Planning the Sliding Bunk Bed(?)

[Alfred]

Hey Gang,

As you know, the plans for my Weekend for 5 include a sliding upper bunk bed, which will move forward to allow use of the rear galley, then slide backward into the galley area at night, when the kids are sleeping.



Friend of mine suggested using these slide brackets for the moveable bunk bed. I am not familiar with them, but they look interesting.

Go here:
http://slim-track.com/TruckBedSlide.html

I have sent them an email, but I am afraid they might be cost prohibitive.

Otherwise, looking for feedback, best KISS solution for building the bunk/slide. I've been planning on just using a 2x2 board for a slide rail, then a bunk framed out with 2x2 boards sliding on top of it, but wondering if this would hold up to friction and repeated use.



Any ideas?

AL in Asheville

[aggie79]

In the KISS realm, I can't see the need for the slide. I would do just as you have planned except I would use a hardwood for the runner/wear surface.

[clarkbre]

I am a huge advocate for the KISS method. Those truck sliders look very nice but I'm sure cost much more than you and I are willing to pay for them.

The idea of 2x2's is a good one. It got me thinking of 2 fairly cost effective solutions:
1. Mount a rail on each wall, build your bedframe as wide as your trailer, then mount small caster wheels on the bed frame. This would slide easily in and out and the bed would be self centering with the width.

2. Same as above but line your wall mounted rails with bunk sliders. If you're unfamiliar with those do a search online. They're basically white cutting board material that you put on your boat trailer bunks. They help aluminum, fiberglass, and wood boats slide off the trailer with easy. This would give you a very slick and low profile surface for sliding the bed.

Hope this helps with your design.

[Miriam C.]

I guess I don't remember why it needs to slide. An easy solution might be to have the rear half of the bunk mattress move so you have a galley shelf. Unless that is too high.

Other wise Make it light and leave off the hardware. you might make a way to lock the bed to the rail in a couple of places. Like some drop in pins.

[sjacobso76]

Wow, I like the idea of making it sliding!! For the friction, any place that has cabinet hardware should have a tape that sticks on and provides glide. I've seen it in Rockler before. Pretty simple, cheap; I think it works with KISS.

[Alfred]

:thinking: I guess I don't remember why it needs to slide.

Hey Miriam,

The top bunk needs to be big, because I am going to have three kids in it. So the plan was the kids would have leg room that would utilize the galley area. Then during the day, the bunk would slide forward, out of the galley area, so that the galley could be used. In the galley, the countertop is about 3-4 inches below where the bunk slides in. This way, the kids have a bed that is almost queen sized, too.





Thanks for the feedback!

AL in Asheville

[jeep_bluetj]

Just make it with the wood and see how it slides.

If it's to tough to slide I'd ise some strips of HDPE (Cutting board material)

OR the UHMWPE tape ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001DDTJVE ) is pretty good. I've used it on lots of jigs and stuff.

[danlott]

Nylo-Tape
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=214&filter=tape#STS=fzgc16jw.suk

I have used this on other projects. It is amazind how much it reduces friction. I would apply polyurethane to both surfaces. Once dryed I would then apply the tape to the top of the bottom rail. You could use the 3/4" stuff or get the 3" stuff and split it down the middle to make the 2 strips you would need.

Dan

[Alfred]

Nylo-Tape
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=214&filter=tape#STS=fzgc16jw.suk

I have used this on other projects. It is amazing how much it reduces friction.
Dan

Yes, that tape looks like just the thing. Too bad it doesn't just come in 2" width. Still, I think that will be the plan.

I'll buy a hardwood 2x4 and split it, use it for the bottom rail. Then I use the tape on the top/bottom surfaces where the bunk frame rides on top of the rail.

Do you think I can use the softer pine for the bed frame itself?

AL in Asheville

[danlott]

Pine might be ok for the bed. I would use poplar. Not really a hard wood, but alot better than soft pine. Will hold together better than pine.

Dan

[toypusher]

Just a thought here Al!

Have you considered the possibility that it could 'jump' off during transit? You might want to consider putting a couple small brackets that come down and wrap around the rail that it is sliding on to prevent it from coming off by accident. May be a non issue if the fit is right, but just a word of caution for you.

I think that hardwood (at least poplar) sliders for both the rail and the bottom portion of the bed rail would be fine. Some of that tape or just some soap or wax to help it slide would do.

[kennyrayandersen]

you might also wax to heck out of it -- that will make the wood slide pretty well.

[jmtk]

Hey Al,

What if you didn't make it sliding at all, and you just used the bunk wood in the galley as the counter itself? You'd just have to flop the bedding out of the way whenever you wanted to use the galley. The drawing shows a pretty thick mattress on the bunk, which would be cumbersome to flop, so I'd envision using something far thinner, with the galley portion of the mattress maybe even as a separate piece from the main cabin portion so it could be moved more easily. I don't know about your kids, but my son can fall asleep comfortably on a hardwood floor!

Another option might be to hinge the bunk deck at the galley so you could swing it up and expose the galley counter. Maybe even double hinged so it accordions up out of the way and creates a short wall between the galley and the cabin area.

In any of the above cases, the cabin doors would remain fully accessible.

From my experience camping with my son (now 9), he frequently remains in the cabin while my husband and I work on breakfast, especially on cool mornings. He'll sit up on his bunk and talk with us through the bulkhead holes, or just play in the cabin area. Even with big holes in it, the bulkhead provides enough of a divider between the bunk and the galley that it keeps bedding (and my son) from falling onto the galley counter, yet we can still keep an eye on him when he's inside and we're outside. Here's a pic that'll give you the idea...

Jeanette