Bed Platform

[daddysgirl]

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.

[Geoff]

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

[sixtyseven]

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.

[Gerry H]

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

[RJ]

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. . .

[RJ]

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

[DoubleEagle]

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. 

[Iceni John]

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

[Scott & Heather]

Ours is high. Really high. We can sit upright underneath. Remember, we have an 8" roof raise.




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[Oonrahnjay]

Ours is high. Really high. We can sit upright underneath. ...

    I like it (and I'm old).

[Geoff]

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

[ccbmster]

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

[Dave5Cs]

CCBmstr
My condolences for your wife sorry for your lose. Oh you meant.......

[RJ]

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. . . 

FWIW & HTH. . .