OK, as Donna or Gina pointed out, removing the backrest support is forever....so it got me thinking. What I really need is the extra depth space while my wife or I sleeps on the couch.

I'm now thinking that I split the back cushion length wise...you with me? I will then have two backrests that will be reupholstered...but not together. I can then have the two pieces connect via strong snaps (a couple on heach upper and lower half). Come nighttime, I unsnap the upper from the lower and I have the extra width while laying down. Of course I'd still have to store the bottom piece in my tow but no big woop.

This way, it retains the "stock appearance" but provides a wider sleeping area without raising the back into the bunk config....laying on the bottom makes feel like I'm in a cave.

Any thoughts?

Dan

Makes sense to me, Dan, but I'm not sure it gains much over just putting a nice cover on the hinge area and removing the whole back cushion.

I understand both the desire to gain width, and the "cave" effect, having considered this setup in possible replacement trailers (our current B1700 has a much wider gaucho). Could the backrest hinge be arranged to allow the backrest to hinge up further, like 180 degrees, flat against the window? Curved body corners will cause problems, but perhaps small end sections could be left fixed in place and still gain width in the important middle section.

Brian,

That might work as well, just do not know where/what would hold it up.

AAAUUUGGHH.....I so want a 17. However, financially I have competing priorities...like a new roof.

Dan

I suppose the main question I'd have is: Why the strong desire to maintain the stock appearance?

If I could propose an alternate for the front end... How about pulling everything out and putting in a small dinette instead? If you design it so the table drops - you can have it convert into a bed when you want it. Gives a lot of flexability.

Mike

Nothing holds up the back cushions of either the dinette seats or the gaucho in my B1700 - they just rest against the walls, with varying degrees of success. I'm not usually a fan of hook-and-loop fastening (like Velcro™), because it is so often used in inappropriate applications, but this might be a good place for it.

I'd leave the support, remove the hinged back for the bunk bed setup (and store it in the garage in case of a future sale of the trailer) and use some big fluffy pillows for the back rest when wanting to use the setup as a couch. The support on my Scamp is a good 18 inches or more above the base of the couch and wouldn't be in the way in the least when laying down to sleep. You could even use the hook'nloop stuff on the support to keep the fluffy pillows attached to the support, if necessary. Snapping the pillows/cushions together wouldn't be necessary with this method.

My 2 cents.

Hello!

I couldn't stand sleeping under the top bunk, I'm a bit claustrophic but, I wanted to use the original backrest. I simply removed the top bunk from the hinges and at night, I pull that onto the base and put the other cushion from the seat on top of this. I gives more width and is extra comfy with two layers of foam. I still leave that small pillow in the curve and there is a smallish gap, but, it doesn't bother me. A person could easily make another of the same and not have any space at all. I'd try this before I went to a lot of expense and see if it works for you. You could always reattach, if wanted.

The throw pillows I have on the couch are two sacks with a cool drawstring that stores neatly folded linens from my bed. Pillows by day, quilt by night...
The pillow covers are much like a pillow case, only square, with a drawstring. I made them easily. A person could also make these with a center seam that velcros shut, or buttons, or zippers. They are great space savers and give a nice, comfortable backrest.

You can also make a small shelf out of the backrest support. Check out my website and you can see the picture. I am doing the opposite as you but at least the support was left in place for me. We use the shelf for small items that rooll around while towing such as salt and pepper shakers and flash lights.

For anyone other than an agile adolescent, the gaucho bunks are useless. And I don't know of any egg collectors who insist on everything being kept original. So we just unscrewed the hinge holding the UHaul backrest/upperbunk and got rid of it. Now the front seat cushion makes a comfortable spot for napping and - with the addition of a few pillows - an occasional couch or bed for guests.

But the U-haul doesn't have the support fiberglassed in like on the Scamp's and Boler's does it It's a major decision for those owners whether or not they ever want the ability to put the goucho back together (like resell reasons). But, I've found the support is high enough it certainly wouldn't bother someone sleeping and some big overstuff pillows probably wouldn't notice it either when use the "couch."

Dunno what others have. The UHaul has a narrow shelf-like projection molded into the interior below the front window. It supported the long gaucho hinge, and makes it uncomfortable as a backrest without adding cushions.

I don't hold with the idea of diminishing my own pleasure in a possession in order to please some possible future buyer. Reminds me of those horrible plastic slipcovers people used to put on their couches, making people uncomfortable now to protect the upholstery for next year.

Burro, of course, has the same thing, a shelf made from a strip of 3/4 plywood about 3 inches wide thats fiberglassed permanently in place.

Have no use for a goucho-ma-callit-upper bunk, (what's the origin of "goucho," here, anyway?*) so I used it as a support to screw in this thing I made that has a fold-away mini table. Up under the window I added a narrow shelf for pencils and salt shakers (whatever).

*A goucho's a guy who wears a flat brimmed hat with little ball tassels around it, and rides the pampas, right??

Here the small table is folded away but obviously this still wouldn't make a very comfy backrest, either. Still searching for the right color and design in a throw pillow, or three.

Gaucho/ goucho bed is the terminoligy for a dual purpose couch bed....maybe the origin of the name came from gauchos having to use them when running cattle or after getting loaded in the cantinas.. ...latter probably the right answer......Benny

Yes, that sounds right. Originally they were like dual-purpose saddles, so a fella could still catch a few winks when riding herd on bulls during siesta time.

Knew I spelled it wrong.

Heh heh. I like that photo.