[ezzy66]

hi all

has anyone any experience of these

are they warmer/cooler than inside(!) beds
how do they find clambering up into it? are the ladder rungs easy to stand on?
are they claustrophobic? do you end up hitting head as wake up and forget where you are!
do they have a weight limit?
:lol:
can they be left made up - space when closed - also does the linen get damp?

that will do! thanks x

 

[drfcchris]

only when you wee the bed !!!! lol - chris

 

[twinky]

My 2p worth.

Definately warmer.

In the older vans like mine you rarely have enough room to sit up. But i have noticed some newer vans have made the head room higher to enable you to sit up. Definately an improvement IMO.

I was told yesterday when looking at a new van with a lift up base over the cab (which I like) that they are made lightweight and wouldnt support 2 adults weight. This I can believe looking at the flimsy nature of the one I looked at. (dont know if thats true for all)

You will need to put some insulating material between the matress and the base if there isnt some already, because you will get condensation and mould on the bedding.

I find the rungs difficult to stand on without footware due to their narrow construction and the fact that I'm rather large................................. in some areas.

They are usually the biggest beds in the van and a good place to store bedding during the day.

 

[Pat101]

Hello,

The only problem i had with the over cab bed (in our old van) was when i rolled out of it and landed on the table below in a very confused state.

The wife blames the beer i blame the wife ??.

 

[MaxandPaddy]

We are changing our Motorhome to one with an overcab bed and when we were at the Showroom I thought I would test ot out for myself!

It was easy to get in and out of but after a few sherries in the middle of the night that could change :lol: !

It was quite spacious and did not feel claustrophobic,in fact it felt quite cosy .

It can be left made up and I doubt that the bedding would get damp,unless you do as drfcchris suggests .

Our friends have an over cab model and they say theirs is a little draughty but that might be that particular model.

Hope this helps,I am sure another more experienced overcab sleeper will enlighten you more!

Val

 

[vicdicdoc]

Our drop-down bed in the Hymer is wide with plenty of head room & not at all difficult to get in & out of [unless you drink too much]

 

[2point]

hi all

has anyone any experience of these

are they warmer/cooler than inside(!) beds heat rises so warmer than the table level bed, not as warm as our fixed bed. probably due to being over the less well insulated cab area
how do they find clambering up into it? are the ladder rungs easy to stand on? not a problem for us or our daughter but for someone less mobile I'd be wary of using too often. Ladder is fine in ours, have tried other vans where the ladder has been flimsier

are they claustrophobic? do you end up hitting head as wake up and forget where you are! sort of, first time I wasn't keen on the confined space but not much different than sleeping in a tent or a cheap hotel in Bayswater(literally could touch all 4 walls at once!)
do they have a weight limit? No idea
:lol:
can they be left made up - space when closed - also does the linen get damp?? made up for a week or so then change the linen. Same as at home. Not had any problems with damp. Great storage - one of the reasons why we didn't get an A-class

that will do! thanks x

Replies in blue in the quote box

 

[ezzy66]

Is it me? BUT i am sensing a theme here!!

It seems overcab beds have few problems but the occupants have MANY!! :lol:

From incontinence to sweating loads to ALL being confirmed alcoholics and having little or no balance :roll:

I am thinking perhaps cut out the alcohol and the rest will resolve itself and will have a comfy dry spacious safe night's sleep!!! If the sherry does pass me lips will definitely belt ourselves in and put up CHILD safety net!! (and maybe leave some cushions on the floor - or perhaps a trampoline - that would get us up and going nice n easy!! )

thanks for the larrrfs at the very least!! x

 

[StAubyns]

Our overcab is superb!!

Uk King size, one piece mattress with Argos memory foam topper. Pleanty of headroom and always made up.

And, I can stay up late, my wife can get up early and its no problem

You can't do that when you have to make the inside of a truck into a bed :wink: :wink:

 

[GerryD]

Absolutely super. Large comfortable bed, checked on weight restrictions for us slightly over-lithe ones and there is no problem.
Whilst I like the idea of a low profile for economy while driving, the overcab is by far the best idea for a big bed that does not stranglr the living space.
We shall continue to use an overcab bed for as long as we can get up and down the ladder.
Gerry

 

[Boff]

Hi!

has anyone any experience of these

Yes, we have. And we are fond of our overcab bed. We don't want anything else, as long as we are agile enough to climb up.

are they warmer/cooler than inside(!) beds

It depends: During the warm season the overcab bed tends to be slightly warmer than the rest of the van. In winter it is the coolest place, because the heater in our van resides in the back. It also depends on ventilation, and on your, well, activities in bed. :wink: )

how do they find clambering up into it? are the ladder rungs easy to stand on?

We are in our mid-fourties, and hope to be agile enough to climb up for at least another decade. In our van (Eura Mobil) the ladder rungs are made from wood and have a flat top side, very easy to stand on. But I have had other (hire) vans in which the ladder had metal rungs, not very comfortable to stand on bare-footed.

are they claustrophobic?

Wrong question! :wink: The right one would be: Are you claustrophobic?

do you end up hitting head as wake up and forget where you are!

Has never happened to me so far.

To be honest, a little more headroom than the 60cm that we have now, would be nice. And give more comfort without compromising the cosy "cave feeling" which we like. However, as you can see with modern overcab vans, more headroom inside means more headroom required outside.

do they have a weight limit? :lol:

While driving, certainly. But then you don't want to be up there anyway, for safety reasons. While parked up, a real overcab bed that is supported by the cab, I have never heard of any weight limit.

can they be left made up - space when closed - also does the linen get damp?

Yes you can leave them made up, no problem. Dampness would be an indication of insufficient ventilation.

Best Regards,
Gerhard

 

[cleo]

We love our overcab bed (I sleep better than at home). But we always argue over who's on the inside because it's a bit of a pain needing the loo in the middle of the night and having to roll over your partner to get to the ladder! :wink:

 

[dcummin]

We love our overcab bed (I sleep better than at home). But we always argue over who's on the inside because it's a bit of a pain needing the loo in the middle of the night and having to roll over your partner to get to the ladder! :wink:

have to 2nd that - same for me...love the overcab bed - loads of room, love being high up. have two windows on mine so you can get a good air flow to keep cool in the summer. Also love peeping out the window at whats going on below.

Had a great experience once staying on a national trust campsite in the lake district - we were surrounded by tents and we had 50mph winds in the night - stayed up all night watching the tents blow away - that experience alone justifies why everyone should have an overcab bed

 

[lifestyle]

. Also love peeping out the window
I had to read your comments twice then. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Penquin]

We have used ours for us while driving down through France, I was OK (on outside), MrsW found it impossible to turn over without waking me (and I sleep heavily).

The rungs are painful on the feet; wear slippers up into bedand put at top behind pillow!

Glasses may be a problem - need to find secure area where will not be laid upon.

Great storage space - or bedding usually up there, would only sleep up there if really essential, although our adult daughter loves it (she is by herself up there!).

There are weight limits on them, but they will easily take two adults of normal size (can't post what that means in stone - for personal safety reasons!)

Our overall answer would be great for very occasional use for two, OK for one, not good for sensitive feet!

Dave

 

[ovalball]

Love our over cab.Cover the ladder treads with some foam lagging though,they really can hurt your feet at 2 am when you need a ...well you know what I mean.

 

[BJT]

I hope it was 'peeping' out the window, and not ...

We use the overcab bed all the time, I have fitted memory foam, which has reduced the headroom a bit, but it is very comfortable and the memory foam has a lower 'U' value than the main bed squab which is why it is warmer. And I agree with with two windows for better ventilation.
As you say the big downside is the ladder when nature calls and half asleep! Mule slippers are useful, hard rungs on bare feet soon wake you up. Incidentally, the ladder is less painful in bare feet than the one I experience on a cruise a couple of years ago; that one definitely needed firm soled footwear.

 

[chrisndeb]

we have an over cab double bed, Im far from small (thats me beer belly) and I sleep up there when we boys get to go away, its great. our son who is over 6ft has no problem. Our KonTikki is a 1998 so compared todays vans its quite low up there.
Chris

 

[Rainbow-Chasers]

It depends on the vehicle and type of bed really. Some seem to have plenty of space above (which involves having a higher or squarer front end) others have a pull down affair like the a-classes which are much more spacious!

I don't mind them, other half says it is like pot-holing! It is a case of looking about and seeing what best suits you! Kids like tighter spaces, adults tend not - look into who will be travelling with you, or using them most. If adults i would suggest a pull down one, as this is more spacious and lower to climb down from.

Also consider the layout and how many will be going on average, as with some, once the lower double is extended there is little room for the ladder! So calls of nature from above could end up being a contortionist event, and may be to the detriment of those below as they try to get down and negotiate their way to the bathroom!

 

[Briarose]

We are changing our Motorhome to one with an overcab bed and when we were at the Showroom I thought I would test ot out for myself!

It was easy to get in and out of but after a few sherries in the middle of the night that could change :lol: !

It was quite spacious and did not feel claustrophobic,in fact it felt quite cosy .

It can be left made up and I doubt that the bedding would get damp,unless you do as drfcchris suggests .

Our friends have an over cab model and they say theirs is a little draughty but that might be that particular model.

Hope this helps,I am sure another more experienced overcab sleeper will enlighten you more!

Val

Hi Val I thought you only just got your MH and now you are changing again LOL hope you are OK long time no speak.