bench seats

[daveww]

any body have any good ideas on how to make bench seats that fold into a bed

[Wos]

Check out Dale's Squidget. I really like the simple design of his. I have seen others that operate more like Futon's, seem a little heavier than Dale's design.

[WebFoot]

Dave,
I want to have a twin sized foam mattress which folds/flips into a seat when not in use. Im going light & small, my build is a solo use project.
The idea I have, (not yet tested mind ya) is to make 3 seperate panels on small frames which will press together to form the bed length wise, and then, by removing 1 panel would form a bench seat of sorts.
The only way I can see doing this is to have some sort of rail(s) where one could hold the bottom bed/bench panel in place with stops on the rail (similar to how some bookshelf shelves are held in place but can be repositioned on the track using thise little metal "L" brackets), the back panel supported by the bottom panel & fwd wall..all to form the seat.
My reason for doing this, was to gain useable floor space / not have the mattress in the down position all the time...it rains alot where I live and being able to enter the trailer without soaking ones bedding would be very hard if the mattress is down fulltime.
My other option, was simply removable panels with upholstered foam pads ( 3 -4) which pop together to form the bed, this way, the entire bed could be folded together to make up a seat or tucked away entirely.
LMK if you come up with anything.
Webfoot

[ha]

I have been thinking of the same thing, and am planning on making two of these sleeper chairs. we used to have them in college but for some reason they have gotten really expensive.

Everything Furniture
i think a couple good pieces of 4-6" foam and some cheap fabric and ill be able to whip these up pretty easy. folds down for a nice bed, put two of them next to each other to make a larger bed. When they are folded up as chairs they can be moved anywhere inside (or even outside if the weather is nice).

[WebFoot]

Ha,
I believe you have Fred Meyer stores up north from me, in your area, if so, check out thier hardware/house isles (paint, door locks, etc) area.
I found 4" thick foam in 6'x3' lengths I think it was for $19. each.
They had thinner stuff for a less and combining two would give me all the padding I need...beats the walmart option of memory foam (bed in a box) for $120. I think anyway.
Webfoot

[ha]

Webfoot,
We do have Freds up here. The 4" foam is always on sale, especially during the summer when all the tourists are here. Thats what i was planning on using, havent made up a pattern yet, but im pretty good with the sewing machine so i think it will work out. I searched briefly on the web for a pattern but didnt find anything.

[Jst83]

I am working on the same thing right now, thought abot going futon style but I think I'm taking the simple route.
Here's a link to the thread talking about couches very nice bench
http://www.tnttt.com/viewtopic.php?t=21182

[BrwBier]

I have a couch that works better than I ever imagined. It folds out of the floor and makes a couch about 15" high. BUT, (this is the disclaimer part) it makes the floor kind of thick and heavy, this also a by product of the way I made my water system. That said, the good part is that it takes only about 30 seconds to change from sleeping to sitting mode. It has made a great breakfast room on a few occasions. See my album for pictures.
Brwbier