I built my first sleeper based on AlumaBunk's package I saw in a Ford. I put curtains behind the driver and passenger seats. And built an insulated bulkhead about 32' behind the seats. I made a frame to support a piece of plywood, added two 1"thick self-inflating sleeping pads I have for camping and a sleeping bag.
I stripped vinyl sleeper side pannels, ceilling pannels and curtains from 2 or 3 junked Mack MH's. All of the MH's had mattresses in them, but with stains, burns and other disgusting things it was all I could do just to kneel on them.
Junkyards are a great place to shop. I paid $75.00 for everything and had an enjoyable time wandering around.
First trip I out I realized this set-up wasn't going to work. 1. It was tight sleeping and no air flow. 2. I had no access to the cargo area without going outside. 3. Underbunk storage could only be accessed by getting out and opening the side doors.
Back to the drawingboard. I gutted everything and started over. I moved the bulkhead directly behind the seats. Left an opening for a crawl through in the middle and hung a curtain. I built frames from steel strut for the bulkheads and the bed support. The plywood base for the mattress was hinged to the bulkhead so it could be folded up if necessary for an extra pallet or access to storage. The storage area under the bunk could also be accessed from the cargo area or the side doors. A sliding curtain was added to partition the bunk from the cargo area.
When I bought my new van I tore everything out once again and reinstalled it. I made some modifications for the sliding door. Old van had swing doors on the side. Increased the width to 34" and added the memory foam to the top of one of the camping pads. I also added 2 switches near the head of the bed to control the Fantastic Vent and a light in the cargo area.
I acquired the sofa sleeper in late May with the intention of making a bed for my van. Torn it down to the frame, ran into some problems, lost interest and shelved the whole idea.
When it's warm and I have no freight on I will sleep on a large airmattress in the cargo area. This allows me to stretch out and offers more air flow. But after about six hours the airmattress begins to loose air.
Labor Day weekend I got serious about installing the MOOTBED (TM). I had to move the bulkheads forward about an inch. This gives me 100" of cargo space. If necessary the MOOTBED (TM) can be tipped on its backside allowing for 20 inches more of cargo space. Of course then I have nowhere to sleep.
The main advantages of the MOOTBED (TM) are: comfort, being up off the floor and able to stretch out. And it is completely removable. I can pull it out the side door. This comes in handy when I move my daughter.
The biggest disadvantage is loss of storage space under the bunk. There is no storage space here because it is taken up by the hide-a-bed mechanism. I have gotten more creative with the open space along the sidewalls. I have also tossed some junk.
Pictures of the MOOT BED (TM) can be found at www.ggeronsin.photosite.com
I stripped vinyl sleeper side pannels, ceilling pannels and curtains from 2 or 3 junked Mack MH's. All of the MH's had mattresses in them, but with stains, burns and other disgusting things it was all I could do just to kneel on them.
Junkyards are a great place to shop. I paid $75.00 for everything and had an enjoyable time wandering around.
First trip I out I realized this set-up wasn't going to work. 1. It was tight sleeping and no air flow. 2. I had no access to the cargo area without going outside. 3. Underbunk storage could only be accessed by getting out and opening the side doors.
Back to the drawingboard. I gutted everything and started over. I moved the bulkhead directly behind the seats. Left an opening for a crawl through in the middle and hung a curtain. I built frames from steel strut for the bulkheads and the bed support. The plywood base for the mattress was hinged to the bulkhead so it could be folded up if necessary for an extra pallet or access to storage. The storage area under the bunk could also be accessed from the cargo area or the side doors. A sliding curtain was added to partition the bunk from the cargo area.
When I bought my new van I tore everything out once again and reinstalled it. I made some modifications for the sliding door. Old van had swing doors on the side. Increased the width to 34" and added the memory foam to the top of one of the camping pads. I also added 2 switches near the head of the bed to control the Fantastic Vent and a light in the cargo area.
I acquired the sofa sleeper in late May with the intention of making a bed for my van. Torn it down to the frame, ran into some problems, lost interest and shelved the whole idea.
When it's warm and I have no freight on I will sleep on a large airmattress in the cargo area. This allows me to stretch out and offers more air flow. But after about six hours the airmattress begins to loose air.
Labor Day weekend I got serious about installing the MOOTBED (TM). I had to move the bulkheads forward about an inch. This gives me 100" of cargo space. If necessary the MOOTBED (TM) can be tipped on its backside allowing for 20 inches more of cargo space. Of course then I have nowhere to sleep.
The main advantages of the MOOTBED (TM) are: comfort, being up off the floor and able to stretch out. And it is completely removable. I can pull it out the side door. This comes in handy when I move my daughter.
The biggest disadvantage is loss of storage space under the bunk. There is no storage space here because it is taken up by the hide-a-bed mechanism. I have gotten more creative with the open space along the sidewalls. I have also tossed some junk.
Pictures of the MOOT BED (TM) can be found at www.ggeronsin.photosite.com
