Whats your van sleeping layout - will it sleep 5?

[andeebee]

Hi all, First post incoming...
I have the itch to get an Early Bay for weekends away and trips out. Wife and I have 3 kids ages 10, 8 and 5.
Although Im reasonably familiar with the models available I havent seen many in 'sleeping mode' ie with beds and bunks out. We went along to the recent show at Ledbury, but the vans were all in 'show mode' and being the Sunday many had already started leaving.
Wife doesnt really want anyone out in a tent just yet, so the question is - would a Bay sleep 5? Or would this be a nightmare combo of snoring, farts and condensation? Seating wise can a camper have 5 seatbelted seats?
Ive heard of a hammock across the front seats but never seen one up - this would fit our smallest - do they still exist?
Would this be a nightmare with all of us in a Westy or similar?
Looking to hear from other large family Bay owners and any pics would be great!
Cheers, Andy B, nr Cheltenham.

 

[ozziedog]

Hi there Andy, I've got an Early and I reckon five is just do-able. You might get a year or two out of it before you got to start slinging them out in a tent. I'm normally solo but occasionally take three little dudes away. The biggest issue isn't just squeezing them in as that's ok, but being able to get to anything at all when they have hit the sack. I've got a Devon styled van with a straight up pop top. I've recently fitted the hugest bunk in the top I've ever seen, I didn't realise it was so big till it was in, but hey ho. The narrow end is half as wide as the opening into the poptop and the wide end is three quarters as wide. Regular bunks are usually wider at one end and narrow at the other so you can get two up there, with a hint of a gap between to squeeze in. The roll up like ambulance stretchers when wrapped up. I made a small bed across the front seats and that was fine for a good sized twelve year old, it was a makeshift quarter ply base which went as far as the gear stick with two removeable legs, self inflating mattress, sleeping bag and pillow. This was the favourite bed with the little ones. I made two solid stretcher bunks that went from the dash over the top of the front seats and their feet were over sailing by a foot, fine for sleeping but issues with sitting on the unsupported end so we cut that down to just one over the steering wheel with a cargo net to stop the top one falling / jumping on the one below. And yes, the cab bunks ala the original style with a pole supported across the screen and by the seat backs with a stretcher in between, copies of these can be had from Bluebird and maybe elsewhere too. So I had one on the seats and one above going the opposite way and one in the roof and me in a full size double all to myself. So you could easily get two in the roof on stretcher style bunks or Westy types have a small double up there. You can easily fit one or two in the front, and I've got the large bed to myself but obviously the Mrs could go in there two. A lot of people squeeze two good sized adults onto a three quarter double bed which gives you a little more cupboard space. I got a funny feeling that most Westys have a three quarter styled bed just for that reason I'm guessing.
Just to confuse you some more, I accidentally bought an Amascador style rear tent. This extends the back of the van, the raised tailgate becomes the roof and the tent covers this and down onto the van roof with small magnets and forms three tent type walls. You're supposed to build a base of ply and a mattress to extend the large bed out the back. I haven't got round to this bit yet. It would mean that your large bed will start from behind the rear seat, over the cargo area and into the tent bit. Great if you haven't got a rock and roll bed but a bit pointless if you have, and I have.
I ninety nine percent of the time have a gazebo on the side of the bus for my table and bits and bobs and for cooking in, this is what makes it do-able. Come to Malvern and get there early, come find the Early Bay bit, mine has the leopard bumpers so come and say hi.

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,,,, its nearly Busfest :mrgreen:

 

[who?1]

Hi Andy,

I would just like to add to Ozzie by pointing you in the direction of the Viking and Super Viking pop top conversions.
My folks had one when I was a kid and you could have a party up top for four and still had a double rock and roll bed down below. It was an awesome bit of kit that you could graft onto the top of an early. The only issue would be finding one.....

 

[Clem]

The early bay westfalia literature shows five on board at night.

Parents in the double bed, one child in the cab hammock, one in the roof hammock and one on the buddy seat/stool.

With an awning as 'overflow' it could be done. I guess a later 'proper' bed in the roof will sleep two kids easier so its quite possible.

Sleeping is the easy part, its the 'living' thats hard! :lol:

 

[andeebee]

Thanks for the replies. Clem, that early Wesftalia literature is great, thank you for posting.
The reason for looking at a Westy and not one of the other 'party in the roof' models is one condition I have for the van is that it will fit in my garage, so height is a real concern. Otherwise I agree the Viking would do the job, no problem.
So now starts my journey of searching for the van. Actually it starts with selling my bike first and that provides a good part of the sum required.
Checking an The Samba and here of course and keen on a US imported van to keep future work costs down.

 

[Zcat7]

I have a Dormbile that I have converted a bit so it now has a Rock & Roll bed at the rear. You can fit 3 belts across the rear seats - 2x 3 point belts either side and a lap belt in the middle. so that's your 5 belted in. Prior to that I could only belt in 2 on the rear bench as the cupboard extended right along one side. I also have 2x rear facing buddy seats which do not require seat belts (not supposed to fit them to rear facing either so far as I recall). Sleeping wise I have 2 on the Rock & Roll, 2 single bunks in the roof and the child's bunk across the cab which I got from NLA VW via Coolair. Good thing about the cab bunk is that you can still chuck bags, table and stuff under there. and there is plenty of space under the R&R and in the remaining Dormobile cupboards.
I imagine 5 would be snug and the logistics of getting 3 kids to bed could be interesting on a dark rainy night. I have an awning for swing space and cooking for anything more than a weekend away and there's only me, the missus and an 8 month old!

 

[TheHewsonFamily]

Another Dormobile here. We have a westy interior with full width rock n roll, two hammock bunks in the roof and a hammock bed over the front seats. It's cozy but comfortable. Biggest issue is bus rocking around at night with little ones wriggling around. I am looking at getting some corner stabilisers (like on a caravan) to make it more stable. We have a big Kyham Motordome Awning that means the inside of the van is clear of stuff.

 

[Cloudybay]

Another Dormobile here. We have a westy interior with full width rock n roll, two hammock bunks in the roof and a hammock bed over the front seats. It's cozy but comfortable. Biggest issue is bus rocking around at night with little ones wriggling around. I am looking at getting some corner stabilisers (like on a caravan) to make it more stable. We have a big Kyham Motordome Awning that means the inside of the van is clear of stuff.

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[Cloudybay]

We bought an Eriba, I have four kids, so the better half and I and the four troublemakers have plenty of space. 1600 stock engine tows it like a dream, as long as you are in no hurry. No faffing around with awnings either!!


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