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Some very sound advice given, as usual!  Personally, Id find out the  max weight I could tow, then look at lots of layouts to get the right one for you, which is important. If you look at fixed beds,  lie on them (my partner is 6ft2" and finds many of them too short). You dont say whether your kids are the same sex?  If so, they probaby wouldnt mind sleeping together on a double bed, in separate sleeping bags. Bunks which arent fixed (ie the fold down type) would be too small for children at that age, or very soon will be.  

Think  about the storage in the van. Dont be afraid to open cupboards and have a nosy. Look at the kitchen area, will it have enough workspace for you (a bugbear of mine!). Does it have enough cupboards to store both crockery etc and food? (another bugbear of mine .. lol). Check sockets, how many and where are they? For instance, our van came with two, one directly above the other, which meant you could only plug one appliance in at a time, Useless, so we had another fitted.

We all have different requirements and "must haves", and its important to get the layout that works for you and your family.

Happy Hunting! 

When our three kids were a bit younger and wanted to be inside the van (as opposed to in their own pup tents) we first had a Bailey Senator Montana with double bunks at one end - it was awful, didn't suit us a bit as the bunks end felt cramped and the bed sizes were stupidly small and only really suitable for very small children. We then met a family whilst on holiday in France, they had a Hymer Nova with children's room which was so fab we went out and bought one when we got home.

The Hymer Nova 540BB has the kids room at one end; proper sized, static bunks on one side (strong enough and long enough for adults and with great storage space under the lower one, also a fixed, strong ladder so not faffing putting one into place on fold-away bunks) and a dinette opposite (so they can sit and play / draw / eat etc, in their own space). This area also coverts (quickly and easily) into a third bed, as and when required). The kids room has a doorway so they can go to bed at night and not be distracted whilst you stay up in the living area.

The front U shaped seating area in the van converts (again, super quickly and so easily, by just dropping the very sturdy table then sliding the cushions across - none of the flimsy slat bases associated with British-made vans) into a huge king size bed.

The kitchen and bathroom areas are centrally situated. Lots of storage space.

Build quality is fab, insulation second to none and resale values are good.

Not the lightest vans around, but if your towcar can cope with it then this is a really good model to go for if you like them and I'd highly recommend them.