2500RL vs 2800BH

[JayScott27]

My wife and I have been looking at campers for some time now and finally decided to pull the trigger. We have looked at Several brands but will be buying GD due to the reviews and customer service. We are both in our 30s, currently with no kids but they are not out of the question. We looked at a 2021 2500RL and fell in love with it because of the large rear window and natural light. We also looked at a 2800BH and liked the idea of the bunk house/bike storage. We will have friends/family stay with us sometimes but 90% of the time it’s just us. Has anyone had this same Debate?

Thanks in advance.

 

[NB Canada]

If I didn’t have kids I wouldn’t have a bunkhouse

No way. They are not the comfortable for an adult so I doubt you would have guests sleeping there and unsure what you mean by “bike storage”


2021 Imagine 2400 BH
2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew 1840 payload

 

[JayScott27]

And that’s the dilemma. A child might come in a few years and would hate to have to buy a new camper. Than again, the child could sleep on the table.

Referring to the Bike Storage where the bottom bunk folds up to make a big storage area.

 

[NB Canada]

I doubt a bike would fit in there I have two norco adult bikes and would never attempt to put them there. Handle bars are way too wide plus they are too dirty most of the time. They go in the truck bed
You may have a different experience with it though

I always laugh at the trailers with the rear door for “ bikes”. I couldn’t imagine trying to put a bike in there.


2021 Imagine 2400 BH
2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew 1840 payload

 

[Ynot4me2]

The bunks would also provide some extra storage for that extra little person. Get the floor plan that works for you. Having to turn the dinette into a bed every night would be a pain and would illiminate some sitting space for you and DW a night while the little is sleeping. What if you want to watch a little TV or read a book. If kids are really in your plans then get the bunks but also keep in mind that you can change rigs at any time. If kids aren't in your plans for lets say 5 yrs the the bunk wouldn't be used for 2-3 years after they are born.

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[JayScott27]

We can easily pop the front wheel off with the quick release and turn the hand bars to fit. Not sure how well they would actually fit tho.

If kids come it would be in the new year or 2. So potentially have the bunks used in 3-4 years.....

 

[NB Canada]

My norcos the wheel pops off in seconds as well but then what do you do with the wheel?
Plus mine are so large I am sure they would stick out in front of the bathroom which would be a pain


2021 Imagine 2400 BH
2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew 1840 payload

 

[RV Sailor]

We had a similar dilemma.

It’s not just the extra bunks. It’s also the huge bathroom in the 2500rl. To us it was a choice of light and area with lots of living space or a more crowded trailer mainly used for sleeping. There is plenty of space and storage in the 2500 plus it has such great window space.

2800 wired for 50 amp vs 30 amp 2500.
2800 at 32 ft will not fit in a lot of state and federal campsites by 2 ft. Less sites available
2500 fits everywhere at .29.8 ft.
Our kids are grown and it’s mainly for us. But you can use for at least 5 yers and trade larger.
We didn’t want an outside kitchen.

Our bikes and kayaks are in the bed of the truck with the Westinghouse 4500 duel fuel generator.

What are you towing either with. Suggest at least a 2500.

 

[Grand Golfer]

We are in the market for a 2800, but have three kids 10, 8, 6. Not sure I’d go bunk w/o kids.

What are you planning to pull with?

I’d get a bunk model if the need arose later. Swapping out rigs isn’t a big deal to me though. I plan to get a 2800 and then sell once the kids get too big (4 yrs or so) and get something just for just the wife and I.


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[Z71-K9]

I have a Salsa Mukluk Fat bike that fits in the bike space with no problems. And I don't have to remove the wheel. I only use the bunks twice a year. Otherwise its just me and the dogs. 2800 has great features and is the perfect camper for me.

 

[Hornsky]

My wife and I have been looking at campers for some time now and finally decided to pull the trigger. We have looked at Several brands but will be buying GD due to the reviews and customer service. We are both in our 30s, currently with no kids but they are not out of the question. We looked at a 2021 2500RL and fell in love with it because of the large rear window and natural light. We also looked at a 2800BH and liked the idea of the bunk house/bike storage. We will have friends/family stay with us sometimes but 90% of the time it’s just us. Has anyone had this same Debate?

Thanks in advance.

We went with a 2800BH because it will mostly be the two of us but out adult daughters will come sometimes. And the storage is nice when they won't be there.

We bought Lectric folding e-bikes that fit into totes that fit into the storage space when the bed is folded up. See the attached pictures.







Sorry about the pictures being off by 90 degrees.

The totes have wheels on one side so they are easy to move around.

4400 lb. axles on the 2800BH. 3500 lb. on the 2500RL.

We like the theatre seats across from the TV and on the 2500RL, the refer is in an odd place with no counter next to it to set things on as you remove things from it.

 

[TheGuy]

Funny you ask... We bought a 19-2600rb in January of 2019. In October of 2020, the wife gave me the news. Fast forward to last weekend and we were shopping for a bunk house. We had no plans for a baby, but always said if it happens, then great! Well, it happened and I haven't slept past 4 am more than twice in 7 months.

What I'll say about having the sum total experience of camping for 4 nights with a six month old is this... The bunk house will be useful in the future, but you have time. We were able to shove the pack n play right into the slot for the dinette table like it was made for it. The table became the changing table. It wasn't as roomy in the camper as before we had him. (I never realized that a single kid would take up such an enormous amount of space for their size.) Thankfully, were able to eat outside because the weather was good. In short, where there's a will there's a way.

If you have only one shot, get a bunkhouse now. You can always repurpose the space if you want. If you think you might want to trade up in a couple years get what fits you the best now.

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[Lefti1821]

We are in the 60’s with no pets and kids. We loved the 2500RL with recliners, not couch and it should be delivered by April 15th.
I can’t wait!

 

[jblaine]

My husband and I just purchased a 2800BH two weeks ago. We are a family of three with a medium sized dog. We are planning to purchase a bike rack for our rear bumper rather than trying to transport them inside. I am also not a fan of the walk through bathroom, but we were debating a floorplan similar to the 2500RL that had the bunks tucked behind the couch in the back (I can't remember the model name), but didn't like that it didn't have a wall behind the couch to give more privacy to the people in bed and create more separation. We looked at other brands with walls but fell in love with the Grand Design brand so that was the only choice. Ultimately, it does come down to preference. I do think the bunks in the 2800BH are tucked out of the way enough that they won't feel like an impediment to your way of living if you don't have kids. I do agree that its nice to not have to manipulate the dinette for sleeping purposes. Just my two cents.

 

[DieselDork]

My wife and I have a 2500RL. For a "couples Camper", I think it's nearly impossible to beat. I have a truck rack, and haul kayaks on it, or if we're biking, I have a tailgate pad and carry the bikes that way.

the bathroom is huge, two awesome recliners, two huge windows, and a good amount of basement storage. My main gripe is that I would rather have a large window on the campsite side rather than overlooking the neighbors.

That said, we do have little ones from time to time. Putting down the table at night is a bigger pain that it may seem. It's unweildy and difficult to manage. Now, when we have little ones in tow, they just share the bed and we sleep in a tent... or we all sleep in a tent if they want.

IMHO, it's a 2 person camper. I wouldn't ever buy it if there was a chance of needing to house more than 2 people. As much as we love it, we are considering either replacing the recliners with a tri-fold sofa, or replacing it with a unit that is better suited to multiple people.

 

[mnrover]

My husband and I just purchased a 2800BH two weeks ago. We are a family of three with a medium sized dog. We are planning to purchase a bike rack for our rear bumper rather than trying to transport them inside. I am also not a fan of the walk through bathroom, but we were debating a floorplan similar to the 2500RL that had the bunks tucked behind the couch in the back (I can't remember the model name), but didn't like that it didn't have a wall behind the couch to give more privacy to the people in bed and create more separation. We looked at other brands with walls but fell in love with the Grand Design brand so that was the only choice. Ultimately, it does come down to preference. I do think the bunks in the 2800BH are tucked out of the way enough that they won't feel like an impediment to your way of living if you don't have kids. I do agree that its nice to not have to manipulate the dinette for sleeping purposes. Just my two cents.

Good luck with your new camper. We just took delivery of a 2600RB and if I am not mistaken the rear bumpers of this series campers are not designed to have a bike rack installed on them as the forces of the leveraged weight could tear the bumper off the camper along with the bicycles and your spare tire. Search this forum for more information on this.

 

[jblaine]

Thanks for the advice. We had asked about the bike rack mounting to the back bumper at the dealership, but you are right that it makes sense to always do our own research to verify information like that! Good luck with your new camper as well! We are definitely looking forward to breaking ours in.

 

[Jammer]

I have a Salsa Mukluk Fat bike that fits in the bike space with no problems. And I don't have to remove the wheel. I only use the bunks twice a year. Otherwise its just me and the dogs. 2800 has great features and is the perfect camper for me.

You got to love those Fatties. It would be the second to last bike I departed with, last would be my gravel bike. Not sorry for hijacking the thread, I get excited when it comes to bikes.

 

[Jorge Blanco]

We upgraded to a 2800BH so our children 16 and 10 yrs old could have larger bunk beds and for the space the pull out offers. It is a big upgrade from our Jayco with no slide out. Our dog also sleeps in tt during camping trips. Good luck!

Don’t install bike rack on rear bumper it will break the weld on the bumper after several long trips. The bike rack arms stick out so the weight of the bikes is not on top of the bumper it is actually on the bike rack arms which is 24 to 30” from bumper this puts stress on the bumper. This was my experience with bike racks now I put them on the back of my truck. Good luck and happy camping!!

 

[more tired since retired]

Good luck with your new camper. We just took delivery of a 2600RB and if I am not mistaken the rear bumpers of this series campers are not designed to have a bike rack installed on them as the forces of the leveraged weight could tear the bumper off the camper along with the bicycles and your spare tire. Search this forum for more information on this.

That's correct the bumper will not support a bike rack. We have a 2020 2600RB and had a receiver hitch installed by the dealer. The receiver takes a 2 inch hitch and allows us to use a Yakima Longhaul RV rated bike rack. We carry two bikes and have no issues (it can carry 4 bikes). However, you have to make sure who ever installs the hitch to the trailer knows what they are doing. It must be attached correctly so not to shake and either damage the frame or break loose.

We've use this bike rack on this and another trailer. Solid built and takes the abuse of being on the rear end of the trailer (shaking, whippling, bouncing). Arms fold down and it can be used on the back of your TV (w/2 inch receiver). Comes with locking hitch pin, locking cable and has built in bottle operers at end of arms (for those who use them). Took about 10 minutes for the wife to assemble using a socket and box wrench and install on back of trailer.