Take That Exit

We started with a tour of our Airstream bathroom last month and I’ve finally rounded up photos of the kid’s bunk area to share with you. When we started looking at Airstreams we knew we wanted to pick a model that allowed us each our own permanent sleeping area. I really didn’t want to have to turn a table or a couch into a bed every night and I felt it was important for us to each have a space we could call our own.

That’s why when we spotted the 2015 Airstream Flying Cloud BUNK model we knew it was the one. With a set of bunks in the back of the trailer there would be plenty of space for two small kids to both play and sleep. The bottom bunk measures 54″ x 76″ – which is *almost* as big as the queen we have up front – allowing for lots of room to play on the bed. And the top bunk measures 29″ x 78″ which is essentially a small twin – not a lot of room to play but a really cool place to sleep.

The beds share a wall with the bathrooms (see our Airstream bathroom here) and when you step off the bottom bed you are standing in front of the bathroom door, the clothing wardrobe and pantry (essentially the kitchen).

Let’s take a look at the beds. . .

photo credit: The News Tribune (June 2015)

The kid’s bunk area has had many different “looks” over the last 7 months. Different bedding, different pillows, different decorations – it seems to cycle through as I try to find just the right set up. When we first started the bed had a vintage-looking “heart” quilt on it that I had made in high school – and the top bed had a Seahawks quilt I made a few years ago. I LOVED it, I really did, but as time went on the patterns and designs were a bit too much for the small space. Imagine that bed with a ton of toys on top of it. I needed something more simple because essentially it’s like having a kid’s room in your main living room.

I bought some navy blue bedding from IKEA back in Virginia (October) but as we headed into winter the dark bedding made the space seem closed in and darker than I wanted. Most recently I switched to a white comforter – and it’s brightened the whole area up so much – making the space more welcoming and making the most of the limited light.

Let’s talk about a few things I’ve discovered about this back bottom bed. . . 

You have to learn how to LEVITATE if you want to make it easily. Yes, it’s one of those. You can’t stand on the side and make it. You have to start at the back (near the window) and tuck corners and ultimately end up in the front corner to finish it off. A serious pain in the butt. Since my kids have never been big under-the-sheet-sleepers, we leave the white comforter tucked in and use our lovies and fleece blankets for sleeping on top (they did the same thing in our house). This saves a lot of headache over making an impossible bed every day.

You cannot have a fluffy comforter on this bed if you want to “make” the bed by tucking the comforter along the sides. There is no room for that nonsense because the space between the mattress and the wall is so limited. The best you will do is a quilt-style blanket.

It can get very dark under the bunk, so we installed battery-powered tap lights (found at Costco, with adhesive backing). This has helped tremendously with light when the kids are playing or reading on the bottom bed (see photo above).

Other things you might want to know about the back bottom bed are : 

The very back window is an emergency exit window. This is of course a GOOD thing to have. . .but if you have a toddler who is tempted to pull a red cord right next to sign that says EMERGENCY this bed might not be a good fit for you. 🙂 My kids have been taught how to use the Emergency exit if they need and NOT to play with it – we haven’t had any issues in this department. There is also an electrical outlet at the head of the bed (right under the emergency escape window) – thankfully our kids don’t mess with those. If you have younger kids this is definitely something to consider.

The back window does open up and gives a nice cross breeze across the trailer. My kids have been so lucky to fall asleep to so many sounds and sights out this back window – ocean waves, birds chirping, frogs croaking. . .I love that the view and sounds change as we head around the country.

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