Advice on buying a caravan

Lots of good advice already given, but having the choice I would go for a fixed bed every time. I have a transverse bed (across the van width) which most people would perhaps consider extravagant for one person but it provides luxury for me. My dogs can sleep in the lounge area and I have my own, very comfortable bed. It's made up neatly during the daytime and there is plenty of space in the lounge if the other half does decide he will accompany me! It wouldn't perhaps suit a family with kids but I find it suits me/us perfectly. It also has a good sized end bathroom and shower.

thanks for the advice. we prefer more living area than sleeping area, and was worried that the made up beds might be a squeeze compared to fixed And not so comfy. We've noticed most modern vans cater for fixed beds too. Amanda doesn't mind making up the bed each night either

thanks for the advice. we prefer more living area than sleeping area, and was worried that the made up beds might be a squeeze compared to fixed And not so comfy. We've noticed most modern vans cater for fixed beds too. Amanda doesn't mind making up the bed each night either

Write your comments here...We watched and tried a bed makeup on the Bailey stand at the Birmingham show ,it took less  than a minute + bedding

other than the excellent point made by Jill and Another David, i think the main issue is....what bedding are your used to sleeping on/in (comfortable with)....

for those that are happy to be in an unrolled sleeping bag tossed onto a sofa, then making up the bed 'takes no time'.

definitely not for us, nor probably someone who is used to a proper sheet and duvet...

similarly, turning a pair of sofas into a proper bed with sheets and a duvet isnt 'the work of seconds'....we had a made up bed van for a year.....first long (4 week) trip to France and soon got fed up with that......fixed bed van was imminent.

the other issue is storage....sleeping bags, pillows, duvets etc take up plenty of space, whereas a fixed bed provides a place for your bedding to remain in situ and to provide a large storage area underneath for other 'stuff'....

if you spend lots of time inside the van, perhaps the emphasis should be lounge space, but if you are more akin to being out and about a lovely bed to flop into might be the order of the day....

thanks for the advice. we prefer more living area than sleeping area, and was worried that the made up beds might be a squeeze compared to fixed And not so comfy. We've noticed most modern vans cater for fixed beds too. Amanda doesn't mind making up the bed each night either

Write your comments here...We watched and tried a bed makeup on the Bailey stand at the Birmingham show ,it took less  than a minute + bedding

Write your comments here...That truly is how simple it is,then you have the benifit of the space. In our books that is the plus.

A point in favour of the use of the lounge is that these beds are far longer if you are tall. Accross the caravan you get well over 6 ft but fixed beds are often a lot shorter. A point worth noting if length is important.

One other consideration with c/v fixed beds is that care has to be taken when loading the underbed storage as most "fixed bed" layouts have the bed area behind the axle

When my husband and I started out in our late twenties we bought what we could afford and could tow - this was a 2 berth end kitchen. It was a good starter caravan and the bed make up meant we could sleep as two singles or a double. If we came back late at night we would sleep as two singles as it can be quite noisy making up a double (we still hear people doing this nowadays late at night). Everyone has their favourite layout, just look about and see what suits you best. Take your time. Our choices of layout have changed due to family.

One additional advantage of the fixed double that many people overlook is the storage. Not the total scace, but the fact you can store something far bigger than will go under a single. 

We have a fixed bed - for all the reasons above but you do need to wander around a lot, talk to people, and imagine how you might live in them

But for us the main points are:.

Making up a bed with proper bedding, including mattress protector etc., takes a lot longer than a minute and becomes an absolute pain night after night, especially as you get older.

There is room for our loungers and a plastic table and two folding chairs (all lightweight so no loading issues) under the fixed bed, ensuring that the caravan can be used 'in transit'.  I've seen caravans of other layouts cluttered with 'stuff' for which there is no storage space because one locker is full of bedding.

For those who go to bed at different times (but still like to sleep together)  a fixed bed allows one of you to go to bed earlier whilst the other can stay up in the lounge.  Similarly if you have different times for getting up then one can be up and sitting down having breakfast leaving the other sleeping on.

Most front 'sofas' in fixed bed layouts are still long enough to get your feet up, and 'lounge' or to entertain.  They just aren't long enough to sleep on.

You still have the option of making up the front bed if you have visitors. Most fixed beds are used by couples, though, as the layout isn't good if you have children or grandchildren with you (until they're old enough to be going to bed later than you do in which case they can sleep at the front!)

I have heard as one argument that people wouldn't buy a fixed bed because 'they wouldn't like a second-hand mattress'.  The original surface of our mattress is protected by a separate cover, a mattress topper, a mattress protector, and our sheet.  Most people never give a thought to sleeping in a hotel bed where the mattress is used by many more people.

I've also read the point of the corner of the bed being chopped off, but in practical terms your feet aren't pushed together, there is plenty of space unless you're both over six feet tall.  Also the 'climbing over each' other bit crops up, if you have to get out of bed to go to the look, but if you make up the front bed transversely then one still has to climb over the other.