550 / 560 Questions About The 560 Ultra For Potential Buyer

Hello,

I am hoping that there are still active people here who might be able to help me. We are seriously considering placing an order for a 560 Ultra to be built this winter, and I have a few questions.

1. Bunk Beds: We have an 11 year old and a 14 year old. The 14 year old is probably done growing, and she is 5' tall (we're Hobbits). Our 11-year-old boy is under 5' now. Does anyone (particularly, a short person) have any experience with using the bunk beds for sleeping if you are around 5' or a smidge over? Is it just not feasible, or could we get away with it?

2. Rear galley hatch? Does anyone know the dimensions of the rear galley hatch when it is open? I've been looking at the Archaus tent & shelter, which also has a zip-on hatch connection for either a 5' and 6' hatch, which looked like it might be a good solution to rain and to having a connected tent where the teens can sleep if they don't fit on the bunk beds.

Let's Go Aero ArcHaus Camping Tent - 10' Long x 6' Wide x 6-1/2' Tall Lets Go Aero T

Tailgate Connector for Let's Go Aero ArcHaus Tent Shelter - 5' Hatch Lets Go Aero Accessorie

3. Side vestibule tent: We live far from Wisconsin, and so we would be making a significant vacation out of picking up the camper. We were considering doing the Lake Superior Circle Tour, but that will require frequently changing campgrounds as we move around the lake. How easy/difficult is it to put up/take down the vestibule? One of the reasons we want a teardrop in the first place is to eliminate the time-consuming setup/pack-up part of tent camping.

4. Can anyone tell me the interior dimensions of the galley storage bins and the shelf spaces in the upper galley? Since we would be taking the trailer on an immediate trip of some length when we pick it up, I would like to be prepared with methods of organization when we pick it up.

5. The mattress: two questions, really: a) do we need something underneath to prevent moisture; and b) do you all recommend a mattress topper?

6. Speaking of which, what are some tricks you've developed to access the storage underneath the bed, and what types of things do you store there?

7. Can anyone tell me the interior dimensions of the storage cabinets? We would like to use packing cubes to organize clothing, but I'm not sure if they'll fit? How do you organize your cabinets?

Thank you!

 

Where are u located, you could possibly see one in person close where you live, and see it for yourself if it would work for you.

 

Welcome to the forum. We have a 560 and our daughter used the bunk from the time she was 5 until she grew too tall. She’s now 5’ 6” and still growing at 13-years-old.

1) Whether or not your daughter will be comfortable in the bunk likely depends on how she sleeps - curled up or stretched out. Go visit someone with a 560 and have her get in the bunk and see how she feels.

2) The hatch tent might fit, but I wouldn’t want two teenagers sleeping in my kitchen. It would be hars to get them moving in the morning and adults usually like coffee early. We had to get a small standard tent for our daughter, which she sets up and tears down mostly by herself.

3) If you practice you can set up the side-tent in about five minutes, but I don’t consider it worth it unless we are going to be in one spot for at least 3 days. Camping and road trips are two different animals.

5) Preventing moisture only an issue when camping in cold weather. We have a 2” memory foam topper. If you go much higher than that, you will start losing room in the footwell.

6) We store things that we will rarely use under the bed - sidewalls and netting for our 10 x 10 popup, for example. There’s not really a trick - you just lift up the mattress to access.

For our first trip we WAY overpacked. Our new rule for roadtrips is that nothing goes on the bed when traveling. If it can’t fit in the car (or on the couch) it doesn’t come.

 

Thanks, Evan. We are in Arizona, and Cary gave us the name of a couple who have a 560 Ultra, but I haven't heard back from them so that we can try out the bunk beds. Given the extreme heat warnings, if I were them, I would be somewhere far away from here in my camper! Hopefully we will hear back from them before we need to put down our deposit.

I definitely agree that nothing should go on the bed(s). One of the reasons we want a teardrop in the first place is so that we can use it for both travel and camping. I was looking at easy-up tents that would make set-up quicker for overnights during travel.

I wish the vestibule tent was large enough for kids to sleep in (say, a 5X7 or slightly larger). For me, this is the biggest drawback. My son is probably going to be too tall for the bunks by the time we pick up the camper (next May is our plan).

 

My thoughts:

1. I have a 550, and thus cannot speak authoritatively on the 560. I just wanted to share that another option might be to have your kids sleep in a tent. We usually are out for extended periods with wide variations in weather (e.g. drive from midwest to southwest in winter, can't predict weather, and can get stuck in cold or rain.)

We take a screen tent with an optional snap in floor. It can serve as: a place for the pup, a dining room, game room, living room, extra sleeping chamber, yoga studio. You might like it for these purposes and your kids.

A very good screen tent costs about $400 / $500. Mine has lasted for about 5 years, and maybe 200 nights including several bad storms and one tornado. I have to replace it soon. My thinking: With my Campinn, I have minimal maintenance costs, it can sleep in my garage and thus no storage costs, and fractional fuel costs. The cost of that tent and replacements is miniscule compared to the cost of a different and lower quality camper. And the tent is incredibly versatile.

6. I just can't figure out anything to store under the bed. It seems like great additional storage space but generally, I just have plenty without it. I store a packet of tools there. It just isn't that difficult or frustrating to get under the bed.

Generally though, what Evan said.

 

Thanks. My concerns about a screen tent are: 1) One of the things I really wanted to accomplish was having as little set-up and break-down time as possible, since we want the camper for travel, not just for camping (for example, we want to do the Lake Superior Circle Tour, which would have us breaking camp every two days, approximately); 2) I worry about the kids being in a tent where there are bears and cold.

I was looking at one of those tents that attaches to the hatch with a sleeve, but then I would have to leave the hatch open at night, and I would rather lock it up so we don't attract wildlife.

BTW, I did ask Cary about a roof rack for things like awnings or a rooftop tent, but he was of the opinion that the roof rack adds a lot of drag and messes with the aerodynamics so that it's not a great choice. Also, my kids hate the idea of needing to climb up or down the ladder if they have to use the facilities in the middle of the night.

I was also looking at the OzTent, which includes an awning, but the cost is $$$$.

 

Yes, that makes sense. We don't move as fast as you!

 

We have 4 kids and the older two sleep in a tent outside. We use a coleman easy up I picked up at Costco a year ago for scouting.

The Coleman sets up and tears down in less than 5 minutes. Poles are integrated and it all fits in a duffle bag that can ride in the trailer or tow vehicle. (I’m looking at the OzTent as a replacement down the road but the price is prohibitive.)

We do a lot of camping in the Sierras in CA between Scouting and Family camping. The biggest advice if you're concerned about bears is to NEVER allow any food, drink, or scented toiletries in the tent. Lock them up in a bear box or bear proof container.

Best thing to combat the cold is long johns, extra blankets, and a cold rated sleeping bag. A heated nalgene in the bag does wonders as well. Kids are resilient though.