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Old 10-27-2020, 08:43 PM   #1
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Family Camping

Hey guys, new to the forum, and seriously considering the 21C. family of 4, with one toddler, and a 3rd grader. (boys, who kind of don't get along that well). So the spaciousness is perfect, and we would want to keep this camper for a long time, but the kids are going to continue to grow. Does anyone have teenagers that they take with them, or big kids, and if so how do you handle the sleeping arrangements, so that they each have their own space? Any suggestions? we were thinking about maybe a small cot in the middle of the camper. Would prefer all 4 of us IN the camper
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Old 10-27-2020, 10:13 PM   #2
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Family of 4

Sometimes another couple or two grand daughters that get along come with us. There is enough room in the dinnet for two. It is only 48 inches. You can not get a cot option in the 21C.
I would think the 21 NE would be better for you. The dinnet in the front is almost the size of a queen and you can get the cot option. You could even let the boys sleep in the queen bed separately in sleeping bags and you sleep in the front bed, better for the crawl over. Also if they are in bed you could still have the table up until you are ready to go to bed.
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Old 10-27-2020, 10:51 PM   #3
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Grandpa, grandma, 3rd grader, & kindergartner

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Originally Posted by jkavanagh View Post
I would think the 21 NE would be better for you. The dinnet in the front is almost the size of a queen and you can get the cot option. You could even let the boys sleep in the queen bed separately in sleeping bags and you sleep in the front bed, better for the crawl over. Also if they are in bed you could still have the table up until you are ready to go to bed.
This is exactly why we bought a 21NE. My wife is our granddaughters' primary weekday caregiver, and they go camping with us a lot. They are 5 and 9, and get along very well, so they can share a bed just fine. Anyway, the 21NE has two almost queen size sleeping areas, and can be had with a cot up front, if it helps.

We had Escape do a rear dinette, which is really spacious, as well having a front dinette. We lost a permanent bed, but we gained flexibility, and waking hours living space. We do not use the front table, other than to make the space into a bed, so we have one table area and one lounging area. The rear dinette has a Springfield pedestal, so it quickly makes into a bed for the girls. They prefer the rear dinette because it has the table, and they can do their coloring and crafts they like there. Grandma and I like the front. We often leave it as a bed space, making it a good place to read in the evening. All four of us have plenty of room for dinner at the table. We are going to put privacy curtains up at each end, so Grandpa can change clothes standing up in the central area, or after showering. So far, it is working out great for the four of us.
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Old 10-27-2020, 10:52 PM   #4
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From your description, if we were in your shoes, we would probably be looking at a 21NE instead of a 21C. Although we have a 21C ourselves, and love it (for the 2 of us), I think a 21NE's layout would be better suited for a family of 4. If you order the cot in the 21 NE your boys could have their own space for sleeping.

When our boys were young we had to create a mound between them in close sleeping quarters, so we totally understand! They grew up in tent trailers - and loved it - Mom and Dad did too! Lots of space in tent trailers to keep 'young families' happy.

But making fun family memories is what really matters so hope you find your perfect camping trailer! -Bea
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Old 10-28-2020, 07:53 PM   #5
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Many Thanks

Many thanks to all of you who replied. We did look at the 21NE and have considered it, but we both are dissuaded by the potential crawling over in the middle of the night. Does anyone know just how customizable they would be willing to go? As in turning the "master bed" lengthwise so that the crawling over would not be as significant an issue?
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Old 10-28-2020, 08:51 PM   #6
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Making a lengthwise bed in a 21NE? They have a 21 with a lengthwise bed - the 21C, but that dinette is tight for 4 people to eat at, and makes into a 48" wide bed. No cot option on the 21C. The small dinette/bed is why we went to the 21NE and decided to live with the crawl over problem. We did it for several years in our tent trailer, and figured it was not that big of a problem in comparison to others. If it is for you, and you need more space for your boys, you may want to wait for the 23.
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Old 10-28-2020, 09:30 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by sherminator View Post
No cot option on the 21C.
I have wondered why. If the cot can span across the front of the 21NE it can span across the rear of the 21C. Maybe impairing use of the emergency egress window is the issue?
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Old 10-28-2020, 10:59 PM   #8
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Our boys are 4 years apart and camped with us from when they where babies until they were old enough that they could stay home alone if other activities interfered with a weekend or holiday away. In our experience, as soon as they are old enough to stay in their own tent they no longer wanted to sleep in the trailer. They liked their own space and the adventure, especially if the had a friend along.

I guess what I am saying is don't worry about space to sleep older kids and teenages as a small tent outside of the trailer is probably preferred. We have a number of family and friends that would agree.
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Old 10-29-2020, 02:52 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by NPRCamp3R View Post
Hey guys, new to the forum, and seriously considering the 21C. family of 4, with one toddler, and a 3rd grader. (boys, who kind of don't get along that well). So the spaciousness is perfect, and we would want to keep this camper for a long time, but the kids are going to continue to grow. Does anyone have teenagers that they take with them, or big kids, and if so how do you handle the sleeping arrangements, so that they each have their own space? Any suggestions? we were thinking about maybe a small cot in the middle of the camper. Would prefer all 4 of us IN the camper
Family of 5 here .. we currently all fit in the 21 ...
We also tried a cot with our youngest .. no dice as she wants to be sleeping with her siblings or in the 'Big Bed' with mom

We figure that as the kids get bigger we are going to kick them out and reclaim the Escape for the adults and the kids will move into a rooftop tent

https://tepui.com/
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Old 10-29-2020, 10:21 AM   #10
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I have wondered why. If the cot can span across the front of the 21NE it can span across the rear of the 21C. Maybe impairing use of the emergency egress window is the issue?
That is the primary reason. A secondary reason is that there is less distance between the dinette seat and the window in rear dinette models because of the raised rear floor. This means less separation between the bed and the cot.
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Old 10-29-2020, 10:43 AM   #11
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We have two boys 8 and 10 and camp in a 21C. They do fine in the dinette, but we also like to mix it around...sometimes one or both kids will sleep with an adult in the full size bed. A mattress/cot in the isle would be feasible but I doubt we would ever mess with that even as they get bigger. The wife and I could easily take the dinette and give the boys the bed also. I asked the boys about the cot in the 19 and they said they didn't like the idea at all. It may depend on the kids...my boys don't mind being together but when I was an older kid me and my brother, and certainly my sister, probably would have liked more space.
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Old 10-29-2020, 02:02 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by sherminator View Post
That is the primary reason. A secondary reason is that there is less distance between the dinette seat and the window in rear dinette models because of the raised rear floor. This means less separation between the bed and the cot.
Good point. Thanks.
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Old 10-29-2020, 08:28 PM   #13
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when my granddaughters go with me, i find putting them head to foot (heads at opposite ends of the bed) in their sleeping bags eliminated a lot of territorial trouble. somehow it seems there is more room for upper body that way, especially if they are not yet the length of the bed in height.
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Old 10-30-2020, 09:21 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark B1 View Post
Our boys are 4 years apart and camped with us from when they where babies until they were old enough that they could stay home alone if other activities interfered with a weekend or holiday away. In our experience, as soon as they are old enough to stay in their own tent they no longer wanted to sleep in the trailer. They liked their own space and the adventure, especially if the had a friend along.

I guess what I am saying is don't worry about space to sleep older kids and teenages as a small tent outside of the trailer is probably preferred. We have a number of family and friends that would agree.


When not traveling, we have a seasonal site in the 250 Campground in Lanesboro. The six sites to the west are daily rentals. Any time we see a smaller camper with children there is usually a tent where their children sleep and/or chatter all night. Once I had to go outside and tell the parents their children's chatter didn't bother us, but yelling at them to be quiet did!

My son started sleeping in his own tent when he was four and his sister joined him when she was six or seven. At what age did your children have their own bedroom? In early parenting years we couldn't afford a camper, so two tents worked great.

Enjoy,

Perry
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Old 10-30-2020, 09:37 AM   #15
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I'm not sure when my granddaughters will be comfortable sleeping in a tent by themselves, but I do know it is not now. Also, camping with a separate tent is great, but traveling, with the occasional rest stop/super store/gravel roadside overnighter is another. I want to be able to sleep 4 adult sized people inside. The 21NE will do that comfortably. But that's my criteria - it's certainly not every family's criteria.
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Old 10-30-2020, 09:44 AM   #16
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Originally Posted by Perryb67 View Post


Once I had to go outside and tell the parents their children's chatter didn't bother us, but the yelling at them to be quiet did!

Perry

We were in a tent trailer in those days so yelling was not required,
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Old 11-11-2020, 03:03 PM   #17
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Beekeeper

I am always interested in the "crawl over" problem. My husband sleeps on the outside so he just sits up and I crawl out behind him. Some people have said they don't want to wake up their partner but I can't imagine crawling over them does not wake them up.
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Old 11-11-2020, 03:12 PM   #18
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I am always interested in the "crawl over" problem. My husband sleeps on the outside so he just sits up and I crawl out behind him. Some people have said they don't want to wake up their partner but I can't imagine crawling over them does not wake them up.
I am quite tall at 6'4" so I can crawl over my wife and not wake her up most times. When we had a tent trailer we had a tool box that also worked as a step and found having something like this to step onto helps in "clearing" your partner when you crawl over. I might put it in our 19 as it holds gear and fits under the bed when not needed.
We find the crawl over issue pretty minor and lets us get the layout we want, mostly to stay with the smallest trailer we can fit in.
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