it still serves us well. Our two slide floor plan has two sofas up front. One fold-out sofa bed and the other a jackknife. Plus, the dinette converts to a bed. When the kids were younger, there were plenty of places for them to sleep. Now that they’re older, they still make it work, but we only have 3 which travel now.
Back in 2004, “bunk model” class A’s were pretty much non-existent. But to be honest, I’m not a big fan of the bunk floor plans because with the exception of only one I’ve seen, the bunks are but a paper-thin wall away from the “parent’s” bedroom. In our rig, the kids are up front, and we’ve got the back of the rig. The bathroom and LOTS of closet & storage space is in between us. With the roof A/C’s or heaters running, they really can’t hear anything from the bedroom. Especially when the kids were younger, there would be movies and things we’d watch with adult language or scenes we didn’t want the little ones to hear. Of course, there’s always the (hopefully) “frisky” moments, as “Mrs. Cunningham” from “Happy Days” used to call them. Anyway, there was that separation. By the way, this was an unthought of benefit when we bought the moho, but wifey apparently feels more relaxed when out camping so those “frisky” moments happen more than I would’ve thought.
But, I digress, the dual sofa layout is great match for us. Basically, we trade dedicated sleeping space for the kids for dedicated living space for everyone. Even when stuck in extended poor weather situations, we have enough room and seating space in the living room for us to watch movies, play games, etc. Plus, so much of the storage space we have would be used up by the bunks. No thanks.
Is there a setup/breakdown time required? Sure. When the kids were young, wifey and I got to the point we could convert from living to sleeping mode in about 5 minutes. Storing the linens & pillows needed for each sleeping area in the corresponding overhead bin. As they got older and the kids started doing it themselves, it became even less of an issue.
Family dynamics are different, but our kids grew up in a modest home, the boys shared a room and the girls shared another, so they were used to sharing their space. For us, it worked great.
Dual sofa layouts used to be quite popular on DPs back when we bought our rig, but they were very rare on gassers. Now they’re rare on all as reclininers/desks/fireplaces/etc. often replace one of the spaces taken up by a sofa. However, you might be able to have one custom built for you, or if you search long enough, I’m sure you can find one. It’ll be easier finding a DP than a gasser.
Good Luck in your search,
~Rick
Our rig is not a DP. We bought it new in 2004 and it still serves us well. Our two slide floor plan has two sofas up front. One fold-out sofa bed and the other a jackknife. Plus, the dinette converts to a bed. When the kids were younger, there were plenty of places for them to sleep. Now that they’re older, they still make it work, but we only have 3 which travel now.
Back in 2004, “bunk model” class A’s were pretty much non-existent. But to be honest, I’m not a big fan of the bunk floor plans because with the exception of only one I’ve seen, the bunks are but a paper-thin wall away from the “parent’s” bedroom. In our rig, the kids are up front, and we’ve got the back of the rig. The bathroom and LOTS of closet & storage space is in between us. With the roof A/C’s or heaters running, they really can’t hear anything from the bedroom. Especially when the kids were younger, there would be movies and things we’d watch with adult language or scenes we didn’t want the little ones to hear. Of course, there’s always the (hopefully) “frisky” moments, as “Mrs. Cunningham” from “Happy Days” used to call them. Anyway, there was that separation. By the way, this was an unthought of benefit when we bought the moho, but wifey apparently feels more relaxed when out camping so those “frisky” moments happen more than I would’ve thought.
But, I digress, the dual sofa layout is great match for us. Basically, we trade dedicated sleeping space for the kids for dedicated living space for everyone. Even when stuck in extended poor weather situations, we have enough room and seating space in the living room for us to watch movies, play games, etc. Plus, so much of the storage space we have would be used up by the bunks. No thanks.
Is there a setup/breakdown time required? Sure. When the kids were young, wifey and I got to the point we could convert from living to sleeping mode in about 5 minutes. Storing the linens & pillows needed for each sleeping area in the corresponding overhead bin. As they got older and the kids started doing it themselves, it became even less of an issue.
Family dynamics are different, but our kids grew up in a modest home, the boys shared a room and the girls shared another, so they were used to sharing their space. For us, it worked great.
Dual sofa layouts used to be quite popular on DPs back when we bought our rig, but they were very rare on gassers. Now they’re rare on all as reclininers/desks/fireplaces/etc. often replace one of the spaces taken up by a sofa. However, you might be able to have one custom built for you, or if you search long enough, I’m sure you can find one. It’ll be easier finding a DP than a gasser.
Good Luck in your search,
~Rick
