6ofus,
Ok, you didn't ask for it, but here's my advice.
🙂 (When we started looking back in 2002, we were a family of 6 as well, so I know a bit about the topic.
🙂 )
First of all, to put 6 peolpe in a 24' RV for ANY length of time will not be pleasant. Maybe if you just drove & slept in it. But sooner or later, they'll be rainy days and you'll long for more space.
Second, that U-Shaped dinette LOOKS to be able to seat more than the traditional bench seat dinettes. But, in reality, you're still limited to 4 people. There is only so much room to put your feet.
Third, how many seatbelts are on that floorplan? I didn't see it noted on the diagram I was looking at. You'll NEED AT LEAST 6, and having additional ones to allow the kids to change positions is a good idea. (Ours had 12 belted locations from the factory, but THAT is very rare.)
Fourth, do you really want the bathroom access near the main bed? Are there any privacy panels or sliding walls which give privacy for getting changed, other than the bathroom? I would think you'd want a longer unit, put the bed at the end, the bathroom in the middle ( an all-in-one bath, not the split-bath types that have the shower/tub on one side of the rig and sink/john on the other). This way, you can have three different, closed areas, for people to get dressed. The back bedroom, the bathroom and the front of the rig.
You WILL NEED lots of storage. With 6 people, you will have at least 18 pairs of shoes (sneakers, flip-flops/water shoes, hiking boots, dress shoes (maybe), slippers?).
If you have any children which need a playpen, make sure there's space to store that and set it up without impeding movement too much. If you need a stroller (or a double one in our case) make sure there's a bay large enough to accept it.
Oh, and stay under the manufacturer weight limits. VERY difficult to do with a growing family and a 30+ foot rig on an E-450 or 4500 chassis.
Not to set your mind off on too many tangents, but we originally started looking at small hybrid trailers to pull behind our Honda Odyssey. Then looked at larger trailers to pull with a full size van (which we would've had to buy). Then looked at Class C's, but I could not find one that would allow us to use it the way we wanted without exceeding the mfg. weight limits. As an engineer, I was just uncomfortable with that for my family. Some people don't know, or it doesn't bother them, but it DID bother me. So, that wasn't an option.
We started looking at Class A's, and longer, and ultimately ended up with our 36' gasser with a dual sofa layout up front. (Those seatbelts I mentioned earlier: 3 on each sofa, 4 at the dinette, driver & passenger. I also installed some across the bed to keep the kids put if they slept back there while we were on the road.) This was a VERY RARE floorplan for a gasser, fairly common at the time for the diesel pushers (DPs) though. But, it still had about 3,200 lbs. of USABLE cargo carrying capacity for people, food, water, clothes and stuff. It took us 2 years of research, but we ultimately decided that would be our rig. We bought it new in 2004, still have it, and have yet to see any floorplan I like better for our family. (Well, there was this $1.5 million dollar Prevost conversion, but that's a bit rich for us! LOL) Anyway, we ended up with a rig that tows our Honda Odyssey. Yes, we spent a lot more than we initially intended to, but in my opinion, the memories with made and the family it enabled us to visit was well worth it. We expect to keep it another 5 -10 years or so, maybe longer. Then I just might buy that Prevost conversion...once it drops down to the sub-$100k price range! LOL
So, welcome to the forums. Please feel free to ask questions. If you're new to RV'ing, you have A LOT to learn. It is better to learn as much as you can BEFORE you buy. DON'T believe what most salespeople tell you. The majority of them have NEVER been out camping a day in their lives. If you want REAL opinions and insight, you have come to the right forum. This forum helped us throughout our search and we owe a big debt of gratitude to the fine folks who helped us, and who continue to help with questions we have.
Sorry if I overloaded your brain a bit. But take your time and buy the right rig the first time. It'll save you A LOT of money. (And don't rule out Class A's if you decide to look for larger rigs.
🙂 )
Good luck in your search.
~Rick
2005 Georgie Boy Cruise Master 3625 DS on a Workhorse W-22
Rick, Gail, 1 girl (27-Angel since 2008), 1 girl (22), 2 boys (23 & 20).
2001 Honda Odyssey, Demco Aluminator tow bar & tow plate, SMI Silent Partner brake controller.
