Weird bed in motorhome bedroom

[JudyJB]

I am still deciding between the Fleetwood or the FOrest River motorhomes. I checked out the Fleetwood Tioga Ranger 31N on Saturday and got a lot of my questions answered. I am going Saturday with my son to another dealer in Ohio near where he lives to look at it again because I want his opinion. ALso going on Friday down to the Fleetwood factory and to a dealer in Ohio that has the Forest River so I can give it a good look also.

Now, here is my question: Does anyone have a queen bed in their RV that has a separate piece at the head that you remove when you slide the slide in and put back when the slide is out?? (This is a side slide, with the head of the bed on the left side of the coach.) This is a chunk of foam that is about 8" x 8" and as long as the bed is wide. Before you slide in the slide, you have to remove this and put it on the bed.

Apparently, they could not fit in a regular queen because when the slide was in, it would not leave room for the large wardrobe across the foot of the bed. So they put in a shorter queen and added this chunk of foam to make it longer. I wish I had measured the bed with and without this foam chunk. I might be able to sleep in it without it because I am short. At the RV show where I originally saw this model, everything was covered by the bedspread.

I have two issues:
1) Is it going to be comfortable having this extra piece with a crack under my pillow??
2) How in the heck do I put a sheet around it?? Pin it in some way, or sew a special cover of sheet material??

I also have a problem with the mattress, which the salesman said he could replace, because it has this hotel-type heavy wire frame around the top. (You know, the kind that keeps the edge of the bed from wearing.) I am used to a pillow-top mattress, and this one feels like a cheap hotel! It is padded well enough--I just don't like that wire frame you can feel.

[mitch5252]

I know NOTHING about motorhomes. NOTHING. But from what I've read about them on Forums, a question pops in my mind - can you sleep on the bed with the slide in?

[JudyJB]

Good point that I hadn't thought of!!

I am pretty sure I could sleep in it, but I doubt my sons or their wives could because I am the only really short person in the family, other than toddlers. (How a 5'1" person ended up with 6'3" and 5'11" sons is beyond me.)

I will definitely try it out on Saturday, and also have my son try it out. (He is the shorter of the two sons.) I am taking a tape measure along also. I keep packing this tape measure but never actually measuring anything, so will have to make sure i do this time.

It is likely that when they traveled with me, my sons and their wives would be sleeping in the overhead bunk anyway, but that is a very good thought!!

[sharon]

Nope, can't say I've ever seen that, but they keep changing stuff to make stuff fit. You're right, measure! And to continue with Mitch's thoughts, make sure you can get to the bathroom, reefer...anything you think you might need to get to while traveling. Or staying overnite in Wallyworld. The only thing I can't get to with my slides in are a couple of drawers, closet and 1 overhead cabinet. The only thing I can't live without in those places is clean undies, so I always keep a spare pair tucked into another cabinet I can get to just in case. Or I can send the slide out a foot and access them. Lots of stuff to think about when you're looking!

[AlmostThere]

Have never heard of that either. Here's my opinion on a split mattress. If I were going to travel to one spot and camp for many nights I think it would be ok, providing it's comfortable from the get go. But if I were traveling allot and having to set up and take apart the mattress every time, it would get old real fast!

[Echo]

The only thing I would be concerned with is the bed. As long as the bed fits you, then it could be a definite go!

[JudyJB]

I did have them close the slides, and I can squeeze into the bathroom and access one drawer in the bedroom. So, I will have to remember to put undies and important things in that drawer. I think I can access the closets, but would have to climb up on the bed to open them, which is not convenient.

I will make SURE I have my tape measure in hand next time. I did find a Forester in Columbus at the RV show, so will stop by there on Friday afternoon on my way to my son's place. Saturday afternoon he has a test drive scheduled of the Fleetwood at another dealer. Told him to just give his name in case they compared notes since this also is General RV.

[Echo]

I will make SURE I have my tape measure in hand next time. I did find a Forester in Columbus at the RV show, so will stop by there on Friday afternoon on my way to my son's place. Saturday afternoon he has a test drive scheduled of the Fleetwood at another dealer. Told him to just give his name in case they compared notes since this also is General RV.

Judy what I am gonna say isn't to be mean or negative but more along the lines of concern and worry for you........

I can't recall if you have posted if "you" have test driven the same RV your son is gonna test drive??? But if you haven't?? Make sure you do. What might fit for him and be comfy could be a nightmare for you. And vice/versa!!! I know you want them to join you when they are able and have the room for them. But in the end the RV is gonna be your's to drive and live in. So all in all at that end "you" are gonna have to make sure that you are happy with your choice. That you can drive it safely and comfortably. Plus live in it full time. Please think more for your own comfort and choice and be less concerned with their choice of RV.

[JudyJB]

Thanks, Echo. I am definitely going to be the one to test drive it. I only had him made the arrangements because I visited another General RV dealer in Michigan. I told them I was getting pricing at other dealers in Ohio, but did not tell them where. If they have my name in any kind of database, I don't want them to recognize it and collude on the price.

I do trust his opinion, however, as a second set of eyes and ears, and as someone who is an engineer and very knowledgeable about cars and mechanical things, so I want him to see it also. If I were to choose a smaller RV, I would probably switch beds when he and his family travel with me--giving them the larger one and me sleeping on the foldout couch, just so we could all fit. (Although he says I can take all the kids, and he and his wife will get a motel for peace and quiet!)

There are some serious advantages to being short and fitting in shorter beds are one of them! But I definitely want my kids to travel with me from time to time, and they want to come along also.

I do promise to make my selection mainly for myself, however.

[Birdie]

Judy, get up there and roll around on that bed! I mean it. Also, sit in all of the seats and chairs or sofa spots. I love my rig but the seats in the dinette are hurting my skinny butt!! Will replace them with something better on the butt!

But on the bed....for the money you are paying, that's crap and I'd tell them that. And I am saying that as a former Fleetwood owner and someone who doesn't really like the quality of the Forest River though I like their layouts. I told the Fleetwood, Storm Manager that the refrigerator in the Storm was dinky and a deal breaker. He said I could upgrade it and I said why would I? The rig wasn't made for full-time use.

So be sure that you get on that bed and "look like a fool" rolling around on it.

[txyellowrose]

Okay, I know nothing about motorhomes because we have a fifth wheel and I've had bumper pulls before that.

HOWEVER!

I totally agree you need to at least be able to access the bed and bathroom with the slides in. That's the way our fiver is. In an emergency situation, you can survive without the fridge and clean underwear for a day. Or two. We had to evacuate during last year's hurricane and tropical storm, so I can attest to that. Of course, I did prepare and have clean undies available in a bag.

As for the mattress, definitely try it out - and do so with all the furniture. Step into the shower and see if there is enough room. Spend time in the rig and pretend it is your home. Don't let salespeople rush you. Take your time.

Could you put a mattress topper on it - or whatever mattress you get - to make the separated part comfy? Even though our mattress is quite good, we still have a topper.

Just my two cents, for whatever it's worth.

Oh yeah, visitors are great, but it will be YOUR home.

[JudyJB]

I can get into the bathroom with the slide completely in, although it is tight. I could also crawl into the bed, because there is a corner accessible that is adequate. I checked also and the refrigerator and stove, etc. is also accessible, although like a lot of motorhomes with the slides in, it would not be roomy. I could easily nap and use the bathroom if I had to pull over in a rest area, for example. Will do more crawling around this weekend.

Problem with this chunk of foam that makes the bed longer, is that you have to lift it out to put the slide in and then replace it when you move the slide out. So a topper would be a bit awkward because you would have to remove the sheets to get the foam out. If the bed is long enough without it, I might just not use it, or at least just wrap it in a separate sheet of some sort. There is an under-bed storage area it could go into, or I could put it at the head of the bed, but without it being under the regular sheet.

I am going to take some photos this weekend without the bedspread on. Those bedspreads apparently hide a lot!!!

I DO love the huge underbed storage area, by the way. I could put a lot of extra bedding and stuff under there. It is also accessible from the outside, and there is another basement area in the back underneath this area--sort of a double level storage area.

[VickieP]

If you think it may bother you, being right under you, you could move it to the foot of the bed.

[snowball]

It's hard to visualize without pictures ....but my first reaction is that I wouldn't like it period....two some rigs ours is one you can't put out or leave in certain slides
so that would be a question to ask...but if you got it one thing you could do is make or have made for the spare piece of foam a sheet to fit then it wouldn't be a problem to take out or put in seems really weird to me and would keep on looking unless everything else was exactly the way you want it ...and that rarely happens there are so many floor plans so many models ect that surely you can find one without a mattress that you have to separate to put the slide in but that is jmho

sheila

[Bethers]

I'm with Sheila on this one. I have a fast rule - a slide cannot mean I can't LIVE in my rig without minor inconveniences - like Sharon knowing which drawers she can't use. Slides can have problems - like refusing to come out (or in) and you would want to know your bed was completely accessible. It's a major inconvenience if your bed isn't a whole bed, or you have to remake it every time. There are also times in winds where it's advisable to pull in slides. Make sure that bed is completely usable (and everything else that you need to be) when the slide(s) are in.