Fixed Bed?

[StAubyns]

sorry, its not a secret, its a Dethleffs A54, a lowdhams special

 

Geoff

[Gypsy]

Naah! How long do you spend in bed in your motorhome anyway? (Answers on a postcard, please, not for publication!!!). We had a fixed bed some years ago but decided it was a complete waste of living space. We spend much more time living than we do sleeping and we are conscious when we live and (generally) unconcsious when we sleep.

 

I suppose a good argument could be made for a fixed bed if you have a massive motorhome, but for those under 8 metres - a waste of good living space.

[Basil]

Well Gypsy,

 

My sentiments entirely! (Just don't tell my wife!!)

 

Bas

[Brian Kirby]

But once you're awake, how much time do you actually spend in your motorhome?  You cook and eat maybe, wash etc, read a bit in the evening, and maybe play with a computer?  Surely, the rest of the day, you're out and about exploring?  In which case, what is all this "living" space required for?  Agreed once you're in bed you're unconscious, but once you're up, and fed, and watered, you're out.  So why cart around a useless, huge, lounge? 

Small van, fixed bed, no cushions to play with, no bedding to stow away and pull out again daily: just perfick! :-)

[Gypsy]

OK, Brian, but what do you do if it's pouring with rain or snowing - still go out just to find some space?

 

Now then, we changed our fixed bed for an Italian A class with a drop down over cab bed. Just lower it - all the bedding's there already, hop in, and you're away - unconscious or whatever! And that was only 6.8 metres, but not fixed!

 

No fixed bed for us - in fact, we've just changed the A class for a van conversion where you simply pull the "sofa" out, the cushions drop into place, throw on your (king size) sleeping bag, and you're away - unconscious or whatever! Why did we change vans? That's another story that maybe I'll tell some day.

[Basil]

Also what do you do when you entertain your friends? It's fine during the day or early evening in the summer with the BBQ and using the roll out, but then when its later and others are trying to get to sleep or in the chilly autumn /winter evenings and you are still playing cards or talking with your friends drinking your cocoa :-S then the lounge comes into its own and a fixed bed is as much use as a choclate fireguard!

Probably ok if you don't have friends but in our case we tend to meet up with several and take it in turns to use each others facilities.

 

Bas

[david lloyd]

Gypsy - 2007-05-13 5:39 PM

 

.............We spend much more time living than we do sleeping and we are conscious when we live and (generally) unconcsious when we sleep..........

 

 

Aye..........but only if you have a good bed to sleep on - and some fixed beds are definitely better than most rearranged (seating) beds to sleep on.

 

David

[Brian Kirby]

To answer Gypsy and Basil, what we have done, on the odd occasion we've had anyone in, is all sit around the half dinette.  However, roaming Europe, we haven't found ourselves entertaining "in" that much.  Most of the people we meet are relative strangers, so most conversations are "in passing".  Mostly outdoor, daytime conversations, sometimes lubricated, sometimes around the table under the roll out, sometimes around that greatest of all social venues, the washing up sinks!

Funny how we're all different, isn't it?  :-)

[Gypsy]

From David - "Aye..........but only if you have a good bed to sleep on - and some fixed beds are definitely better than most rearranged (seating) beds to sleep on. "

 

To David - Aye...... I agree David, but what about using one of those form retaining thin mattress thingies?

 

By the way, just how do you put extracts from other posts in your postso that they appear as mine does in yours?

[Brian Kirby]

Gypsy - 2007-05-14 2:20 PM From David - "Aye..........but only if you have a good bed to sleep on - and some fixed beds are definitely better than most rearranged (seating) beds to sleep on. " To David - Aye...... I agree David, but what about using one of those form retaining thin mattress thingies? By the way, just how do you put extracts from other posts in your postso that they appear as mine does in yours?

You use the "quote" botton, instead of the "reply" one, like this!

[Gypsy]

Brian Kirby - 2007-05-14 2:21 PM

Gypsy - 2007-05-14 2:20 PM From David - "Aye..........but only if you have a good bed to sleep on - and some fixed beds are definitely better than most rearranged (seating) beds to sleep on. " To David - Aye...... I agree David, but what about using one of those form retaining thin mattress thingies? By the way, just how do you put extracts from other posts in your postso that they appear as mine does in yours?

You use the "quote" botton, instead of the "reply" one, like this!

Oh yes! Thanks - bit tired today. Must get one of those form retaining mattress thingies.

[Basil]

Brian Kirby - 2007-05-14 2:20 PM

To answer Gypsy and Basil, what we have done, on the odd occasion we've had anyone in, is all sit around the half dinette.  However, roaming Europe, we haven't found ourselves entertaining "in" that much.  Most of the people we meet are relative strangers, so most conversations are "in passing".  Mostly outdoor, daytime conversations, sometimes lubricated, sometimes around the table under the roll out, sometimes around that greatest of all social venues, the washing up sinks!

Funny how we're all different, isn't it?  :-)

I quite agree, we are all different and probably a good thing too.Even in Europe we meet friends that don't live near us that we may not have seen for months but we arrange to spend part of our time with them on some site somewhere. Whoever goes off first normally finds a 'place' to meet and we may then spend a week together travelling to different sites and spending the evenings together, had really good week in Alsace last year meeting on the Aire at St Dizier and then travelling on to Obernai with four van loads of us, a good time had by all. Now that would be somewhat difficult to sit eleven around a half dinette with the best will in the world, did it in the Autostratus though.So whilst I can see only one attraction of some of the fixed beds, the fact you don't have to set it up, to me it is quite a waste of space that cannot be utilised for anything else and I see no other benefit. But anyone who likes them certainly has a choice now I just hope that the manufacturers continue with the more conventional types as despite my wife's views we will never have one.Bas

[colin]

I see the Evangelical anti fixed bed brigade are out in force, can I point out the following.

On most LWB panel vans(which is what richard asked about), if you don't have a fixed bed, then usualy the dining area converts to a bed, if one person goes to bed you lose the table, or indeed if one gets up earlier there is no table for breakfast, in the Adria Twin you get a sepperate dining area to sleeping area.

The gf and I like to lounge around on the bed during the daytime as richard says he likes too, so it is used all the time not just for sleeping.

The underbed storage is there all the time, yes gipsy you could store your present seats in there instead of looking for an alternative.

I would not usualy critisise someones choise of layout as we all have our different needs, but when I hear someone say 'why carry that waste of space around' my answer is why cart around a large part of a campervan that all you do is put your feet in for a few hours?

[Brian Kirby]

Let's celebrate our differences, not go to war over them!  Why do people get so didactic over such trivial matters as where other people sleep? 

I like small vans and much prefer fixed beds.  I therefore regard big lounges (and big washrooms) as a waste of space.  This is not because I can't see their use, it is because added to my favoured fixed bed layouts they just make the vans larger than I want!  Others prefer to allocate the space to their lounge, and are happy to assemble their beds from the sofas.  Others again want both, and are happy to drive (what I see as) the resulting, disabling, behemoths!

Point is, why does it matter?  Why do we seem to want to convince others we have made exactly the right choice, so that by implication all others are wrong?  Do we so much lack the courage of our own convictions that we can't allow others theirs?

[colin]

Couldn't agree with you more brian, I would rather point out the bits I like in a layout than go around critisising layouts that suit others.

[Basil]

colin - 2007-05-14 5:21 PM

 

 

If this post was aimed at me , just to say what I posted was only my opinion and why it was my opinion in answer to Brians earlier post I had no intention of saying what is best or not just that it is not for me. Sorry if that got under the pro fixed bed evangalists skin but that was never the intention.

 

Bas

[Guest starspirit]

An interesting discussion folks and thanks to one and all.

 

Personally speaking as my latest partner and I have not yet been together too long we still prefer a double bed and one of the 'kink' size would do very nicely ta very much!

 

At 63 years of age, whilst I can be agile at times (nuff sed), I am not a lover of mountaineering to get into an A class bed and even less enthusiastic about climbing quietly out (and back in again) in the dark, for night time neccessities!

 

So we'll look for a nice transverse double with a bedhead and not a window to lean on I reckon!

[RonB]

Now that you have explained why your mind is focused on beds Richard, could I suggest going the whole hog and getting a four-poster? It will necessitate an RV though.