Message Forums

We have three young children and a fixed bed.  Two sleep in the side dinette bunks and one either with us or in one of the front benches made up as a single.  It works for us as if we have someone else come with us, we can fit the five of us between the fixed bed and the side dinette, with door for us and curtain for the boys in the dinette bunks and leaves the front double for ie my mother, sister in law and her hubby etc. 

We originally wanted fixed triple bunks, but with that layout, we couldn't fit anyone else in the van if it is cold.  With the fixed bed and young children, we have manage 8 in the van with ease and a dog on the floor.  Sis in law, hubby and their 2 yr old in front made up double.  My boys in the middle dinette and hubby and me with our youngest in the fixed bed at the back.  Also lots of space to store toys etc out of sight under the bed as our fixed bed has a hatch from outside so no need to lift up the bed every time you need something. 

The double dinette or fixed bed 6 berths would both work for us in this way though, but the fixed bed helps with not making up that bed every night and that makes a huge difference to me and helps for day time comfort if the boys want to play ds or watch dvds etc, they just lounge about on the fixed bed to do it, leaving us peace in the front.  When the boys are older, we will probably move to double dinette to give them more space at the back to do their own thing (maybe, I really love having a "real" bed), but that is a few years off yet.