floor plan for 4?

[16dbenny]

Hello Everyone,

We're a young family of 4 looking for our first travel trailer. Our tow vehicle will (most likely) be a Toyota Highlander Hybrid with a towing capacity of 3500 lbs.

So here's what we're thinking so far. The 13BHB, with its bunk beds, seems like a solid contender. However, the 13RDB has the option of a fold-down bunk over the front gaucho and is one of the rare layouts that offers wrap-around views (i.e. 3 windows) at the dining table. I'm just not sure how comfortable the gaucho will be.

The 14DB with its sofa bed might work, but I've read that the sofa bed requires extra padding for a decent night's sleep. Of course, the 14DB has the advantage of a dry bath. Does a wet bath become tiresome eventually?

I'd love to hear what has (or hasn't) worked for other Camplite families.

Thank you!

P.S. My wife is not-so-secretly hoping that you'll all recommend getting a 16 or 21 (and a more capable tow vehicle).

[djsamuel]

With a young family of 4, I'd seriously consider what your wife is thinking; go for a 21BHS and a new tow vehicle. The Camplites are really built to last, and for the investment,  I'd seriously consider something you can grow into rather than out of. My wife and I have a 21BHS and the size is really nice, whether it is the two if us, or if our daughter and son in law come along.

[charliem]

[font size="3"]I have to agree with Doug. You need something to grow into, not out of. With small and growing kids you'll need bigger everything. Consider:

[ol type="decimal"][li]Listen to your wife.
[/li][li]The 13s have a tiny 2.5 cu ft fridge vs 5 cu ft in 14s and 16s. You'll need fridge space.
[/li][li]The holding tanks are bigger in 14s and 16s.
[/li][li]LL is very accommodating of customization requests. Fold out beds and dinette/beds can easily be added or swapped for queens. A full sized dinette will become important with the kids.[/li][li]Even the 13s will be taxing on a 3500# TV. eventually you will want to trade up.[/li][li]Yes, the wet bath will get old fast. The dry bath and larger fridge were primary drivers for us to trade up from an RPOD to the CL.[/li][li]If you want to start with a 14 consider the 14DB with the optional dinette/bed combo and fold down bed. I don't have any experience with the sofa, but there are ways to deal with it. You can also substitute a small dinette which can be converted to a single bed for a small person.
[/li][li]See item 1
[/li][/ol]

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[mitch]

I have the 13QBB, I can say with some certainty that four people of any size combination is not going to be very comfortable in a 13. You will all be in each others way at every turn and if it's not you it will be your "stuff".

[nailbender]

we are a family of 4 and own the 16'db.we have the bunk above the queen bed which is where my 14 year old daughter sleeps.i modified the dinette to accommodate my son.(made it longer)it is also possible to sleep on a good pad on floor along the dinette-bed area but makes it a little  tough for me to get up during the night....let's just say I'm a little older than most parents with teenager's.

[ammobob]

Benny, these guys are right. First and foremost is what your wife thinks but beyond that room for you as a family to grow into is important. We inherited our 5 year old granddaughter and in 2012 bought a 16 DB that we towed with a Honda Pilot (3500 lb tow capacity) and after 2 years of fighting the jackknife sofa, granddaughter and space we knew we wanted something bigger. Bought a RAM 1500, sold the 16DB and ordered a 21BHS. Best move I've made in a few years. Granddaughter (now 10) has her own bed, we have plenty of room, the wife is happy and I am not getting gripped at constantly. Not sure of your situation but, food for thought, you will be happier going bigger if you can work it out.

[16dbenny]

djsamuel, charliem, mitch, nailbender, and Ammobob,

That all sounds like good advice to me.  I'll take it!  So much for my "Let's start small and see how it goes" approach.  I guess I know how it will go now.  Not that well.  I hadn't considered the size of the fridge and holding tanks.  So the 13', 14', and even the 16', will be too small for us either now or very soon.  That means we're moving on to the 21's and a heftier tow vehicle.  That will certainly make my wife happier!

Thank you for sharing.  We really appreciate it.

Cheers,
Benny

[tinkeringtechie]

[quote source="/post/14560/thread" timestamp="1440513235" author="@16dbenny"]djsamuel, charliem, mitch, nailbender, and Ammobob,

That all sounds like good advice to me.  I'll take it!  So much for my "Let's start small and see how it goes" approach.  I guess I know how it will go now.  Not that well.  I hadn't considered the size of the fridge and holding tanks.  So the 13', 14', and even the 16', will be too small for us either now or very soon.  That means we're moving on to the 21's and a heftier tow vehicle.  That will certainly make my wife happier!

Thank you for sharing.  We really appreciate it.

Cheers,
Benny
[/quote]Good call. Everyone said pretty much what I was thinking, but I thought I'd chime in and say that our 21BHS was what we upgraded to when our second child was born. We had survived with a smaller trailer when we had just one kid, but after a few years of that my wife's orders were:

 a dry bath- no drying the toilet and floor after a shower
bunk beds- no transforming every night
a walk around queen- no yoga to get the bed made

Once you threw on my requirement that it not have any wood and the 21BHS was literally the only trailer for us.

It also meant upgrading from a Subaru Outback to a Toyota Sequoia, but we also needed that for the growing kids and kid stuff (and dog). The combination has been working really well for us.

[16dbenny]

tinkeringtechnie,

Thank you for your feedback.  I think we're in the same boat, so the 21BHS is the leading candidate for us as well.  Now that we've moved up to the 21' length, a 4WD Sequoia is the prime contender for tow vehicle.  I don't think the Highlander (non-hybrid) with a tow capacity of 5,000 lbs. is going to cut it.

Cheers,
Benny

[djsamuel]

tinkeringtechnie,

Thank you for your feedback.  I think we're in the same boat, so the 21BHS is the leading candidate for us as well.  Now that we've moved up to the 21' length, a 4WD Sequoia is the prime contender for tow vehicle.  I don't think the Highlander (non-hybrid) with a tow capacity of 5,000 lbs. is going to cut it.

Cheers,
Benny

You definitely wouldn't want to drop to a Highlander. I tow my 21BHS with a Ram 1500 and that works well and a Sequoia should work well. There are people on this board who tow their 21BHS with a Grand Cherokee with no issues as well.

[ammobob]

[quote timestamp="1440523543" source="/post/14564/thread" author="@16dbenny"]tinkeringtechnie,

Thank you for your feedback.  I think we're in the same boat, so the 21BHS is the leading candidate for us as well.  Now that we've moved up to the 21' length, a 4WD Sequoia is the prime contender for tow vehicle.  I don't think the Highlander (non-hybrid) with a tow capacity of 5,000 lbs. is going to cut it.

Cheers,
Benny

You definitely wouldn't want to drop to a Highlander. I tow my 21BHS with a Ram 1500 and that works well and a Sequoia should work well. There are people on this board who tow their 21BHS with a Grand Cherokee with no issues as well. [/quote]Charliem uses a Tacoma so you may consider that as a TV also. Not that I think they are much cheaper than a full size truck when decked out but the non-towing gas mileage would (should) be better.

[charliem]

[font size="3"]Benny,

You're definitely on the right track with the 21BHS and Sequoia. Quite a change from your going in position. I'm glad you listened to your wife    The Sequoia with the V8 will do well and you're wise to choose 4WD. I wouldn't be without it. Don't pass up the chance to special order the CL and get it exactly as you want it. LL is very good about such things. We'll be waiting to hear how you're doing.
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[pinstriper]

1. TANSTATMTV

2. Your kids will go through the progression of wanting to be inside with you, then outside in their own tent, then outside in their own tent with a tag along friend, then staying home for a beer blast while the parents are away. If you can get to Stage II it means you can get away with a smaller trailer.

3. The best floorplan I found is the RPOD 179, with honorable mentions to the 177 and 178. However....it's an RPOD. Wood/fiberglass/rubber etc. The cabinets are particle board, and it just won't last like a Camplite. They come with extra single-axel bouncy goodness, whereas your CL 14 and up are dual axels and tow much smoother.

4. Oh yeah. Dry bath. If you like crapping in an airliner, you'll love your RV's wetbath. Otherwise...not so much.

5. In summation, 21BHS if you can't ditch the kids, 16DBS if you can.

[daplumbr]

Spouses are so darn smart. The Sequoia is a great choice for a family and a great tow vehicle. If you buy used, find one with the 4.7L engine. I think it's one of the best engines ever made. If you had not nixed the HiHy as a TV, I would have jumped in and done it for you. I owned one for 4 years and did light duty towing. They are maximized for efficiency, not hauling. I can only imagine the "white-knuckle" driving involved at anything near its rated capacity for hitch/cargo weight. 

[16dbenny]

djsamuel, Ammobob, charliem, and Merlin,

We live near San Francisco, so steep hills are unavoidable.  I wonder how a Tacoma would fare pulling a loaded 21BHS into the high Sierra passes?  The Tundra and Sequoia certainly have the muscle (at least on paper), but they're not exactly inexpensive.  I have friends who love their Jeeps, but even they admit that reliability is an issue.