An island bed or not?

Steve11 · Senior Member

An island bed or not?

Dougwe · Chief one feather

I too am looking around for a new CV Steve only I have had enough of putting up and and putting down the Avan, besides I need something bigger now for my plan of going full time grey nomad. I have decided on full ensuite and single beds just to be different. I intend turning one bed into a lounge but can be a bed as well. I am at the stage now of making a final decision. I'm solo so that makes things a little different though I spose.

Good luck with your hunting and final choice.

The Hats · Senior Member

Mate get the island bed you will get the irrits with climbing over the bloody thing to make it
Cheers
The Hats
Ron

the rocket · Guru

I think I would go the island bed or singles. but have fun deciding. rocket.

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Island ...happy wife happy life !!

Gerty Dancer · Guru

We prefer an island bed, however in the camper-trailer we had a crossways bed which meant one had to climb over the other. Solved the problem, the person who had to get up during the night slept on the side where they could simply get up. It was a bugger to make though!
Single beds are hard to make if you have a crook back.

Vic41 · Guru

Steve11 wrote:
Hi All, still searching for our first van for retirement. Thought we had narrowed it down to 16' poptop with shower/toilet. Recently viewed a 14' Jayco one end expanda with shower/toilet. Once the bed is pushed out there is a lot of living room even though it is only 14'. Easy to tow(I have never towed much), it was immaculate, a lot cheaper than new cost and so it has now confused us a bit. What are the grey nomads experince with the east-west bed arrangement and lack of privacy as you are basically surrounded by canvas for sleeping.How is it in bad weather and climbing over each other to get out of bed. What are your thoughts? thanks
Steve

We had an Avan Aliner with the east/west bed across the end and it was a pain, SWMBO slept inside as I got up more often, but when she did I had to get up to let her out or back in (both of us too big to roll over each other etc), so disturbed sleep and even worse in winter when it was cold. Our choice after that single or island.

With the expanda, the fold out can be subject to noise from the wind (flapping) and also limited insulation properties for hot and cold and can get very wet from high cross winds in the rain....

-- Edited by Vic41 on Wednesday 10th of September 2014 10:08:36 AM

Hylda&Jon · Guru

Hope you or your partner are heavy sleepers so you won't wake each other up when crawling over each other to go for those midnight toilet trips.

deverall11 · Guru

You've pretty much answered your own question 'climbing over each other to get out of bed'. Secondly, how easy is it to make the bed?
Good luck, Larry

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

Hot weather isn't so bad ? You cam squirm and wriggle to bottom of bed.. Trouble in cold it pulls the covers off !!

Muz64 · Newbie

Dougwe, I have a Jayco Sterling with single beds and just my experience is that the distance between the wall and the cupboard is too narrow. My arms are restricted and I bump the wall or cupboard every time I turn over so I regularly wake at night as a result. I am not a big person either (170cm) and not what I would call "broad shouldered". In the not too distant future, I am going to upgrade to an island double only because I really dont like the singles. Expensive mistake on my part! Food for thought before you make your final decision!

sumo · Member

Hi Steve11, we have a jayco expanda, great van but the beds are a mongrel to make up and cold in winter, (its just like sleeping in a tent) our van is only a couple of years old but will be going soon for a full van with ensuite mainly because of beds so have a go at making beds first and you will see what I mean

Cloak · Guru

All good advice above for you Steve11...

One thing to keep an eye on is the size of the island bed. We need minimum a queen but very few Aussie made vans seem to build them with queens or even better king.

Nothing more important than getting the bed right.

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Muz64 wrote:
Dougwe, I have a Jayco Sterling with single beds and just my experience is that the distance between the wall and the cupboard is too narrow. My arms are restricted and I bump the wall or cupboard every time I turn over so I regularly wake at night as a result. I am not a big person either (170cm) and not what I would call "broad shouldered". In the not too distant future, I am going to upgrade to an island double only because I really dont like the singles. Expensive mistake on my part! Food for thought before you make your final decision!

Thanks for the feedback Muz, I will be double checking the size of the singles next week while visiting the factory as the decision on van is nearly complete. Then the actual order to follow same day.

Sorry to digress a little Steve but might be handy info for you a swell.

RobandFlip · Senior Member

Hi Steve,

Been there done that and we would NEVER do it again. We will have an island queen size bed with our our choice of mattress, in the caravan presently under construction. Arthritis, bladder issues, insomnia, you name it, all call for a LOT more comfort.

Cheers

RobandFlip

Mike C · Senior Member

We had a campertrailer with a kingsize bed.
Real comfy but a pain when one of us had to get up.

Now have a full size Queen Island and would never go back.

cheers

Mike

Blue · Senior Member

I couldn't sleep in a Double, especially what caravan manufacturers call a double...

I luv the queen, but since we only have a 16.5 we went with single beds to open up the floor... we did this with our first poptop which was the 14.5

going to the full caravan has seen a massive difference in insulation...

the singles in this van are "high" and they are full spring mattresses... I've never been so warm and cosy in a van/tent/swag etc...

I find I sleep in a lot longer in this van with the singles...

Bushie · Veteran Member

Hi Steve

I too have an Expanda though 16' with shower toilet combo, after have to jayco campers prior to that, We are well and truly over the east west bed thing, as far as comfort goes the camper beds were far more comfortable than the Expanda, the Expanda's have a folding mattress approx. 60/40 spilt and is 2 different thicknesses, and whoever sleeps on the narrow half always has the zipper under you back and you tend to roll into the join all the time. In say that there is ways to over come it, the main one is to modify the bed base to make it level and order a customs 50/50 split fold mattress. And yes making the beds is a P-I-A,
I've always found if the vans lot going to be level (east/west) it will be the way I lay and can't sleep with ya head down hill

Privacy isn't an issue, but being canvas ended external noises at night can be, weather not really a problem they now make storm covers for them keeps the weather out though I don't have them and never really had an issue. other than a bit of moisture around the stitching, which is also fixed with a water proofing spray etc.

They are reasonably cosy in cool weather if you have access power to run smaller/ac and there's always an electric blanket or good doona.
Overall the Expanda's are great arrangement come in various sizes suitable for couples and families.

We are in the process of upgrading to full van with Island Bed for more comfort and more suitability for touring.

For all things Expanda have a look at www.expandasdownunder.com/

Steve11 · Senior Member

No probs mate, happy to gather all the info I can.

Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens.