Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

As a kid, I hated sleeping on the typical drop-down RV dinette/sectional mattress and it was always a pain to convert between the two states, but sketching out CT floor plans it seems like a lot of work to avoid using one.

Has anyone done a queen-sized Murphy bed in a 6'x6'xX' CT? Using a kit like this one (sizing info) seems like it might not allow for a usable, permanent bench height (or any meaningful storage) underneath it for a dinette. I guess I could mount a folding bench to the wall opposite the bed but hanging a bench on the outside of the bed box could be interesting. How usable is a ~56"-wide dinette area? Can two people comfortably sit across from each other with enough space for a meal or a board game?

Is having such a large mattress a problem for getting in and out of bed? Seems like one person could sort of squeeze between the bed and the opposite wall to enter on the side, but if the hinge side person wants to climb in/out they either need to be Houdini or go over the other person.

Kharn wrote:As a kid, I hated sleeping on the typical drop-down RV dinette/sectional mattress and it was always a pain to convert between the two states, but sketching out CT floor plans it seems like a lot of work to avoid using one.

Has anyone done a queen-sized Murphy bed in a 6'x6'xX' CT? Using a kit like this one (sizing info) seems like it might not allow for a usable, permanent bench height (or any meaningful storage) underneath it for a dinette. I guess I could mount a folding bench to the wall opposite the bed but hanging a bench on the outside of the bed box could be interesting. How usable is a ~56"-wide dinette area? Can two people comfortably sit across from each other with enough space for a meal or a board game?

Is having such a large mattress a problem for getting in and out of bed? Seems like one person could sort of squeeze between the bed and the opposite wall to enter on the side, but if the hinge side person wants to climb in/out they either need to be Houdini or go over the other person.

Kharn,

I haven't seen such a setup in a CT but it looks like an interesting solution provided one can anchor it to the wall satisfactorily. How long is your CT? I'm guessing that your stated size of "6'x6'xX'" means 6' 6" tall by X' length and not 6' tall and 6' length.

I suspect that the person sleeping against the wall will indeed have to climb over the other person to get out of bed, such as in a case of middle of the night bathroom call, but that seems a small sacrifice for a comfortable bed in a CT. Smaller CT conversions are pretty much a case of making sacrifices, one way or the other.

As to the 56" wide dinette area i.e., is it enough? Lay the area out on the floor of your house/garage and position whatever furniture you plan to use in that area and see if it is enough room for you.

Best regards,
Don

I'm leaning towards utilizing a used cargo trailer, so I'm not sure what length I may end up with, it depends on how long I'm willing to wait to find the perfect one vs Craigslist offerings. I have to do more planning on space claims, but I think I'll probably end up planning around a 12' long plus V.

Kharn wrote:. . .but if the hinge side person wants to climb in/out they either need to be Houdini or go over the other person.

I don't have a murphy bed, but our bed is traverse mounted so one peson sleeps up against the wall, and yes, they do have to crawl over to get out - or wake the other person up to move over. But, it my wife and could not think of any other person I'd rather have crawl over me!

I really can't see the need for "extra" space unless you are using the Cargo trailer to haul ATV's etc. We have a permanently mounted full sized bed and never needed a dinette in any of the campers we built. I have two wooden trays that can be set up inside that serve the same function as a table and we sit on the edge of the bed. I find it quite unnecessary to have to pull down and put up a bed every night just for "extra" space that might not be needed after all. Plus we do get a lot of storage under the bed.

I don't know what's a Murphy bed but I have a 68 x 75 bed in my 6 x 10 that's midway between a Queen and a King. It folds up out of the way to make room for an ATV and uses 4" worth of foam mattress.

The big side holds the 2' x 4' table and the mattresses. 2 34" x 75" foam mattresses. The first 8" of the platform doesn't move and the mattress pads are stored on it while the bed folds up to hold them. The bed legs just fold up and down.



The other side is a day bench that folds up for room to bring the quad in, otherwise I leave it down. There's room with the table down, for chairs on the other side from the bench when the table is pulled toward the bench a bit.
The table legs unfold and then slide the table out to the left and let the legs drop to the floor. Takes all of two seconds.


When the bridge piece is unfolded from the bench, it drops in there between the folded down bed parts, and the two mattresses go on there for a full trailer width bed.



Almost ready!



The bed is high enough for bins to fit under it.
Of course you have to crawl up the bed from the foot to get in and out, but it's a big bed and yet sets up in seconds and still allows for a dining area and also a wide open area for transporting things like a cargo trailer should.



I don't know if this is the kind of idea you're looking for.

starleen2 wrote:I really can't see the need for "extra" space unless you are using the Cargo trailer to haul ATV's etc. We have a permanently mounted full sized bed and never needed a dinette in any of the campers we built. I have two wooden trays that can be set up inside that serve the same function as a table and we sit on the edge of the bed. I find it quite unnecessary to have to pull down and put up a bed every night just for "extra" space that might not be needed after all. Plus we do get a lot of storage under the bed.

Mainly I'm thinking ahead for if we have kids, sitting on the bed could work for two but not three or four. Also I'm considering a detachable galley backsplash, both as an escape hatch and so food could be passed from the rear galley directly to the dinette table if the weather is really bad. I'd hope neither feature would see much use, but there's always the chance of a bad storm rolling through.

I'm also looking for ideas for extra sleeping space, best I've found so far is Scotty-style fabric/dowel hammocks above the rear of the main bed. They would need to be removed and stowed to fold the bed, some sort of rack could secure the dowels to the underside of the bed when not in use.

I thought the execution by Glenlivet above was brilliant.

My Avion has the Couch/Bed seen below. I mentally bookmarked the construction because it's elegantly simply. My 'vision' was to have my home made Couch Rear section against, say, the Driver's side of my future CT on the long axis. You pull out on the bottom section [after folding down the Table on the pic right]. The upright Couch section lays down flat under the Trailer front Glass in this pic. I would square off this design so you wind up with 2 Foam sections to make a Queen w/o anyone sleeping on a Foam seam. Me, I need a sloped Couch Back, not a 90 degree upright one.

The Couch 'superstructure' under the Seat consists of 2x2s with long, parallel slots in them with small Bolts holding them in parallel. I'm sure a lil Wax would do the trick for lubrication. They slide in/out very nicely. 2 pieces of 1/4" Plywood is the Bed Foam support: the Couch Seat and the Couch upright back section.

A person handy with a Router could make some circular 'indents' for Dowels to rest in to hold the Couch Back up in position almost vertically; like the circle at the top of an apostrophe.

I would like a 7 foot wide trailer which means the inside of the trailer is 6 foot 6 inch's wide
I am thinking of making two fold down beds either; 30 or 32 inches wide.
that would leave a 14 or 18 inch aisle between them just so someone does not have to craw over the other person for those late night get-ups.
wide enough, but not too wide if it gets cold and you need to double up to keep warm.

So the width is always the exterior size, not the interior?

As far as I know yes it is the width given is outside dimensions
length height and width all out side dimensions.

pete

This one's on my local Craigslist for $1350:

The seller says it is 2009 6x12 with a V-nose, "Doors are around 6'. Inside around 7' or more" It looks like a Cargo South logo on the rear door.

Does it look like a 6x12x7' trailer to anyone? I'm thinking its shorter.

Another member's album shows a set of very small wheels on his CTC that he uses so it will fit into his garage, does anyone know where these wheels came from?


Nitroxjunkie71's album

Thanks!

Kharn wrote:The seller says it is 2009 6x12 with a V-nose, "Doors are around 6'. Inside around 7' or more"

That's not much of a description. I'd ask him for accurate measurements if I were thinking of buying it.

The one in your picture looks like a 12 footer to me. I just took a picture of my 6' X 10' for you to compare. This one is 6' inside height.



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Kharn wrote:...... does anyone know where these wheels came from?

Northern or other supplier should have something small like these. Make sure the bolt pattern is correct.

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200330147_200330147