I guess my consideration would focus on your daughter and how long she will be traveling with you. The fold out couch bed is not comfortable IMO and setting it up at night would be a PIA if you want to stay up to watch TV or whatever. I think for me I would go with the BH model.

I agree with Paul, but there are some other criteria to think about also.

1. Our trailer has the kitchen on the curb side. This limits the view on the side that you will spend most of your time outdoors. With the 295, your picture windows will be on the door side. With the 278, the windows will be on the driver's side and looking into your neighbor's campsite.

2. The 295 has a pantry, the 278 does not. We had a pantry in our first GDRV rig, but don't have one now. It's a feature we really miss.

3. With two opposing slides, you'll have more square footage in the 295.

4. If you purchase the 278 for the bunk house, you can remodel the bunk area into an office once your daughter stops traveling with you.

Tough decisions. Personally, I'd go with the 295.

Jim

The lack of a pantry makes the 278BH a non-starter for my DW. I insisted on having "theater seating" directly across from the TV, so again, the 278BH wouldn't work for us.

The living room layout of the 295 is the same as my 315RLTS with the bedroom of a 297RSTS. It is a very comfortable layout--but Paul ( Paul & Deb ) is right about the fold out couch. It's awful. Have a salesman unfold one and then lay on it. It's not level. Why Lippert (the OEM of the couch) hasn't fixed this is frustrating. I personally confronted the factory manager at the LCI factory about this very issue about a year ago.

So if the layout of the 295 is better, go into the purchase knowing you'll have to replace the couch with a different couch. Your daughter will hate it. (Maybe Lippert has fixed the couch? If so--let me know when you test it!)

Otherwise...those of use with a similar floorplan love the layout.

Howard

Yeah, I noticed the 278 doesn't have a dedicated pantry. I guess our stuff could go in the cabinets above the sink? Not a big fan of that but it's not a huge deal I guess. I didn't even think about the windows issue. That makes it more difficult LOL! BTW, my 13 year old is a boy.

Tucson Jim, you helped me yesterday with my post about the 31MB and our towing capacities. I do appreciate your help but I really think a lighter fifth wheel will be better for many reasons.

I would pick the 278 because making sure my child enjoyed camping would be my #1 priority. You only have five more years with him at home and only about three with him still wanting to do things with his parents. With a bunk model, your son (and a friend) can hang out there and do their thing in their own space. They can leave all their junk there and make a mess and it won't bother you and your wife. In all other respects, I prefer the 295.

You and your wife can get the model you prefer for yourselves when your son is out on his own.

If I have to pick one from the two you proposed I would select the 278BH. However I don't think either are ideal. I would not select the 295RL, considered a 'couples coach' and the same layout as our Imagine 2970RL. My wife and I love ours but we don't have a third individual that needs sleeping quarters.

I agree with bertschb in that if you want your son to enjoy camping he needs his own sleeping quarters. Not be in the way when you all are up early and trying to make breakfast or your coffee. If you're spending this amount of money it should be what is needed for everyone.

Really, really good points.

Can I bore you with a story?

About three years ago I bought a brand new Ford F-250 Platinum truck. It was a dream to have such a nice vehicle and based on "my" research I could "pull anything". (I was wrong.) When forum members educated me about the "sticker" (payload capacity) I was devastated, because it meant hauling my Honda Goldwing in the truck bed while pulling a 315RLTS was not possible. At least not while staying within the truck's specs. (I've learned a LOT since those days!)

That led to a six-month or more search for an alternative camper, because the DW was adamant--we were NOT getting another truck.

We finally settled on a Rockwood trailer that met our minimum requirements, but the DW did not love the trailer like she loved the 315RLTS. (And the Rockwood, obviously, wasn't a Grand Design so the interactions with all the individuals I had on the Grand Design focused forum would go away, too.)

So the day came when there was no other trailers to research or look at. I told my wife, "OK, let's go get the Rockwood." Her expression said it all--it was that sad, disappointed face of an unhappy woman. The next words out of my mouth were, "We are not going to compound a mistake with a second mistake."

I could make this story longer but I traded my beloved, new F-250 for a used F-350 DRW (that is literally the same model, color, interior and options as my 250). I call the whole experience a "$5,000 life lesson" (about the amount I lost versus buying the 350 the first time).

The DW, of course, then got her 315RLTS. We've never regretted the decision.

Just food for thought...

Lots of good points made here already and I agree with most or even all.

What I would look at may be a little back words.

Your son , being 13 , in 3 years or less may be involved in something that may limit your camp outings , sports , after school activities , so this may limit the use of the RV. Also as noted above he may not wish to camp as much in 3 years and the 2 of you will be on your own. Unless in 3 years you may be planning replacing the bunk house model with a different model then the bunk house will not be used after that. If you are planning on keeping this trailer for maybe 10 years then I would go with the 295. With the 295 you will be able to work around the "non bunk model" when ever needed and then when it is just the 2 of you this model will fit your needs.

When we had kids , 3 , our last trailer , 3 bunks , was the first trailer we should have bought , could not afford it in the early years though. Think of the long term investment but also think of the family memories maybe that will help you decide. There are some good Imagine TT's that may fit the bill also.

Curious on you pick , I was really pulling for the 31MB , although we are with out kids , for a while , we really like that model.

Brian

Well you have to keep the wife happy! LOL

Let me tell you a story We originally started out looking at travel trailers a few months ago when my husband had an F150 SXT (I think the towing capacity was around 7500). We quickly found out that we had to find a TT that was around 5000 lbs dry. Definitely doable, but couldn't really find a nice one with the features we wanted. So about 2 weeks ago we decided to upgrade to a new (to us) Dodge 2500 6.4L Hemi Tradesman. We figured we could pull a really nice travel trailer with that! So we drove 2.5 hours to the closest dealership that sells GD. The salesman showed us a few TT but then asked if we had considered a fifth wheel. I told him "Oh no, that's too big for us!" Well he must have seen me coming because he ushered us into a 31MB. It was love at first sight! My husband even loved it, even though he was looking for something 30' or under. So now I'm set on a fifth wheel, but upgrading our truck again is just not going to happen for quite a while. But I know that our truck will pull the 150 Series, so that's what we will go with, for now.

If you get the chance to watch any of Marc and Trish's videos ("Keep Your Daydream" on YouTube) that is their #1 advice--just get started with what you've got (or can get). So no matter what, don't get caught in "paralysis by analysis".

Good luck with your search--and please follow-up with what you finally decide. And don't hesitate to ask more questions! I bombarded the forum well before I bought my 315RLTS with "newbie" questions. TucsonJim and Cate&Rob (fellow moderators here on this site) as well as Second Chance (Rob) among many others were among the early "mentors" I was lucky enough to have prior to Grand Design ownership.

Howard

We don't plan on purchasing/ordering until January, but I will let you know. Thanks!

I hear the trials and tribulations of this scenario every week. After digesting the aforementioned information, I would suggest the 278. If the child isn't happy, then the mother isn't happy, and you know "the rest of the story." Stay healthy everyone...

Hahahaha this is true!