Bunkhouse 5th wheels...suggestions

[Txfirerescue77]

Hi to everyone,
For the past 5 years my family has done well with our old trusty Four Winds 29Q TT, but as of 3 days ago we finally sold her with intentions of upgrading to a 5th wheel, We have 4 kids ranging from 1 - 14 so we definitely need something that sleeps at least six with out having to fold something out every day. So far I have found the Montana Mountaineer 345DBQ and we really like the set up with 4 bunks in the back with two rear slides, but that really seem to be all I have found so far. It seems most 5th wheels have the living room in the back and are set up for couples to live out of them. Any other models other than mentioned about with this set up? We like the Montana but have a hard time finding ones for sale, also they are pretty pricey to boot for even a decent used one. I would really like to stay under the $30k mark. I look forward to the advice

[Txfirerescue77]

I can definitely see where the half bath can be extra hassle. I’m used to only having to empty one so it’s never been that big of a deal. I haven’t really seen any of the mid bunk trailers that would seem to fit us, but then again I haven’t really thought about long term when the little ones get older. I want to find something that we can be comfortable long term in, I don’t like to swap every few years. Shoot, we made our 06 29’ TT with no slides last 12 years, to the point we were piled in like cord wood..lol.

[mtofell1]

Keystone Hideout 308bhds - 9000# dry, 1/2 bath in the front bedroom, rear bunk room has a slide and can sleep 4 kids with the couch folded flat. It also has a super nice outdoor kitchen.

The Hideout is the entry level of Keystone but mine has been decent over the last 2+ years. The floor plan checked all the boxes so we went for it. I paid about 32K out the door for my 2016 model. You're going to have a tough time getting everything you list and staying under 30K is going new.

[camp-n-family]

The Copper Canyon model I listed has a closet with washer/dryer prep in place of the half bath.

[Lantley]

Txfirerescue77 wrote:

Lantley wrote:
I currently have a 39' Bunkhouse with dual opposing rear slides that creates a great bunk room. However I am intrigued by the mid bunk units that allow for a rear living room area. Avoid models with the additional 1/2 bath. The 2nd black tank is more trouble than its worth unless you are full timing.
Also be sure the bunk room is large enough for the kids to do more than just sleep. Give them a place to call their own and hang out.
Lastly the kids are going to grow be sure the beds are big enough to accommodate them getting bigger. They won't be toddlers forever
As my kids have gotten older my bunkhouse days are winding down.
I look forward to buying a rig that won't be a bunkhouse....LOL

What makes the second tank such a pain?

Just the fact that you have to dump 2 tanks makes it a pain.
Instead of having 1 relatively full tank. You end up with 2 relatively empty tanks. Full tanks dump more efficiently than empty tanks.
You now have to clean and maintain 2 tanks vs.1.
I guess the upside is kids can have their own bathroom however sharing the bathroom with the kids ultimately results in less work for me. The 1/2 bath is more trouble than it's worth.
After 10 years of owning bunkhouse trailers I believe the space devoted to the 1/2 bath could be put to better use if you are a weekend camper.
I imagine I am in the minority with this 1/2 bath opinion. However whether you agree with me or not, be sure to consider the requirements of the 2nd black tank. I don't mind the 1/2 bath floorplan. It is the 2nd black tank that accompanies the floor plan that I have grown to despise.
For the record I removed my 1/2 bath toilet and created a great closet that can be accessed from the interior or the exterior.
I do not miss the 1/2 bathroom at all.

[ChuckV1]

Check out the Kz brand of trailers, I believe they have more bang for the buck, they have bunkhouse an as well toy haulers https://www.kz-rv.com/

Safe Travels

[Txfirerescue77]

Lantley wrote:
I currently have a 39' Bunkhouse with dual opposing rear slides that creates a great bunk room. However I am intrigued by the mid bunk units that allow for a rear living room area. Avoid models with the additional 1/2 bath. The 2nd black tank is more trouble than its worth unless you are full timing.
Also be sure the bunk room is large enough for the kids to do more than just sleep. Give them a place to call their own and hang out.
Lastly the kids are going to grow be sure the beds are big enough to accommodate them getting bigger. They won't be toddlers forever
As my kids have gotten older my bunkhouse days are winding down.
I look forward to buying a rig that won't be a bunkhouse....LOL

What makes the second tank such a pain?

[Merrykalia]

We had a 36' TT with the quad bunk in the back, the we upgraded to a front bunkhouse fifth wheel and now have a mid-bunk fifth wheel with a loft.

We camp host throughout the summer months and with so much time spent in the RV, we wanted a large living space that we could all fit in and sit together. The girls wanted seperate bedrooms and this gave them that. The quad bunk in the back did not allow them to sit in the room and work on stuff, they had to be laying in the beds or in the living room to sit up and read, play with stuff, etc.

[ACZL]

Look at a older ('07-'09 era) Cedar Creek Silverback with rear quad bunks (2 on each side on slides if I recall right. 1st year had a "divider" in middle, following year CC did away w/ it. Want to say there was a door that closed off the BH area from rest of coach so kids could "keep it messy" w/o being seen from rest of coach.

[Lantley]

I currently have a 39' Bunkhouse with dual opposing rear slides that creates a great bunk room. However I am intrigued by the mid bunk units that allow for a rear living room area. Avoid models with the additional 1/2 bath. The 2nd black tank is more trouble than its worth unless you are full timing.
Also be sure the bunk room is large enough for the kids to do more than just sleep. Give them a place to call their own and hang out.
Lastly the kids are going to grow be sure the beds are big enough to accommodate them getting bigger. They won't be toddlers forever
As my kids have gotten older my bunkhouse days are winding down.
I look forward to buying a rig that won't be a bunkhouse....LOL

[ford_truck_guy]

I walked through the local RV Show in PA yesterday, i bet 90% of the fifth wheels were shown were bunk houses... From mid bunks, to rear bunks, to BOTH mid and rear bunks...

Find a decent RV show and hit the road..... You will be sure to see a floor plan that tickles your fancy ...

[Campinfan]

Halmfamily wrote:
Forest River Sierra/Sandpiper 365SAQ. Will need a 1 ton to haul though.

or the 369 SAQB which may have replaced the above. We just got one before Christmas. Has outdoor kitchen and half bath for the kids.

[Txfirerescue77]

I haven’t really thought about toy haulers, but I will check into them. We really only do park camping. I don’t really see us doing much boondocking. With 4 kids we always look for places with bathhouses and full hookups, especially with little ones it’s just easier, but we do like to take long trips so storage is a big thing we’re looking for. The main thing I like is the rear bunkhouse with two rear slides and a rear half bath. That gives the kiddos a pretty decent amount of space and they can all go to the back and watch a movie comfortably without being piled on top of each other.

[drwwicks]

We recently bought a 2012 Prime Time Crusader 355BHQ with the rear bunk room. It's 39' and GVWR of 13.7K+-. The more recent models are a 360 or maybe 370 about 40+'. Pretty decent build quality and 4 slides for these versions. Bath and half with 2 doors.

[Halmfamily]

Forest River Sierra/Sandpiper 365SAQ. Will need a 1 ton to haul though.

[leggy]

We currently have a grand design with 4 bunks in the rear, one slide. I think it would be tight for your family though, not much space in bunk area other than beds.
We had a big Horn Silverado which had a full bunk house room with 2 slides, tons of space but it was 40ft and the exterior was cracking on both sides at corner of the slides. It was the first year of that model. Point is there are some out there, keep looking.