smaller MH with 2+ separate comfy sleeping areas?

At 9, the cab over bed should be viable for a 3-4 yrs, then it depends on when he hits his growth spurt.

As far as a full blown separate 2nd bedroom, not likely on a small MH.

valhalla360 wrote:
At 9, the cab over bed should be viable for a 3-4 yrs, then it depends on when he hits his growth spurt.

As far as a full blown separate 2nd bedroom, not likely on a small MH.

makes sense.. or are there the sofa/pull out beds in living area that can have a decent mattress? They can be so awkward and uncomfy for an adult!

I guess when I say smaller I mean under 26', ideally under 24', with slide outs.. we love the 30'TT but it's so big and heavy and now we have a boat, can't tow that at same time lol

jukes wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
At 9, the cab over bed should be viable for a 3-4 yrs, then it depends on when he hits his growth spurt.

As far as a full blown separate 2nd bedroom, not likely on a small MH.

makes sense.. or are there the sofa/pull out beds in living area that can have a decent mattress? They can be so awkward and uncomfy for an adult!

I guess when I say smaller I mean under 26', ideally under 24', with slide outs.. we love the 30'TT but it's so big and heavy and now we have a boat, can't tow that at same time lol

Most have either a couch that converts to a bed, or a dinette, converts to a bed. Both are usually in the forward area, often in a slide.

I have a class C and I love my cabover bed. It can be a pain to get in and out of if you have mobility issues. For young adults, it would work fine. For the 9 year old, it would be awesome.

Are you staying at campgrounds or RV parks? If at campgrounds, I would toss in a tent for those times the older kids want to come. Better yet, buy them their own camping gear for holidays/birthdays. They can camp with friends and join you as they desire.

Get a model with the cabover bed and a queen bed at the back. Put the 9 year old in the cabover and you and spouse in the queen bed.

If you are staying at RV Parks, then you're going to have to make concessions as many don't allow tents. Using a dinette convert for the older kids if they come, or putting them in the cabover and putting the 9 year old on the sofa.

There are bunk bed models, but from what I've seen they tend to be on the smaller size and a bit claustrophobic. I'm not sure you can find a bunk and queen bed model.

Downsizing from a 30' TT , you are already used to having a nice amount of room, having full time sleeping, dinning and sitting space. Down sizing to a 24-26' MH might not give you all 3 without breaking things up/down.

Look for a cabover full queen 60x80 bed, they are common and will be fine for the 9yr old, plus have extra storage space.
Rear queen full time 60x80 or sometimes 60x75 a short queen bed and a comfortable dinette that you can sit in for hours if need be.
They are not very comfortable in the seatbelt driving mode where a growing 9 year old will be traveling. I would be looking for a sofa or recliner option with seatbelts along with a separate dinette. That might take to you in the 28 ft range.

E450 will give you more payload over a 350. Get a 450 or 4500 GM.

Depending on rear tongue weight of the boat and rear axle rating, the bikes might have to go inside the boat or on a front 2x2 hitch and bike rack.

I would RENT a class 'C' first, to get a real feel for the 'C' opposed to towing a TT.
When driving a MH, you tend to hear things rattle inside and it will be a different ride than a TV and TT. It's a truck not a smooth suv towing a TT.
You might also need to watch the sometimes low rear overhang of a class 'C' on driveway aprons. Watch your hitch height and setup. You might need airbags.
Inside, its going to take some time to foam-pad things so they are quiet when bounce down the road .

You need to drive one and live in it for a few nights. Then decide what the pros and cons are regarding floorplans that will be specific to your needs.
Its all about having a comfortable floorplan to fit 'you'. A few nights rental money might save you from making an expensive mistake. Just something to think about .

jukes wrote:
considering downsizing. currently have a 2007 30' TT with the Queen bedroom and 2 sets bunks. These days it's usually just 2 adults and a 9 year old, the teenagers aren't so keen. But I've got used to space lol. Plus our 7.3 Excursion tow vehicle is getting old :)

Would like a smaller MH

Not sure what "smaller" means in this case, but you should be able to get something in the 24-28' range ...

jukes wrote:
but that can tow our old Boston Wailer boat. Also able to carry 3 or more bicycles.

Boston Wailers aren't very heavy, so this part is easy. Nearly all Class C RVs can tow 4500-5000 lbs.

jukes wrote:
Also want a separate full or queen bedroom area, plus another twin or full bed that can have a nice mattress (so not a couch pull out etc). The area above the cab is usually pretty small and awkward right???

Depends on what you're looking at, but in most traditional Class C RVs the cabover is larger than a queen. About the same width, and longer. They're very sizable. There are some smaller units on MB chassis that make the cabover smaller.

jukes wrote:
Plus another bed suitable for a growing 9 year old..

Which MH's have this, good use of space? Best bang for the buck!? Thanks!!

My unit has 4 sleeping areas and is 28' (model name does not equal length). Queen bed in the back, dinette, jackknife sofa, and cabover. It works VERY well for my family of 5 - 3 teenagers (two in college). Just about any unit you look at is going to have similar options... Shorter than mine, and you'll likely lose one of those sleeping areas, such as the sofa, but would still have 3 sleeping areas.

There are LOTS of options from MANY manufacturers... Winnegabo Minnie Winnie, Thor Four Winds/Chateau (what I have), Coachmen, and many more. Just look around some, but starting with those will give you an idea of what floorplans offer.

Things to watch out for:
1. The number of belted seating areas for travel. Some units don't have a lot of belts. In particular, seating areas that are mounted on a slide are often very limited on belts.
2. The LENGTH of the sofa and/or dinette bed, relative to the height (and potential height) of the kids. In some units, the dinette and sofa beds are very short.
3. Whether or not you're okay with having a sleeping area that can't be used if the slide is in (such as the rear queen in mine).

jukes wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:
At 9, the cab over bed should be viable for a 3-4 yrs, then it depends on when he hits his growth spurt.

As far as a full blown separate 2nd bedroom, not likely on a small MH.

makes sense.. or are there the sofa/pull out beds in living area that can have a decent mattress? They can be so awkward and uncomfy for an adult!

I guess when I say smaller I mean under 26', ideally under 24', with slide outs.. we love the 30'TT but it's so big and heavy and now we have a boat, can't tow that at same time lol

Keep in mind a 30' TT will have an interior space roughly equal to a 34-36' MH, so 24' MH is roughly equivalent to moving to a 20' TT...except for the cab over.

Almost all sofas and dinettes will convert to a bed but don't expect high end mattress. For a 9yr old, it may be OK but on longer trips, it will get old making it up and tearing it down each day.

Interesting thought re: seatbelts in a slide being limited.
I always thought the seatbelts were bolted thru to the chassis.
I wonder how what they bolt to in a slide ? The slide floor ??
In a serious accident , a thin walled slide-out would be the last place i would want to be.

I forgot to mention securing cabinet doors with HD locks to prevent objects from flying out onto your passengers as well as yourself. You will be riding inside the rv now. You need to protect children in your care.

I'm not sure with newer MHs, but in the past, seatbelts have often simply been bolted to the plywood base of the dinette and couch seats.

I suggest you lift the cushions and check.

bobndot wrote:
Interesting thought re: seatbelts in a slide being limited.
I always thought the seatbelts were bolted thru to the chassis.
I wonder how what they bolt to in a slide ? The slide floor ??
In a serious accident , a thin walled slide-out would be the last place i would want to be.

Search youtube for "motorhome race"...It's scary how easy the house just disintegrates in any kind of collision...I don't think it will matter what the seatbelt is attached to but no I have never seen them bolted to the chassis.