Jack Knife Sofa Vs. Airbed Mattress Vs. Dinette Bed?

[longislandcampe]

My parents bought a new rear living TT with the big picture window in the back with the two rocker chairs in the back corners. As you can assume, there's only one dedicated bed which is the queen up front.

I'm going through a divorce now and sometimes I'll spend 2 or 3 days with them when they camp close to home since I can still commute to work. I'm just having a hard time figuring out what the best option is for sleeping.

They have the hide a bed air mattress couch and also the u shaped dinette. Both are kind of a pain to setup and take down, especially since they purchased a pleather coffee table that matches the pleather of the stock TT furniture. The dinette requires pulling out extendable seats on either end of the u dinette so you can use the hidden cushions to finish off the mattress. No matter which bed I choose I simply throw a sleeping bag over it.

Which bed would you choose? Sometimes I wish they simply got a jack knife couch so it would be a lot easier to just make it into a bed and then back to a couch again. It seems it would be a lot easier.

Your thoughts?

[longislandcampe]

2012Coleman wrote:

The dinette table is actually pretty comfortable. The cushions provide a nice support. I'm only about 5'6" and have no problem stretching out and would have no problem even if I was about 3" taller.

Sounds like you answered your own question.

That was before someone brought the idea of leaving the deflated airbed on the couch when folding the couch back up. If I can leave the air bed there instead of folding it up putting it in the drawer then I might just go that route.

[2012Coleman]

The dinette table is actually pretty comfortable. The cushions provide a nice support. I'm only about 5'6" and have no problem stretching out and would have no problem even if I was about 3" taller.

Sounds like you answered your own question.

[Opie431]

Your parents will probably want the use of the table at the same time you want to be sleeping late on the dinette bed.
When we have adult company we put up a tent for them. We could sleep ten but we could not live ten.

[ReneeG]

Yes, they are portable, but meant to be stored in their own pouch and folded up with the bed. Even the battery operated air pump fits in there with it and gets folded up too. The only things I keep in the drawer under the sofa are the sheets, blankets, and throws.

[longislandcampe]

I'm going to try folding the couch up with the airbed attached. That thought never occurred to me. I just assumed you were supposed to remove the airbed because it was sitting in the drawer under the couch when we bought it.

[atreis]

Jackknife sofa: UNCOMFORTABLE. Not even good for kids.

Dinette: Depends... Some make for short beds. That's okay for me (I'm short) but not everyone. Some are longer, making for a comfortable bed. They do vary.

Air mattress: Fairly comfortable, assuming you have someplace to put it, or it's built in.

[Fredzo]

Again:
Six for drinks
Four for dinner
Two for bed
!!!
If you can sleep somewhere that doesn't inconvenience the owner, sleep there!

[Geocritter]

For now I'm going to stick with my dinette, it's 6'3"s long and I figure topped with a piece of memory foam it should be really comfortable. As for bedding, we're camping, isn't camping what sleeping bags are for?
Steve

[Rolling_Condo]

I have a jack knife sofa. It was not comfortable at all. I bought a 2" memory foam topper and put on it. I swear it is super comfortable. Way better than any air mattress. I personally haven't used it on the dinette yet but would expect an improvement.

[ReneeG]

Air mattress is the way to go. We've had all three and I agree.

[Kittykath]

Most airbeds are meant to be stored in it's own zipper pouch attached to the frame, then folded right in with the couch. But do only what theirs is designed for.

Yes, literally within 2 minutes you have a full bed, but the pain comes when you put all the goodies on top of it (mattress pad, sheets, and the like) that really make it super comfortable. As much of a pain as completely stripping and reassembling your bed at home.

Again, worth it!

[longislandcampe]

Hmm, I've been removing the air bed in the morning and then folding it to put back in the drawer under the sofa. Should I just deflate the mattress and fold it up while its still attached to the couch? That would make my life easier. Lol

[mosseater]

OK, I admit I don't know about all the air beds out there, but all we do is fold ours out and turn the switch. In about literally 2 minutes you have a bed. Same for putting it away. What am I missing?

[TXcampingfamily]

We had a jack knife in our old 5er. Easy set up, but not very comfortable. Our new to us RV has the air mattress sofabed. Unfortunately we have discovered a leak in the air mattress near a seam. We think the mattress was pinched when it was folded up. DH tried to patch it, but since it is on an edge seam it wouldn't take. My father travels with us from time to time. He has used the dinette and found it OK, but it really is a pain to always set up and tear down. What we finally ended up doing was to throw out the double air mattress on the sofabed. He uses a single air mattress on the old sofabed frame. Every morning we lift it off the sofabed and put it on the front dash (still aired up and the bed linens on it). It's not pretty, but it keeps it aired up, made and out of the way. Much easier every night to set up. When we are driving to another location we put it on our master bed. It's not the best looking set up, but very easy for us.