[teacherman]

Originally Posted by spade117

I have an exterior door to our bathroom on our bunkhouse camper. I like it because it helps keep some of the foot traffic from the main entrance going thru the camper to get to the bathroom.

Our bunkroom is one of the two slides on this model, which creates enough room for at least 4 children back there, but it is only a curtain that separates that area.

We do not have an interior television as we are not at the age that being inside while camping is something we are interested in.

There is a television in the outdoor kitchen area, that also has a small fridge. No cooking area. I also like to set up other cooking apparatus' slightly away from the camper.

Originally Posted by travelin texans

The difference between "living" in a RV & "camping" in a RV are 2 totally different lifestyles. For a while at first it will feel as if you're "camping" but if the weather is undesirable & stuck indoors, especially with little ones, it's not "camping" anymore & gets very small very quickly.
As to a toy hauler rather a bunkhouse, I'd chose the BH, the TH room always feels to industrial to be living quarters & usually bigger space than the other living area with usually the TV mounted way up high.
Just my .02 cents!

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Generally accepted rule is if it has a ladder it’s a walkable roof. You can always use 4X4 thin wood or styrofoam mats to spread the load.

Originally Posted by compeakw

A couple of thoughts after reading through the thread and the advice you've received so far.

If you are serious about wanting to consider "winter" camping a trailer with slides will make that more of a challenge for a few reasons: more exterior surface area per square foot; the insulation in the slide walls, floor, and roof has a lower R value than the main body of the trailer; and you have a gap around the slide with NO insulation, just rubber gaskets. A longer trailer can give you the same square footage and be easier to heat (or cool), but they don't feel as spacious because there entire box is only eight feet wide.

Speaking of longer trailers, if you plan to spend a lot of time in national parks you may want to limit the length because many have length limits.

You also mentioned wanting something durable. In "light weight" trailers the floor is typically a sandwich of thin plywood, foam, and another layer of thin plywood. They seem to be especially susceptible to water damage. Some trailers have a product called Azdel in the sidewalls. A sheet of plastic replaces the luan making it less susceptible to water damage. Unfortunately, I don't know if any trailers that use it in the floor construction. If anyone else in the thread does I'd love to know about it.

Finally, you mentioned storing the trailer in New Hampshire. That's another reason for a walkable roof, they can carry a heavier snow load.

Good luck with your search.

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

His kiddo is 5 years old and top bunk up some ladder doesn't seem like a great idea. I can't recall our kids too much at that age but the lower bunk seems like a better idea. I do recall most bunkhouse upper bunks lack anything to keep a child from falling out.

Many thanks for the sage advice. I think I lean toward holding out to find one that has the polymer sidewalls, plywood rather than waferboard in the floors, and a sturdy roof. We won't be full-timers; the idea is to have a place to live while I a) fix up our house and the epoxy polymer needs two days to dry, b) we relocate to NH and we're looking for a new house near the Commandant's new school, in hopes of not having to "move" twice, with Pods in storage for a modest fee, while wrangling a kid and a surprisingly strong chocolate lab, and c) an escape abode when I have to refinish the floors in our new house.

Then comes the RV-ing. The idea of the Commandant having his own dedicated bedroom might have to go away once I research the national park length limits. The idea of a nearly-semi length rig rolling up the mountain roads in, say, Highlands, NC or any place much like it seems rather less than "vacationary" as well. That uniquely American ideal of "having it all" is, I suppose, best left in the daydream stage. I rode my HD Road King (traded for a Subaru a few years back) up Pike's Peak and down the Tail of the Dragon in 2011, and...

Good point on the upper bunk. He's been climbing stepladders since he was one, but a five foot drop while asleep is not a feat I wish to encourage in the least!

I chose to pass on the Hideout, though it is still for sale, and looks to be an excellent deal. Hard, but best to be informed. The DW looked up campground rates and pointed out it ain't cheap to park 'em, either.

I'll keep looking into this, and even if it doesn't end up a Keystone, I'll keep ye posted! I really do appreciate the feedback and sharing of experience.