B Floor Layout Preferences

[Marley]

Like to know what you think on floor layouts on various models.
What do you like?
What don't you like?
What would be your custom plan (money not being a factor)?

There will be 2 of us and probably a dog travelling in ours. We will probably pull a trailer on specific occasions for dirt bikes and various toys - otherwise when touring it will be just us in a LWB Sprinter (or possibly a Transit).

[mkguitar]

being tall, sideways sleepers are out. I also don;t like the climbover.

so we sleep fore and aft

our prime is bed size- we are 72" wide, 75" long on driver side, 72" on pass side.
we leave our bed made up all the time- the area under in the aisle has one of those rolling sterilite plastic bins for storage

the size of the head didn;t matter to us, space used there is space taken away elsewhere- we don;t use the aisle shower- we either use the campground showers or the outside shower if remote.

it's just the 2 of us and a large dog ( so we don;t need extra seats) both seats swivel, but we usually only swivel the pass side.
the dog bed is between the seats - a large reflectix panel underneath to keep the bed from heating when driving

we don;t use either the front or rear pedestal tables- the table tops are stored in out garage.



cabinetry both sides floor to ceiling is a negative for me- storage is nice, but so is open space.

our galley is pass side, with the side door open there is an airly feel and fresh air venting. we also have option of a drop in counter section in front of that door.







Mike

[avanti]

Our tastes are almost identical to Mike's. We especially prize a passenger-side galley and open plans with windows all around. No mobile caves for us.

Here's our floorpan:

Floorplan.jpg

The only floor-to-ceiling areas are the fridge (with the control panel above it) and the bath. They are consolidated midship on the driver's side. The rest of the vehicle is panoramic windows. We even had a custom hanging closet made that permitted a partial window just behind the driver:

IMG_05.JPG

The GWV tri-fold, clearspan bed is the best. Huge storage underneath and above. Unfortunately, with Great West's demise, it is only available from ARV, as far as I know.

[Keyne]

Originally Posted by avanti

Our tastes are almost identical to Mike's. We especially prize a passenger-side galley and open plans will windows all around. No mobile caves for us.

Here's our floorpan:

Attachment 3655

The only floor-to-ceiling areas are the fridge (with the control panel above it) and the bath. They are consolidated midship on the driver's side. The rest of the vehicle is panoramic windows. We even had a custom hanging closet made that permitted a partial window just behind the driver:

Attachment 3656

The GWV tri-fold, clearspan bed is the best. Huge storage underneath and above. Unfortunately, with Great West's demise, it is only available from ARV, as far as I know.

I agree that the GW Legend layout is the best, for us... your use should drive what you want. ARV makes a similar layout now, but Pleasureway Plateau has a similar layout withe the galley on the pass. Side, but not the cool bed.

[Davydd]

In Sprinters it is a depth issue. If you put the kitchen galley on the driver side in most all instances you will find an under counter refrigerator and microwave. That makes the depth of the galley kitchen counter deeper than those on the passenger side that don't have those two items under the counter. Also the driver side refrigerator and microwave under the counter were smaller, awkward and not convenient.

Then with the added depth of the kitchen galley most Bs that put the tall cabinets and bathroom on the passenger side had to shave as much depth as the could thus making that side not as roomy and useable as the Bs that put the tall cabinets with microwave and refrigerator in better locations and the bathroom with a few more inches of depth on the driver's side.

As an architect and designer it mystified me why Roadtrek did what they did and why other companies followed suit to be "competitive". I've read all kinds of reasons way but they are bogus, IMO. I understand most people don't think about these things and just accept it. But then I never understood why people liked light beer.

[mkguitar]

I think Davydd has quantified that which for us was just 'feel'

thanks, Mike

[BBQ]

.

I want to sit in a real chair and sleep in a real bed.

If a convertible sofa/bed is comfortable for sitting,
it is never comfortable for sleeping, and vice versa.


The Winnebago Travato 50G is one of the few Class B with a dedicated bed and real chair.

[jrobe]

Originally Posted by BBQ

.The Winnebago Travato 50G is one of the few Class B with a dedicated bed and real chair.

Where is the "real chair" in a Travato G? Do you just sit in the driver's and passengers seats? Those bench seats with the straight upright backs are almost unusable for anyone that likes to recline a little like most living room furniture.

[Keyne]

I agree with the real seats; the G lounge seat was really not usable for us.

For us we wanted to have two zones for sitting and sleeping, etc. I originally wanted more of a G type setup with the fixed rear bed; that style layout is very populate in Europe. Davydd introduced me to the concept and benefits of a "dual zone" setup. The dual zone provides a space for seating at both ends of the van. Great for us when we want to use laptops, etc. and need the space (two tables - one in front one in the rear) or we can have the bed setup in the rear and where one of us can sleep late or go to bed early while the other person sits up front and reads, has coffee, works on a laptop/ipad etc. We rented vans with this layout and it really worked for us. Many times we would keep the bed made in the back (with gear stored in the aisle under the bed and in the rear beneath the bed) and just use the front space. Also, on occasion we would setup the rear couch and watch a movie in the back with surround sound and a comfy couch. We like having movie nights so that's great for us.

As mentioned above, it really depends on how you want to use the van... for instance, mountain bikers, etc. love a G style layout with a fixed bed in the back to store gear and bikes underneath the bed (See FitRV's unique higher bed for storing bikes under). For us we don't have bikes right now or would store them on a rack so once we really thought through how we want to use it the two zone system worked better for us.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by BBQ

If a convertible sofa/bed is comfortable for sitting,
it is never comfortable for sleeping, and vice versa.

That is often true, but not always. The lamented GWV Legend tri-fold bed has a mechanism that was subtly designed to work quite well in both modes. For example, the wall-mounted tracks upon which the frontmost ("seat bottom") segment rides ended in a short drop-down section:

Legend bed track.jpg

The rear of the segment thus dropped downward a couple of inches when in "seat" mode, while also being perfectly flat in "bed" mode. Most convertible RV seat/beds lack this kind of refinement.

For some reason, the ARV clone of this design is not nearly as comfortable (in seat mode--I've never slept in one). At least the one I tried several years ago wasn't. I assume it was reverse-engineered from Mike N.'s Legend. They may have missed some of the subtlety. Perhaps they have improved over time, though.

[Davydd]

I had the tri-fold sofa/bed in a Great West Van Legend and slept well. I have only tried ARVs just testing it not sleeping but it was more level and flat and had a better mattress feel for sleeping. I had the bi-fold and ottoman sofa too. There is one major problem with all RVs sofa/bed combos be they tri-fold or bi-fold with ottomans. There is no head support for comfort like a home living room sofa (at least the ones I always owned) or lounging chair. The interim adjusting for back slant that was possible did not cut it, IMO.

That is what drove me to design my own multi-purpose electric articulating beds that can convert to lazy-boy or zero-gravity or any other infinite positions with separate head, back and foot control. I decided beds that some converters provided that just have a back slant lift manually or electrically wasn't enough. It may have been overkill for weekend and short trip RVing but when you are out for a couple of months at a time it can wear on you without some comfort of home.

We went with individual twin beds with a mattress bridge from the waist to head similar to those that use their bi-fold sofa beds without putting in the mattress bridge between the ottomans. One reason is my wife and I use our articulating in much different ways. ARV has also been building articulating beds where they articulate clear across. They have even installed a custom lazy-boy type recliner where you can sit upright with feet on the floor or sleep in for one customer.

The notch at the foot makes for much easier getting in and out of bed that is unnatural to me to have to crawl in at the foot and then back crab crawl to get out. In fact, one time I sprained both my shoulders back crab crawling out of my Great West Van bed in a panic way to alleviate a leg cramp.

[mkguitar]

Originally Posted by BBQ

The Winnebago Travato 50G is one of the few Class B with a dedicated bed and real chair.

really diff'rent strokes then- no way would a 47" wide bed work for us- our bed is 72w.

the floorplan shows how much room is used for the head- which for me would be wasted space.

We'll see how the original poster balances their wants/needs.

mike

[Marley]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Great information. I really want the two space set up as some of you describe but also like the bed, or a bed set up full time. Some compromises are inevitable I guess.

The other important item to us is a large fridge.

I like the Travato but I think that is front wheel drive and towing is important.

[Marley]

Originally Posted by Davydd

I had the tri-fold sofa/bed in a Great West Van Legend and slept well. I have only tried ARVs just testing it not sleeping but it was more level and flat and had a better mattress feel for sleeping. I had the bi-fold and ottoman sofa too. There is one major problem with all RVs sofa/bed combos be they tri-fold or bi-fold with ottomans. There is no head support for comfort like a home living room sofa (at least the ones I always owned) or lounging chair. The interim adjusting for back slant that was possible did not cut it, IMO.

That is what drove me to design my own multi-purpose electric articulating beds that can convert to lazy-boy or zero-gravity or any other infinite positions with separate head, back and foot control. I decided beds that some converters provided that just have a back slant lift manually or electrically wasn't enough. It may have been overkill for weekend and short trip RVing but when you are out for a couple of months at a time it can wear on you without some comfort of home.

We went with individual twin beds with a mattress bridge from the waist to head similar to those that use their bi-fold sofa beds without putting in the mattress bridge between the ottomans. One reason is my wife and I use our articulating in much different ways. ARV has also been building articulating beds where they articulate clear across. They have even installed a custom lazy-boy type recliner where you can sit upright with feet on the floor or sleep in for one customer.

The notch at the foot makes for much easier getting in and out of bed that is unnatural to me to have to crawl in at the foot and then back crab crawl to get out. In fact, one time I sprained both my shoulders back crab crawling out of my Great West Van bed in a panic way to alleviate a leg cramp.

Do you have a drawing of your layout?

[Marley]

Originally Posted by mkguitar

really diff'rent strokes then- no way would a 47" wide bed work for us- our bed is 72w.

the floorplan shows how much room is used for the head- which for me would be wasted space.

We'll see how the original poster balances their wants/needs.

mike

My RV experience to date:

1980's Chevy van. Insulated and panelled with a nothing but a fixed bed in the back. Was in my 20's so needs were limited.

I have a 31 foot bumper pull trailer with one big slide-out that I used as a place to stay while building our cabin just outside of Fernie BC. Still have it and use it for guests.

Chris Craft cabin cruiser. Sleeps 6. Has galley with small fridge, 2 burner alcohol stove, and sink. Head with pump toilet and sink. Great boat for weekends but not really a live-aboard. This is probably my closest comparison to a coach van. Everything is smaller and every space is utilized for something. Planning ahead was important for relatively stress free times.

Got some great ideas from ya'll. Short of going with a custom build I think I can find a unit that is close to right. Luckily I am good with tools and can do cabinetry, plumbing, electrical, controls, mechanical work and could do some minor 'adjusting' if needed.

[avanti]

Originally Posted by Marley

Luckily I am good with tools and can do cabinetry, plumbing, electrical, controls, mechanical work and could do some minor 'adjusting' if needed.

That, IMO, is the golden path to getting exactly what you want without paying ARV prices. Buy as close as you can, and then modify to suit. I have made MANY significant mods to our Legend. I now have everything I would have wanted from ARV for (literally) half the price. When shopping with this goal in mind, "good bones" are the most important thing. All the details can be changed.

N.B.: This is NOT intended as a jab at ARV. If you are fussy and have more money than time/skill (and if you are in no hurry), they are the way to go.

[BBQ]

Originally Posted by mkguitar

really diff'rent strokes then- no way would a 47" wide bed work for us- our bed is 72w.

the floorplan shows how much room is used for the head- which for me would be wasted space.

We'll see how the original poster balances their wants/needs.

mike

I agree, 47" is a nice bed for one person.


or 2 really really skinny people like the FitRV folks.

[Marley]

Originally Posted by BBQ

I agree, 47" is a nice bed for one person.


or 2 really really skinny people like the FitRV folks.

Or one wide, 2 high...

[Davydd]

Originally Posted by Marley

Do you have a drawing of your layout?

These aren't the final but what I initially gave ARV after we found a bed system that would work and I had something to then design around. Prior to that I had several other drawings that I made and sent.





This is the finished product.

[Hein]

We like our futon-forward layout because we can open the slider and enjoy the view from the couch. We often enter through the back door especially during bad weather.

Enjoying a sunset at the Oregon coast.



While drawing 80A cooking pasta on the induction plate:



The whole build was planned and designed in 3D CAD. Then all parts and components were produced with CNC equipment.