Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 18:25:35 -0700
Reply-To: Dick Taylor <hetchins@MONTANA.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dick Taylor <hetchins@MONTANA.COM>
Subject: Re: Making a Bed--any advise?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>I'm looking for tips on building a stable sleeping platform in my Vanagon.
>Its just plain bench seat version. I've removed the seats and want to
build
>a platform suspended somewhat above the engine to maintain room for storage
>underneath. Has anyone done this successfully? I'm having a hard time
>figuring out how to secure wood to the vehicle.
Here's one solution: (I've been doing this since 1972).
Cut a piece of 1/2 inch A-C or A-D plywood, 36" x 60" (this is your base bed
platform).
At the rear of the platform, on the underside, install a couple of
good-sized flat galvanized 90 deg. angle brackets. Use carriage bolts for
this so that the heads are sunk into the upper surface of the platform,
where they won't chafe the mattress. Space them so that they line up with a
couple of the seat belt bolts. On my '86 Vanagon this means they are about
18 inches from the outside edges of the platform, and are 24 inches apart.
Bend the brackets slightly to conform to the slope of the rear firewall and
drill a hole in each bracket as necessary in order to be able to attach them
to the firewall using two of the existing seat belt bolts. (Put all of the
other seat belt bolts back in their threaded holes, after you remove all the
belts, to avoid drafts.)
At the front of the platform (14 inches from the outside edges and 6 inches
from the front edge of the platform) use a couple more 90 deg. angle
brackets on the underside to attach two 2" x 2" square (standard lumber
item, actually measure 1-1/2" x 1-1/2") wooden legs. These should be about
13-3/4 inches in length. Use carriage bolts to attach the angle brackets to
the platform and also to attach them to the legs.
It's a good idea to radius (round off) the corner of the platform that is
nearest the sliding door, so that you don't poke yourself with the sharp
corner every time you lean down to get something out from under the
platform. The wooden legs get banged around a bit as you are moving stuff
around but they hold up well and are not in the way too much, and they have
enough "give" so that they don't tear out whenever this happens.
If you want to raise your bed a bit in order to have storage space under it,
you can build a light-weight structure on top of the base platform, using
1/2" plywood and 2" x 2" lumber and angle brackets and carriage bolts. You
can also make sliding boxes/drawers that will fit between the two platforms,
but everything adds weight. I like to keep things lightweight.
The base platform is designed to take a regular queen-sized mattress. I like
a fairly thin foam rubber mattress. I recommend making it up with sheets and
blankets, an Indian bedspread, a good down comforter, and nice pillows with
pillowcases. When it's time to go to bed, floss and brush your teeth, put on
your pajamas and/or nightgown and crawl into bed and read for a half-hour or
so before turning out the light and going to sleep in one of the nicest beds
to be found anywhere.
Warning: your friends and relatives won't understand when you tell them you
want to sleep in your bus rather than use their guest room.
Next week: curtains.
Dick Taylor
Missoula, Montana
hetchins@montana.com
