Thinking of "upgrading" to a 30' Bunk House...

[phbarnhart]

Hi all,

We have a 2012 Eddie Bauer 25' that we've enjoyed since October 2011. The problem is that our family has grown in number and physical size since then; we have a 6 y/o, 4 y/o and 7 m/o... not to mention 2 little dogs. We love the EB but it seems like I'm always trying to get the kids to move so I can build up or tear down their sleeping arrangements. It's also something of a pain to get in and out of the trailer after I've put the kids to sleep because the door is right next to the bed.

So, what to do? We'll I've recently become aware of the 30' Flying Cloud Bunk House and I'd like to get some input from folks who have made a similar switch or have the 30' FC BH.

Was it a positive thing? What's the real difference in towing (we have a 2012 3/4 ton Suburban)? Any solutions for the horrific metal mini blinds? That top bunk looks itty bitty, how do kids handle it? What am I not considering? Any other thoughts?

I'm a visual guy so pics of what you've done with your 30' FC BH would be great!

[patentguy]

We traded in our 2010 27 ft Flying Cloud for a 2014 30 ft bunkhouse last fall for many of the reasons you cite. The kids love having there own space and I love not having to take down and set up their beds everyday. As you read on the forums - there is a thread devoted to the bunkhouse - you will come across many different opinions. What works for one doesn't work for another - same with likes/ dislikes - that's what makes this community so robust and useful.

Pharmgeek is a prolific poster and has been the most transparent new bunkhouse owner. You may want to view his posts to get an idea about some of the issues with the bunkhouse. Though he hasn't reported yet on how his drawer fix worked on his trip last weekend, there are issues with drawers rolling out during transport - however it apparently is not unique to the bunkhouse and it appears that Pharmgeek did an easy fix.

We tow with a 2010 2500 suburban with a Hensley. I feel the new trailer more but still feel safe. Again there are many opinions out there on this and it is ultimately a personal choice until regulations and laws are passed to regulate tow vehicle/ RV trailer set ups.

Feel free to PM me with any questions. We are happy to make the switch and would do it again.

Sorry no photos to share - nothing customized (yet).

[phbarnhart]

Thanks patentguy! It sounds like you were in pretty much the same boat and have ended up at pretty much the same place I'm thinking.

I've gone through and read almost everything Pharmgeek has posted regarding his bunkhouse but I hadn't seen anything about a problem with drawers rolling out; I'll have to look again.

Which interior do you have? Do you like it? Durability?

We have an Eddie Bauer now which has the Sunbrella fabric seats and they're ultra durable. One concern I've had is that the yellow ultra leather on the unit at our local dealer may not look so great in a few years.

[m.hony]

Look at 1,000+ posts by PharmGeek detailing his purchase of a 2014 Flying Cloud 30' bunkhouse.

[patentguy]

We have the golden ultra leather. Way easier to clean than the designer fabric on our previous FC. Can't comment on durability - too new - but we jumped at the ultra leather over our previous fabric as a big improvement for keeping clean - Which has borne true. - so far.

Going to try out the exterior lp hose hook up for the first time this weekend - fingers crossed that it will work....

[Foiled Again]

Good news - your EB is hot as a resale prospect, so you probably won't take too humongous a hit.

More good news - I think.

Not too long ago Patrick Botticelli (Colonial Airstream) posted some pictures of Sterlings (you know the Silver interiors with a choice of Electric Mustard or Magenta Pepto Bismol floors... ) But the pictures HE posted had the unit with (a) Serenity floor or (b) Eddie Bauer floor. My reaction, which is a personal opinion only, was that it made a huge difference in the attractiveness of the unit.

So if you can get an Eddie Bauer floor in a Sterling, why couldn't you get Eddie Bauer fabric in a 30 Bunkhouse? You'd probably have to wait... and spend some cash, but it could be done.

I've never met anyone who hated their ultra leather either. I did see one man who went with dark brown in a Signature - thought his unit looked WAY too dark - but the ultra leather itself is long wearing.

Nothing lasts forever, especially when it comes to kids, but I think you'd get them all from diapers to acne with ultra leather before you start considering a remodel. Fabric - 5 years of regular use will leave it showing wear - or worse.

Ultra leather even breathes pretty well so you don't tend to get super sticky feeling if you sit on it on a hot day when you're wearing shorts and sweating... but a big plush bath sheet on the cushion is still a great idea... and easily washed.

Paula

[phbarnhart]

Yes, the EB looks like it's worth about 8k less than what we still owe so I've gotta commend the resale value. Payment will go up some but not horrifically.

I don't think I'm interested in ordering one and waiting but I suppose it's possible. DW liked the light yellow ultra leather and folks here seem to be pleased with it's performance so that says quite a lot.

Now if only it came with the blinds from the EB....

[phbarnhart]

Originally Posted by patentguy

We have the golden ultra leather. Way easier to clean than the designer fabric on our previous FC. Can't comment on durability - too new - but we jumped at the ultra leather over our previous fabric as a big improvement for keeping clean - Which has borne true. - so far.

Going to try out the exterior lp hose hook up for the first time this weekend - fingers crossed that it will work....

Which grill do you have to hook up to the AS? We have a Weber Q but the sales guy said it was the wrong pressure to use with the AS' gas system.

[patentguy]

I have a Coleman road trip and purchased a 12' quick connect hose assembly from camping world that claims to be able to connect from the trailer lp gas to the regulator on the Coleman. So far looks like the connections fit - will find out Sunday if pressure works. I will also have the small 1 lp tanks on hand in case the hook up to the trailer doesn't work.

[phbarnhart]

Great, let us know how it works!

[Landrum]

FYI....Crain RV in Little Rock AR has a bunk house. I believe their web site says new arrival, but I'm 99% sure they have had that for several months. Either that or they are moving a lot of them because they've shown one to me 3 or 4 times over the last 6 months. I bet someone could get a good deal.

[phbarnhart]

I'll take a look at it. These things are mobile after all. Then again, it would cost some to get it delivered here to Oregon.

The one thar Sutton RV has here seems to have been around for a while too.

[Foiled Again]

Originally Posted by phbarnhart

Now if only it came with the blinds from the EB....

You can, just have the dealer order a set. Have someone trained on CPR when you do; the price is startlingly high.

p

[jasperkins]

Even after upgrading our 2012 EB 27' furniture and floor, I often wish I had a bunkhouse or Pan America. That is until I realize that the majority of our camping is at National Parks off pavement that I might be a little scared to bring in a >30' trailer. Yet with a baby and fulltiming on the way, the spare room / space is very attractive. Currently the 27FB and EB open floor plan just is a better fit.



Wants vs Needs :-)

[phbarnhart]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

You can, just have the dealer order a set. Have someone trained on CPR when you do; the price is startlingly high.

p

I suppose we can get pretty much get any blinds for this thing. I've been thinking I could get Budget Blinds to come in and redo them.

Also, I figure once I'm buying a second new Airstream in less than 5 years I've got to be pretty much numb to the price.

[phbarnhart]

Originally Posted by jasperkins

Even after upgrading our 2012 EB 27' furniture and floor, I often wish I had a bunkhouse or Pan America. That is until I realize that the majority of our camping is at National Parks off pavement that I might be a little scared to bring in a >30' trailer. Yet with a baby and fulltiming on the way, the spare room / space is very attractive. Currently the 27FB and EB open floor plan just is a better fit.



Wants vs Needs :-)

That's a great looking interior! I gotta say, I'm a little torn; I love our Eddie Bauer but it's just not sized right for a family of 5.

[silver27]

We made the switch from a 27FB to a 30bunk last summer. There are a few things we miss about the 27 (that back window! and the shower, believe it or not), but overall, we are thrilled with the bunkhouse. We only have two kids, ages 7 and 11, and we had one little dog until this past winter, and felt it was a tight fit in the 27. Making up and tearing down the beds gets so old, too. The kids LOVE having their own space with the bunk area. We camped this past week and it rained for an entire day (which is something we're really not used to dealing with, and for which we weren't really prepared), and we all survived. If we'd been in the 27 in that situation, we'd probably have gone a little crazy.

That said, we feel like we're now too big for some of the state parks we liked to camp in - it gets tight in some of the redwood parks around here. It is a tradeoff we are willing to make, but one we're still a little sad about.

We have had most of our kitchen drawers fly out while driving, and have upgraded the latch thingies to the 10lb ones - not a big deal. We removed the miniblinds and put in curtains - see separate post.

[Skatiero]

We are almost finished customizing our second airstream. We made both of them into bunkhouses. Here are some photos of our current one. (we have seven kids, ages eleven to seventeen.)