17B permanent bed?

[outwiththedogs]

Hi all,
We have a 17B on order and are wondering how folks feel about either keeping the large dinette in bed mode or opting for a permanent bed.
There are 2 of us and we are trying to decide whether we would actually use the large dinette often enough to make it worthwhile. If we go the dinette route we will have a topper of some sort and they tend to be pretty unwieldy to shove around, especially the 4" memory foam type.
Does anyone who opted for a permanent bed have regrets?
If you did not, but don't use the large dinette do you wish you had gone for the permanent bed?

Thanks for any wisdom on this.
Happy New Year to all and see you in May at the owners rally.
Catherine

[gbaglo]

We do not have the permanent bed. We have converted the bed to dinette three or four times. It's too much trouble and where do you put the topper, bedding and pillows? We ended up tossing them onto the front dinette/bed.

The permanent bed with a proper mattress would be a lot easier on my hips. I last about four or five days on the cushions and even with a topper I wake up with pain.

I'd go for a proper bed but make sure you can easily access the vast storage underneath, with hatches, inside and out.
Better yet, change your order to a 19'. A proper bed in the back and a four-person dinette at the front so you can have people for dinner or cards when the weather is inclement.

[outwiththedogs]

A 19 would be lovely but we are going with the 17 for too many reasons to change. I get it on the permanent bed. We ordered the external hatch with gives some access to storage. I wish I could see a photo of the 17B with permanent bed to know how much crawling we would have to do to retrieve what might be stored in that underworld cavern.

Thanks, Catherine

[gbaglo]

I have four containers that fit under the dinette table when set as a bed. Just pull them out when needed.
Under the bench on the driver side is full of electrical and water heater plumbing. We don't store anything there. We don't have an exterior hatch so we keep stuff we don't use ( screen room, folding Coleman oven, extra T-Fal large fry pan ) under the passenger side bench.

[dfandrews]

We got a 17A with the front permanent bed so we would not have the set-up issue. We have made up the dinette into a bed for additional sleeper on occasion, and personally would be unhappy having to do it nightly. Our permanent bed has an 8", very very comfortable mattress, as opposed to the 4" thickness of the dinette/bed.
Regarding storage: the exterior access hatch is smaller than most anything we would want to store, so we don't ever use the hatch we have. We lift the dinette cushion and plywood lid for access. If we had the permanent bed in back, I would make long roll-out drawers for additional storage, as quite a few 19 &/or 21 Escape owners have done. Our permanent bed in front has a pair of cabinet doors to access our camp chairs and other stuff stored underneath. Here are build photos showing the cabinet doors, the portapotty door to the right, and the mattress thickness, along with a construction photo of the area.

[Mucram]

Can’t imagine lifting a mattress to access the water pump, converter or the tvalve for winterization. Mine is in permanent bed position with the standard cushions & thermarest pads. Works for me.

[LarryandLiz]

Hi Catherine

We have the 17b with the permanent mattress bed built in option. We didn’t want to be messing with moving coushins around and setting up the bed. We dont have an outside hatch and have two long storage boxes and other smaller storage boxes that go under the bed.

99% of the time it’s just my wife and I traveling. We have plenty of storage in the trailer. I suppose it all depends on your personal traveling/camping style and needs. The front storage box and truck box gives us all the storage space we need.

The front dining area is “cozy” but since it’s just the two of us not really a problem. We camp with our kids and grandkids during the summer, they sleep outside in tents and we eat outside.

Access underneath for winterizing for me isn’t a big issue since I’m not a huge person. The mattress can go up.

We chose to go with a minamalist camping/trailering perspective.

[advdave]

It all works, so it's really a personal choice. We had an Escape 19' with a permanent bed. Now we have a 17B with dinette aft which we use all the time, and we convert to the bed every night. It was a pain making up the permanent bed; the 19' was frustrating when trying to get the fitted sheet on while climbing on the bed. But we didn't have to do it every night like we do with the 17B.

Here's our solution:

2 self inflating (mostly) camp air mattresses that are encased in envelopes of nice sheet material. The mattresses stay in the sheet covers when deflated and stored. Over the top, a big down comforter, also encased in an envelope made of sheets. All stows in a couple of duffle bags that are kept under the dinette seat. Making up the bed involves dropping the table, letting the mattresses inflate, top off with a few breaths or the pump, and toss the comforter over. Not much worse than trying to make up the bed we had in the 19.
Everything is a compromise, and mostly any option will work just fine. Don't forget your favorite pillows.

[hrewer]

We have used our back dinette a few times when the weather was bad and/or we had guests. We have a feather bed topper that goes over the cushions. I am able to take this, with all the bedding and fold it in half length wise to put it on the front cushions (making that a very cushy, warm spot on rainy days). It's pretty easy to use. Our back dinette has the hinged supports that hook into brackets on the wall. I think the models with two poles would be much harder to use.

[Vermilye]

I traveled single in a 17B for 6 years. I made a "permanent" mattress using a folding gym mat, foam & a topper. It worked well, and after a year or two, left the table supports home. I did miss the 4 person dinette when friends stopped by in lousy weather, but overall it worked for me.

[padlin]

Originally Posted by hrewer

We have a feather bed topper that goes over the cushions.

Never heard of a feather bed topper, doesn't it squash down to nothing when you lay on it?

[advdave]

Originally Posted by hrewer

We have used our back dinette a few times when the weather was bad and/or we had guests. We have a feather bed topper that goes over the cushions. I am able to take this, with all the bedding and fold it in half length wise to put it on the front cushions (making that a very cushy, warm spot on rainy days). It's pretty easy to use. Our back dinette has the hinged supports that hook into brackets on the wall. I think the models with two poles would be much harder to use.

Agree, the hinged table support is much easier than pedestal options.

[hrewer]

Originally Posted by padlin

Never heard of a feather bed topper, doesn't it squash down to nothing when you lay on it?

It doesn't squash down to nothing, but it does need the occasional beating. We used ours with our Scamp and moved it to the Escape. It's been just what we needed.

[outwiththedogs]

Thanks everyone for your experiences, thoughts & ideas. It feels sort of like a toss up compromise. I like the ideas for comfortable sleep, especially the feather bed which sounds quite luxurious!

I do appreciate your responses, this forum is great.
Happy New Year and may we all have great camping times.
Catherine

[Dettling]

We have the permanent bed in our 2017 17B and are pleased with it. It is a very comfy mattress. It hasn't been an issue accessing the hot water tank and other items under the rear driver side area.
For storage...we have three clear plastic totes with flip top lids that we store under the bed (one for extra/bulky food, one for extra jackets/boots, and one for big beach towels etc). They are easy to access...we put the least likely to be needed one furthest back. We do have an outside hatch on the passenger side which stores things like the chocks, the axe, dog towels, a few pieces of firewood, rope and some tools. (We opted for no front storage box so this provides storage for most "outside" things with the exception of the chairs which we keep in the back of the 4 Runner).
As for the dinette space, we asked that the wardrobe to the right of the door not be built, and instead had the bench extended to the door, more like the 19. One of us can stretch out to read and it makes the whole dinette area feel more open and less boxed in. There is so much storage elsewhere, that we don't miss it at all. Many cupboards are empty as it is!
Happy New Year!

[rubicon327]

Originally Posted by Dettling

As for the dinette space, we asked that the wardrobe to the right of the door not be built, and instead had the bench extended to the door, more like the 19. One of us can stretch out to read and it makes the whole dinette area feel more open and less boxed in.

Can you post a picture of this? I haven't heard of this being done before and I'm sure others would like to see it too.

[Doris]

I have a 17b with the permanent double bed, and do not regret that choice. I have no interest in setting up and breaking down a bed daily. I use a shallow plastic bin to hold various things stored under the bed. It slides out through the doors pretty easily. I also use the outside hatch to access small side tables and other odds and ends stashed in that area. I don’t have the under bed storage area packed to the gills, but am able to keep a fair amount of stuff there, and it is easily accessible. The larger dinette would be nice during bad weather, but, for me, would not be worth the aggravation.
I should add that, after trying to get a fitted sheet in the mattress, I’ve found that using flat sheets is much easier for making the bed.

[Dettling]

Attachment 36756

Sorry it took so long to get a picture!


We love having the extra space to stretch out.

[Roadking]

Great picture. Thanks for posting . This is a change I was considering as well along with a permanent bed. Looks great. Should I assume they can put a door on the front or side of the extended bench seat?

[jxoco]

We have a 17B as well.
The small dinette is the same as the Dettlings.
The large dinette is always setup as a bed, with a two inch thick piece of foam that is cut in three and covered and the covers sewed together such that they can fold like a map and be stood up beside the bathroom door. (if 4 person is needed.)
We had to shorten the fold up counter extension beside the sink as we couldn't flip it up past the foam.
We just throw our duffle bags under the 'bed'. because I haven't found containers that fit the space.
Floor under dinette table is
42.5 x 26.5
Half of that 26.5 is 13.25
42.5 x 13.25 = hard to find, and I'd like small wheels on it.
Probably have to custom make something.
Just the under seat storage on the fridge side is usable and not a problem to get to as the cushions flip over to the other side and the foam underneath folds up.

No outside door to the small dinette extended seat. It flips up like the 4 person dinette seats and it is quite large.