Who makes what & quad bunkhouse questions

2012 Ford 150 supercrew 3.5L V6 Ecoboost and tow package (tow 9600lbs)
Three kiddos (10, 7, 4), two adults, and two dogs

Looking for a quad bunkhouse tt 30' or less with just the main living area slide out.

I realize that asking for the best type of rv maker is like asking if Ford or Chevy is better. :) However, is there a site or way to identify who makes what? I am learning that various brands are made by a larger company (Keystone, Jayco, etc.), but I honestly can't keep it all straight. :)

We are stationed at Fort Bragg, NC and there aren't many options around here to go check out different types of quad bunk trailers. I have started to feel overwhelmed with online research. However, we are leaning towards one that has three or four stacked side by side bunks that are regular size with some storage in the center separating the bunks. Hoping for some real life input on some questions and any potential warnings.

Are the smaller twin size bunks as small as they look in pics? I have seen some with larger twins below some pretty small looking twins. They look too small for future teenagers.

Wondering about the size of the table and chair option below a bunk. I am imagining toddler table and chair size. Just wondering if this is an option more for younger kiddos. If so, thinking with our ages we may utilize the space better without the table and chairs.

Anyone have the zig zag bunk set up (1 sidways, 1 above facing the other way, 1 above that going sidways ~ Or two on top that shape a L with one bunk below)? We are leaning away from these, but would love to hear if anyone likes them.

U shaped table ~ I have seen a small size and a larger size. Do you feel the larger size allows a family of five to all sit for a meal? No way the smaller size would. We figured we will need a chair on the end for us all to eat at the booth style tables.

Any opinions on the various bunk end options:
*Four twins with storage under a bunk (folds up) with an outside access door.
*Three bunks (little inside storage option) with outside kitchen.
*Four bunks with outside kitchen (not sure if the bunk is smaller to accommodate the kitchen)

Can you tell me of any more quad bunk (without three beds stacked all on top of each other or with zig zag bed location) options other than?
Keystone Passport 2920bh
Dutchmen Kodiak 290bhsl(made by keystone?)
Cruiser shadow cruiser 280qbs
Skyline Nomad Joey 298
Jayco Jay Flight 29qbh
Coachmen freedom express 29se
Keystone Bullet 287qbs
Forest River Palomino Solaire 292QBSK
Shadow Cruiser S-280QBS
Keystone Summerland 2980bh

Thank you! Thank you! :)

doswheelers
Explorer
Aug 22, 2014
We chose the Palomino Solaire 307 for our family of 5. It was the lightest full featured quad bunk with a kitchen slide we could find. Other than the potty being really tight, we love it.
chasmatt45
Explorer
Aug 16, 2014
Salem 29QBSS
AlbertaNewbie
Explorer
Aug 15, 2014
Those trailers with your family in the truck will likely be overweight on your truck. Best bet is to do YouTube tours of the trailers you posted and see which onenyou like best.
nomad297
Explorer
Aug 12, 2014
We love our Skyline Nomad 297. This is the same as the Skyline Nomad Joey 298 you have listed. We can sit six at the dinette with ease -- we have had seven. The master bedroom and the bunk room both have sliding doors and not curtains like most. This is great for privacy and for putting the kids to bed before we go. The 298 is very well built and is heavy duty. Look at the massive amount of cargo carrying capacity it has. It has heavy duty axles and brakes. I have had no interest in looking for a newer travel trailer since we bought ours. I don't know if we will ever find another that works so well for us.

Fully loaded, ours weighs right at 8,000lbs with a tongue weight of 980lbs.

Bruce
michigansandzil
Explorer
Aug 12, 2014
We have the Shadow Cruiser 280 QBS. It's 5600# dry and we currently pull it with an Expedition. No problem there.

We are a family of 5. My kids are 11, 9 and 5; but the boys are big for their ages and are already 5'3" and over 100#. The bunkhouse works for us and appears that it will for some time. The bunks on the side with the outside kitchen are stationary and the equal length. In July, my 5'11" nephew slept comfortably on the bunk. On the opposite wall there is a table and chairs that converts to a bed and a flip down bunk. The table and chairs can hold 3 middle school aged boys (ask me how I know) comfortably. The flip down bunk is somewhat more slim, but just as long as the other beds.
*The biggest advantage I have found is that the flip down bunk holds up to 210#. At the RV show this winter I noticed several high end model TT where the upper bunks were short and maxed out at 100#! You gonna put a toddler up there? Crazy. Kids grow fast and I have learned that we actually got really lucky. When we purchased the TT they were 8, 6, and 2 and little stick figures and we didn't worry about where they would/could fit. Now just 3 short years later, the kids have exploded in size and I'm grateful we fell into a camper with bunks that could support enough weight and that are long enough.

The U-shaped dinette was a must for me while choosing a TT. Sure, all 5 of us can fit, but it's tight. And somebody always wants to get out for seconds and they are stuck in the middle so everyone has to shuffle out. So someone ends up sitting on the couch to eat, it's just easier. Honestly, we usually only eat breakfast inside.

Have fun choosing your TT. We have really enjoyed our Shadow Cruiser.
larson101
Explorer
Aug 12, 2014
So I agree that the larger quad bunks I posted are too big for our truck. I got confused with numbers (so sick of all these acronyms and numbers). :-/

So please ignore my assumption that we could safely/legally haul such size. I'm going to post a new comment asking for help in making sure I am where I need to be, but I wanted to leave this post as an option to discuss the bunks I asked about. Seems like a topic that others may want to discuss. :)

Thanks for the help!
mikeschu42
Explorer
Aug 11, 2014
We don't own a trailer yet, but have been shopping around for a very similar layout to what you describe. The Coachmen freedom express 29se is one of our top contenders so far. We've also started looking at trailers that have an additional slide out in the bunk room, and really like the additional space this provides. I can easily see our 2 boys and an occasional buddy being able to spend a rainy day in the bunkroom with slide out. Not so much with just the quad bunks.

Look at the Keystone Larado 303TG and NorthTrail 32BUDS. Either of these might be a bit too heavy for your F150 though...
KD4UOW
Explorer
Aug 11, 2014
I pull a 2006 Dutchmen 29QSL behind my 2011 F150STX with a V6 and the tow package. I had to add a trailer brake controller, but all the wiring and connectors were already in place.

The trailer is 30ish feet, with a bunk area in the rear with four bunks.

Two of the bunks are the narrow twins, but the other two fit a regular twin mattress. My 16 year old sleeps just fine on one of the regular bunks as does my 21 year old when he's there.

I do have to be careful pulling that with my truck as it is right at the top end of what I can pull, even with the weight distribution hitch, so I make sure to dump all the tanks and pull it fairly empty.

I take it slow and easy.
Biggyniner
Explorer
Aug 11, 2014
larson101 wrote:

Looking for a quad bunkhouse tt 30' or less with just the main living area slide out.

Check out the one I just put a deposit on.. Its the passport 2400BH (do a Google search). The dinette/living room slides out and has two double size bunks as well as a full queen!

Chris
Merrykalia
Explorer
Aug 11, 2014
We had a 2007 Rockwood 8317SS bunkhouse. It had the superslide in the living/dining/kitchen and the 4 bunks in the rear. The curb side had the regular size bunks and the superslide side had the 28" bunks. I slept on the 28" bunk several times and was comfy (I was really tired when we went to bed, though.) There is not enough room to roll over, but I could turn over. There was approximately 18" of space between bunks and there was a wardrobe, shelf and 3 lower drawers. It worked, but we spent approximately 100 days per year in our RV, so the girls needed some floor/play space.

We purchased a Wildcat front bunk fifth wheel. It has the two bunks on the left, one upper bunk in the front with a jack-knife couch underneath. (zig-zag setup) The girls (10 and 7) love it and we have slept 5 pre-teen girls in there comfortably. We slept 6 one night, but one had the floor. These bunks are 30" wide and more comfy than the one in the previous TT. There is a 5'X5' play space (for Barbie's) in their room that gets used daily. It beats the heck out of a 5' long, 18" wide galley in the TT.

Just my $.02 worth.