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Contortionism belongs in show business, not in RV master bedrooms that are too small. Sometimes it can feel like you have to become “Flexo the Fantastic” just so you can crawl into your travel trailer’s bed at night. Once you’re in position, you can think to yourself, what were the RV engineers thinking when they made this RV master bedroom too small?
We’ll explain why travel trailer manufacturers make 25-35 foot RV master bedrooms too small, and the logic behind it. You’ll learn about the added features RV designers place in the bedroom to make the space feel less claustrophobic. We’ll show you the most common floorplans that customer reviews say the RV master bedroom is too small, and how to make the most of it.
The 8 Best Examples of Small RV Master Bedrooms With a Lot of Space
1. Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra-Lite 238BHS: Travel Trailers With Murphy Bed
- Length: 25.9 ft.
- Dry Weight: 5,314 lbs.
- GVWR: 7,600 lbs.
- Master Bed: Residential Queen-size Murphy bed
Even though the murphy bed dates back to the 1800s, we didn’t see it in the RV world until the Modern Era (2008- Present). The biggest misconception about murphy beds is that they don’t have “real” mattresses. RV manufacturers create a deep cavity behind the movable frame so 10-inch thick mattresses can fit. This type of floorplan makes the small RV master bedroom a non-issue both day and night.
Coachmen’s Freedom Express Ultra-Lite 238BHS makes the most out of the murphy bed as the ultimate space-saving device. By day, the bed folds up, so you have sitting space on the sofa. You won’t have to remake the bed or take any additional steps beyond flattening the jackknife sofa, pulling the murphy bed’s locks, and guiding it in place. There isn’t a wall at the foot of the bed that limits the space, and the wide side walkways won’t push you against the sidewalls.
The kids will enjoy their full-size 50-inch x 74-inch bunk beds and can pull the privacy curtains so they can enjoy their own pocket universe. With a pair of Bluetooth headphones, you can adjust the LED TV above the kitchen counter and finish the night with your favorite streaming show.
2. Winnebago Micro Minnie 2108TB: Travel Trailers With Dual Twin Beds
- Length: 22.7 ft.
- Dry Weight: 4,040 lbs.
- GVWR: 5,500 lbs.
- Master Bed: Dual RV Twin OR King with bridge pillows
What’s old is new again. A significant portion of people thinks RVs with 2 twin beds are for those old-world “fuddy-duddies.” The reality is: this floorplan sells well among the young “whipper-snapper” Millennials and other age groups who are young at heart. The dual twin beds have many advantages:
- There’s more under-bed storage than with a double bed.
- The bridge pillows convert the twins into a king-size bed.
- The wide gap between the beds makes it easy to get in and out of bed.
- You don’t disturb the other person when you get out of bed.
- If you bring a friend on your RV trip, and your relationship has boundaries, everybody can be comfortable and have personal space. If the nature of that relationship changes, see number 2.
Winnebago’s Micro Minnie 2108TB gives you the added benefit of being an RV with a rear bathroom. The all-in-one dry bath takes up the full width giving you an oversized shower and plenty of room to move around. In addition, Winnie places the dinette on the off-door slideout, providing plenty of walking room around the coach. For additional counter space, the Flying W also adds a flip-up counter for extra meal prep surface space.
3. Dutchmen Kodiak Ultra-Lite 201QB: Travel Trailers Without a Slideout
- Length: 24.1 ft.
- Dry Weight: 4,072 lbs.
- GVWR: 5,500 lbs.
- Master Bed: Residential Queen
Couples looking for a travel trailer to tow with their Rivian R1T for weekend trips an hour or two from home may want to check out the 201QB. This little giant makes an excellent mobile HQ when you’ve completed that 15-mile hike or conquered those Class IV rapids. Get your free copy of the June Edition of RV Camping Magazine to learn more about the all-electric pickup truck Rivian R1T’s towing potential.
The Dutchmen Ultra-Lite 201QB gives you an open floorplan, so you don’t have to worry about interior walls or narrow side walkways around the front residential queen-size bed. The space inside this non-slideout is massive for a travel trailer under 30 feet. The all-laminate flooring is easy to clean up if you bring in some dirt and mud from your adventure. In addition, you’ll enjoy the large corner shower as you “decontaminate” and become a person again.
As you sleep that night dreaming about your incredible adventure, your truck’s providing power to your Kodiak travel trailer for the RV alarm system. This time, that bear will think twice about coming around your campsite.
4. Heartland North Trail 22RBK: Travel Trailers Without a Separating Wall
- Length: 26.35 ft.
- Dry Weight: 4,852 lbs.
- GVWR: 6,900 lbs.
- Master Bed: Comfort Select Short King
Open space floorplans also come in RVs with slideouts. You’ll find them in travel trailers under 30 feet, but RV manufacturers do make them for couples and families. The Heartland North Trail 22RBK adds a privacy curtain to the front master bedroom. The best way to avoid an RV master bedroom that’s too small is completely removing the wall.
That’s due to the U-shaped dinette on the off-door slideout. The large dining furniture piece seats six, so you can invite guests for a meal, remove the pedestal table to use it as seating, or convert it for additional sleeping for two.
Before you glance over this mid-size RV, take a look at that master bed measurement again. It’s very rare to find a king bed in a travel trailer under 5,000 pounds. Usually, RV companies will restrict a lightweight trailer to a queen or short queen since it’s an easy way to reduce the dry weight. Instead, Heartland added the larger mattress, king-sized dinette, furnace (30k BTU), extreme cargo carrying capacity (2,016 lbs.), and other features.
Heartland finishes the floorplan with a rear bath that shares the door sidewall with an RV outdoor kitchen. Within the bathroom space, you’ll find deep cabinet storage space at shoulder level. The space underneath those cabinets holds the refrigerator, pull-out sink, and slideout counter that make up the exterior kitchen.
5. Jayco Jay Flight SLX 8 267BHS: Travel Trailers With 2 Bedroom Entrances
- Length: 30.4 ft.
- Dry Weight: 5,840 lbs.
- GVWR: 7,000 lbs.
- Master Bed: RV Queen
RV manufacturers created a floorplan that has two entryways from the living room to the master bedroom. This idea eliminates the need to walk between the foot and the interior wall. It’s a design technique that gives the master bedroom users doors to close off the space with something better than a curtain. The side windows on each wall make the room feel more open with natural light. In addition, the walkways are broad enough so you can get dressed.
The 30 and a half foot Jayco Jay Flight SLX 8 267 BHS is a bunkhouse travel trailer with an outdoor kitchen. The coach has the perfect design for a growing family. The shower is tub-styled to wash up the little ones, and the dinette or jackknife sofa is a good starter sleeping space for toddlers. The double bunks are entirely closed in by walls, except for the foot corner, to keep them safe from rolling out. Your teenagers will enjoy the privacy curtain to get away from everyone that “doesn’t understand.”
6. Keystone Springdale 274RB: Travel Trailers With Dual Entry Doors
- Length: 31.7 ft.
- Dry Weight: 7,026 lbs.
- GVWR: 9,520 lbs.
- Master Bed: RV Queen
The Keystone Springdale 274RB will surprise you with the walk space at the foot of the bed. A lot of it has to do with the secondary entrance. According to the RV building codes set by the RV Industry Association (RVIA) and other authorities, all motorhomes and travel trailers require 2 exits in every room for safety measures. Travel trailers over 30 feet must have a second door instead of an escape window.
To make the most of these second doors, RV manufacturers use the secondary door in some units as an entryway into the bathroom so that it can double as a mudroom. In this case, the front secondary door also acts as a convenient place to store your long items as you travel. For example, your bikes, kayaks, or other things that are too tall for the pass-through storage bay will fit in place between the bed and the interior walls. The extra space also makes the getting dressed routine less acrobatic.
Another great feature has to be the walk-in pantry next to the main entry door. If you also use your travel trailer for tailgating, the pantry is a great place to store your tables and other gear. So whether you pull in for the big game or your children’s weekend playoffs, the RV’s outdoor kitchen will outshine the other team’s tailgate pre-game get-together any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
7. Lance 2465: Travel Trailers With a Rear Master Bedroom
- Length: 29.5 ft.
- Dry Weight: 5,875 lbs.
- GVWR: 7,800 lbs.
- Master Bed: Deluxe King
You’ll find that RVs with rear master bedrooms have the height, width, and desired walk-around bed space you want. If you’re looking to work from the road and want a mid-size travel trailer with office space, check out the Lance 2465. The long desk is big enough for two people to work on, but if you need your own private space, the edge of the dinette makes a great second RV workstation.
If you end up working late into the night, all you have to do is rotate your office chair, and your king-size bed is right there. Even if you choose the optional dual 190-watt solar panel system, before you do your zombie crawl into bed, make sure you turn everything off. If your partner wakes up before you and can’t use the coffee maker because you drained the house batteries, you won’t like the words they use to wake you up to express their frustration.
8. Airstream Flying Cloud 30FB Bunk: Airstream North/South Master Bed
- Length: 30.10 ft.
- Dry Weight: 6,672 lbs.
- GVWR: 8,800 lbs.
- Master Bed: RV Queen (60-inch x 75-inch)
- Lower Bunk- Residential Full (54-inch x 76-inch)
- Top Bunk: Narrow Twin XL (30-inch x 78-inch)
So far, we’ve discussed the corrugated aluminum paneled conventional and laminated fiberglass paneled travel trailers that make up most of the RV trailer category. We didn’t mention the doubled-hulled molded fiberglass towables since the longest versions have living spaces under 20 feet. Then there are the Airstreams; they are a subsector all their own.
You’ll find a lot of information on the new Flying Cloud 30FB Office (check out the September issue of RV Camping Magazine), but some neglect the floorplan it’s based off. The 30FB Bunk has a near residential full-size bunk where the office space sits and an extra-long twin top bunk with a built-in roll guard above.
The master bedroom has side bed walkway spaces more expansive than virtually any other brand out there. Airstream rounds the mattress’ foot corners, making it easy to get around the bed. Before you consider replacing that mattress, remember, Airstream only works with the best vendor brands. The pillow top memory foam mattress meets the demandingly high standards the RV company expects from its suppliers.
The Engineering Logic Behind RV Master Bedrooms That Are Too Small
The best way to explain the engineering logic behind RV master bedrooms that are too small is through a demonstration. So grab a piece of paper and a pen or pencil and follow the directions below.
- Draw a rectangle that takes up most of the page. Don’t make the rectangle too small because it’s the exterior walls of the travel trailer you’re designing.
- At one end, draw a square to represent a queen-size bed centered on the narrow wall.
- On the other end, we will make this unit a rear kitchen floorplan, so add a narrow but long rectangle against the short end of the interior wall as the countertop. Next, add a small square for a fridge and a wide rectangle against one of the long sides for the dinette.
- Somewhere in the middle of the interior trailer border, place a rectangle to represent a sofa on one sidewall and a narrow rectangle on the opposite wall for the entertainment center. Don’t forget to add the entry door.
The example rear kitchen travel trailer we designed together is a simple design. Yet, it’s the basic premise of how RV engineers create the various models. The complicated part deals with adding other features, making sure the coach hits target weight specifications, and keeping to deadlines. Of course, keeping the manufacturing within the financial budget can’t be ignored.
When you look online or walk through the RVs, you’ll notice that you’ll see the same floorplan throughout all the brands in the category and subsector. That’s because the design works. When one engineer figures out a design idea, you’ll see that same idea in the other RV brands by the next model year. The real trick is to be the first one to discover the design concept.
How Do You Make the Most Out of a Small Living Space?
One of the basic premises RV engineers live by, is to make the most of every square inch of living space. In addition, the RV manufacturers assume their customers want to make the most of their coach while they’re awake. So if moving an interior wall adds more living room space within authoritative guidelines and consumer tolerances, they’ll do it.
The RV companies generally believe that the master bedroom is for sleeping purposes. It might be a tight squeeze to get to either side of the bed, but the payoff is a larger living room full of near residential-sized furniture, appliances, and features people spend most of the time using while they’re awake. That’s why RV master bedrooms are too small.
RV brands have learned to take this approach through customer surveys and feedback throughout the years. You’ll find that some floorplans in the mid-size travel trailer subsector offer a large living room and lessen the RV master bedroom being too small better than others. One of the best tricks RV designers use is adjusting the size of the master bed mattress, giving the sides and end walkway up to 5-inches of extra space.
Finding Space Through RV Bed Mattress Sizes
Travel trailer designers find space through RV bed mattress sizes. Have you ever tried to make your RV’s queen-size bed with your home bed sheets? Did you find that the fitted sheet didn’t fit correctly? There’s a reason for that.
In the residential mattress world, a queen bed is 60 inches by 80 inches. Your motorhome or travel trailer could have a full XL, short queen, RV king, or some other variant in the RV world. Manufacturers developed RV mattress sizes throughout the years, creating extra inches for walkways, cabinetry, and closing slideouts correctly.
If you have an RV master bedroom that’s too small for comfort, decreasing your bed’s mattress size could be the answer. Mid-size travel trailers usually have a residential or short queen mattress that’s larger than the bed platform. Opening up those side walkways could be as easy as changing the mattress to a short queen or full XL mattress.
Our friends at Tochta create the best standard and custom mattresses for homes and RVs. They explain standard sizing of residential and RV sizing well in a chart that shows the width and length in inches:
| Size | Dimension |
| RV Twin/Bunk | 34 x 74 |
| Residential Twin | 38 x 74 |
| Twin XL | 38 x 80 |
| RV Full | 48 x 74 |
| Residential Full | 53 x 74 |
| Full XL | 53 x 80 |
| RV Queen (a.k.a. Short Queen) | 60 x 74 |
| Residential Queen | 60 x 80 |
| RV King | 72 x 78 |
| Short King | 72 x 80 |
| Residential King (a.k.a. East King) | 76 x 80 |
| California King | 72 x 84 |
Tochta memory foam technology allows them to build custom mattresses that can range:
- 2-10 inches thick
- 2-88 inches wide
- 2-100 inches long
If you have an RV with a rear corner bed, you may need one corner rounded or cut diagonally to fit the space correctly. Many of the full-size bunks require one corner to be cut diagonally for walkway space reasons.
If your RV has a non-residential-sized mattress, you’ll have the best luck finding bed sheets on Amazon and at various camping stores. RV sheets come in the best solid colors and patterns that’ll complement the decor of your motorhome or travel trailer. There are also specialized RV-themed sheets.
Where Can I Find Travel Trailers With Big Bedrooms
want to find travel trailers with big bedrooms or full master suites, set your filters to full-length travel trailers. If you’re going to go up to that level, look into the Ford Expedition with the heavy tow package (9,300 lbs. tow capacity) or a gas-powered 150/1500 series pickup truck. All of that space and luxury features need serious muscle to cruise the highways of America.
Meanwhile, the examples above may have RV master bedrooms too small for comfort. Yet, you should now know why and what to do to open it up. Head over to our Facebook discussion group, RV Camping for Newbies, to see what other RVers have to say on the topic.
If you want to see more midsize travel trailers, other sizes, categories, or RVs with other popular features, subscribe to the RVBlogger YouTube channel. Each week, we post new content on some of the best RV Brands and other hot topics in the RV World.
For the best tips, trends, and all things RV, go to our RVBlogger website. You can learn about the best destinations, information on the various RV categories, find helpful “How-To” guides, become an RV master with the best training series out there, and gain many more insights into making your RV experience the best. You can also find us on Instagram.
Don’t forget to sign up for your free copy of RVBlogger’s digital periodical, RV Camping Magazine. Each month we feature interviews from the best YouTube RV Influencers. We also have feature articles from guest writers on many cutting-edge topics that are floating around the RV industry today. Need some advice on maintenance or repair? The National RV Training Academy provides easy tips to keep your coach travel-ready. You’ll also enjoy our topics on remodeling, destinations, and many others.
So, from Mike and Susan, thanks for reading, and we’ll see you next time!
Related Reading:
5 Best RV Murphy Bed Replacement Mattresses
6 Great Camper Trailers Without Slide Outs
11 Best Travel Trailers with Murphy Beds
10 Best Travel Trailers with a King Bed – Perfect for Tall RVers!
7 Best RV Mattresses – Reviews and Ratings
Brian Newman – Author and Full Time RVer
Although he’s from Motown, Brian Newman is a legacy RVer that grew up on I-75. He, and his wife have enjoyed the full-time RV lifestyle since 2017.
Like John Madden, he hasn’t “worked” in years because he gets to write about his passion. When he’s not working, he supports his daughter’s dog rescue efforts and disability causes.
