Buy all your VW California Accessories at the Club Shop Visit Shop

Do you sleep upstairs / downstairs?

J

jlc9779

Messages
2
Location
Leeds
Vehicle
Looking to buy
Hi there, Just starting to look into buying a campervan and ideally a California. We have camped for years but maybe looking to buy a California for when we retire and have more time. We are just a couple so wondering which bed people use. Does it depend on the weather? The reason we are asking is that if most people use the bottom bed, then is it worth getting a campervan with a top bed? Top bed seems ideal as in you have the usual downstairs and do not need to get the bed ready each night but we have not tried one and looking for the views of experienced users. Any help / thoughts would be very much appreciated.
 
Depends how lazy I am or what the weather is doing. Nothing nicer than waking up under the tent on a nice summers morning. Saves all the having to pack everything away to pull out the bottom bed at the expense of a bit of squirming to Get up there.

Downside though is if you drink a lot of water like I do, or a lot of wine like I do, then that squirming can get tedious when having to do it three or four times during the night.

Winter or like we've just had, a very cold spring, then definitely downstairs. It's warmer, quieter if the wind is blowing, the top bed can still be pulled down increasing the toastiness of the downstairs.

Another time I will sleep downstairs is if I am close to a noise source such as a busy road. Downstairs with the upper bed pulled down is just so much more peaceful.

In summary, I use either depending on the circumstances and isn't it nice to have the choice!
 
When I'm traveling solo, and I personally prefer stealth camping, I rarely use the upper bed. I often keep the downstairs bed installed, living a bit oriental style with lots of cushions, reading, siesta, eating on a low table,...:
You know, just lazy travels...
 
Until now I have only slept downstairs except when my husband and I slept up the top at the port in Portsmouth. We needed to sleep up then as the van was full. I am too short and not flexible enough to get to the upper bed on my own. However I have a ladder on order so when it comes maybe I can go up.

Currently I have the bench seat in my garage as it is easier to put my bike inside with only the single seats. This however means that I have to put a form bed on the floor, it is a bit low but works OK for one. On my next journey if the ladder has not come I will only have 1 rear seat installed to give me more space for my floor bed
 
Depends how lazy I am or what the weather is doing. Nothing nicer than waking up under the tent on a nice summers morning. Saves all the having to pack everything away to pull out the bottom bed at the expense of a bit of squirming to Get up there.

Downside though is if you drink a lot of water like I do, or a lot of wine like I do, then that squirming can get tedious when having to do it three or four times during the night.

Winter or like we've just had, a very cold spring, then definitely downstairs. It's warmer, quieter if the wind is blowing, the top bed can still be pulled down increasing the toastiness of the downstairs.

Another time I will sleep downstairs is if I am close to a noise source such as a busy road. Downstairs with the upper bed pulled down is just so much more peaceful.

In summary, I use either depending on the circumstances and isn't it nice to have the choice!
sums it up well.
another thing to thing about is if its wet and going to be wet for a while so hard to dry the roof.
 
Upstairs unless the weather is foul (tipping down, blowing a Hooley) or its just plain noisy.
That translates to the majority of the time its upstairs for us.
 
Downstairs - upstairs for the grandchildren.
 
Until now I have only slept downstairs except when my husband and I slept up the top at the port in Portsmouth. We needed to sleep up then as the van was full. I am too short and not flexible enough to get to the upper bed on my own. However I have a ladder on order so when it comes maybe I can go up.

Currently I have the bench seat in my garage as it is easier to put my bike inside with only the single seats. This however means that I have to put a form bed on the floor, it is a bit low but works OK for one. On my next journey if the ladder has not come I will only have 1 rear seat installed to give me more space for my floor bed
We are keen cyclists, so keen to hear about removing the bench seat and how you get bikes in. Feel free to message me the details if you have time. We have been thinking about what to do with road bikes or whether to get bromptons but your idea sounds intriguing.
 
Downstairs. Uptop is for the kids. Mind you, even without our bairns we/I sleep downstairs.
 
Hi there, Just starting to look into buying a campervan and ideally a California. We have camped for years but maybe looking to buy a California for when we retire and have more time. We are just a couple so wondering which bed people use. Does it depend on the weather? The reason we are asking is that if most people use the bottom bed, then is it worth getting a campervan with a top bed? Top bed seems ideal as in you have the usual downstairs and do not need to get the bed ready each night but we have not tried one and looking for the views of experienced users. Any help / thoughts would be very much appreciated.
We sleep upstairs 99% of the time, whilst on a site leave the bedding in place, push the bed up out of the way and downstairs becomes a large welcoming/tidy space.
 
the T5 & T6 at least has wooden slats in the roof bad, so we found if one moved for a middle of the night call of nature, the other woke up with the bed movement.
Think the T6.1 has a better bed system.
 
We sleep upstairs 99% of the time, whilst on a site leave the bedding in place, push the bed up out of the way and downstairs becomes a large welcoming/tidy space.
That was something I was wondering about - so you leave your duvet/pillows etc on the upstairs bed and push up the roof? is there a thickness/weight limit to this process so the roof isn't damaged - thanks
 
We are keen cyclists, so keen to hear about removing the bench seat and how you get bikes in. Feel free to message me the details if you have time. We have been thinking about what to do with road bikes or whether to get bromptons but your idea sounds intriguing.
Taking the bench seat is not easy. We have brought a engine crane. Our van is a 7 seater. Take out the 2 single seats so there is room to move the bench seat in the van. Take all the way to front to remove from track. Turn though 90deg. Need hardboard to protect the floor. Slide to rear and use the engine crane to lift out. The first time we did it we did not have the crane and slid it down ramps.

Now it is out it will stay out for a while. We either put the single seats in a row across or inline depending how we wish to pack things. One bike will go between seats when in a row, my husband bike is a folding one so goes in rear. But if you put the seats one behind each other there is lots of room to put bikes in. Bungy to seat headrests and the lashing points on floor. We have also carried a motorbike this way.

My bike is short but you can carry longer bikes. We have also tired putting the bike in with the bench seat in by putting across the van but had to take front wheel off. We now have a bike rack that mounts on the tow ball for use when we have a friend whit us. There are lots of discussions on this forum about carrying bikes so well worth a look.

IMG_20181022_130756795.jpg
 
The reason we are asking is that if most people use the bottom bed, then is it worth getting a campervan with a top bed?
We sleep down. However, the ability to put the top up while out as a "day" van or while away is why we would always want a pop-top. The extra space is a plus for us.
 
Mainly upstairs, unless weather is really bad.
Dogs sleep downstairs.
 
Upstairs, too disorganised to used downstairs.
 
We sleep down. However, the ability to put the top up while out as a "day" van or while away is why we would always want a pop-top. The extra space is a plus for us.
Agree ability to put the top up even if you don't sleep up there is good. Great way to cool van and you can stand up inside. We had a converted T4 with no raising roof and it is nice to have the space above better for my back.
 
With the poptop, upstairs was "no parents allowed" :)
Now with the Exclusive, we sleep downstairs with a bed extension (140cm!) and daughter upstairs. When I travel alone, I sleep upstairs and leave the bed open. Can sit/eat/read downstairs still.
 
Upstairs, almost always. As does the dog. :happy

SOP is that on arrival at the overnight stop the duvet gets thrown up top, which then means just 'ceiling down' at bed time, nothing else to do (apart from throw the spaniel upstairs while we get undressed, to warm the bed up. There, I said it again.).
 
Had a van for 5 years. Never slept downstairs. Upstairs in all weathers, including camping in November.

love that you just pull the bed down and go to (already made when we arrived) bed.

keen cyclists as well, leave the bikes on the rack, covered up, with multiple locks.
 
Two up and two down, unless it is really really windy, then the whole roof comes down and we sleep four in the bottom bed, two head to front on the outside, two head to rear on the inside. It is not comfortable, and awful when someone needs to pee in the night.
 
Hi there, Just starting to look into buying a campervan and ideally a California. We have camped for years but maybe looking to buy a California for when we retire and have more time. We are just a couple so wondering which bed people use. Does it depend on the weather? The reason we are asking is that if most people use the bottom bed, then is it worth getting a campervan with a top bed? Top bed seems ideal as in you have the usual downstairs and do not need to get the bed ready each night but we have not tried one and looking for the views of experienced users. Any help / thoughts would be very
We put the kids on the roof (6 yrs and 18 months). We have a sleeping pod for the 18 month old and obviously use the VW net. Roof generally stays up no matter what the weather just park tail into the wind. Kids generally sleep through anything and I’ve never found it that noisy. I’ve slept on the roof a few times and to be honest it’s not that comfortable even with a duvalay sleeping bag - heard it’s better in the T6.1. We use the bottom each night with the extra topper and the duvalay sleeping bags. Other benefit is we can put the kids up to bed and sit inside and chill if the weather is bad. Oh… another thing to consider is how you get up top maybe consider a ladder (not being ageist - I’m 37 and pretty fit and find it a struggle )
 
That was something I was wondering about - so you leave your duvet/pillows etc on the upstairs bed and push up the roof? is there a thickness/weight limit to this process so the roof isn't damaged - thanks
Sure, you can leave a duvet and pillows upstairs and push the bed upwards. They are pillows and duvets, that will not damage the roof. The max weight is whatever max weight the gas struts can carry untill the bed comes down. How much you can leave up there when closing the roof however (hardly anything) is a whole different thing.
 
Hi there, Just starting to look into buying a campervan and ideally a California. We have camped for years but maybe looking to buy a California for when we retire and have more time. We are just a couple so wondering which bed people use. Does it depend on the weather? The reason we are asking is that if most people use the bottom bed, then is it worth getting a campervan with a top bed? Top bed seems ideal as in you have the usual downstairs and do not need to get the bed ready each night but we have not tried one and looking for the views of experienced users. Any help / thoughts would be very much appreciated.
In our T4 we used to sleep downstairs and the kids slept upstairs. But since the T5 (and 6) has bed slates in the upper bed, it got a lot more comfortable to sleep upstairs. So we slept upstairs. However, since we bought the S2S campervan selfinflateable matress (SIM) and tried that a few times downstairs, I feel that is the most comfortable solution. It does take up quite some room in the trunk and changing the bed is a (minor) hassle (but were 4 people anyways). I'd say upstairs is very doable if you are the camping type.
 

Similar threads

paulevans
Replies
16
Views
2K
GrannyJen
GrannyJen
A
Replies
76
Views
14K
Walrus
Walrus
motacyclist
Replies
19
Views
5K
bathurg
bathurg
Gibros
Replies
25
Views
4K
RedCali
RedCali
Back
Top