4 bunk bed motor homes

[KidsOnTour]

I have 4 kids and have spent months researching motor home layouts online. I’ve finally decided that a fixed bed for everyone is what we need but it appears that the only motorhome that meets this requirement is the Rimor Katamarano 50 having two bunk beds at the back. This is obviously fairly specialist and the only place in the UK that I can see that has them is MandCltd.com in Hull. They don’t seem to answer their phone or messages - has anyone had any experience with them?

Does anyone know of any other motor home with 2 sets of bunk beds - i.e. 4 bunk beds?

This got me thinking, how difficult would it be to retrofit bunks? If I found a motor home with a rear lounge long enough - would it be possible to fit 2 sets of bunks or would the structure of a Motorhome not support this? Not sure if it’s a stupid idea and I should just give in on it.

Any suggestions on where to look next on my quest gratefully received.

Ta

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

With four kids and you , maybe a partner that’d be a six birth you’d be after. Just make sure you’ve also got six belted traveling seats . Then of course you’d need to make sure you have enough payload for you and your passengers. Plus all the paraphernalia you need when taking kids.
We just about managed it when we got our first motorhome, with 3 kids and two dogs. We had one set of bunks , a king size bed over the cab and a double bed that made up in the lounge area.
Good luck .

 

[Lenny HB]

Have you got a C1 licence as with 4 kids you are going to need at the very minium a 4000kg van and probably won't be enough. You will need a van with a payload of at least 1000kg.

I can't see the Rimor you are looking at working it's basically 3500kg van with an upgrade available to 3750kg.

 

[KidsOnTour]

With four kids and you , maybe a partner that’d be a six birth you’d be after. Just make sure you’ve also got six belted traveling seats . Then of course you’d need to make sure you have enough payload for you and your passengers. Plus all the paraphernalia you need when taking kids.
We just about managed it when we got our first motorhome, with 3 kids and two dogs. We had one set of bunks , a king size bed over the cab and a double bed that made up in the lounge area.
Good luck .

Thanks for the welcome

They’re all relatively little at the moment so I think we’d be ok for now but agreed we’d need enough pay load. I just think that to survive for longer periods they’d need their own space and the reason i want a motorhome rather than a caravan is the ease of moving regularly which puts me off having to make up a bed every night. I’m just not sure whether I can find a katamarano 50 to look at or buy (and whether I can even afford that!) or whether a conversion is an option.. hmmmm. If the perfect motorhome was there I’d buy it tomorrow.. but I guess everyone feels like that

 

[tonka]

As well as seat belt and payload issues. Be aware of license requirements..
For decent payload and 6 seat belts you may need to be above 3500kg so if you passed your test after 1997 the standard car license wont cover it..

Cant help ref the model your after..

edit.. Whoops. Just like Lenny said..

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[Ralph-n-Bev]

One of the caravans we had , years ago had 2sets of bunks at the back. ( each side )
Then a sliding door into the kitchen/bathroom area in the middle and a U shape lounge at the front.
It was ideal when the kids were little . We often took one of their pals with us too. ( glutton for punishment)
The fact you could close off the back whilst they were in bed was great too.
We used to go ( fly ) abroad for main holidays and used the caravan for weekend breaks , mostly on certified Locations and caravan and camping club get togethers. We weren’t and still aren’t into big club sites . Rarely staying at one place more than 2 nights. We got packing , and not taking unwanted tat , down to an art.
If you could put that caravan on a motorhome it would be an ideal layout. But you’d struggle to get the belted seats in there.

 

[KidsOnTour]

Have you got a C1 licence as with 4 kids you are going to need at the very minium a 4000kg van and probably won't be enough. You will need a van with a payload of at least 1000kg.

I can't see the Rimor you are looking at working it's basically 3500kg van with an upgrade available to 3750kg.

Lenny, my husband passed pre 1997 so he’s ok. I need to check my licence. I hadn’t realised there is a limit to the payload. So the Rimor 50 can only be upgraded to 3750kg? You can’t pay more to go higher? Seems to defeat the object of the van if you can’t actually fit 6 people and their stuff in it

 

[suavecarve]

We bought a 6 berth with 6 travel seats. Rollerteam 690.
Appreciate it hasnt got the double bunks you are after but the weight issue is probably worst than you can possibly imagine.
i ve posted this a couple of times but here it goes

So the brand new van with an extra battery, solar panel, bike rack and a few things here and there including a bike ramp, Gas, all the cutlery and just me (85kgs) and should be limited 3,500 kgs with 450 kg of payload
Front axle 1601 kgs
Rear axle 1773 kgs
Total 3374 kgs
126 kgs left

My choices now are:
Motorbike 102 kgs
Crash helmet and safety gear 5kgs
19 litres of diesel

I will have to leave behind

The wife
Water
food
clothing
Any 3rd 4th 5th or 6th person who thought they would freeload off me (children)
Bedding
Wine (i might ditch the crash helmet)
Books maps cameras laptops
Toilet roll (no need as i cant afford to carry the excess round with me)
Personal hygiene stuff (overrated anyway)
Hairdryer and straighteners (forgot i had already ditched the wife at Dover)

uprating to 4,100 kgs soonest.
Anybody near to Hindhead or Guildford (when i am working) can use it if you want to. (My weighing scales)

You can probably lose motorbike and safety gear which would now give you 233 kgs to get your family into the van (with all their stuff, no water, no clothes, books, bikes bedding, etc.

3,500 kgs into 6 berth does not go (Legally).

My advice is to rethink and obtain C1 licence, alternatively, follow behind in car, in which case caravan.

 

[KidsOnTour]

We bought a 6 berth with 6 travel seats. Rollerteam 690.
Appreciate it hasnt got the double bunks you are after but the weight issue is probably worst than you can possibly imagine.
i ve posted this a couple of times but here it goes

So the brand new van with an extra battery, solar panel, bike rack and a few things here and there including a bike ramp, Gas, all the cutlery and just me (85kgs) and should be limited 3,500 kgs with 450 kg of payload
Front axle 1601 kgs
Rear axle 1773 kgs
Total 3374 kgs
126 kgs left

My choices now are:
Motorbike 102 kgs
Crash helmet and safety gear 5kgs
19 litres of diesel

I will have to leave behind

The wife
Water
food
clothing
Any 3rd 4th 5th or 6th person who thought they would freeload off me (children)
Bedding
Wine (i might ditch the crash helmet)
Books maps cameras laptops
Toilet roll (no need as i cant afford to carry the excess round with me)
Personal hygiene stuff (overrated anyway)
Hairdryer and straighteners (forgot i had already ditched the wife at Dover)

uprating to 4,100 kgs soonest.
Anybody near to Hindhead or Guildford (when i am working) can use it if you want to. (My weighing scales)

You can probably lose motorbike and safety gear which would now give you 233 kgs to get your family into the van (with all their stuff, no water, no clothes, books, bikes bedding, etc.

3,500 kgs into 6 berth does not go (Legally).

My advice is to rethink and obtain C1 licence, alternatively, follow behind in car, in which case caravan.

Suavecarve, my husband has a C1 licence and I was debating upgrading mine. I had naively thought that I could pay to upgrade any payload to 5 tonne. Is this not the case? Is there a limit on how much you can upgrade to?

 

[suavecarve]

Lenny, my husband passed pre 1997 so he’s ok. I need to check my licence. I hadn’t realised there is a limit to the payload. So the Rimor 50 can only be upgraded to 3750kg? You can’t pay more to go higher? Seems to defeat the object of the van if you can’t actually fit 6 people and their stuff in it

Absolutely correct. 6 berths cannot be used as a 6 berth under 3500 kgs
You can go higher but its a load of adjustments. The uprating we are talking about is a paper exercise done by a couple of different companies for between £150 and £250.

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[suavecarve]

Suavecarve, my husband has a C1 licence and I was debating upgrading mine. I had naively thought that I could pay to upgrade any payload to 5 tonne. Is this not the case? Is there a limit on how much you can upgrade to?

Hopefully i just answered that one

 

[suavecarve]

And before you reply. Be aware you only get 5 posts free of charge.
Choose your next post wisely !!!!
Or you will have to pay your subs of 15 pound per annum to get the advice from all and sundry........which has probably just saved you your first errant purchase

 

[KidsOnTour]

Absolutely correct. 6 berths cannot be used as a 6 berth under 3500 kgs
You can go higher but its a load of adjustments. The uprating we are talking about is a paper exercise done by a couple of different companies for between £150 and £250.

Thanks - what do you mean by adjustments? Physical changes to the van?

I had thought I pay the £250 to upgrade to 5 tonnes and I’m done.. lol. Oops.

 

[suavecarve]

I ll try to answer as many as i can for you.
Firstly check yours is pre 97. If it is then you are ok to drive a plus 3500 kgs motorhome.
If that is the case then start looking at bigger ones and consider whether the double bunk beds is a deal stopper or a preference.
If you dont have pre 97 licence. Can hubby do all the driving ? Do you want that as it limits travelling in a day?
If you need to get your +3500kgs licence it can be between 500 and grand. Then you would have to uprate your van as well.

 

[suavecarve]

I ll take @Lenny HB at his word as he probably checked (he normally does) and the maximum capacity without any adjustments (which are expensive) is 3750 for the van you are considering. That is still not even close to buttering the parsnips for 6 (Well maybe a weekend away)

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[Reallyretired]

In order to get the weight uprated you need usually air suspension fitted and possibly different tyres.
I would suggest you seriously consider a trailer caravan. I had one when my kids were small. It had four bunks in the back, kitchen and washroom in the middle and a dinette making a double at the front. There was only one bed to make up and plenty of seatbelts in the car. Obviously a largish car is needed but you need that anyway with four kids.
When they were older we changed to a 7 berth motorhome, which needed more beds making up but at least they could then do their own.

 

[mitzimad]

other possibility is to tow a trailer with all the heavy stuff in

 

[suavecarve]

It does say 635 kgs of payload on this van !!!!
Would be interested to see how accurate that is if it were based on the 3500 top end.
They also want 400 quid to uprate it for you !!!! Wow.

 

[KidsOnTour]

And before you reply. Be aware you only get 5 posts free of charge.
Choose your next post wisely !!!!
Or you will have to pay your subs of 15 pound per annum to get the advice from all and sundry........which has probably just saved you your first errant purchase

In order to get the weight uprated you need usually air suspension fitted and possibly different tyres.
I would suggest you seriously consider a trailer caravan. I had one when my kids were small. It had four bunks in the back, kitchen and washroom in the middle and a dinette making a double at the front. There was only one bed to make up and plenty of seatbelts in the car. Obviously a largish car is needed but you need that anyway with four kids.
When they were older we changed to a 7 berth motorhome, which needed more beds making up but at least they could then do their own.

Thanks all! I think I’ve got my heart set on 4 bunks as I believe it would be the perfect layout for us. So I guess I want to work out if it’s actually possible. \

When you say expensive to fit air suspension and new tyres - what ball park are we talking?

If I found a u shaped rear lounge motor home with a large payload do you think I could fit 2 bunk beds or is the skin of a motorhome unable to make this kind of amendment to?

Thanks again all - I’ve learned more in 30 mins (and £15) on here than months of googling and reading up!

 

[KidsOnTour]

It does say 635 kgs of payload on this van !!!!
Would be interested to see how accurate that is if it were based on the 3500 top end.
They also want 400 quid to uprate it for you !!!! Wow.

I know. It’s already an expensive van and if you buy it surely the assumption is you’d have 6 people in it. It seems hugely unfair that people can naively buy something and then not be able to use it in the way you would assume it was meant to be used!

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[Reallyretired]

Depending on your carpentry skills you probably could if designed so the weight was taken by the floor and not the walls. You would still have a problem of having 6 belted seats though.

 

[suavecarve]

Like you say, best 15 quid you could pay out for.
Cleverer people than myself would have fitted double bunk beds and as a non clver DIY person i cant see a reason why you couldnt attach some 2 by 2 and build up above a rear u shape but attaching it to the existing 2 by 2 which makes up the rear seating.
Ideally attaching it to the inner side of the motorhome would give you scope to have them raised when not in use on some sort of pivot system. I m NOT the person suggest this though.
Have a look in the self build section and you can now use the search facility. "Bunk beds" in the top right hand corner of this page underneath "alerts"

 

[Gadget]

We have a Benimar Mileo 313 - Double overhead luton bed, two bunks across the back and the centre lounge converts to a small double also. Six belted seats and all in a ferry friendly 5.95 metre length. A fitted towbar means that if required extra payload can go in a small trailer.
It's also towards the lower end of expense to purchase even with the euro 6 150bhp engine with no need for adblu.
However depending on how the children 'get on' there is not a lot of room if there is a disagreement, our lads are fine, even though they are 37 and 35 years old!

 

[Jammel1980]

I’m sure you could retro fit x 2 bunk beds, maybe contact some companies that do self build furniture for vans. how small are the children? Could they top and tail? Our bunks are 6 ft 9 Long so could easily fit x 2 small kiddies in, We would defiantly not be without the made up bunks for the kids so if u think it’s for u, don’t make do. Have you looked at RV’s especially if your OH has C1, they have tons of payload and lots of different layouts, with plenty of room to customise to what you require.

 

[KidsOnTour]

Oo - rvs have not been on my radar yet so I’ll go and do some googling!

I’m also searching for u shaped large rear lounges in big pay load campervans lol.

I would love to go and view the Rimor katamarano 50 but they don’t answer the ruddy phone!!

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[KidsOnTour]

I’m sure you could retro fit x 2 bunk beds, maybe contact some companies that do self build furniture for vans. how small are the children? Could they top and tail? Our bunks are 6 ft 9 Long so could easily fit x 2 small kiddies in, We would defiantly not be without the made up bunks for the kids so if u think it’s for u, don’t make do. Have you looked at RV’s especially if your OH has C1, they have tons of payload and lots of different layouts, with plenty of room to customise to what you require.

6 foot 9 long bunks - wow - what van do you have?

 

[tonka]

I know. It’s already an expensive van and if you buy it surely the assumption is you’d have 6 people in it. It seems hugely unfair that people can naively buy something and then not be able to use it in the way you would assume it was meant to be used!

Not really..
Here on Fun it's common to get people join "after the event" when they have spend lots of money and then discover vans with poor payload or other issues like not enough seat belts to be legal..
The best £15 you will ever spend on a motorhome.

My van is 6 Berth, has a good payload of 730kg but only 4 belted seats and with 2 adults and 2 kids we are often close to the weight limit of 4250kg when loaded up for a big trip.

 

[Lenny HB]

Lenny, my husband passed pre 1997 so he’s ok. I need to check my licence. I hadn’t realised there is a limit to the payload. So the Rimor 50 can only be upgraded to 3750kg? You can’t pay more to go higher? Seems to defeat the object of the van if you can’t actually fit 6 people and their stuff in it

Thanks all! I think I’ve got my heart set on 4 bunks as I believe it would be the perfect layout for us. So I guess I want to work out if it’s actually possible. \

When you say expensive to fit air suspension and new tyres - what ball park are we talking?

If I found a u shaped rear lounge motor home with a large payload do you think I could fit 2 bunk beds or is the skin of a motorhome unable to make this kind of amendment to?

Thanks again all - I’ve learned more in 30 mins (and £15) on here than months of googling and reading up!

Difficult to find good info on Rimor's, virtually no info on the manufacturer's site, O&A has the most I could find.
The maximum weight of a Motorhome is governed by the chassis it is built on 3500kg vans are built on a light chassis which often can be upgraded to 3850kg, over 3850kg they are on what is called a Maxi chassis which can be upgraded to 4500 to 5000kg.

On the Katamarano 50 they offer an upgrade to 3750 I expect just a paper exercise, it is probably possible to upgrade to 3850kg but may need wider tyres and air assist rear suspension, tyres would cost £400- £500, air suspension if a standard Renault chassis £600-£700 if an Al-Ko chassis £1500- £2000.

How payload is defined is a minefield, you might want to take some headache pills before reading:-

The max/gross weight is now called MAM - Maxium Allowable Mass (this is the 3500kg/3750kg).
The empty weight that defines the payload is not so simple, it is MIRO - Mass in Running Order. This is the base weight but it includes allowances which vary between manufacturers, German manufacturers allow for a driver at 75kg, 20Lt of water (20kg), 90% fuel (if its a 90 Lt tank 67kg) and 1 aluminium 11kg gas cylinder (17kg). Not all manufacturers allow for fuel and water you need to check.
Also there is a 5% tolerance on the MIRO most vans are at least 100kg over the stated weight and you need to add any factory fitted + dealer & self fitted extras.

So on your Rimor 635kg payload if they use the same allowances I've listed you would need to reduce the payload say 100kg for overweight tolerance, awning 40kg manufacturers accessories say 100kg, TV & other bits and pieces say 50kg, bike rack 15kg, spare wheel 30kg, 2nd battery 25kg now we are down to 290kg.
Now you have passengers 4 kids & yourself say 170-200kg, and normal gas cylinders 30kg, if you just took the kids bikes probably 50kg, clothing for 6, pots & pans, crockery, food probably 75kg, chairs & table 25kg.
Now we are already 60-90 kg overweight, without all the other bits us Motorhomers carry and with hardly any water.

Whith the 3750kg upgrade it would give a payload of 885kg, just about doable but in a couple of years as the kids get bigger may be unworkable.

 

[Stealaway]

Oo - rvs have not been on my radar yet so I’ll go and do some googling!

I’m also searching for u shaped large rear lounges in big pay load campervans lol.

I would love to go and view the Rimor katamarano 50 but they don’t answer the ruddy phone!!

As anyone mentioned this one on sale on here? https://euramobilactiva.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/motorhome-details.html

 

[Jammel1980]

6 foot 9 long bunks - wow - what van do you have?

We have a 7 berth Mobilvetta with a king size bed over the cab, 2 x 6ft9 bunks across the back, (a nice distance from our bed) and a king size and single that require making in the middle, (which we don’t use). It’s a perfect layout for us but it wasn’t easy to find.