In search of large family Bunkhouse

[jadcox]

Hey,

Our family has grown to 8, and need a very large bunkhouse with dual bunks. I've been looking everywhere and just can not find anything that really fits the need.

Any one have 6 large kids (4 boys / 2 girls) with 3 large dogs..

[drumming102]

Our passport 2920BH Sleeps 10 if you put 2 on the couch and 2 on the dinette. It's comfy and can be pulled with a 1500.

[Acdii]

jadcox wrote:
Thank you all for the feed back. Yes I'm looking for a TT. I have a F150 EcoBoost with max tow package. 12k tow capacity.


we are looking at taking a van also to carry the kids.

I'm just looking at dry weight, given my wife would never consider going anywhere there weren't hook-ups.

What i.e. TV?

Maybe this will help. Depending on the model, Scab or Screw, your Gross Combined should not exceed 17,100#, provided it is a 4x4. If 4x2 you are limited GCWR to 13,300# and 7500# trailer. <- this makes no sense though, 3:15 gears are rated at 8600# and 3:31 at 9400#, neither of which are Max Tow gears. Sometimes Fords specs are just weird.

[Acdii]

ksu_j wrote:
I've got a 2004 KS Frontier. It has quad bunks up front, a couch that folds down into a bed and a table that makes into a bed, plus a queen bed slide-out in the back.

My kids are 10, 7, and 4. This is an excellent set up for us, at least for the next several years. Not sure how old your kids are, but a set up like ours could work for you. Camper is about 25ft running down the road and expands to about 30ft with the rear slide out. GVWR for the camper is 6900lbs I believe. I've never weighed it, but I'd guess we're at 5500-6000lbs read to camp.

I pull it with a 9 seater 2008 3/4 ton Suburban. In theory my set up could handle your entire family both vehicle and camper. In reality, I think both would be a little cramped.

KS or KZ? I am looking at a similar model KZ, the 2405 model with the queen rear slide out and front twin bunks. What I can't seem to find is the TW specs. So far this is the only trailer I found I would feel comfortable pulling with my F150.

Yes it has TONS of pulling power, can easily pull 11K up a grade, but stopping, and stability, anything over 33' would be too much of a handful and make for a not so enjoyable trip. My truck is rated at 8600# towing, but only 1470 payload, which seems really odd, why have such a high towing capacity and such a low Payload? In any case, I know the truck can tow 7K, my New Yorker HT pulls very nicely behind it with two horses and all their tack, and the TW loaded comes in as 980#. With 5 people in the truck and my topper, I know the limits are at this weight. I would not go over this as the GCWR. With the trailer and passengers and an empty bed(it has a topper) it is over the 1470 payload by about 300#, but is rock solid. That might change a bit with a longer, wider trailer with higher COG though, won't know until I try it, but after reading hundreds of different posts and what others are pulling with a similar setup as mine, this is what I feel comfortable with.

Main thing is, I cannot replace my truck, it is my daily driver, gets 20+ MPG, and I put 36K a year on it. Going to a larger truck is not feasible nor cost effective. So I have to find the closest match to what I know it can handle and go from there.

[DinTulsa]

I would recommend the Open range line with the 310bhs fitting bill. We have the OR Roamer 310bhs and love the layout and function.

[Opie431]

I just looked at a picture of my mother camping when she was in her teens, the oldest of nine children. It must have been the early twenties. They slept in several large tents. Have you considered adding a tent?

[jenjen77]

i must say I am a little nervous about pulling our trailer with our 11 suburban....especially 1500 miles up and down hills..but this is our test run. If it doesn't work, we will definitely think of investing in a truck!

[Twain]

Based on your truck, take a look at the Passport 3350. Is about 6500lbs dry and has a cargo capacity around 2800lbs. I have a passport and recommend you stick with the 2-3 models that have 15" wheels. The 225/75-15s can be had in higher load ratings and have much more weight capacities than Passport's usual 205/75-14s.
I have a dually and we were considering the 3350. 1.5 baths would come in handy with lots of people. Also has a U shape dinette to squeeze in more bodies. The negatives for me was a lack of skylight in the shower (at 6'3" I cannot completely standup).

[jenjen77]

We searched and searched as well. We ended up with a 287 QBS Bullet Keystone. So far, we love it. 4 bunks in back..one bunk could be a table..couch pulls out to a full bed..and table will convert to full bed...and a queen bed out front.dry weight is 5200 # range and GVW was in the 7300 # range..we are pulling with a 2011 chevy suburban 1500 with a tow package.we are going for along trip with it next month so it will be the ultimate test!

good luck!

[monica4patience]

We have a 2014 Keystone Passport 3290 BH.

It has a bunkhouse with two slides. The beds are each twin extra-long futon style. They fold out to King size on th floor. There are two cot-width bunks above rated for 300 pounds each. However, they are really too narrow for anyone that weight. By the time a boy is about 120 lbs., they've outgrown the cot-width bunks.

Th eliding area has another slide. The sofa is the jack-knife kind so it's easy to set up. It says it's full size but really is just a short, wide twin.

We have had Dh and I on the main queen bed, My mom (90) on the sofa, and 4 boys (age 13-23) in the bunkhouse with beds opened and two dogs in kennels. We had plenty of room to access bathroom at night. In morning, the beds got folded back up (with sheets still on) and made back into futon couches with kennels stacked in middle. The guests put their gear on the un-used bunks.

[krobbe]

carringb wrote:
BEWARE OF DRY WEIGHTS!
(Sorry for shouting...)
Anyways... dry weight are notoriously mis-leading. Some MFGs are better than others, but nobody makes a camper whose "dry" weight equals "ready to camp" weight. Not included in the dry weight are "options" like the batteries, propane tanks, awning, microwave etc. Stuff that really isn't optional, but they include in packages so they can keep the published dry weights low. Most TTs weight hundred to thousands more than their dry weights, before you even load them up.

I AGREE!
The brochure dry weight is usually on the low side.
The sticker on the actual trailer will tell you what the weight is as it left the factory. I've used brochure dry weights to get in the ballpark when looking for a floor plan. Then looked for my model at a dealer to get real numbers.
I'm a believer of having a safety cushion for figuring capacities. It's a good thing too as my niece and her 2 kids will be joining us again on another 1 month trip out west. In my Bullet bunkhouse, everyone will have their own bed. 🙂

[lawrosa]

iM SURE THEY MAKE 6 BUNK MODELS LIKE THIS ONE..

http://www.noblerv.com/rv/owatonna+mn/forestriver+traveltrailer/4715/forest+river+wildwood+31qbss

With WD hitch I am not sure youll have an issue with tongue weights with that truck..

Whats the hitch say on the truck for TW with WD..???

Some on here are worry worts when it comes to weight/ That truck has a lot of capacity..Stay under your axle ratings and you should be fine...

[ksu_j]

I've got a 2004 KS Frontier. It has quad bunks up front, a couch that folds down into a bed and a table that makes into a bed, plus a queen bed slide-out in the back.

My kids are 10, 7, and 4. This is an excellent set up for us, at least for the next several years. Not sure how old your kids are, but a set up like ours could work for you. Camper is about 25ft running down the road and expands to about 30ft with the rear slide out. GVWR for the camper is 6900lbs I believe. I've never weighed it, but I'd guess we're at 5500-6000lbs read to camp.

I pull it with a 9 seater 2008 3/4 ton Suburban. In theory my set up could handle your entire family both vehicle and camper. In reality, I think both would be a little cramped.

[carringb]

Also.... TTs really need 12-15% tongue weight for stability. This is because so much mass is away from the axles. Boats on the other hand have the most mass close to the axle, so they can be stable with only 6-8% tongue weight. Cargo trailers tend to fall in between.

My trailer is more stable with full water, especially with gusty cross winds. That 840 pounds of ballast sits almost directly over the axles, which effectively lowers the center of gravity of the trailer, and also ends up adding a little more tongue weight as well.

[carringb]

BEWARE OF DRY WEIGHTS!

(Sorry for shouting...)

Anyways... dry weight are notoriously mis-leading. Some MFGs are better than others, but nobody makes a camper whose "dry" weight equals "ready to camp" weight. Not included in the dry weight are "options" like the batteries, propane tanks, awning, microwave etc. Stuff that really isn't optional, but they include in packages so they can keep the published dry weights low. Most TTs weight hundred to thousands more than their dry weights, before you even load them up.

FWIW my creekside is 38' overall. It's about 800 pounds heavier empty than "dry". Published carrying capacity was nearly 3,000 pounds. Way more than anybody would ever need, right? Turns out not even close. My actual payload (which ORV thankfully includes, after doing a weigh-in at the factory) is only 1800 pounds. But it carries 103 gallons of water, so now I have about 900 pounds of carrying capacity. By the time I add in the rolling kitchen island, the folding tables, folding chairs, food for a long weekend or even a week, a week of emergency food, and a few gallons of booze.... I'm maxed out!