Non-Cramped Bed in 24 Feet?

[JayMartin]

Hi,
Ex-truck camper here (Northstar on a Dodge diesel), thinking I might like a 24’ Class C w/ slide. Are there layouts in that short a footprint that have more than 5’ of access to one corner of the foot of the bed? If not, what is the shortest length I should shop for to be able to make the bed easier than I could in the truck camper?
Thanks,
Jay

[bobndot]

I had 11 rvs in my time with 1/2 being non slide units and 1/2 with slides.
It's pretty simple. If you NEED more room then get a slide unit. Many people just like the extra amount of room and don't care about anything else.

The general rule . LOL
If one person goes shopping for an rv, they end up with a non slide unit. If two people shop, they end up with a slideout in order to save the marriage.

Availability and rv selection:
The rv industry revolves their floorplans around slideout models because they offer more room and people like that 'being at home ' feeling. The market is flooded with slide models and they have gotten better over time. But basic design flaws are still present because it's the nature of the beast.

Keep in mind if you talk to 25 rv owners to form an opinion that opinion might be a lot different if you talk to 250 owners.
With that being said , I prefer no slides. (Remember the Lance sagging slide problems they had ? ) Especially after having two friends that owned rv dealerships. I spent countless days over the years hanging out chatting with lots of rv owners and seeing the problems MANY OWNERS have had fighting with the rv manufacturer who were trying wiggle out offering warranty help. The manufacturer matters and having a good dealer that might have to dig into his own pocket to help a customer is what makes rv life go round. Some manufacturers tried to push the blame onto the owner. (I know that didn't happen with Northstar TC's, S&S or Snow Rivers ) So that plus my personal experience is what I based my decision on.

Using the rv:
My slide experience made it colder inside the rv on those cold days/nights, making it more difficult to heat.Propane use increased. I used a lot less propane with my non slide rvs. Many times I had to close the slide at night to keep it warmer inside.
I also had to climb onto the roof in a light snow to clear off the slide roof before I could pull it back in. The very thin hardly insulated roof of a slide caused the snow to defrost then freeze. I had to chip the ice off in order to close it. That got old real fast.
Slideout toppers didn't help. Wind would blow the snow under the topper and trap it, making it even more difficult to remove.
I was able to heat my rvs using an electric heater but not with slideout models.

Slides are weight and some rvs run at max GVWR as it is. You might have to be very careful to not overload the rv when packing. It might mean NOT carrying water.

I never liked the idea of cutting a huge hole in an rv sidewall. It weakens the wall, can cause the framework to flex where the slide could bind, go out of alignment and not be able to slide back in. I have seen the exterior filon crack when the framework is stressed.

A motor is involved and inexpensive 12v motors have been know to fail. I have seen a lot of replaced motors.
Slide motors can be stressed by slides rubbing on carpets or being off alignment. That's a contributing factor, having motor overheat due to increased friction.
I have also seen wires cramped under slides causing electrical issues due to the slide movement.
A fridge in a slide has to be vented out the side which would need a 12v fan that's going to use 12v battery power. Slides with kitchens also had many issues due to movement and flex gas lines.

Many people that want a slide try to protect themselves from costly repair problems by looking into extended warranties.
If you are thinking about an extended warranty it might be more costly if you have a slide model, but that would depend on the company offering the service contract that includes very specific language that's usually not in the buyers favor.
I do not like aftermarket warranty companies. I think that's a bad idea, too many gray areas and the possibility of them going out of business.

Good luck with your decision. I hope my experiences offer some insight. These are big investments . At the end of the day, you have buy what floorplan offers you what you need.
* Make sure that floorpan can be used with the slide 'IN' ...just in case you have to operate that way until a repair is made.

[JayMartin]

Thank you all for the good feedback. I like the layout of everything else in the corner bedroom units: the floor plan I posted and the one in ron.dittmer’s georgious Phoenix Cruiser. Obviously, as has been pointed out, bed configuration is a matter of both personal preference and tradeoffs. Thank you for pointing out I have options.
I am now curious to learn the 10 reasons for not having a slide out. I was just assuming I was going to want the extra space but would like to understand the tradeoffs with those too.
Ron, what is the thing on your console and on top of the back up camera screen? (I know I'm wondering off topic; but it is my thread.:D )
Thanks again,
Jay

[ron_dittmer]

cbigham wrote:
....we didn't want any slides, troubles that go with it.

The same here with our rig.

We appreciate the 10 reasons to avoid having a slide out rather than just the one to have one. We special ordered ours without a slide out, and would not have it any other way.

[cbigham]

I have that floor plan in a thor 24u.
Works gooe, we didn't want any slides, troubles that go with it. I've had a few rv's in my time, and wanted smaller, simpler. We don't have a problem making that bed, we use a travasak set up, suggest you do as well. We didn't want a short motorhome with only the dinette as a place to sit, so my back has an option of a different place if needed.I've seen some stuff done right on the thor, other, a head scratcher. Same as the forest river.

[bobndot]

The shorter length makes it friendly for such places. So we deal with the hassle of the tight rear corner bed

x2 , exactly 🙂

[ron_dittmer]

Hi Jay,

People like us who deal with a rear corner bed floorplan like you have shown, can relate to your concern. Our rig is not easy to set the bed. I am the official bed-setter and cheat to make it look nice at a glance. Changing the bedding is a real pain.

Everything has it's trade-offs. In our case, we needed something that fits in our garage. CLICK HERE to see many pictures of our rig, near the end it shows the rig inside our garage.

Everything has it's trade-offs. Not just to fit in our garage, but we like to travel our national parks, monuments, forests and such. The shorter length makes it friendly for such places. So we deal with the hassle of the tight rear corner bed. At least everything else is perfect.

[bobndot]

FYI, the 2018 Sunseeker 2350LE that I bought last year showed very good winter use results since I checked inside temps along the water lines and under all my cabinets using digital thermometers.
All my water lines as well as the water pump and freshwater holding tank are heated by the furnace.
The raised floor design was able to keep all my cabinets under my sinks heated. Any area that the heat didn't reach (like under the dinette) did not have any water lines.

We're looking forward to extending our season into late fall this coming year.
After taking apart my AF TC apart and putting it back together and digging apart my Lance TC for 8 years, I would say so far, the Sunseeker quality is better than the 2005 AF and about par with 2008 Lance. Maybe its just my particular MH but so far its put together nice and neat. All the water lines and electrical runs are clean and neat.

[JaxDad]

That's pretty much my exact unit also.

A friend with the same unit removed the rear corner bed completely and converted it into an L-shaped sofa unit with a drop-down table against the washroom wall. It makes the unit far more useable that way but does mean the only bed is the queen over the cab.

[pauldub]

Just zip two sleeping bags together and it's simple to make the bed.
Or use an RV Superbag

[JohninSD]

The Winnebago/Itasca View/Navion "G" models have a "walkaround" queen in a rear slideout. It's actually more of a "shufflearound" but if you don't clutter the space by the sides of the bed it works fairly well. I find the folding (well, 2 piece actually) mattress to be quite comfortable. One drawback is that the bed is not usable unless the slide is out so if you stop at rest stops, truck stops, Walmart etc. the slide does need to go out if you want to sleep.

[bobndot]

Jay, I went from a TC to that same floorplan and it's actually easier to make the bed. You have to try it to see.
My AF TC had a taller cabover than my Lance and the Lance was more difficult to make the bed, the class C floorplan that you show has a lot more headroom than any TC, making it even easier. The access to the bed is fine for us, we have the same non-slide class c floorplan except a U-dinette.

Just be sure you get a full 60x80 queen or in the case of a slide model be careful because some of those queens are folding queens. Might not be as comfortable and might not be a full time bed while on the road (rest stops etc).

[wanderingaimles]

check out the Forester/sunseekers
Forester2421ms

[JayMartin]

I think I figured out how to post a picture. This is what I was referring to in my original post. Access to the bed is even less than what I had with my truck camper.

Yes, the Winnebago layout is what I would prefer and will look for.
Thank you,
Jay

[pnichols]

JayMartin wrote:
Hi,
Ex-truck camper here (Northstar on a Dodge diesel), thinking I might like a 24’ Class C w/ slide. Are there layouts in that short a footprint that have more than 5’ of access to one corner of the foot of the bed? If not, what is the shortest length I should shop for to be able to make the bed easier than I could in the truck camper?
Thanks,
Jay

The Winnebago Class C model, 22M, might meet your criteria:

https://winnebagoind.com/products/class-c/2019/minnie-winnie/floorplans

[JayMartin]

I haven't been looking long, but this is a pic from one listed on eBay right now.
Edit: the pic isn't posting. Need to study up on how to do that. The Class C is a 2014 Thor Four Winds M23U.