Setting up Twin couch beds & pull down bed

Floridabaked57 · December 11, 2008, 01:17 AM

Sent: 4/24/2003 5:25 PM

The twin couches/beds in my home have lift-off boards covering the furnace and water tanks on street side, storage and HWH on curb side. There is a rail on the outside of each storage area, presumably for a board to bridge the aisle and make one big bed. Is that correct? Did something come with the vehicle for this purpose? Not crazy about having two 26 or so by 73 boards to lift to get at stuff if I stack two on one side. The boards covering the compartments don't fit the space. See, this is where a manual would come in handy. Where's that guy who was going to photocopy me one? This is why I wanted a rear bedroom model...

John T

denisondc · February 15, 2014, 04:37 AM

Sent: 4/24/2003 6:14 PM

My 72 D22t came with a 3rd piece of that press-board stuff, made to bridge the space between the two beds. I made up six 1 by 12s long enough to bridge the space. We fold the bed down, put out the 1 by 12s, take the seat backrests, which just fit in the middle, and we have the intended wide bed. There was room there for the wife and I and our then young daughters. Its like a queen size. Plus I can start driving in the morning while the girls stay asleep, the bed gets converted back to seating while we drive along, after everyone gets up. My six 1 by 12s are lighter, don't shed sawdust, and are easier to store where-ever. They have also been helpful in levelling the coach, and once I had to make up a new set, cause we needed a campfire one evening. I guess the original piece of board was stored under one of the seat cushions.

jbrt1989 · February 15, 2014, 04:38 AM

Sent: 4/24/2003 6:20 PM

tshirtman, I have the exact same arrangement in my MH. I also have the rails you're talking about and the previous owner I bought it from told me that it WAS to make those two beds into one big bed. However, he hadn't had the planks to do that with in years. I presumed that he would know, but, I've always wondered if he was right or just making it up

. It would be nice to have more sleeping room like that, not to mention that the Mrs and I could actually share a bed. *I'm too old and out of shape to go clambering in and out of that bunk over the cockpit* If there were anyone else sleeping in the front of the rig, and those two bunks were joined like that, I can't imagine having them try to crawl over me in the middle of the night trying to get to the rear bathroom. I've had a hard time believing that Winnebago would be that unthoughtful about a design.

Keep us posted at to what you find out, I'd love to know if that was really the intention of Winnebago or not.

Jeff

Dave1210 · February 15, 2014, 04:39 AM

Sent: 4/24/2003 7:27 PM

I too would like to know about making the two couches into a bed. My double bed about the cockpit is too close to the ceiling, I can barely roll over w/o hitting my shoulder. I have seen other rigs w/ a scissor hinge setup that gives the cockpit bed more room, maybe 6 inches but have been unable to find one to put in my rig. Maybe making the couches into a big bed would be easier, but I don't want a bunch of wood or cushions taking up space, how bout some more ideas?

denisondc · February 15, 2014, 04:40 AM

Sent: 4/24/2003 8:57 PM

My dinette/queen sized bed is in the very back - no one has to crawl over it to get to the bathroom - which is halfway up on the drivers side. That is the arrangement I presumed tshirtman had. I agree that front bunk hasnâ€™t enough vertical room for an adult, and the bunk over the queen sized bed in the back isnâ€™t any better - besides that space is always filled with stuff. denison

Floridabaked57 · February 15, 2014, 04:42 AM

Sent: 4/24/2003 9:28 P

Jeff-
Instead of them climbing over you to go, make them go outside! One time of that and they'll drink a lot less after 8pm I tell you what...Den's got it, with the individual slats. I just didn't want to weild another big board around, it's hard enough moving the cushions to get at the underbed stuff. Someone here made one big bed in there but I was trying to figure out the bathroom access situation myself. Thanks for the tips.
Where's marsha? A lady on Classic RV has a 70 Winny with a refrigerator problem. I told her to come see you guys for crackerjack advice!

Den- I have the bedroom/lounge type thing in front of the bathroom. I was actually thinking of doing away with the one side of cushions and putting in an entertainment center, TV, stereo, DVD, etc, with thin tower cabinets on each end. I want to travel a bit like it is and see how I like it first. Gosh, I can't wait to think of another dumb question...

John T

Boat Nut · February 15, 2014, 04:42 AM

Sent: 4/24/2003 9:54 PM

To Tshirtman: Yes my 73 Brave came with that filler board. It fits under one of the side mattresses, until you want to use it. Then slide it into position, on those little lips, use the two backrest cushions for a matress, and a wall to wall bed. However, I leave the board at home, cause it makes it too hard to get at the storage underneath.

Chuck

Rick Shaw · February 15, 2014, 04:43 AM

From: rshaw500
Sent: 4/24/2003 10:06 PM

I have to disagree.....my 79 winnie brave has a pull down bed over the driver that utilizes the scissor type hinge. The bed drops all the way to the top of the back of the drivers seat. I have all the room I need to sleep up there. I don't know what the rating is for weight but If it can hold me it can hold anyone. I guess it depends on how much room you need. I do weigh quite a bit and have broad shoulders and I never hit when I turn over. I guess if someone were to startle you and you rose up very quickly you would hit....but when camping there is not a lot to do that in the middle of the woods.
Rick

jbrt1989 · February 15, 2014, 04:44 AM

Sent: 4/25/2003 5:23 AM

tshirman, your right.. guess I was thinking the courteous host, but, the heck with em. They can go outside.

We rarely go camping where there isn't a campground bathroom anyway. Guess it's not too bad to put on the flipflops and shuffle to the bathrooms in the night to go that route. The black water tank won't fill up as fast either this way. And you're right, a couple mid night shuffles in the dark to the bathroom, and I'll bet I get to even save some money on drinks.. Hey, this gets better all the time!!

I like the idea of putting hinges on the planks needed to make that into a big bed. Guess I'll have to frustrate the Mrs one weekend here making a mess in the garage again.

Thanks everyone, can't wait to go on our next trip and actually have some room to toss about at night without rolling out of the dadburn bed..

Jeff

denisondc · February 15, 2014, 04:44 AM

Sent: 4/25/2003 6:15 AM

Ive seen two types of beds above the flight-deck. My D22T has the type that hinges at the front, and when up is a great place to put anything you don't want to see: When in the down position I can still sit in the drivers seat and drive along, if the road isn't bumpy. I am about 5-9. But that bed hasn't much vertical space, especially if you want a decent mattress up there. My other winny has the scissor type bed support at each end, and comes down much lower - almost touching the drivers seat back. But it probably has plenty of headroom - cant tell yet, since the roof has crumbled down into that area. denison

Floridabaked57 · February 15, 2014, 04:45 AM

Sent: 4/25/2003 8:12 AM

I wonder if I - in my total ineptitude - can piano hinge a board so that it folds back over the rails when needed and sits atop the other one when not needed. That seems like it would make it hard to get into that particular underbed storage area though. Damn, I gotta' go smoke s'more so's I can think up a solution...
Ziggy

Dave1210 · February 15, 2014, 04:46 AM

Sent: 4/25/2003 11:21 AM

I like the idea of a hinged board to make a bed out of the two couches. The only problem is w/ my cushions,they have 2 rectangler shaped backrests on each couch that would have to replaced with flat backrests to make up the mattress when the bed is setup. Or I could just store a piece of foam to make up the bed mattress somewhere (in the bed above the cokpit) and leave the original backrests alone. I think I just solved my problem by typing this, I will use the foam w/ the posted idea of a hinged board. Thanks for the tips.

jbrt1989 · February 15, 2014, 04:48 AM

From: jbrt1989
Sent: 4/25/2003 11:33 AM

My Chieftain has that scissors type bunk that lowers to just over the flight deck. Decent amount of head room and seems to be pretty solid. I've managed to heave my butt up there a couple of times and there's been no complaining about my weight up there. I'm 5'9" and 220 of "not so solid anymore". lbs. Like rshaw500 says, I wouldn't want to bolt upright too fast, might end up with a headache for the day. Certainly at least a nice goose egg to remember it by. When it folds up, it ends up setting right against the ceiling. No room for any storage up there except some mapbooks and a couple folded sets of sheets and blankets. Might be a decent place to store the lumber I'm going to cut to make the rear seats into that big bed we've been talking about.

Decent design apparently, my only real compaints are that the seats up front are aftermarket replacements, so the seatbacks are too tall and have to be leaned forward. and even even though the scissors mechanism gets it pretty low..., it still can be real entertaining to watch me try to roll my tail up there.

Jeff

Rick Shaw · February 15, 2014, 04:49 AM

Sent: 4/25/2003 2:04 PM

Don't feel so bad about trying to get your butt up in the overhead bed. I just went to the doctors on wednesday and was shocked when I got on the scales. I have reached the 270 mark now but the bed still holds my weight. Needless to say it is time to hit the diet and start walking again.
Rick

beach · February 15, 2014, 04:49 AM

Sent: 4/25/2003 5:50 PM

In our winnie the dinette is on the passenger side drops down to a bed we sleep on the couch in the back never make it into a couch any more the top bunk in the driving area is not used does drop down did a conversion to store rod rack that extends to back closed there use to be a bunk bed over the couch I could never figure how anyone could even roll over in that think unless you but tinnnny people in there much better with chair rail around it stores tv vcr etc

Oz · February 15, 2014, 04:50 AM

Sent: 4/25/2003 6:54 PM

Walking to the beer distributor is the best diet in these situations.

jbrt1989 · February 15, 2014, 04:51 AM

Sent: 4/27/2003 4:56 PM

Hmm... never thought of it that way, but, you're right, it's only a mile or so to the store and if I walked, I could call it excersise.... I like it. A couple twelve packs could even add some weights to the routine.

Jeff

Oz · February 15, 2014, 04:51 AM

Sent: 4/27/2003 6:11 PM

Now THAT'S a Winnie(ng) attitude! - Sob

melyash · February 15, 2014, 04:51 AM

Sent: 5/6/2003 2:22 AM

Actually the hinged overhead bunk with the origonal Winne matresses is rather comfortable. I am 6' tall and weigh in at 245, and am considered broad shouldered. I can sleep up there no problem, roll over without touching the top and it is the warmest place in the MH on a cold night!

Matt