suggestion for Four Wheel Camper owners

[FJ40]

Over the past several years of extensive travel with my Hawk, I have created a couple space saving solutions.First I have elimimated the two filler cushions used in the slide out queen overhead bunk. When sleeping with two aboard, one sleeps up on the standard wide cusion and the other on the settee bunk down below. With the extended slide portion pulled out, having no cushions allows space for the table and other things. This works particularly well in the lowered traveling mode for storing sleeping bags and pillows which may otherwise impede lowering the top. When traveling alone, I leave all three upper cusions at home. With the extension out there is a lot of extra room for storage. I actually prefer sleeping below. The roll over couch is very comfortable and allows for a nice carpeted shelf under the window which is also great for taking in the sunrises. This also allows for easy control of the thermostat, water pump switch as well as battery and water level indicators.

 

[RicoV]

x2 on sleeping below, that's what my wife and I do. The upper compartment serves as a loft for storing all our clothes, my guitar, a roll-up table, and other odds and ends. We do, however, use the upper cushions (plus the others) on the lower level as a firm base for our paired air-adjustable Thermarest pads (makes a queen-size area), and the combo adds up to about as cush a sleeping arrangement as you can imagine.

 

[Lighthawk]

Good discussion of the pull out bed extenders. Our 2008 Hawk has the extended overhang, with a 48-60" wide bed. After using it a while, we decided we were fine with the 48" bed. I removed the slide-out shelf and stowed the cushions (they take a lot of space when top is down.) I also thought the extended bed impinged on the sink partially, kind of lame.

This means we don't have to carry the other two cushions, which fill in the slide out bed.
That's fine, because we use the room. We sleep above, but use the storage behind the couch seat for handy storage. We keep all kinds of things there: food basket (easy to load in the house), roll-up table, ski poles, Zodi, camera bags, down jackets, etc. We don't get to see out our window much, but otherwise all this stuff would need to be corralled somewhere.

 

[zanshin]

We use 3" ThermaRest pads in the sleeping compartment, pulled out the couch and passenger side cabinets. No cushions carried at all. Now we have tons of extra floor space AND lighter weight. We use folding camp chairs for sitting, reading and eating inside, but usually use a table at a campground site if outdoors. I mastered eating out of a plate held in my lap in the Army, and at home try to eat over the sink as often as possible, as a man should.

We got really good at moving boxed gear from the camper floor to the truck cab when we stopped, just a couple extra minutes by the wife while I was unhooking latches for pop-up.

This year we went whole hog and just bought a Ruger C416 off-road trailer to tow carrying all the extra stuff we don't want to shuffle, and the lid on it makes a perfect cooking platform and stand up eating table.