Will this Pull down RV bed fit?

[Alaskan Itasca]

This (NO IMAGE AVAILABLE) has come available here in the last frontier, and I'm going to go look at it later today.

Does anyone know if this will fit? Did they actually make these in only 76 inches? it's about 86 inches between the built out side supports where the pull down used to be on my rig.

I really want one of these back in my rig since the kids dislike sharing the dinette. I have made the dinette work by using a double air mattress and I built 2 little support frames out of PVC I take apart and store in the bench, but I rather let sleep apart.

Will this fit? I can't seem to find much info about it that includes dimensions.

[Alaskan Itasca]

I answered my own question, it really is only 76 inches....it came from a truck bed camper, so it's way to short to fit in the Itasca. Now I'm bummed out again, those pull down beds are so hard to find here. and shipping one here would cost more than buying the thing down south.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Actually, I've taken out and reinstalled the fold down beds a few times, and you could probably make it fit.  All of the really structural parts are on the sides and the bed frame itself.  Both sides bolt together in the middle via long square steel tubes about an inch square in cross section, and on the ones I played with there were 3 bolt holes which allowed you to vary the width of the setup according to the width of your coach.

I'm not saying it would be a simple adjustment to the outer bolt hole, but you could certainly add a section of steel square stock to make up the difference in width.  As I recall, the bed frame itself was wood, so you could even widen that pretty easily.  Just a thought.  They aren't all that hard to modify, and no welding required.

Kev

[Stripe]

What Kevin said is true.  You can pretty much take the bedding support apart and just resize the framing to fit your RV.

Fredric

[Alaskan Itasca]

I found a pull down bed while searching the only wrecked rv in Alaska for heat shields for a 454 in Seward while the rv was on the side of ghe road with melted plug wires.... I got the heat shields, a sun visor and the bed for $50.00 from a wrecked pace arrow.  So now it is the right width, but all the wood parts of the bed are gone. What does it take to rebuild the wood frame? I haven't come across good photos of how a pull down is built. I'll need to turn into a handy man to get this bed looking like a bed again.

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

Construction will depend on the original design of the drop down mechanism.  This 84 Winnebago version is a simular to mine.  My side to side crossbar is much lower and forward of the bed than this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMHoZG92PpQ


My 78 model

Dave

[Stripe]

That's the same bed I have in the mine..  Easy to rebuild.  Think INSIDE the box on this one..  Basic carpentry 101 will get you through it in no time.

[mrmuse]

Still looking for one of these??
http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php?action=mgallery;sa=album;id=513

[Alaskan Itasca]

I found a kwickee bed with two arms that fold down. And it looks like a flat rail where the bed platform would mount. They have a lot of force I let one go in the donor rv and the rail actually went into the roof.
So it looks like you have a flat platform and then you make rails around it to hold in the matress. I hope I can handle that....

Does the metal bar mount right up on the overhead cabinet? Or is it some distnce away?

[Alaskan Itasca]

I had already removed the metal bar before I took the pictures, but this is what I have.

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

My cross-bar attaches to the front leg pivot point.  You can see the bar in my pic above.  It is about 2" aft of the storage cabinets.

[Alaskan Itasca]

My bar attaches to that pivot point as well. I pulled it off so it would fit in the trunk.

[Stripe]

I probably dun have to say this, but will anyway, BE CAREFUL, Those things can and will take a body part off if you don't pay attention..
Take tension off the spring by using a Socket wrench (you may need an extension) and loosen the tensioning nut on the eyebolt holding the spring.  This will make removing the mounts much safer..
You can find the nut by looking at either end and you will see a hole through which to access the nut..

[Alaskan Itasca]

I did not know about the spring tension bolt. We just put them 1/2 way between up and down where the tension is less and the scissors are together and tied the scissors together wirh some blind cords we cut off.  My friend helping me scraped a knuckle in helping remove thembut it was un eventfull. We were aware of the danger of these things up front.

How wide are the beds that fit up here? Is the platform as wide as the rail on the pull down. Frame or does it hang off a bit?

[Stripe]

They are usually about as wide as a baby crib or day bed. I know mine extends 3 and 3/4 inches beyond the front and 1 and a half at the back and is 32.5" wide..

[Alaskan Itasca]

I was looking at my new bed assembly last night and the model I have does not have a way I can see to remove the tention from the springs. It looks as though a machine likely stretched the springs out and the a metal s hook into a hole in the side of the box keeps the tension. I haven't undone the string holding the arms together yet and let it go into the up position to see how much tension is left. I still need to remove the rust and repaint these things before I build a bed frame.

On the assemnly of the wood part, does that lip on the front go all the way around the platform or it just on the front and back? Im no woodworking genius but does that lip sit on the platform or is it attached on the side? I just dont want to build something that falls apart. For me a head gasket is an easier task than woodworking....

[Stripe]

I'm not sure I understand the question.. Are you talking about the side boards that keep the mattress from sliding off?  If so, the boards on mine are on the front and back sides but not on the foot and head ends..

[Alaskan Itasca]

That would answer the question, I can only find pictures of the fronts of these things I can't see the sides or back or how the lips attach to the platform, so I wasn't sure if the lip went all the around or if it was just in the front and back.

[Stripe]

Nope, Just the edge sits on the metal angle.  It's if you were to take a plywood sheet, cut to the size of the bed and just set straight down onto the angle iron.

Fredric

[Alaskan Itasca]

Thanks ill give it a go. I was hoping to work on it next week but I found out Thursday I'm going to portland, Oregon Monday for the week for work to fill in for my boss who is having unexpected surgery next week. Then I get back Friday at 2 am and go out camping for the weekend Friday afternoon. So working on the project is now delayed.

[Stripe]

Flyin' or drivin'?  I'm in Seattle if you want to stop by.  Can show you the Aluminum Goose..  Either way, safe travels!

[Alaskan Itasca]

definatly flying it is a 3 day drive in a car to Seattle. I have the direct flight to Portland. I will be spending three days with the FDA and the northern pacific states at a retail food safety conference it should be interesting .then camping for the weekend and then maybe I can work on this pull down bed project...

[Stripe]

cool, looking forward to seeing the finished work..

[Alaskan Itasca]

Well I kinda put this project off for a while, but I did get started again.

I figured out to release the springs. On this type the back arm hit a small lip in the back at full extention. I just popped the arm over the lip and I could remove the springs making this easier to work with and safer for painting. I then reconnected the springs tied the arms at about 1/2 way down to install the boxes in the rv and then slowly released them once the boxes were screwed in.

I found some outdoor lawn furniture spray paint by rustolium with a "hammered" look designed to cover over rusty spots without having to compleetly sand it down to bare metal. So I sanded off all the loose rust and washed the pieces down and then spray painted them over a couple of days then went to cub scout camp with my son last week and installed the parts last night. I still have to go get the ply wood to make the bed base but the hardware is in place. I just installed in the same spot as the original, although this one is not the same style as the original as it appeared to be a bit longer and had 8 screws across the top, mine only had 7.

So my next question is what thickness of plywood are these things made from? I did get a quick look at a pull down bed in another RV and it looked almost flimsy like 1/8 inch plywood. What size baord goes across the front? is it like a 1x4 or 1x2? the one I saw was padded and I didn't have a tape measure.... I have some width dimentions listed up above so that is helpfull. The bed I got to look at was even with the front of the side rail and hung off the back. I probably will have to mount mine in that fashion since this mechanisimis different than the original and the bed would stick out over the entry door when ffolded up if I over hang off the front of the rail. I still have to find the angle piece to go across the front, but I know a place in town I can get some angle aluminum cut to spec to attach the front and back boards to the plywood.

It looks like I can get about 36inches wide in there being even with the front of the side rail and going to the bar which would leave a gap between the bed and the overhead cabinet. the rail however is 26 inches long so I would have 10 inches hanging off unsupported, so I probably can't go that wide if I'm even with the rail on the front side. My width is 76.25 inches

anyway a few picts....

[Stripe]

If I were you I would go with at least a 3/4" sheet.

But here is what you want to do first.....

DRILL ALL SCREW HOLES TO AVOID CRACKING THE WOOD.

Build a frame box out of 1/2" x 2" that JUST fits between the right and left side angle supports. 
DO NOT secure this box to the supports just yet.  You want to pull the "bed" down first to see where the best fit is relative to the front and rear edges and to make sure you have your clearances..
Mark it off for reference for when you are ready to finally secure the frame and board.  And use a small sharpie to mark through the screw holes on the angle irons to the box frame (there should be TWO per side).
You will be drilling those holes later.

Now, Cut your sheet of plywood to fit snugly inside the box frame you made. Then set it in the frame. Drill screw holes along the sides of the bed for the screws you will be using to secure the frame to the board and then install the screws in the SIDES ONLY.

Remember the screw holes I asked you to mark with a small sharpie?? Go ahead and drill them too.

Also be sure any holes you drill at the head and foot, aside from the ones that were marked off, are OUTSIDE the markings you made for reference. This way you can install the screws without the angle iron getting in the way.

NOW, you should have a bed board ready to be put up on the angle supports that are on the left and right side armatures. This is heavy mind you so please be careful and have someone help with this bit IF you can..

Once the bed is in place and matched to the references you marked, go ahead and install the last set of screws.

Viola! You now have a new(ish) pull down bed.. 

Oh, Also, I did all this in my head on the fly, if you need I can draw up some illustrations, but ask soon whilst the memory is still in me noggin..