I'm looking to ditch our Fleetwood Bayside pop-up for a travel trailer and I'm hoping for some pointers. The Bayside has been great but we've outgrown it and frankly I'm sick of the compromises that come with a pop-up, so I'll be selling it in the near future.We have three young kids so there are five of us. I want something large enough so we won't outgrow it in a few years. Tow vehicle is in the sig and as you can see I'm not really restricted in terms of weight, and in fact I prefer heavy and well insulated, but I am sensitive to length because I like to camp in tougher to reach spots. I want a travel trailer over a FW because I want the bed available for toys and whatnot. I want each kid to have her own bed without having to break down a table or couch, which means a triple or quad bunk setup along with a full/queen for my wife and I. I'd like a big slide to help make it roomy inside. As mentioned I would prefer heavy and well insulated over lightweight since I'll use it pretty late into the fall for hunting. I'm going to be buying used, and I actually would like something more than a few years old to save some bucks if possible. The problem I'm running into is it seems like most of the bunkhouse models with large slides are generally pretty new, and I don't really want to spend much over $10k if possible. I can afford more but I...well I'll just admit I'm a tightwad. Ultimately I may slide the budget up some but I'd like some input first on whether I'm being realistic or not.Any pointers on models I might try to target? I live in Idaho but would be willing to drive to surrounding states to pick up the right trailer. I appreciate any input you guys have.

There are a ton of trailers with bunk rooms and when I go to an rv show at least 6 other brands have the save layout that I have so I know there are plenty out there. As for how many older ones are out there, that seems to be the question. Also length, ours is 35 feet but am guessing you could find something at 32 feet. If you are looking for shorter then it is a bunk house but not a bunk house room. Most of these are bunk beds in one corner and the bathroom in the other. We call these cave beds as the kids have to crawl in. Have seen the rare triple bunk but that puts someone on the floor under the other bunks and also takes away storage. I know new you are talking +/- 30k but used I would guess there is something. In you search look at up to 15k and then see what type of markdown you can get. Good luck.

There was a similar posting a few days ago concerning triple bunks.Maybe reference that POSTING ..... 13 pages long.

We found a used Nash 27E a year or so ago for around 10k. It has triple bunks stacked in a single column. Our oldest is 7 so it works well. The lowest bunk is on the floor, I could see it being uncomfortable for an older kid. It's around 29ft bumper to tongue. It's difficult to find reasonably priced bunk house trailer, especially "in" season. If you are in/around Boise, we got the Nash from Bear's RV in Garden City. The owner is Jeff and he is a nice guy, he sells used units that are priced reasonably. I do not like the pricing of the larger dealers in the area. Didn't want to go to 32+ft to get a bunk room trailer.

There are tons of bunkhouse models available. Just be aware that many of the bunks are narrow (28" wide) and short (less than 6' long). Fine for smaller kids, but teens won't fit.

IdaD wrote:I want each kid to have her own bed without having to break down a table or couch, which means a triple or quad bunk setup along with a full/queen for my wife and I. I'd like a big slide to help make it roomy inside. As mentioned I would prefer heavy and well insulated over lightweight since I'll use it pretty late into the fall for hunting. I'm going to be buying used, and I actually would like something more than a few years old to save some bucks if possible. The problem I'm running into is it seems like most of the bunkhouse models with large slides are generally pretty new, and I don't really want to spend much over $10k if possible.I'd have suggested a 2006, 2007, or 2008 KZ Spree 240BH triple bunk bed model like we owned for 6 years - typically ~ 5500 lbs loaded and ready to camp, just 26' 9" coupler to bumper.However, since you're insisting on a slide that's going to inevitably mean a longer trailer which you say you don't want. If it helps though, in 2009 KZ added a dinette slide to the 240 making it the 240BHS but it's quite a bit heavier and another 18" longer at 28' 3" coupler to bumper. Nice triple bunk bed rig though and very popular as it continues to this day in the Spree lineup.

Triple/Quad Bunk Trailers | Good Sam Community

22 Replies

bfourman
Explorer
Jun 26, 2015
IdaD wrote:
bfourman wrote:
And as you can see in the 2nd pic, it's a good thing we went with 4 bunks...

Congrats! Our third was a surprise, and certain steps were taken to prevent any other surprises. :B

One thing I like about the quad bunks is extra storage, if nothing else.

This one was a surprise too.

The bottom left bunk in the pic folds up completely, and we store the bikes there while traveling. There is a large cargo door on the outside which is great for loading/unloading. The storage is awesome, it seemed like the triple bunk models we looked at didn't have much closet space in comparison.
IdaD
Explorer
Jun 26, 2015
bfourman wrote:
And as you can see in the 2nd pic, it's a good thing we went with 4 bunks...

Congrats! Our third was a surprise, and certain steps were taken to prevent any other surprises. :B

One thing I like about the quad bunks is extra storage, if nothing else.
bfourman
Explorer
Jun 26, 2015
Go to a local dealer and try to find a triple stack bunk model and a open quad bunk model, then base your search on the one your kids prefer. I was 100% convinced I wanted a triple bunk camper, specifically a Salem 26TBUD. We went to look at the dealer and my kids HATED the stacked bunks. We ended up stumbling onto a 2009 SunnyBrook 298BH quad bunk model locally and the kids love it. It's a little longer than you are wanting, but the large slide and big bunks are worth it.

And as you can see in the 2nd pic, it's a good thing we went with 4 bunks...
IdaD
Explorer
Jun 26, 2015
That 26z is an interesting floorplan. The slide may be a little small but I like how it shortens the overall package up a bit. I sent a floorplan to the boss to see what she thinks of it...
astraelraen
Explorer
Jun 26, 2015
Lookup a Nash 26z or 26z2. Well made, well insulated, triple bunk, large slide. They are no longer made any more and you can only find them on the used market.

I found a few when I was purchasing my trailer and really wanted to buy one, but the weights were a little heavier than what I wanted. If I had the chance to do it again I would probably have bought the Z or Z2 just to have the slide.

The Z or the Z2 (or maybe both?) are on Northwood's "wide body" platform, so they are actually 8' 6" wide vs 8' wide. My 27E is on the wide body platform as well... the 6" actually makes a difference on the inside.

I think Arctic Fox made an equivalent 26z/26z2 as well, but those are even rarer and more expensive.
IdaD
Explorer
Jun 26, 2015
astraelraen wrote:
IdaD wrote:
astraelraen wrote:
If you are in/around Boise, we got the Nash from Bear's RV in Garden City. The owner is Jeff and he is a nice guy, he sells used units that are priced reasonably. I do not like the pricing of the larger dealers in the area.

I'll check him out - thanks for the tip. Hope your AC is working good the next few days!

http://boise.craigslist.org/rvs/5074694223.html

According to the information I can find that is just under 27' long... I can't tell if that is with or without the tongue though. If it's without the tongue you are probably closer to 29'...

There are a couple Keystone Outback's with the slide out rear bed and bunks up front on Craigslist as well, at little more than what you are wanting to spend though.

Yeah I've been getting alerts on Craiglist and I saw that one. A slide is pretty important to us, which obviously that one lacks. In fact my wife is real caught up on large slide so I may need to give a little on length for the sake of my overall happiness, cause the wider slides seem to push trailers into the 30' plus range. My shop is 36' long as is the covered parking on one side so in either spot I've got plenty of room to park it, but I definitely don't want to push much over 30' in overall length.
astraelraen
Explorer
Jun 26, 2015
IdaD wrote:
astraelraen wrote:
If you are in/around Boise, we got the Nash from Bear's RV in Garden City. The owner is Jeff and he is a nice guy, he sells used units that are priced reasonably. I do not like the pricing of the larger dealers in the area.

I'll check him out - thanks for the tip. Hope your AC is working good the next few days!

http://boise.craigslist.org/rvs/5074694223.html

According to the information I can find that is just under 27' long... I can't tell if that is with or without the tongue though. If it's without the tongue you are probably closer to 29'...

There are a couple Keystone Outback's with the slide out rear bed and bunks up front on Craigslist as well, at little more than what you are wanting to spend though.
IdaD
Explorer
Jun 26, 2015
astraelraen wrote:
If you are in/around Boise, we got the Nash from Bear's RV in Garden City. The owner is Jeff and he is a nice guy, he sells used units that are priced reasonably. I do not like the pricing of the larger dealers in the area.

I'll check him out - thanks for the tip. Hope your AC is working good the next few days!
IdaD
Explorer
Jun 26, 2015
SoundGuy wrote:
However, since you're insisting on a slide that's going to inevitably mean a longer trailer which you say you don't want.

I realize I'm a walking contradiction. I want a big, roomy and heavy trailer that's small and compact. My truck is right at 20' long, or a hair over counting the hitch. Throw a 30' trailer on there and I've got 50' of vehicle to contend with. Lots of guys do it around here but it isn't unknown for an unexpected meeting to result in somebody having to back up a long way to a wide spot.

Thanks for all the tips, guys. I will be spending some time today googling the various models listed. There are some floor plans in this thread I hadn't come across yet.
SoundGuy
Explorer
Jun 26, 2015
badercubed wrote:
I have a 2010 Hideout 30BHDS. The slide in the bunk house area is awesome as it really opens it up. My bunkhouse has two beds on the slide, a trundle bed that pulls out from under the slide and a table that converts to the bed on the non-slide side. We have only had it for a little less than a year but it works great.

Nice rig I'm sure but measuring 33' 11" this hardly meets the OP's stated requirements -

"Tow vehicle is in the sig and as you can see I'm not really restricted in terms of weight, and in fact I prefer heavy and well insulated, but I am sensitive to length because I like to camp in tougher to reach spots."

To meet that requirement he'd certainly want this trailer to be no longer than 30' max coupler to bumper, preferably even less, which is why a triple bunk bed model with beds that run laterally across the width of the trailer would make a lot more sense. ;)