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Old 04-02-2017, 02:37 PM   #1
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Traveling with Murphy Bed in Down Position

OK, got a new mattress for the Murphy Bed in my Whitehawk 23MRB which is a couple of pounds heavier than the stock mattress. I can close my slide and it clears the bed with a little room to spare. As I am close to tongue weight on my TV I am thinking about leaving the bed down, placing some carpet under the support and strapping it down so there is no bouncing. This will shift the center of gravity of the mattress a little towards the rear instead of having it right up,in the front of the TT, saving me a couple of pounds on the tongue. Crazy???
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Old 04-02-2017, 03:37 PM   #2
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Well, as one who also has Murphy Bed, I would tow with the bed up. That is the way it is designed to travel and I do not think being down will make that much difference when towing.

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Old 04-03-2017, 07:31 AM   #3
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We are considering a Murphy Bed model, and this crossed my mind since we have a 1/2 ton and may be at our limit with any TT. The bed would have to rest with its legs close to or over the axle to make much difference, since 1/2 the bed weight is at the front cap anyway right on the tongue.
Not to hijack this thread, but since I have you two captive, can I ask a question?
What do you like/dislike on these types of TT's? We are looking at the 24MBH White Hawk with the Murphy Bed. Don't like the lack of inside storage, so we are considering the 25 footer with the same floor plan but with a queen bed. It has storage inside and headroom that my son and I would like being 6'-5" tall. The bed in the 25 footer maybe too short with the wall, so we go back to the 24MBH. I see it as the win/win model, and I can easily find ways for storage. I just love the backside bathroom door and the outside storage in the slide... not to mention the reduced storage on the tongue due to the bed. Thanks, and my apologies for the hijack.
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Old 04-03-2017, 09:14 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kampfirekid View Post
We are considering a Murphy Bed model, and this crossed my mind since we have a 1/2 ton and may be at our limit with any TT. The bed would have to rest with its legs close to or over the axle to make much difference, since 1/2 the bed weight is at the front cap anyway right on the tongue.
Not to hijack this thread, but since I have you two captive, can I ask a question?
What do you like/dislike on these types of TT's? We are looking at the 24MBH White Hawk with the Murphy Bed. Don't like the lack of inside storage, so we are considering the 25 footer with the same floor plan but with a queen bed. It has storage inside and headroom that my son and I would like being 6'-5" tall. The bed in the 25 footer maybe too short with the wall, so we go back to the 24MBH. I see it as the win/win model, and I can easily find ways for storage. I just love the backside bathroom door and the outside storage in the slide... not to mention the reduced storage on the tongue due to the bed. Thanks, and my apologies for the hijack.
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We ended up going with the Jay Feather 25BH but looked at the White Hawk 24MBH, 25BHS as well as the Jay Feather 23MBH.

As with everything personal preference will rule as well as tow vehicle. All 4 technically would work for us in our application. This is how it panned out for us.

Jay Feather 23MBH
Pro
It was lightest of the bunch, has two access doors.
ConLimited storage in front pass through. Single bunks for the kids. No real under bunk or under front bed storage. Less privacy for adults. No outside kitchen.

Jay Feather 25BH (one we bought)
Pro
Outdoor kitchen. Same price as JF 23MBH. More front storage pass through as well as under queen bed and under bunks. Double size bunks. Liked TV options inside for rainy days.
Con Single access door so tracking through the unit to get to bath. No access to the bathroom when the slide is in. So if you stop while traveling you can't open the door unless you run the slide out maybe 6".

White Hawk 24MBH
Pro
Double access doors but second access on the back side. Not sure how much we like that as it is possibly facing people you don't know. Double bunks for more room. U shaped dinette. Better interior than Jay Feather. Weight was fine for us. Outside Kitchen
Con Limited storage. 2nd access on back of camper. TV placement not as nice as 25BH(S) models as it is pretty far from sofa and only 1 person can see it from dinette.

White Hawk 25BHS
Pro
Best front storage of the bunch. Liked the TV options inside. 2nd Access door but like the 24MBH on the back side. Double size bunks. Outside Kitchen. Lots of storage. Liked the interior better than Jay Feathers.
Con Second slide for kitchen eats into outdoor space under awning. All that storage means heavier camper and we are really pushing our limits with this unit. GVWR of the camper would put us over realistic limits on a 1/2 Ton SUV. At least ours. Might be OK with some 1/2 Ton Pickups or 3/4 Ton.

The 25BHS was really nice and if we had a 1/2 Ton pickup with more cargo capacity it would be a really hard decision. We went with the JF 25BH because we didn't want to get forced into buying a new TV along with the camper. Those big openings on pass through storage are begging to get filled and that would kill our tongue weight and therefore cargo capacity on the truck. If we were getting close to the GVWR of 7250 of the 25BHS we are going to have issues with TW.

For what it is worth. I am 6'4" we slept in the 25BH for the first time Sat night in the driveway. With the wall and a RV queen my feet were just brushing against the wall when laying in the front queen. The Murphy bed might work better as like you my feet hanging off the end of the bed is nothing new. Our kids are not as big as I am (yet) so we are OK with them in the bunk. Also they have been going in head first with their head against the back wall so if they grew and had their feet hanging out the opening it would still work. I climbed in the lower bunk once and fit that way. The only problem is the little shelf, power outlet and light are on the other end.

Again this will all come down to personal preference which is why they make the different floor plans a pro and con for me may be different than the next person. Most of the time we are camping on a private site with family so 95% of the time the bath access on the other side isn't an issue but 5% of the time we might be at a full access site and want to keep things locked or a better eye on them. A fix might be to get one of those electronic key pads for that back door. Then everyone in the family knows the code, no keys to lose and it is usable yet secure. That is probably what I would do if I got a WH.
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Old 04-03-2017, 10:15 AM   #5
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I will start with what I don't like first. Definitely a lack of storage space. I put the dinette table down and put my lawn chairs on that on top of a blanket. I'm use the rear bathroom for storage as well with everything padded and room for the wife to use the potty if she needs to, we are both getting older and can't do the long hauls any more. I would like a more private bedroom but that really hasn't been and issue yet. If one of us is not feeling well it would be nice to lie down with a little privacy. Counter space is at a premium. The wife's coffee pot is about it. The tongue weight seems very high for a trailer of this size. Putting the bed up every morning. That is getting picky because it really doesn't take long. Just have to make up the bed and strap it down.

What I love! The space with the bed up. It's amazing in such a small trailer. We can sit on the couch on crappy days and watch tv or play games and it doesn't feel cramped in the least. This trailer maximizes my capabilities with a very limited tow vehicle. For two people it is awesome. I can also get it into just about any campsite! 8 CF fridge. Love the extra space. Outside kitchen. I do almost all the cooking on the bumper mount grill and the outside stove. I put a few adult beverages in the fridge there and I am all set.

Bottom line is I am very 😃 with it so far. I will retire from the Air Force in a couple months and will probably only work a few more year. We will definitely upgrade both the TV and TT in about 5 years. Those eagle HTs look pretty awesome for some longer trips.
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Old 04-03-2017, 01:35 PM   #6
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Thank you for accommodating my hijack. We only have about 4 years of limited camping before both kids are off to college. We are trying to find a trailer that will work for the next few years while the kids want to camp, but then really work for me and the DW. We've entertained mom & pop setups with a dinette and recliners for the realistic two dozen times we'll use it before the kids are too busy, and it turns to just me and the DW, but that seems foolish. We have sometimes taken friends that don't regularly camp, so although we can fix them up with a nice three-fold sofa (not jackknife), getting the kids to brush elbows in a single hideaway is like putting a monitor in a box with a gopher.


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