Murphy bed pros/cons?

[rmnpcolorado]

We looked at a Keystone Passport SL 221BH today just for S&G and it had the murphy bed design up front. Just curious as to people's thoughts that have or had them - how do/did you like it, how does/did it work for you, do/did you leave it down and not use the couch, etc. In this model it seems like it could be down and get the slide in, but we couldn't tell for sure, but that could be a factor as well.

We're not the kind of family that stays in the trailer 24/7 and needs the couch to stare at a tv. In this particular model it seems like with the bed down it would restrict access to the rest of the trailer or at least make it tight, so in essence one would HAVE to put it up and down each day - not my idea of a good time.

How does the mattress hold up? Can it be replaced by a foam mattress type or because it bends, that's not possible? Does it mess up one's bedding where that needs to be removed daily?

Just trying to get an idea. Typically I've found that the murphy bed design keeps the trailer a touch shorter which I really like, but at what expense?

[mr_andyj]

Someone just asked this same thing, try doing the search for topics and find answers that way too.

A murphy bed does not fold, if it folds then it is a folding bed.
It looks like your model is a murphy bed, that just folds flat up to the wall (mattress does not bend). The only struggle would be that you have to move the sofa backrest before folding the bed down. Folding down a bed is so simple and takes no time. Getting it out of the way is great. Your mattress will be fine standing vertical. If it folds then of course the folded part will get wear of some sort.

I had one that folded to the side, and it took one second to fold up, and 3/4 of one second to fold down at night. Time sacrificed was well worth it.

[QCMan]

We had a 23' MiniLite with a Murphy bed that we thought would be a great idea as it saved room and gave us a huge bathroom. Got tired of it real quick as the dinette was not fit for adult seating. Got old real fast because if one of us needed to lay down the other had to be uncomfortable or lay down also. Traded up to a Cougar 22 with a king sized bed and smaller bathroom and recliners in a slide. A full time bed is better than a part time one in our eyes. That is our experience with a Murphy bed.

[B-n-B]

rmnpcolorado wrote:
We looked at a Keystone Passport SL 221BH today just for S&G and it had the murphy bed design up front. Just curious as to people's thoughts that have or had them - how do/did you like it, how does/did it work for you, do/did you leave it down and not use the couch, etc. In this model it seems like it could be down and get the slide in, but we couldn't tell for sure, but that could be a factor as well.

We're not the kind of family that stays in the trailer 24/7 and needs the couch to stare at a tv. In this particular model it seems like with the bed down it would restrict access to the rest of the trailer or at least make it tight, so in essence one would HAVE to put it up and down each day - not my idea of a good time.

How does the mattress hold up? Can it be replaced by a foam mattress type or because it bends, that's not possible? Does it mess up one's bedding where that needs to be removed daily?

Just trying to get an idea. Typically I've found that the murphy bed design keeps the trailer a touch shorter which I really like, but at what expense?

Ours has a similar design with a Murphy bed. The mattress that came with it was hot garbage and I replaced it immediately. The bed/sofa can be used with the slide in, but we haven’t had to do that yet.

When looking for a compact design, a Murphy bed was a good solution in a small space that gave a seating option beyond the dinette. We also pretty much are in the camper just long enough to sleep, eat, shower and leave but it’s nice to have something comfy for rainy days.

The bed is put away as soon as we’re up and moving. It literally takes no time at all. I would estimate that when I fold the bed back down and adjust the sheets, it takes about two minutes to situate everything. If needed we could leave the bed down since it has the same foot print as the sofa and doesn’t take up any extra floor space.

[3boxerss]

Our last camper had a Murphy bed.. Pros for us .. Shorter camper with having extra seating.. 2. getting in and out of camper with bed down really wasnt an issue. But we didnt have kids just adult kids. Cons.....1. We basicly only used it when raining out an stuck in camper.. Rest of time we left bed in down position..2. With anything over a 3 inch mattress topper we had to flip the topper back when puttin up the bed because of the shelf in order to get it to close.. 3. Bed is higher than normal and you have to crawl in and out from the bottom of the bed. Husband was diagonsed with RA and it got harder and harder for him to get in and out of the bed. We loved having the murphy bed at first but it ended up with us barely using the love seat.. The first couple years we were ok with having to crawl in from the end of the bed. But after some medical problems it got to be difficult getting in an out of.. Would I buy another with a murphy bed if we didnt have the medical problems? Real possibility as we have to stay under 25 foot in order to keep it at home.

[SpeakEasy]

There are Murphy beds and there are Murphy beds. They are not all designed the same way. We have a Flagstaff with a Murphy bed that I like most of the time. I've seen a Murphy bed in a Palomino that I wouldn't touch with a 39 1/2 foot pole.

You mention the mattress "bending" or folding? Ours does not. The one in the Palomino was actually in two or three separate mattress segments that you had to assemble each time you brought it out. No thanks.

-Speak

[valhalla360]

If you are just going to weekend camp and will be outside most of the time, seems viable.

If you will be using it a lot or for longer trips, it could quickly become a hassle.