Where are they going to sleep? That's a question facing many RVers as they hit the road for a weekend in the woods or an off-road adventure.

While RV designers have become quite adept at squeezing every possible inch of space into a recreation vehicle, they have been relatively landlocked in utilizing the space. Sure the sofa folds out when necessary and the dining room table can be converted, but is that enough space to sleep eight adults?

Stealing a feature from park models, RV manufacturer Play-Mor created a loft sleeping area over its toy hauler garage. And utilizing Spartan's mid-engine chassis, some RV manufacturers are reportedly creating prototypes featuring tri-level-type bedrooms in the back of the unit.

Enterprising suppliers have also jumped on the trend toward family camping with friends by creating hardware that allows beds to fold up, roll up and move up and out of the way to create multipurpose space for RV users. Where slideouts created more open space, folding and drop-down beds are creating more multiple-use space.

"For years, the RV industry was intent to get along with a couple or a couple and two kids using an RV for the weekend," said Marty Rasmussen, CEO of Happijac. "The reality of RVing today is that people like to take their grandkids or the kids want to bring a friend. The want and desire for more bed space is a very real factor. The challenge is to provide bed space without sacrificing living space."

Springing for springs

Hickory Springs created a folding bed aparatus that emulates the box springs found under residential-style mattresses. It utilizes a sinuous wire support system similar to what consumers will find in the seat surface of a sofa.

"Most RV bunks rest on solid wood, which might be OK for children, but they are not so comfortable for adults," said Charley Hiatt, product manager at Hickory Springs.