Front Living Vs. Bunkhouse

[craig62285]

Was originally looking at a 325BHQS. Wife and I looked at a 339FLQS. Kids are 8 and 13, and our with us majority of trips. Like the 339 for those rainy days. Thoughts on Front Living vs. Bunkhouse? Greatly appreciate it.

Our longest trip is about 5-6 days. Typically we go for a weekend or long weekend. In terms of packing things to go.

Thank you!

[Lowmiler]

I personally am a fan of open rear living floorplans. I like having the windows surrounding me, it makes the "first floor" of the coach feel more spacious.

That being said, breaking down and setting up folding beds would get old for me, too, which is what you'd have with a front living setup.

Which is why I went with a mid-bunk floorplan. But I only have one kid.

Also bear in mind pin weight with a front living layout, they tend to be higher, make sure your tow vehicle can handle it.

[Watsons]

Hi craig62285, Yes, lots to consider.
We had our kids with us at that age also but by the time the oldest was 16 he was off doing his things in his new world of driving and the younger was not wanting to miss the weekend get togethers with friends so they became part timers only coming on the odd weekends and longer trips.
Just saying that as they get older their interests can change quite dramatically.

We just bought the 339 but are also empty nesters so it is perfect for us now and still room for them to join when they can.
If you are thinking you may swap out trailers in 6-8 years then I think the bunkhouse would be the way to go for now. JMHO..
Really and truthfully...you can't go wrong with either one as you will adapt to your requirements.
Enjoy your choice and time with your children, it goes faster than you can even believe.

Update...I just looked at the 325 layout and think that you guys would probably have 4 kids with you on most trips because yours would want to bring friends..lots of sleeping and lounging room for them in that bunkhouse. They would be very comfortable and there is floor space to lay and watch tv if needed...enjoy!!

Cheers

[Midnightmoon]

We have a small bunkhouse now with 2 kids after several non bunkhouse units. 2 advantages to the bunkhouse from my experience.

First, while your kids are younger, they enjoy the bunks as their own space. My 2 go back there at night and have their ipad and books and you don't see them again until morning.

Second, my wife snores. I'm not talking just a little. The walls shake, the windows rattle, and we have been banned from camping within 1000 miles of a fault line. Since our bunks are double over double, I often end up in one bunk and my kids in the other while my wife scares away wildlife for 40 miles at the front of the trailer. You just never know when that extra sleeping surface will come in handy.

[oh355mbqs]

Hi Craig,

Have you looked at the 355MBQS? It is a mid bunk. Our kids are 13 and 17, the 13 yo is on most trips, the 17 yo is hit and miss. We take a 2-3 week trip every summer, last summer being our first in the 355, it was fantastic. We really like the mid bunk because of the open rear floor plan. The only complaint I hear from the kids is that the bunkhouse doesn't cool well, so my daughter spent nights on the sofa. Wife and figure we will still use it when the kids are gone and turn the bunkhouse into a storage / office.

[hboy]

We travel with kids. I too thought/think breaking down the living room every day for kids beds would get old. It's definitely doable! The bunk houses are great, but once the kids are gone, it could be wasted space till the grand kids come... Our last camper had 2 bunks and a fold out couch. The couch bed was always blocking the living room when kids go to bed or sleep in. There just is not a great floor plan for folks who want kids sleeping space, and good living room space.

We chose a toy hauler. We loose a little on the living/kitchen space. We use the garage as a bedroom and half bath. The beds are bigger than typical bunks so kids are not cramped/falling out. The garage has a TV/DVD for the rainy days. Sturdy dinette table for games/eating/etc. The garage is good for storage for bikes, coolers, etc. when traveling. It a total different direction, but thought I would share.

[Pickledill]

We are empty nester with grandkids and initially where thinking about a bunkhouse. But as we gave it deeper thought we came to the reality that the vast majority of time we would be the primary occupants. Every floorplan has compromises and you should consider what will suit the two of you best in the future when you may use it more often? Obviously if you are only purchasing this for the short term and for family outings then the bunkhouse makes sense for the very short term. I think the size of most bunks makes them a poor choice for anyone over 5'8 and on the above average girth meter! We really like the seperate on of living/sleeping space the 339 provides. Unloaded pin weight is right under 20% so it's not bad for a front living floorplan. All the best in your choice!

[craig62285]

It would be nice if Jayco had a sleeper sofa instead of chairs in the rear den model, similar to that of the Keystone Cougar 366RDS. I really dont want to change brands.

[rsday75]

Originally Posted by oh355mbqs

Hi Craig,

Have you looked at the 355MBQS? It is a mid bunk. Our kids are 13 and 17, the 13 yo is on most trips, the 17 yo is hit and miss. We take a 2-3 week trip every summer, last summer being our first in the 355, it was fantastic. We really like the mid bunk because of the open rear floor plan. The only complaint I hear from the kids is that the bunkhouse doesn't cool well, so my daughter spent nights on the sofa. Wife and figure we will still use it when the kids are gone and turn the bunkhouse into a storage / office.

Buy some vinyl and cover the vents into the basement for the furnace when not needed. You can feel the heat rolling in from the basement on hot days.
We did this on our 355MBQS, and the cooling problem is solved. Just remove the vinyl when you need to run the furnace.

[rsday75]

So, we have the 2016 355MBQS. It is a mid bunk layout.
The floor plan changed for 2017.
I think in the newer models, the 30.5MBOK is closer to what we have now.
We have 2 kids 8 & 11.
We found in our old trailer with a big bunkroom at the rear, a lot of space was wasted. By that I mean, the kids often wanted to sit in the living area with us. There was only a love seat and the booth. Not comfortable for everyone.
With the rear living, we have 5 comfortable seats...and much more floor space. Room to add 2 antigravity folding chair for 7 comfortable seats....
Assuming we keep the rig when the kiddos don't come with as much, we will use the bunk as a closet, either extended or retracted depending on how much room we need.

On edit:
My folks had a front living 5th for many years. I am not exactly old at 42, but you wind up going up and down the stairs.....A LOT....something to keep in mind.

[Watsons]

Originally Posted by rsday75

On edit:
My folks had a front living 5th for many years. I am not exactly old at 42, but you wind up going up and down the stairs.....A LOT....something to keep in mind.

Very valid point and not disagreeing but a benefit with the front living is not having to climb stairs to go to the bathroom all day so I think its a draw in that category lol..
Cheers

[Chiggins]

I own a 2017 325BHQS. I have 3 kids and love the bunkhouse setup due to we are not setting up and then cleaning up bedding everyday. Plus the kids have their "Own" space. Its just us but I will tell you I love ours.

[craig62285]

Chiggins, if you dont mind me asking. I have a 2017 Ford F250 6.7, crew cab short box. What is the payload sticker on your door. Mine is 1949. I have taken some feedback in a Facebook group. I am thinking of a adding an extra leaf to my truck to bring up payload. Some will say that does not help payload just how the load is carried. I just tow 3 hours at most from home. Not in a position to get a new truck, love mine. Would take a hit if i did. Also the HT eagles are only 300-400 pounds less for tongue weight, which is my payload concern. The 339 is even closer to about 200 pounds difference compared to some of the HTs I looked at.

[Chiggins]

Originally Posted by craig62285

Chiggins, if you dont mind me asking. I have a 2017 Ford F250 6.7, crew cab short box. What is the payload sticker on your door. Mine is 1949. I have taken some feedback in a Facebook group. I am thinking of a adding an extra leaf to my truck to bring up payload. Some will say that does not help payload just how the load is carried. I just tow 3 hours at most from home. Not in a position to get a new truck, love mine. Would take a hit if i did. Also the HT eagles are only 300-400 pounds less for tongue weight, which is my payload concern. The 339 is even closer to about 200 pounds difference compared to some of the HTs I looked at.

Sure I don't mind at all. Keep in mind mine is fully loaded Ultimate with all the extra tow and snow packages. So from my understanding my stats are even little higher than normal F350s SW. My specifications are as follows

Front GAWR: 6000lb
Rear GAWR: 7000lb
GVWR: 11,500lb
GW: 12.500lb
Empty weight: 7434lb

So way I see it... Add 200lb for my hitch, even 1000lb for gear, fuel, people, and etc (Probably more like 500lb for my family but I take consideration like my buddies and I are going due to that happens, their fat tails add up). I have a capacity of roughly 3,900lb for 5ver. My pin weight fully loaded at 20% is 2,700. You need to look at pin weight at 20% of your full Gross not empty weight or what they say is the "pin weight" by Jayco. So I am below the 80% of capacity I like to load a truck, I am at around 70%. All those numbers are on the highend so I am probably under that actually. Personally, I wouldn't use a F250 to tow my 5ver on a regular basis but I am very anal about making sure I am well below ratings.

[Chiggins]

Also keep in mind when coming to modifying your truck. Yes extra leaf or airbags will help your truck carry the load. BUT it does NOT change your legal ratings. You ever get pulled over by State police and they pull their mobile scales and you are above your ratings then you will get nailed. Also consider what axle you have in the rear. I find that is the next most important thing that you are not pushing past your axle's rating.

[craig62285]

Originally Posted by Chiggins

Also keep in mind when coming to modifying your truck. Yes extra leaf or airbags will help your truck carry the load. BUT it does NOT change your legal ratings. You ever get pulled over by State police and they pull their mobile scales and you are above your ratings then you will get nailed. Also consider what axle you have in the rear. I find that is the next most important thing that you are not pushing past your axle's rating.

Good Morning Chiggins, front axel in my truck 6,000, rear axel 6,300. Now someone had told me if you add those to numbers together, back out truck weight that is your "true" payload. My truck being an F250 is registered for 10,000GVW. Back truck weight out of that is my door sticker payload. If that is true I agree with you, legally I would be over but the truck would be capable of towing a camper with a pin weight of 1,900-2,200 pounds. Does that sound right to you?

[Chiggins]

Originally Posted by craig62285

Good Morning Chiggins, front axel in my truck 6,000, rear axel 6,300. Now someone had told me if you add those to numbers together, back out truck weight that is your "true" payload. My truck being an F250 is registered for 10,000GVW. Back truck weight out of that is my door sticker payload. If that is true I agree with you, legally I would be over but the truck would be capable of towing a camper with a pin weight of 1,900-2,200 pounds. Does that sound right to you?

Well... If I did that then I would even have a much higher capacity then I stated. There is a difference between what these trucks "can" do, "legally" do, and "should" do. This is my opinion as I see trucks overloaded ALL the time. My truck could handle a lot more than I am loading and more than legal. But there are many reasons you want to stay at the lowest of those things I stated which is "legally" what my truck can do.

1.) You don't want a massive ticket if a state trooper weights you. Honestly, anyone with a lot of knowledge about trucks whether a truck is squatting or not can look at your trailer and look at the type of truck you have and know if you are overloaded.
2.) It will wear out your truck faster if you overwork it
3.) Liability is huge. Say you end up rear-ending someone. They grab their neck and it becomes a big thing. If you are overloaded you are going to regret it even more. Insurance could drop you and you could be left holding the ticket for paying everything.
4.) More you tow increases your stopping distance. Especially if you are overloaded, what happens if a child runs out in front of you? You find out that due to you were overloaded that your stopping distance was increased so far that you hit that child. I wouldn't want that on my head plus then you can be charged with a crime or sued. OR how about you are doing huge hills and being over your rating it will put more stress and heat on your brakes due to they are past what they are designed for. Then your brakes give out causing you to get in an accident.

Anyways once again, this is just how I work. I help manage a sizable construction firm and we are extremely careful about keeping our trucks all within legal ratings. What you end up doing is your business. Some people will tell you that difference between a F350 and F250 is just 1 overload leaf. That isn't true, my F350 has a better braking system, stronger rear axle, and etc. That's why it can tow more.

Please don't take this as me judging you but I just like to set this out for people because it is very important. I consider this stuff for a living.

[The Blue Flock]

Like rsdays 75 said... wasted space on the “bunkhouse” portion. We travel with an three kids, and I bought the 29.5bhds over a slightly larger model... you will spend more time out of it than you will in it! That being said, making “extra” beds every night would get old. IMO, get something comfortable at night to sleep, but make sure the outside features enhances your camping experience too. Most of all be happy you are able to pick from either!