We have a 2.5 year old, are new to RV'ing and cannot decide which floor plan would be better for our family: 1) bigger rear living/entertaining space or 2) a separate bunkhouse for our daughter. Hoping families with older children and more experience can help us make the best choice for our small family.We currently own a 2012 Winnebago One "30RE" and love it. The floor plan is a very open living room with lots of windows and space. The problem is sleeping; my 2 year old will fall asleep in our bed at 730 while we're still up but we have not been able to successfully transfer her to the living room to sleep on the fold out bed once we're ready to go to bed. She'll cry her way back to me (loudly), leaving my husband to sleep on the twin alone. Recently we began considering a bunkhouse (BH) option, the 2015 Dutchmen KODIAK 300BHSL. The bunk house is a totally separate kid's room with 3 beds, a table and lots of storage. Our theory is that a separate room will help keep her fall/stay asleep in her own bed, giving us the living space back and preventing her from crawling in to bed with us (she usually sleeps through the night in her own bed at home).If we are in the TT during the day (say it's raining) I would rather we all be in one living space and the Winnebago is more conducive to that with its more open floor plan than the compartmentalized bunkhouse floor plan. I worry that with our daughter being an only child she'll feel isolated in the BH. Or that we'll be more squished in the smaller living space. My husband thinks this won't be an issue. That she'll like having her own space. Also I think the extra beds are a waste - I don't plan on bringing her friends along until she is much older nor would I want to have another family stay in our small TT; maybe one grandparent.Also we got a great deal on the Winnebago so we would be out of pocket more money whether we trade or sell ours privately. The nicest thing about the bunkhouse is that there is also an outdoor kitchen which pretty much rocks. But I don't know that this alone is worth the amount of money we'll spend should we get a different TT.Any ideas or suggestions to help us make this decision? Thank you in advance!!

I personally wouldn't necessarily jump to the BH...yet. There is no guarantee that she will like being in the BH alone and could very well end up back with you anyway. It is amazing how much even 6 months can make with a small child and you might find by this summer she loves sleeping on the pull out by herself knowing you are close by.Fast forward several years when a friend might tag along for the trip and the BH will probably be the better option.

get her a cute little slumber bag and pillow and tell her she's a big girl now and has her own place to sleep in her own sleeping bag, etc etc. see if you can sell that. :)

Just to throw an option out there...Look at something like a Catalina 313RLS. It has a rear entertainment area, and an small slide near the bedroom with 2 bunks. It's separate enough, but not an enclosed bunkhouse. You get a kids area to sleep, and still have a larger rear entertainment space. (Premier also made this exact Floorplan, I was in one at an RV show but cannot find any trace of one online)Also, in my opinion, an outdoor kitchen is a must have for me. I would never buy an RV without one. It's the single best feature on my TT and I love it. Some don't like cooking outside, I do. We've never even used the inside kitchen for meals.

Not sure it is a need right now, but it most likly will be in 5 to 6 years.The wife and I just upgraded our floor plan to include a bunkhouse, it was more of a want then a need. We chose a plan that had a small bunkhouse with no slide but two slides in the living area, one on both sides so we have the larger living/kitchen but still a separate spot for our daughter. The plan was in a 5th wheel, sandpiper select 30IOK.I share the same comments as above, outdoor kitchen is the best feature on my RV. Last one and my knew one has it, will never own one without it. That feature in my opinion is more worth the upgrade then the bunks at this time lol,

Go with the bunkhouse. Let her take ownership of her own space. I usually go to sleep much later than my wife or kids. It's nice to have the center of the TT - couch and dinette - to myself to read or just relax.PS - we started very young with our kids - no sleeping in our bed whether we were traveling or not. If the kids were really scared - nightmare, lightning/thunder, whatever - they slept on our floor, never our bed. You have to break that habit; sooner rather than later. Otherwise, before you know it, you'll have an eight year-old that still wants to sleep with you.

torn between 2 TT floor plans - toddler's parents need help!

26 Replies

PAThwacker
Explorer
Jan 28, 2015

Our tiny hybrid is a mini bunk house. I had a 2 year old and then came the baby sister. The kids now either sleep together on the side bunk or split. One goes on lower rear bunk the other hits the tent. Ipads/mini dvd/kindle fires replaced TVs for each kid. They ask all year long to go camping and talk about the memories made every weekend.

During cold and crappy weather, curl up with the lab and watch Frozen.
michigansandzil
Explorer
Jan 28, 2015
I have three kids and absolutely love my bunkhouse. I would recommend it to all parents.

She is crying coming back to you now, but next year, she'll be sleeping better in a TT and if she's sleeping in the main living area, you won't be able to move around without waking her. Who wants an unrested child? Nobody.

I love how my TT has a solid door for the bunkhouse. When I had a toddler, we could put her down for a nap and still use the rest of the TT while she slept. I could cook, watch tv, go in and out and she'd never know the difference. Our youngest is no longer a toddler at 6, but she still goes to bed way before anyone else. I know that she has a nice quiet place to get a good night rest while the rest of us continue to have a nice time and don't have to tip-toe around her afraid that she'll wake up.
Basically, it's just like home.

If you're not wanting to waste space, you can always use the other bunks for storage somehow. Maybe modify one with cabinets.
Gdetrailer
Explorer III
Jan 27, 2015
AZmom wrote:
We have a 2.5 year old, are new to RV'ing and cannot decide which floor plan would be better for our family: 1) bigger rear living/entertaining space or 2) a separate bunkhouse for our daughter. Hoping families with older children and more experience can help us make the best choice for our small family.

We currently own a 2012 Winnebago One "30RE" and love it. The floor plan is a very open living room with lots of windows and space. The problem is sleeping; my 2 year old will fall asleep in our bed at 730 while we're still up but we have not been able to successfully transfer her to the living room to sleep on the fold out bed once we're ready to go to bed. She'll cry her way back to me (loudly), leaving my husband to sleep on the twin alone.

Recently we began considering a bunkhouse (BH) option, the 2015 Dutchmen KODIAK 300BHSL. The bunk house is a totally separate kid's room with 3 beds, a table and lots of storage. Our theory is that a separate room will help keep her fall/stay asleep in her own bed, giving us the living space back and preventing her from crawling in to bed with us (she usually sleeps through the night in her own bed at home).

If we are in the TT during the day (say it's raining) I would rather we all be in one living space and the Winnebago is more conducive to that with its more open floor plan than the compartmentalized bunkhouse floor plan. I worry that with our daughter being an only child she'll feel isolated in the BH. Or that we'll be more squished in the smaller living space. My husband thinks this won't be an issue. That she'll like having her own space. Also I think the extra beds are a waste - I don't plan on bringing her friends along until she is much older nor would I want to have another family stay in our small TT; maybe one grandparent.

Also we got a great deal on the Winnebago so we would be out of pocket more money whether we trade or sell ours privately.

The nicest thing about the bunkhouse is that there is also an outdoor kitchen which pretty much rocks. But I don't know that this alone is worth the amount of money we'll spend should we get a different TT.

Any ideas or suggestions to help us make this decision? Thank you in advance!!

Kids now days are totally spoiled.

My parents packed 6 of us kids into the family station wagon armed with a tent and proceeded to vacation for three weeks from PA clear down to the Florida Keys.. I would have been 3 1/2 yrs old at the time and my youngest sister about 2 yrs old..

It didn't kill us or my parents..

That was the first year.. Did it again in the family wagon the next year..

Then Dad bought a pickup truck with a cap on the back and proceeded to make bunks and a table.. We kids road in the back and we ALL slept in the back.. No A/C and went all the way down to Florida again..

Did that two years in a row then Dad bought a second hand slide in.. Made life a bit nicer, we kids road in the slide in (and it didn't kill us, in fact that was the fun thing we looked forward to since it had a nice big window in the front and us kids would lay on the beds and watch the miles go by)..

Did that all through my High school years.

As a parent, you simply sometimes have to not hover over the kids (helicopter parents)... Yes, you might wake them but if you fuss LESS over them they learn how to go back to sleep. Make some noise and they will learn to sleep through noise.. Provide them with a totally "safe" quiet sleeping area and they tend to wake at the least disturbance.

We started camping when my DD was about 3 yrs old, in a 20ft TT armed with only a single bed and a full size bed and separated by nothing more than a curtain.. We all survived..

After a couple of years with the 20ft TT we decided that it would be nice to have a queen size bed and have a separate bedroom instead of a curtain.. So, we found an old TT and reworked it the way we wanted..

If you like your current trailer then why worry so much, next year your kid will be 3, the next year after that 4 and so on.. They will grow and change.. So will their sleeping habits..
SprinklerMan
Explorer
Jan 27, 2015
I have 2 boys and a quad bunkhouse . Thats where they keep their junk , there is room for friends , and if they act up I can send them to their room . They are 6 and 9 . As they get bigger and the bunks become too small I can rip them out and create something that works.
TheGreatWaz00
Explorer
Jan 27, 2015
We have a only child 10 years old. I can tell you my little one likes to snuggle with mommy and daddy, but when it comes to play time she likes her privacy - always has. Also, by giving her her own space, she brings a playmate! TRUST me, love your daughter but after a while it gets tiring being their own play toy. Bring a friend along helps tremendously! We did that and OMG the girls had so much fun. Also with a BH you can bring another close family now you have adult time and children time.
lushy
Explorer
Jan 27, 2015
We have 2 children who are now in their mid and upper teens. We have been camping since they were very young. We started with a pop-up, then the HTT, then the TT with bunks and now the TT with a bunkhouse. Each time we upgraded, it was about the kids growing up and my wife and I wanting more room and amenities. We enjoyed each camper as we upgraded. We upgraded step by step because almost each time we had to upgrade the tow vehicle also. It would have been nice to skip the middle two campers, but it just worked out this way for us.

With our current bunkhouse TT, the kids are able to have their own space, bed, etc. I tried to make their room comfortable. You can add a TV/DVD player, hang icicle or rope lights, make their beds cozy, removable decals, etc. The kids like having their own space and it helps the parents to allow the kids to sleep at night or in the morning when the parents are awake. I don't know your exact situation, but if you are seriously considering a new TT, I think you would be happy with a BH. Your child is still young, so there will most likely be an adjustment period for the youngster. One other thing, we have the outdoor kitchen and it does rock! One of our favorite things. Good luck.
the_happiestcam
Explorer
Jan 27, 2015

Supposedly that is a 2012 30RE floorplan.

I don't see why you don't go ahead and open up the sofa around 7:30 for the kid. If you and the wife want to stay up later, then stay outside (that's what we always did when the kids were smaller). If you would rather stay inside, then do it quietly at the dinette or in the bedroom. You have a camper that is paid for and is a good fit for your size family - wait until your family is bigger or your child is older and wants to bring friends before you worry about getting a BH.
dadmomh
Explorer
Jan 27, 2015
Any reason you could not, for the time being, open up the jack-knife sofa and put the little one to bed there to begin with? Turn on the TV low and stay inside 'til he's asleep and then you could certainly go out to the campfire. Main reasoning is that you said you'd take a hit trading so soon. I do like the cute little sleeping bag idea and you could put that on the sofa and be good...I hope. I would not make the jump to a BH and take the hit until he's older and can accept the concept of "his space". Personal opinion is that at 2 1/2, they can't totally accept the idea of ownership of their space. Start small with the cute sleeping bag and work up. A downside, and thankfully it doesn't happen often, is that little ones climb and sometimes fall from a bunk that's just too high for them. No point in a trip to the ER when the sleeping bag/sofa thing might do the job for now. Knowing you were in the room might give the assurance that all is good and drift off to sleep. Definitely an extra monitor.
opnspaces
Navigator II
Jan 27, 2015
I went with a bunkhouse but only two of the four boys use it. Of the two remaining one sleeps on the jackknife sofa and the other sleeps next to me.

I like the bunkhouse idea even though my kids only go in there to sleep. Otherwise they are sitting at the dinette eating or they are outside playing.
bigcitypopo
Explorer II
Jan 27, 2015
The bunkhouse is great to grow in to. It'll give you separate home like sleeping areas... And privacy at the same times... Make it fun for her...stuffed animals and such... I would not camp with kids without a bunkhouse... My rig is a triple bunk house.... It's a gift to have the separate spaces...