Is Converting the Dinette-Bed 2x/Day in a Scamp 13′ a Deal Breaker?

Is Converting the Dinette-Bed 2x/Day in a Scamp 13′ a Deal Breaker?

One key consideration when selecting a small travel trailer is bed configuration.  Will the bed be the right size for two people?  Can I leave the bed down all the time and still use the kitchen table?  How easy is it to convert the bed into the dinette in the morning and back again into the bed in the evening?  These questions are often key variables when considering choices of small travel trailers.

Health experts typically recommend between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night for adults.  So, if a person usually sleeps about 8 hours per night, they spend 1/3 of each day sleeping!  That’s a lot of time!  In turn, it’s really important to seriously consider sleep when deciding on a trailer brand and configuration.  With the smallest travel trailers (around 13’ in length), there usually is a compromise in order to get both a nice sized bed and dinette.  This compromise is the necessity to convert the bed to the dinette every morning (and back to the bed in the evening).  This is the case for our Scamp 13’, which has a very roomy full-sized bed for two people (54” wide x 76” long) and, after conversion, a generously roomy kitchen table for four people.  For many, the perceived time and effort it takes to make this daily conversion is a deal breaker.  Often, the solution for those not wanting to undertake these daily conversions twice a day is to buy a larger trailer with a bed which can be left down all the time.  For example, the Scamp 16’ allows for a side two-person dinette (offering the possibility for the bed to always be left down).  In this case, no daily conversion is necessary (however, if the bed is left down, the usable dinette table in the Scamp 16’ is much smaller than that in the Scamp 13’).

After deciding on a Scamp small travel trailer (see our article on Ordering our 2020 Scamp), we needed to choose between the 13’ and 16’ models.  While both allow for the low cost $10 every 5 years California PTI registration (available for small trailers 16’ or less), the Scamp 13’ fits in our garage better, is a bit lighter (up to 800 lbs lighter than the Scamp 16″ Standard according to Scamp!), and has the wider 54” bed option not available on the Scamp 16’ Standard.  We didn’t think sleeping on a 43” wide bed would be as comfortable for two people.  So, with that, our decision was made and we were committed to undertaking the twice a day dinette-bed conversion when travelling in our Scamp 13’.  We just hoped it was not going to be a real pain and get to be too much after a while.

In the end, undertaking the daily dinette-bed conversion was just not that big a deal.  Perhaps it’s because we only travel every month or so (up to 10 days at a time) and aren’t living in our Scamp 13’ full time.  However, it seems not much different than making our bed every day at home.  The actual conversion of flipping up the table arm, lowering the table into the bed position, and sliding the cushions over the tables is ridiculously easy (and similar for the reverse procedure).  Laying out the memory foam mattress topper and sleeping bag takes a little more time.  But, overall, the entire process is very doable and we are happy we chose the Scamp 13’.  If we were living in the Scamp full time, then it probably would be nice to have the bed down all the time.  If I were a solo traveler, I would likely order the Scamp 13’ with bigger 54” bed and implement a table modification to allow for a hybrid bed-table setup – so the bed can always be left down and still allow for a table (similar to the great approach presented in this discussion here).

In order to see how much time it actually takes one person to make the dinette-bed conversion, we made the above video and timed it.  In both cases of conversion (dinette to bed and bed to dinette), the time it took one person is less than three minutes.  So, if spending 6 minutes or less per day on making / unmaking your bed is reasonable and you don’t mind getting a little bit of exercise, choosing a smaller trailer (such as the Scamp 13’) could actually end up giving you more room for your dinette and bed than if you chose a slightly larger model trailer with a dedicated bed.  Additionally, you might also find you are getting into more campgrounds as a result of your smaller size (secret)!

Update:
We are still going strong in our 2020 Scamp 13′ after over four years (35 trips, 125 locations, and 226 nights) and are happy with choosing this model despite the bed conversion.  We stopped using a bed topper as the softer foam cushions make sleeping much more comfortable than the much firmer factory ones.  We also made the daily bed conversion easier by replacing the particle board on the dinette table with lightweight plywood.

Disclaimer:  You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale.  These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences.  However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer.  It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly.