My idea for a bed

[milkbone]

I've been lurking and trying to learn on here for awhile now, and have learned a lot and thanks to everyone.I just wish I had found the site sooner.I built my CT 6x12 V-nose in a hurry, we were going to Sturgis this
year. The better half and I used fold out cots for beds and they did the job for one trip.
I have ideas for fold up beds, but was wanting other peps input or suggestions. I will try and attach pics of trailer now and drawings to show what I'm thinking of doing. The CT is AC, the only DC I have is when trailer lights are connected to pickup. I'm thinking of doing a very simple DC connection, along with windows this winter.
Any suggestions are welcome, just remember the beds have to be able to fold up, so I can haul my bike.



Your looking at it from rear of trailer. I want to make the left side bi-fold, so when its not folded out we can use it as a bench.
I'm going to put a brace in the middle of the beds. But with the bi-fold bed do I need to put a support in the middle, of the fold to help support the piano hinge?

[sactoller]

I can only tell you what I am planning on building, basically a Murphy Bed. Much like the right side of your drawing.

[digimark]

I'm not sure how the left side bi-fold would work as a bench. It looks like there is no flat surface to sit on when folded. Do you basically want the folding part to shorten the flat part, from half-way across the trailer to maybe 1/4 or less?

If so you'd either want a tri-fold top surface, with the part closest to the wall folding upward to form the back of the couch (with appropriate supports underneath), or have the half of the bi-fold closest to the wall lift up, and then slide the whole thing closer to the wall.

[Mountain Cur]

I don't follow how the left side will be a bench either but would like to see some options on this type bed. I want to put in a folding bed that goes all the way across also. Trying to decide if one single piece across is best or have the bed split in the middle. Either way going to need some support in the middle.

[wtcreaux]

This is how I'm looking at doing mine (in my head at least for now).

However, I'm doing single piece on each side.

This will allow me to have a single bed (1 side down) or a double (both sides down).

I will place 2x4 legs (hinged) on the inner long sides that will fold down for support or up for storage.

I like this idea best as it will allow me to move big stuff (kid's college stuff), then allow us to camp out at the local park.

From looking at the drawings, to make a bench, I would fold the right side (of the left bed) UP, giving a bench. The support on the left bed would be under the middle hinge. The support for the lip (of the folded down bed on the left) COULD be on the lip of the right bed. Does this make sense???

[drcurran]

I also am still in the planning stages. I have a 6 X 12 and I'm thinking about something like you have on the right side for both sides. Two twin beds which both fold up. With both up we have cargo room. With one down we have a bench seat (kind of deep - need some kind of backrest) and move around room. I think with both down we would have about 10" between the beds - kinda of tight but should work. Just my .02

Dan

[drcurran]

OK now that I have done some measuring, a pair of twins will NOT fit side by side in my 6 X 12. My width is 69" and a regular twin is 38" wide. I still like the side by side idea, but guess I will have to go with a special size.

Dan

[Engineer Guy]

The design in my head is a 2 piece Futon that morphs from a built-in Couch on the long CT axis - as above - to a 6' wide King Bed in a 7' wide CT.

A 3' wide piece of firm Foam on Plywood is the Couch seat. A 2nd 3' wide piece of Ply and Foam mate vertically with 2 Raised U's cut into scrap Ply at each end of the Couch seat. This determines where the Couch back bottom sits, and thus where knees hang over the 3' deep Couch seat. The Couch back then goes up at an ~80 degree angle to scrap mounted out from the wall a bit. Removable construction nails serve as pins to hold everything in place. I don't like to look at disarray, so I would box in some modest depth of storage, or a water tank, etc., under the Couch seat.

At night, 2 or 3 pieces of >6'-long 2x4s or 1x6s on edge would drop temporarily into permanent, wall mounted scrap with 'U' notches in them, or into joist hangers. The Couch back and seat with foam are unpinned and placed side-by-side horizontally to form the King Bed. Velcro holds covered Couch Foam to the Ply. The creative Carpenter could have hinged 2x4s or 1x6s swing out from under the Couch seat to mate with the far wall in order to avoid the nightly fitting in of loose lumber pieces. This idea could be mounted to allow a kid [or pet] to sleep underneath, as a Poster here has done. I've built 3 Platform Beds, and vertical 1x6s work great as support joists for wide spans.

This concept is a comfort improvement on the Couch/Bed in my Avion Land Yacht.

[hunter535]

Hello Milkbone,

I think your idea is very similair to my double size bed/couch. It seems to work pretty good. I basically built a frame out of 2''x 2'' pine approximately 24'' high and 32'' deep. Supports every 16'' front to back. If you want to see pics of our bed, just check out my album.

[GPW]

Still thinking the "trundle" bed/ storage cabinet Idea would be the most practical ... sofa by day , simple roll out bed on the bottom (casters)
... and you can put it crossways or longways .. Storage too ! http://tnttt.com/album_ ... c_id=69661

[milkbone]

Hopefully I can explain it better. The 6" and the 14.25" section would be the bench you sit during the day, using the wall as your back rest, then fold it out the rest of the way to make a complete bed. I was thinking of using 5" or 6" foam as my mattress, and when folded up, it would just lay up against the wall.

[milkbone]

Still thinking the "trundle" bed/ storage cabinet Idea would be the most practical ... sofa by day , simple roll out bed on the bottom (casters)
... and you can put it crossways or longways .. Storage too ! http://tnttt.com/album_ ... c_id=69661

I only have approximately 6" on each side to use, when the motorcycle is loaded, that's why I need it to fold up against wall.

[milkbone]

Hello Milkbone,

I think your idea is very similair to my double size bed/couch. It seems to work pretty good. I basically built a frame out of 2''x 2'' pine approximately 24'' high and 32'' deep. Supports every 16'' front to back. If you want to see pics of our bed, just check out my album.

Hunter your bed on the side of your trailer is what I'm trying to do for one side of mine, but I need mine to be able to fold up out of the way for bike. The other side I was thinking the bi-fold, so I could use it for a type of a bench during the day. I also want mine to meet in the middle to make 1 big bed, it's only the better half me and the, kids are grown. If that makes since, I'm not very good at explaining myself.