Mornin', y'all -
We are re-configuring Tortoise's bedroom from twins to a single queen on an opening platform.
Because of the distance between the closet and bathroom walls in relation to the rear wall, we have to mount the bed crossways, with the foot of the bed on the passenger side.
We've already measured and masked out the box's location on the floor, taking into account the wheel wells and the engine access hatches.
What we haven't determined is the height of the platform the 10" thick mattress will sit on, so I'm asking my fellow busnuts what has worked for you.
How high is your coach's master bedroom's bed platform off the floor?
TIA,
RJ
;)
I'm sure you've thought this part through already but I'll put it out there anyway. Make sure to consider the implications of your construction on future engine access. If you have to lean over the edge of a raised platform it can get hard on your belly. BTDT. The further in you have to reach the more awkward it is too. Having some portion of the platform lift with the bed would alleviate a lot of those problems.
So you have decided your girl friend Pat is a keeper now ;) We enjoyed meeting her at the Pahrump rally. Nice lady. I'll measure ours this afternoon.
JC
Quote from: bobofthenorth on April 19, 2017, 10:42:06 AM
I'm sure you've thought this part through already but I'll put it out there anyway.
Way ahead of you on that one, Bob!!
RJ
I bought a free standing powder coated steel platform frame off the net. It is 15 inches high and I made a couple of permanently mounted castor cups to anchor the feet in place. If I need to move it or remove it, simply lift it out and over or I can unbolt it altogether for room if needed. We use free moving storage boxes under. It is way better and more flexible than the monster permanent box that was in place prior. I also had a great bonfire with the old box as a bonus. Much weight saved as well.
RJ et. al. I took a look at Arron Temple's bed at the Dam rally in 2015 in his Prevost (article to come soon) and I liked the design of his bed. He mounted it high so it is easy to look out the windows on both sides when he wakes up in the morning. But now that you are turning your bed sideways, this may not be an option for you.
But did you consider bunk beds to bring back the kid in you? :-)
Engine heat transmission and migration. You want zero. The bed and frame must be able to be easily broken down and also removed easily for engine access. Did I mention long run engine heat? Also the frame must be very stiff. It will sag over time. Consider fire proof construction materials. Did I mention heat? Yikes! :)
I plan on making my under-bed area completely accessible for easily reaching the back of the engine through the hatch there. The bed frame will pivot up on struts as high as the ceiling allows, and when down it will sit on a perimeter support of removable low walls that enclose a storage space for shoes etc. under the bed. With the bed lifted up, all three support walls under it will be completely removable with quick-release pins, leaving an unobstructed clear space on the floor to allow easy access to the engine. This will be easy to make (he says optimistically), simple, look good, and most importantly give me unobstructed access to the engine's hydraulic/PS pump and air compressor.
John
My queen bed measures 63wx82lx22.5h with a 10" dual air mattresses setup. I have gas struts to lift the mattress portion where I have two water tanks @. 55 gallons apice with room for a third tank. I highly recommend Comfortair air beds. I have my side at 35 while my wife likes 90!!
--Geoff
RJ,
I put my queen bed right in the middle, but it cantilevers over three sides by 8 inches I think. This way you can walk(sort of) around the bed w/o kicking your toes into the base. Mine pivots up on gas struts to allow access to storage I really don't need underneath.
Steve
Quote from: pabusnut on April 19, 2017, 03:17:09 PMRJ,
I put my queen bed right in the middle, but it cantilevers over three sides by 8 inches I think. This way you can walk(sort of) around the bed w/o kicking your toes into the base. Mine pivots up on gas struts to allow access to storage I really don't need underneath.
Steve
Very similar, except mine's a "California king". (Thermal mattress - a bit warm in hot weather but very, very comfortable.)
Our present coach bed sits at 27 inches high. You don't have to get down off it or get up out of it. I have two large drawers that pull out to the front. The 4104 we had was about 8 inches lower with a sleep number style. Plush top mattress only on current one and I really like it. Now that we are older, we appreciate not climbing out.
They say a bed should be high enough so when sitting on it your feet should be flat on the floor that why in most coaches they are about the height as the furniture. I was told by a converter
RJ, I made mine high. I will measure if you wish. I can climb over the top of my L10 in the engine area. That is what I was shooting for.
Mine is 16" high plus the mattress is another 10".
JC
My old twins were 24" high x 8' long. Dad was 6'5".
I would like to build a floating bed (can be raised and lowered with a small garage type door opener system and latches for travel) and repurpose the 2 8' long mattresses into sofa seats.
The only time I have seen a sideways bed is in RV's that had a slide out for the bed so you could get around it. The bed would move out with the slide out, giving you room to get around it. My queen bed is right up against the rear at the center. When I have to get access to the engine hatch I simply remove a few screws and panels and have perfect access to the engine. I lay a 4x8 piece of plywood with a cover over the bed to keep the bed clean while working on the engine.
--Geoff
RJ
Platform – 33" high Top of mattress – 46" Everyone that sees it says, WOW that's tall ! We like being able to see out the windows easily, and all the storage under it. Definitely need a step to get in and out.
Hello: I chose a Pragma Quad-Fold Queen folding frame that's 14" off the floor. I added 6" more in the center (king size is shown-same idea) for our Select Comfort I8 -7000 expanded queen air mattress which is 13" thick. Covered it with a 3/8" plywood support with aluminum angle to retain the mattress. It is all stabile, weighs very little, comes apart if needed and moves easily if major room is needed to access the engine hatch or any other reason, also allows storage underneath. Good Luck Gerry H
Quote from: Geoff on April 20, 2017, 07:53:54 AM
The only time I have seen a sideways bed is in RV's that had a slide out for the bed so you could get around it.
Geoff -We really wanted the bed to be fore/aft, but unfortunately we only have 80" from the back wall of the coach to the bath/closet walls and aisle. If we install our queen in a fore/aft orientation, we'd have to crawl onto the bed to get into the bedroom. Pat nixed that immediately - she said no way is she going to crawl over the bed while attempting to make it.
By mounting the bed sideways, we've got 8" between the passenger wall and the bed's platform, with another 8" of toe kick underneath.
And yes, I've provisioned for the engine access hatches in the design, plus we're also able to reposition and use the really nice electric toe kick heater that was previously located under the passenger side twin.
I think I mentioned in my original post that the bed platform will be hinged on the driver's side, with gas struts to support it in the open position. We're using a Select Comfort mattress, thus minimum weight to lift. (If I could figure out how Honda powered the rear hatch on Pat's CRV, that would be an even neater touch. . .)
FWIW & HTH. . .
;)
Mornin', y'all (again) -
Pat and I would like to thank all of you for your suggestions for Tortoise's bedroom renovation.
Yesterday afternoon we spent about an hour taping out the floor for the box and platform dimensions, to get a better idea of how everything will fit.
One thing we had overlooked initially is the emergency escape bars that allow you to open the swing out windows in case (God forbid!) we'd have to use them. Once we realized that had to be incorporated into the mix, our platform height was pretty much determined.
So, the box under the bed will be 18" high, with a 1" plywood platform. Added to that is our 10" high mattress, and that brings us to 29", which is right at the bottom of the emergency bar, so it will clear the bed when being opened.
Again, thanks to all our busnut friends for their input, it's really been appreciated!
RJ & Pat
;)
Quote from: RJ on April 20, 2017, 10:45:11 AM
Mornin', y'all (again) -
Pat and I would like to thank all of you for your suggestions for Tortoise's bedroom renovation.
Yesterday afternoon we spent about an hour taping out the floor for the box and platform dimensions, to get a better idea of how everything will fit.
One thing we had overlooked initially is the emergency escape bars that allow you to open the swing out windows in case (God forbid!) we'd have to use them. Once we realized that had to be incorporated into the mix, our platform height was pretty much determined.
So, the box under the bed will be 18" high, with a 1" plywood platform. Added to that is our 10" high mattress, and that brings us to 29", which is right at the bottom of the emergency bar, so it will clear the bed when being opened.
Again, thanks to all our busnut friends for their input, it's really been appreciated!
RJ & Pat
;)
I would allow a teeny bit of space for the thickness of the mattress cover, sheets, blankets, bed cover, and your fingers if it is close to the wall so that you can open the emergency exit quickly without interference. ;)
One of many clever ideas in the original Wotthehellizat offroad RV/truck/camper was the sliding beds. There were two single-person beds, each on slides so they could be slid together for conjugal togetherness, or apart for those other times or for when making the beds. Clever.
John
Ours is high. Really high. We can sit upright underneath. Remember, we have an 8" roof raise.
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Quote from: Scott & Heather on April 20, 2017, 05:02:57 PM
Ours is high. Really high. We can sit upright underneath. ...
I like it (and I'm old).
RJ--
I was curious as to what your interior length is from the dash to the rear wall at the floor. I lose a good 5' at the rear to accommodate the engine and former ac/heater unit. My back wall has an indentation after 24" from the floor so I have great cabinets at the rear.
--Geoff
I built mine out of two by tens doubled up so that it is eighteen and a half inches high before putting on 3/4" plywood.
Then a six inch memory foam mattress with a 3" memory foam topper on it.
So it ended up being about 28" high.
I put the head of the bed on the drivers side and gas struts so that the entire platform lifts at the foot of the bed to give me a ton of storage under it.
The mattress is an RV king short memory foam that I got off from Ebay. 72"x75". The topper was a regular king size, but I cut it down easily with an electric carving knife.
My wife is tickled to death with it :)
I have spinal cord damage, so if it was any higher I would have to have a step stool to get into it LOL
CCBmstr
My condolences for your wife sorry for your lose. Oh you meant....... ::)
Quote from: Geoff on April 20, 2017, 05:45:13 PM
I was curious as to what your interior length is from the dash to the rear wall at the floor.
Geoff -From the dash to the base of the engine hump is 30' 2". The engine hump measures 16" high by 18.5" deep to the back wall. Combined it's 31' 8.5" dash to back wall, excluding the hump. There's a rectangular hatch in the floor at the base of the hump that's 12"w x 18"L, and a square hatch in the hump that's 12"x12".
So I lose just about as much floor space in my 35' MC-5C as you do in your 40' RTS - roughly 5' in back. But then you've got the extra 5' between the axles that I don't have. . .
I do have 5" wheelwell arches front and rear, as mine isn't as tall as the 40' models that have a totally flat floor (and increased baggage bay height to match - which I'd really like to have!)
This reconfiguration is turning out to be a really interesting project. . . :o
FWIW & HTH. . .
;)