Rentering the RV lifestyle. Questions on Bunkhouse TT's.

[Eowens]

Hi folks! Been awhile since I posted here but my family will be rejoining the RV community for next summer and I'm starting my research now. In the past we had a Wildcat 5th wheel bunkhouse but this time around I'm leaning toward a TT since the tow vehicle will ultimately be a full size SUV.

My Wildcat was a 2005my that was purchased in early '04. It was a great camper that had almost zero issue's in the 3 seasons we used it. A lifestyle change saw the camper sold in favor of a boat but I always missed RV'ing and now it's time to come back to the lifestyle.

Family description:
2 Adults, 2 children (7&10), 1 dog.

Camper wishes:
1. Bunkhouse with quad bunks.
2. I'm liking the new U-shaped dinettes I see. Worth it?
3. $23,000-28,000 price range.
4. 60X80 Queen bed.
5. Under 7,000lb empty weight.

Next year I'll tow the camper with my Ram 2500. However, the following year we'll likely be getting a new Suburban so camper weight will be important. We want to go on some long trips and I can't see 4 of us and the dog in my Crew Cab Ram going cross country.

[Eowens]

jmaul wrote:
This is ours and we love it. Many others with this floorplan.



Cruiser RV Viewfinder Signature 28BHSS

Cruiser RV website

I took a look at this models slightly larger sibling today the 28BHOB and I liked it. While I originally thought a quad bunk arrangement would be ideal most have very narrow bunks. With the full bed bunks my girls would have plenty of room to sleep comfortably.

I'm also 95% resolved to the fact that my Dodge 2500 will be the tow rig. As stated earlier a 1500 series Suburban will not handle a trailer as well as my truck. I'll just have to purchase a cap for my truck and hope the dog likes it back there.

[Eowens]

Well I appreciate all the feedback. I'm 99% on a 1/2 ton Suburban/Yukon. This will be my wife's daily driver so I want the fuel mileage of the new direct injection engine vs. the 6.0's 10mpg.

If you guy's have recommendations or advice on models with the floor plan seen above I'm all ears.

[Whitehawkmn]

Whitehawkmn wrote:

Sillybugs2 wrote:

Eowens wrote:

jmaul wrote:
This is ours and we love it. Many others with this floorplan.


E beds
Cruiser RV Viewfinder Signature 28BHSS

Cruiser RV website

We have the same exact floor plan with the Jayco Whitehawk 28DSBH and love it, our two girls love all of the room in the bunks. When you compare the bunk size also look at max bunk weights. Whitehawk's are 600lbs and most others are 250-350. We've had grown-ups sleep in our top double bunk and they were comfortable. Good luck shopping, there are alot of choices.

Sorry I meant to include only the picture, not the whole post...

We have the same exact floor plan with the Jayco Whitehawk 28DSBH and love it, our two girls love all of the room in the bunks. When you compare the bunk size also look at max bunk weights. Whitehawk's are 600lbs and most others are 250-350. We've had grown-ups sleep in our top double bunk and they were comfortable. Good luck shopping, there are alot of choices

[Whitehawkmn]

Sillybugs2 wrote:

Eowens wrote:

jmaul wrote:
This is ours and we love it. Many others with this floorplan.


E beds
Cruiser RV Viewfinder Signature 28BHSS

Cruiser RV website

We have the same exact floor plan with the Jayco Whitehawk 28DSBH and love it, our two girls love all of the room in the bunks. When you compare the bunk size also look at max bunk weights. Whitehawk's are 600lbs and most others are 250-350. We've had grown-ups sleep in our top double bunk and they were comfortable. Good luck shopping, there are alot of choices.

[Sillybugs2]

Eowens wrote:

jmaul wrote:
This is ours and we love it. Many others with this floorplan.


E beds
Cruiser RV Viewfinder Signature 28BHSS

Cruiser RV website

I looked at a similar model to this. I really want a separate bunk room with a door but weight issue's may keep us in a similar floor plan. I do like the double bed bunk size and the 60X80 queen.

This is our next floor plan. My kids hate the single bunks so dd sleeps on the dinette bed and it is a pain each night. Wish they made a bunk house with two full size beds.

[chasmatt45]

Check out the Salem 29QBSS. Everything you are looking for in a half ton towable

[Wishin]

We went with the Wildwood 26TBSS with has triple bunks rather than the quad bunks because we wanted to stay with as short of a trailer as possible while getting at least 3 separate beds for the kids as well as a super slide. There are 5 of us but no dog. We have a good sized U shaped dinette, if there were 4 of us I wouldn't care if we had it or not but it is nicer for 5 of us since we're packed 3 wide on one bench. We had double over double bunks before and that was really nice until 2 of them didn't want to sleep together anymore. For 2 kids it would be great. We just upgraded to the bigger trailer with the slide this year and did a 14 night 3,300 mile trip and really loved it. It was also our first year with our Suburban. We decided to go with an older one and have 3 cars and store the Suburban in the winter so it would not rust out on us. It came from Georgia/Florida and has zero rust and is in great shape. I have had to deal with a few issues here and there as I fix what the previous owner didn't want to fix. I expected it so it isn't bothering me. Even if I was getting a newer one, I'd go down south to get another one. I was willing to go just about anywhere from Arizona to Florida up to NC to get a rust free one. I prefer the seat comfort in the rear of the 2000-2006 models. I also like that I could replace the hitch with a Reese Titan with 1700 tongue weight rating. I never figured my 7500 lb GVWR trailer would have a tongue weight over the 1,000 lb rating of the newer Suburbans, but my scale has read up to 1,300 lbs before.

Be willing to go farther and get a 2500 model. Get a 2013 if you want a newer one. I'd be very hesitant to get a 1500 for long trips, might be fine but a 2500 would be nicer to drive when towing.

Good luck in whatever you do.

[Eowens]

My ram has a solid rear window so if I go with the a cap I would need to replace the back window with a slider window.

As, for Suburban/Yukon XL's I really want to go new mainly because we try to keep vehicles for awhile and I want to start off with a new rig. My wife's current Tahoe is a 2003 that we bought new. It's still in great shape for the year but I'm thinking 1-2 more years and it's time to replace.

[Eowens]

jmaul wrote:
This is ours and we love it. Many others with this floorplan.



Cruiser RV Viewfinder Signature 28BHSS

Cruiser RV website

I looked at a similar model to this. I really want a separate bunk room with a door but weight issue's may keep us in a similar floor plan. I do like the double bed bunk size and the 60X80 queen.

[intheburbs]

Eowens wrote:
I really want to go with a suburban and used 2500's are a rare beast so I've got a lot of homework.

I found my 2500 used off of Auto Trader. They have a really slick search engine, and you can save searches and set notifications for new vehicles that pop on that match your search.

I'd made up my mind that I was willing to go as far as Texas for a good 2500. When I ran a search within a 250-mile radius, two matching vehicles popped up. Fortunately, one of them was "the one" and it was only three hours away in Ft. Wayne, IN. Made two trips over there, and it followed me home on the second trip. Got it from the VW dealer - previous owner traded it in for a TDI Passat. They were sick of the abysmal gas mileage. :C

ETA: Don't forget about the Yukon XL 2500 for your searches.

[jmaul]

This is ours and we love it. Many others with this floorplan.



Cruiser RV Viewfinder Signature 28BHSS

Cruiser RV website

[eluwak]

Eowens wrote:
While my truck is a great tow vehicle I think it will be tough with the dog. I thought of putting a cap on it but I fear the dog will overheat in the bed during long summer trips.

We used a vinyl boot/collar that fit inside the two open windows (back of the cab and front of the cap). I'm having a hard time finding a picture of one because it seems like a lot of folks shifted to compression devices. It was basically a flexible tube with sprung rings on each end that would hold it tight enough to prevent water intrusion. While I wouldn't advise it these days, I rode in the bed like this during the Summer of '97 while we towed the pup all over the country & Canada. The truck AC was able to keep it comfy for me and our dog.

[Opie431]

We do not have the U but a folding chair fits at the end of the table so five people fit easily around the table.
Our TT is an 03 and the bunks are narrow but full length. I had husband lay on one to see if there was room.
Each child can keep a Rubbermaid box at the end to hold things until they are adult height.

[trsky]

I pulled a 33'Passport quad bunk dry weight 5,100# with a 2007 1500 Suburban with no problems. There are quad bunks out there that are around 5k+ so just keep looking and you should be able to find somethng

[Eowens]

I am disappointed to see GM dropped the 2500 Suburban. While my truck is a great tow vehicle I think it will be tough with the dog. I thought of putting a cap on it but I fear the dog will overheat in the bed during long summer trips.

Your reply's are why I started asking questions now. I have all fall/winter to decide what the best plan will be for us. I really want to go with a suburban and used 2500's are a rare beast so I've got a lot of homework.