BIG Dream...Lots of "Pixie Dust"

[Srackangast]

Ok help me out with this.....family of 6...although we have extra kids a lot and my Mom.... would you be looking for TT and Tow Vehicle or MH? My kids are 16, 14, 11 and 4. Thanks for dreaming with me

Can't wait until Dec. at FW.

 

[DaveInTN]

Well, as a fellow family of 4 kids, I can tell you that we LOVED traveling in our MH. You know as well as I do that you will never coordinate the bladder schedules of kids...not to mention DW. So, far fewer stops along the road. Plus, it's awesome to be able to grab a snack or drink from the kitchen while traveling. We had a bunk model Itasca (Winnie) and it served us very well.

We recently sold it...and are eventually moving to a TT and full size van, as we are adopting so will need even more space. And there is the potential issue for you. You mention quite often having "tag alongs"...either other children or your Mom. Which is awesome. But that might make most MH's become pretty tight. Our bunk model class A was great...DW and I had the bedroom, the two youngest DD's had the bunks, and the two older DD's took the sofa and dinette in front. On the occassion we had to sleep an extra person, an inflatable mattress was placed on the floor near the sofa. There would not really have been any room for anyone else, short of throwing up a tent outside.

If you think you will routinely exceed 6 people, you may want to consider either one of the super C's with bunks AND the overcab bed option, or go the route of a bunkhouse TT. We are looking at models with a 4 bunk room in front, a nice sized master in back, plus we still have the sofa bed and dinette in the middle. We have a 12 passenger van to haul it all. So, once we are ready to dive back into RVing, that's the likely route we will take.

Good luck!

 

[thegoofyfamily]

Dave is right about the Class A. We sold ours last year and it would have been ridiculous traveling in it now with our two girls.....their friends and our new baby. We only had the fold down couch and the "dinette" was a table and chairs. It was a 38' Itasca Horizon, but was really meant for 2 people....plus maybe 2 kids tops.

We're now looking at a C or Super C. If we find a TT for an incredible deal, we'll get it in the interim. One of the main reasons is the ability to tow.....GC, dirtbikes, 4 wheelers, boat..... And, if you do any dry/primitive camping, most TT do not come with a generator, which will have to be bought separately and does not have a place to store it.......unless you devise a generator storage setup. I probably didn't use the right words in that last sentence, but you get the drift......

 

[FWFans]

We are a family with 4 kids too. We have a 38 ft MH that has 1 large slide out. There is the master bedroom, the sofa bed and the dinette table that folds down into a bed. The set up wasn't bad when the kids were younger (3 boys and 1 girl) but now that they are older the sleeping arrangements has become an issue. We usually bring an air mattress to but on the floor in the kitchen for extra sleeping space. The problem is making and taking down all those beds every day so we can get around. Just something you might want to consider. The TT that we had prior to getting the MH had bunks and it made life so much easier.
Dave what MH did you have with the bunks? We saw one up in Alaska that I really loved and it was made by Fleetwood. I would consider trading ours in for the Fleetwood but my DH says...NO!

Nancy

 

[beagles7278]

We have a Damon Daybreak 3276 with bunks and a queen bed in the rear. The dinette and couch still fold out for additional space. It works great for us, we have a 6 and 3 year old.

 

[DaveInTN]

Dave what MH did you have with the bunks? We saw one up in Alaska that I really loved and it was made by Fleetwood. I would consider trading ours in for the Fleetwood but my DH says...NO!

Nancy

Nancy, we had the Itasca Sunova 35J. It was a gasser on the Ford chassis. Never had any problems with it. I would highly recommend one to anyone with 1-3 kids, or 4 little ones. Fleetwood makes a VERY NICE diesel bunk model in the Discovery 40G. If money was no object we'd have owned one of those. But, alas, money IS an object.

 

[FWFans]

Nancy, we had the Itasca Sunova 35J. It was a gasser on the Ford chassis. Never had any problems with it. I would highly recommend one to anyone with 1-3 kids, or 4 little ones. Fleetwood makes a VERY NICE diesel bunk model in the Discovery 40G. If money was no object we'd have owned one of those. But, alas, money IS an object.

The Discovery 40G was the one we looked at in Alaska! It was a model for sale at Camping World in Anchorage. We looked through it while we were waiting for the Class C we had rented to be inspected upon return. It is a beautiful rig! I'd have one in a heart beat if I could afford it too.

We currently own a 1999 38 ft diesel pusher Holiday Rambler Endeavor. We bought it used in 2004 for a great price. That's the only reason why we bought it in the first place.

 

[ftwildernessrick]

A bunk house motorhome would be good for normal trips. When the extra persons come along, put up a tent and throw some of the kids in it. I always carry a large (10 X 30) tent with me, 4 sleeping bags & air matresses, just in case. I have the tent rigged where I can slip a window a/c unit into it, for the warmer months.

For our upcoming May trip, I will probably have an extra 6 or 8 with us. When I have that many, I will put them all in the tent for sleeping purposes and leave the front living room of the MH set up for entertainment.

 

[Srackangast]

DaveInTN I have been following your journey what an emotional rollercoaster. I love that you guys are adopting. My friend adopted two years ago from Russia. Her adoption went some what quickly because she was blessed with syblings. You are so right about potty breaks traveling. Also, my teenage boys get very impatient with the giggly girls so a spacious MH travel would be great.

 

[Srackangast]

I love the class c MH. I think to get one that would fit everyone would need LOTS of Pixie Dust. I especially like the one not sure what they are called that the Race Drivers use" we are in a big NASCAR town". It has several slides outs and pulls storage behind. We saw 4 the other night all coming from Canada...guessing thats where they were made and being delivered to new homes.

Ok here is my fear. The TT has the more manageable funds but I have seen so many turned over on the road with nice sized tow vehicles. That worries me a good bit. I like the 5th wheel but its a bit crowded with 6 and especially when Nana comes even thought she is only 100lbs.

 

[DaveInTN]

Have you ever seen the Gulfstream Supernova 6400...aka the "Grand Hotel"? It's a diesel super C, with 1 1/2 baths, a nice master bedroom, 2 bunks, plus an overcab bunk, and the couch and U-shaped dinette. A great floorplan for families and large groups. I can't comment on the quality of Gulfstream's MH's, as I've never owned one and have heard very mixed reviews. I just think the floorplan is very cool.

http://www.conquestmotorhomes.com/products/supernova/floorplan6400.htm

 

[Srackangast]

WOW! Thats about it!

 

[Elliott]

Gulfstream had a SuperNova 6400 at the Hershey show....NICE....MSRP $270,000 for a new one and I haven't seen any used ones out there. 40 ft long and 12 1/2 ft high is pretty big for most of us non CDL drivers.

We also have 4 kids and although they are small right now, they seem to be growing, like, every day for some reason. We are currently in a 4 door truck pulling a 30ft TT w/ a single-over-double bunk. 6 people in a pickup cab is a bit crowded for the 1000 miles to the Fort so we would like to upgrade as well. Like others have stated I don't want to have to screw with putting a couch or dinnette up and down every day just to have room to sleep. We like designated sleeping areas, especially foir midday naps. The only class A that has that kind of sleeping capacity is the Fleetwood "Storm" - it has a bunk that comes down from the ceiling over the driver, then you put an air mattress on it. Otherwise a class C is all you are gonna find and only a few manufacturers make a model w/ over the cab bunk and a bunk along the side w/ a queen in the back. All of these are on Fords w/ gas V10's and the pulling capacity is limited to 5000 lbs. (you might be able to special order a diesel for the right $$$). They are gonna run $60 - 100K depending upon model and ability to negotiate. We like the Jayco but haven't been able to actually see a Gulfstream (non SuperNova).

 

[North7]

I realize you didn't mention a 5th wheel, but if that is an option, you should have a look at the Sandpiper 355QBQ (I think Sierra also has the same floorplan). It has a back bedroom for the kids with 2 twin beds, 2 bunks, and 2 optional trundle beds. Another bonus is 2 bathrooms when you have that many people. The brochure says it will sleep 12.

Another option my wife thought would be good is the U-dinette which replaces the couch and dinette table in the slide out. It also comes with 2 chairs and would be a lot better than the standard table when 6+ people are eating.

We haven't seen one of these yet... just trying to decide if it's time to get rid of our 2009 with multiple leaks before we encounter real issues

 

[Srackangast]

I really like the 5th wheels. My Dad has a 27ft. Jayco with large slide. We have used is several times borrowing his truck. Now that our kids are much bigger we can cram in the 5th wheel because of the slide and floor space, but the truck ride (Dodge Ram 99 I think) back seat is now just toooo tight for the teens. What truck would be big enough for 6 people 5 adult size and 1 booster(carseat).

 

[Srackangast]

Just found out my own answer to the truck question...Its on what pulls your truck to the FT thread.

 

[DaveInTN]

What truck would be big enough for 6 people 5 adult size and 1 booster(carseat).

I went through that process a few years ago....looking for a 6 passenger truck for my family. The problem I ran into at the time was, while most manufacturers of large trucks make huge crew cabs with spacious and comfortable backseats, with only one exception they have overlooked the safety of the front seat middle passenger. The middle seat is not only typically uncomfortable, but also does not include a shoulder belt or headrest. The only truck that seemed to address this to me was the Toyota Tundra. But the Tundra is a 1/2 ton and probably not a good match to the size 5th wheel you would want for your family size.

Now, it's been a little while since I've searched, so maybe one of the big 3 makes has addressed this now. But in my mind, the big truck market is not an option for families of 6.