Is 5ft wide worth the extra cost

[jimqpublic]

Follow up question-

Once you're at 5', why stop there? I would think 61" or 62" inside width would be best for a store-bought 60" queen mattress.

Every time I tow my 78" wide (outside) trailer I try to figure out if going narrower would make any difference other than that I need an extended towing mirror. Of course 78" plus external wheels would be another story.

[TheBizMan]

YES!!! YES!!! YES!!!

TonyJ...I think if the sun was up at 12:00 noon, you would say it was the moon, just to be different.

[starleen2]

No.

(My answer, having built a 4 wide is actually YES, but I never really believe 100% consensus votes)

I'm with tonyj on this one - I built mine 6 feet wide - But we sleep transversly

[01Sport]

I have not slept in mine yet, but yes is my answer. I actually made mine 66" wide, should have gone with 60" due to the aluminum seams I will have to do. But I think the extra 6" will be nice. I purchased a queen spring mattress from Ikea that is 8" thick. I can't wait to sleep on it. And we have a new baby so the extra room will be extra nice.

[mk10108]

:thumbsup: Depends on what you like to do with the elbows, knees, and toes. If you sleep in the middle of the bed like we do 4 wide might do it. Many do. If you are ever caught in the rain or can't get out for a day---snuggling is such fun. Just remember that a full bed is 54" not 46"!

Course the partner will more easily agree to #2 if you make #1 small.

Way to much spooning information. Keep your elbows / knees and toes positioning to yourself.....what happens in a tear stays in the tear.

[Kens]

YES

[bobhenry]

Follow up question-

Once you're at 5', why stop there? I would think 61" or 62" inside width would be best for a store-bought 60" queen mattress.

.

I DIDN'T

The HF 4x8 frame is 62" outside of fender to outside of fender. My floor has a 2x4 ring around it and my 3/4 osb sides screwed to that ring and my luan veneer is applied to that. 62 + 3" for the 2x4 +2" for the side panels makes mine 5' 7" out ot out and 5' 5" inside. That extra couple of inches comes in handy when making the bed.

[4123]

Absolutely

[Steve_Cox]

Is the extra 1 ft worth the extra cost and how much of a price difference does it actually make.
All I can find is 4x8 so I will have to make my own 5 ft wide plywood for the floor, front, back, and top.

If you plan to camp and sleep alone, 4' would be an acceptable choice. But if you sleep with a person that is all knees and elbows and likes to take their half of the bed out of the middle that would be a different story, a 6' wide might not be big enough.

[tonyj]

YES!!! YES!!! YES!!!

TonyJ...I think if the sun was up at 12:00 noon, you would say it was the moon, just to be different.

No, I would also say noon, but I would pronounce it backwards.

I'm with tonyj on this one - I built mine 6 feet wide - But we sleep transversly

So technically, that makes you transverstites!

[Arne]

If you build 4' wide to save money and get 2 pieces out of a 4x8 sheet of ply, remember, that will be the outside, from wall to wall, the inside will be even smaller...

I went 5' wide with both of mine. I get a queen size mattress, more room for dogs, and I can still see down the side with my stock outside minivan rear view mirrors (a concern of mine).

If you do the math, I'm not even sure you will save that much, maybe 10%?

You still need a frame, tires, battery, vent, windows, hardware.. I'm betting the cost savings will be $150 at most (plywood, insulation, glue, brads, nails, screws).... but it would also be lighter.

Even when I camp solo, I like having it 5' wide (5'-2.5' actually)...

[Senior Ninja]

Yikes, looks as if I'm in the minority again. I can't really say if a five footer is worth the extra money, as I've only slept in my four foot HFTD. My wife and I love sleeping in it. Maybe we just don't know what we're mising. For now and the foreseeable future we've no plans to change anything. If I build another I might be tempted to make it wider, but I doubt if I'll ever do that.
I made mine four feet outside demisinon to make the best use of the available plywood. I was also concerned with frontal area since my tow vehicle is a four cylinder. (2002 Saturn L200) I just towed the trailer from Murphys, CA to Bakersfield, CA to store it for the winter. I drove fifty five and made twenty six mpg!
Steve

[Arne]

Well, being happy with what you have is the most important thing. Really.

I just thought about it, and with 1.5" for 2 walls, that would leave 45.5" for two of us... that is 22-3/4" for each of us. Neither of us is that ... wide, but we do sleep in a king size bed at home and like the room to roam... then there are the sneaky dogs that appear from no where in the middle of the night. Sure, why should they sleep on a rug when the nice foam bed is right next to them.....?

So, I guess it all works out fine... and like someone mentioned, we get another 20% shelf space inside and in the galley...

[grant whipp]

I'd say it depends ...

... on what and how you intend to use it, and who you are going to be sharing it with. My wife & I (I'm 6'3" @220# and she's 5'2" @ #) have been happily sharing 4'-wides for the better part of 25 years, but because of my disabilities (and in her defense) our next one will be 54" inside.

If you and your significant other can't comfortably share the occasional confines of a 4' wide teardrop, are you really happy together ... ...?

(Just thought I'd stir the pot a little ... ...!)

CHEERS!

Grant

[Arne]

Grant, we are really happy together... and separate. Kind of depends.