24 inch sleeper for a cargo van

rollingstock · Mar 5, 2005

I looked at the one picture alimibunk has on its site for a small sleeper on the '04 Ford they have listed. It looks like a finished bulkhead wall with a raised area for the mattress. The add calls it a 24" unit. I could see a storage are beneath the mattress. I would like to duplicate something like this in a GMC. Does anyone have experience and would like to share their labors here?

Thanks
Bob

redytrk · Mar 5, 2005

Be sure to check the length of the mattress.In this unit I would have to sleep in a legs drawn up position. I get restless and frustrated,if in this position very long.Of course if you are 5`8" or less this shouldnt be a problem.

rollingstock · Mar 5, 2005

Thanks for the return!

I would have to sleep with my legs curled as you say. The widest that the configuration would allow is approximately 55". I am 6'2". I do regularly sleep curled and had the wife measure my position and she posted me at 49-51". I guess there is really no easy way to do it and that would be one of the options. The other would be to figure a pull down and sleep over the freight surface.

Thanks again for the reply.

Bob

terryandrene · Mar 5, 2005

Bob:

I have a sleeper with a pair of matresses equaling 48" x 70", with storage beneath and a wall separating the freight area from the sleeper. See The link and give me a call back when you get back home; I'll tel you how we did it.

http://www.expeditersonline.com/artman/publish/article_001518.html

terry

roadweazel · Mar 6, 2005

hiya,

I talked with a sales rep from alimibunk and that sleeper they install will fit in a ex3500 Chevy and since a GMC rolls of the same production line it shoud fit also. The number for alimibunk is 734-676-3028. Cost i think he said was $6,000.00.

Keep the rubber side down!!!

rollingstock · Mar 13, 2005

Thanks for the reply there. Terry you have a great set-up there. I called Phoenix conversions in Knoxville and he gave me an estimated figure of 3-4K if I wanted custom features. I thought that was more than I wanted to spend. I checked with a couple of more RV dealers her in the middle GA area. They are in the business of customizing vans and motorhomes and said that the type of work I am talking about would run 1.5K if I supplied the materials.

I looked at the pictures on Terry and Rene's van and it looks like 3/4" plywood for most of the interior and 1" for the bulkhead. I would want to see about making the bulkhead strong enough to withstand the rated load amount (just in case).

More later
Bob:7

Dreamer · Mar 13, 2005

Just to give you an idea of an easy setup, here's a quick sketch of a bunk I used made from 1 inch square tubing. If you know anyone handy with pipe and torch, or it could be bolted together with the right brackets, then fastened to the floor, ceiling etc with sheet metal screws. This one uses a 3 foot bunk, which would work for an extended van. Cover the back, and the bed area with plywood, you've got the basics for a sleeper area. Extra battery was mounted underneath bunk behind driver seat, rest was used for storage. You could make something like this fairly cheaply, then expand...

Dreamer

rollingstock · Mar 13, 2005

What a great idea. I like that concept. I have a 1800 watt inverter that I want to install permanently under the bunk area. This way, the problem of load safety will be solved. I can only gas weld, but I think that could be done well enough to provide the strength necessary for my personal safety.

Thanks Dreamer

Bob:7

theoldprof · Mar 14, 2005

Hey rollingstock,

I had originally thought a bulkhead was mostly for heat and cooling savings. You mentioned making your bulkhead strong enough to withstand a load amount (just in case). I got to thinking that even an extra load strap with the ratchet buckle could do a lot of damage to the back of a person's head in an accident. This is in addition to all the loose stuff carried in a cargo van. Thanks for getting my brain in gear.
:+ :+

rollingstock · Mar 14, 2005

No problelm the OP. I pulled flat out of Tulsa and the one thing I always heard about was the problem with freight shifting in a strong stop type incident. The safety folk had photos of the damage inflicted by a lowly bungee strap when it broke free of its mount. Man, what a lot of damage it did to the driver.

I just like to look at safety because we are all we have out there. If we don't stay healthy, we don't earn and it is a vicious circle.

Stay safe and keep on rolling!

Bob:7

merkurfan · Mar 15, 2005

Wow.. Nice van.. Might just have to do something like that to my van. I have the high top (24 inches higher!) and LOTS of overhead space. a 24 inch matress is what I have behind the seats now and that is more than enough for my solo operation. However my van still has the original roof over the cab area and I extened that back to behind the sleeper. Lots of space above, but hard to reach the stuff in the front. Also by extending the sleeper area all the way to the celing I could install a sunroof, perhaps allowing a cutdown on idling during not so warm days.

6000+ is a lot to spend. I am sure most of us could build something nice enough to get by. I built my current setup for 92 bucks plus matress (100 bucks). The "professional" ones seem WAY overpriced.

rollingstock · Mar 15, 2005

Have you tried a bunk warmer? You can find them in most truck stops. It is a device that is similar to an electric blanket. The only difference is that is goes UNDER you bedding. It is all you will need, even in the frozen North aye.

Bob

merkurfan · Mar 16, 2005

Yup, I have one. Problem is, I woke up to a near dead battery. Thankfully it had enough to cycle the glow plugs and crank her twice. That is all it takes to fire this thing

I'll be adding a large isolated deep cycle for power and lights when the engine is off soon. Thankfully, winter is almost done

rollingstock · Mar 16, 2005

Meant to mention the deep cycle battery. My experience is with tractor trailer and there is more battery than in a van. Glad you didn't get stuck with a dead battery. That is a real drag.

Bob:7

Dreamer · Mar 16, 2005

That is something that cannot be stressed enough! You need at least one deep cycle battery mounted inside the van. The Qualcomm should be run off of that battery, and make sure you use an isolator block, so as not to run down your main battery. If you plan to use many 12 volt accessories, two deep cycle batteries would be better, if you have room.

If hook everything into your main battery, even a Qualcomm WILL run it down sooner than you think!''

merkurfan · Mar 16, 2005

A quick question about mounting a battery in the van. How do you (or do you) vent it? I would assume it still creates gases while charging.

I am going to isolate mine with a selenoid/relay that is closed when the key is in the run postion. Seems cheaper than a isolator.

Old Ford van was in worse shape than I thought

installed 200 dollars worth of ball joints, another 35 worth of U-joints, 450 dollars worth of tires and I found I now need control arm bushings and maybe a steering gearbox. Guess 300K will take a toll on a van. Good thing the tranny is fresh (10K) and the stroker is in A1 health.

terryandrene · Mar 16, 2005

merkurfan:

I have two deep cycle mounted in the rear of the van. Two holes drilled in the floor seem to do the vent trick. I isolated them with a continuous duty solenoid (about $35 from Carquest). Must be continuous duty or it'll weld itself closed. The one I get is in their catalog and is indicated for RV use as an isolator.

I mount the batteries in the rear, in the cargo area and connect to the main battery with a very flexible #6 welders cable.