RV Review: East To West Tandara 375BH-OK; a second bedroom for the in-laws—or outlaws

After looking at yesterday’s East To West Ahara 325RL, I thought I’d look at some of East To West’s other floor plans to see what they’re up to. The company has been getting the attention of folks who give away awards, as mentioned, and the East To West Tandara 375BH-OK caught my eye.

While yesterday’s fifth wheel is considered a “full-profile” model, this is a “mid-profile” model—but it’s actually gigantic. The “mid-profile” consideration is given since this is 96 inches wide instead of 101. Okay. It’s also not quite as fancy so you don’t get the same glossy gel coat finish. 

But what caught my eye on the floor plan of the Tandara 375BH-OK isn’t only the fact that there’s a back bedroom, but just how usable that space is. 

EasToWest 325

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Sleeping spaces in the Tandara 375BH-OK

There are a lot of trailers of all sorts that are considered “bunk” models and, in many cases, they’re just that. Trailers with bunk beds. That’s all well and good if you travel with smaller family members. But what if you want to bring your mother-in-law with you? Or if you happen to sometimes travel with another adult couple? 

Unfortunately, many bunk model trailers are clearly designed for children. That makes sense since it’s likely that that’s who is normally going to occupy those bunks. But if you do want to bring other adults along, the bunks seem … well … silly. 

In fact, I talk to a lot of people who have the idea of bringing their grandchildren with them, which seems like a great idea. But this would also provide better sleeping accommodations if you may also bring friends along at other times. And, as your grandchildren grow up, they won’t feel like they’re relegated to the kiddie space. 

Bedroom (and loft) and half-bath in back

This rig has a bedroom at the back that features a 50” X 74” mattress in a corner. While I understand that a full queen (60” X 80”) would be preferable, this is still far better than a bunk for some circumstances. Better still, this also features a half-bath at the back. So if you are traveling with another couple or an in-law (or outlaw!), this would be a great solution. 

Up in the front bedroom you wouldn’t be disturbed by the other occupants’ midnight toilet visits. And they wouldn’t be as likely to catch you and your significant other if you got certain overnight urges. You’re not making more aunts and uncles; you’re just reliving the days when you did. 

But wait, there’s more. And that “more” is a second 50” X 74” mattress up in a loft above the second bedroom. There’s a ladder here and you can climb up to the second floor. This and the previously mentioned bed along with that second bathroom are located at the back of the trailer in a bedroom that can be closed off with a door. 

Room for grandma and kids in back bedroom

So, if you do have a couple of youngsters, they could each have their own rather large bed. But then, when grandma comes along, she could sleep downstairs in a decent-sized bed and the kiddos can share the upper loft. 

Plus, how great is this loft? It’s defendable with Nerf guns so the whole room could be secure from the parents. 

But if you have zero people who might want to sleep upstairs, it’s easy enough to donate that “mattress” to a shelter of some sort. Now you have a pretty great space for your stuff. This is behind the axles so it will get shaken up a bit. So if your hobby is vintage carbonated beverages, this wouldn’t be a good place to keep them. 

Main living in the Tandara 375BH-OK

Aside from that nifty rear bedroom, the main living space of this rig isn’t a big surprise in most cases. There are theater seats opposite a large TV above a fireplace. Pretty normal. 

You can get a booth dinette or a table and chairs. If the booth is for you, there’s a “Dream dinette” mount which mounts the table on the slide wall. That means no knee-knocker poles underneath, and easy changeover from table to a surface on which to sleep. 

Unlike so, so many RVs designed for larger groups of campers, this one actually features a 30” microwave and a 22” RV oven below a three-burner stove. The standard refrigerator is a residential model, but you can also sub in a gas-electric RV refrigerator if you choose. 

Like yesterday’s fifth wheel, there’s a double-door closet and pantry that occupies the front wall of this rig. The pantry features adjustable/removable shelves on one side and fixed shelves on the other. Like yesterday, I wish they had made the adjustable/removable shelves on both sides. But this is a decent space and there’s even a plug in here, so you could put a rechargeable vacuum or whatever. 

Upstairs

The upstairs isn’t a tremendous surprise, with one exception: the closet in the nose of this rig. While most larger fifth wheels are prepped for a washer and dryer, in many cases that’s done in a secondary closet or other space that’s set aside for this. 

That kind of set-aside is great if you do want to bring a washer and dryer along for the journey. But if you don’t, I feel the spaces are usually a compromise. Yeah, yeah. You can still store stuff in there, but the segregation eliminates some of the storage space. 

In the case of this rig, the entire nose of the trailer is one continuous closet. There is plumbing and a plug in there if you do choose a washer and dryer. But if you don’t, I don’t think it takes away from that big, big closet. 

The bed on this is a king-sized bed that’s in a bedroom slide. That bed does mean there aren’t really side tables, per se, so forget your noisy toys or CPAP machines. You can have this trailer fitted with a queen mattress, instead, which would open up that space next to the bed. 

In summary

I do like the way East To West has done a lot of the little detail things in this trailer. 

However, I really dislike the “Teddy Bear” mattresses in the back bedroom. I could see them working out for lightweight travelers (like children). But I can’t imagine many adults are going to do anything other than complain about it. Essentially, these are just a piece of foam upholstered in a furry cloth, but they do get a Teddy Bear badge—so there’s that.

Now, that may be fine if you’re hoping to discourage someone from using that back bedroom for any length of time. So that Teddy Bear mattress may actually be a feature that keeps your spouse’s parents from staying for too long.

Two black tanks and two gray tanks in the Tandara 375BH-OK

There are also two black tanks and two gray tanks. Therefore, there are two black tank flushes (I know I’m going to sit behind you at the end of a weekend while you flush both black tanks) and two black tank connectors, as well. If there were ever a case for having a macerator at both ends of this rig, this would be it. With that, you could have a single outlet at least. 

There is an outdoor kitchen on this, as well. It features a flat-top griddle below a TV, along with a relatively large refrigerator. 

Overall, this could be a great rig for families, especially those that bring adults with them now and then. 

And for those who are curious, according to the Tandara website, “tandara” means “camp here” when used by the indigenous people of Australia.

*****

I would love to read your comments and suggestions over on our new forums, where you can weigh in and start or join a discussion about all things RV. Here’s a link to my RV Reviews Forum.

Tony comes to RVTravel having worked at an RV dealership and been a life long RV enthusiast. He also has written the syndicated Curbside column about cars. You can find his writing here and at StressLessCamping where he also has a podcast about the RV life with his wife. 

These RV reviews are written based on information provided by the manufacturers along with our writer’s own research. We receive no money or other financial benefits from these reviews. They are intended only as a brief overview of the vehicle, not a comprehensive critique, which would require a thorough inspection and/or test drive.

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