Bungee cords as bed rail...thought?

[reachg]

I have a toddler and was thinking of using bungee cords attached to the railing once it is made into a bunk bed, that way my son can sleep on the bottom bunk.

My question is would the rods used to convert into a bunk bed hold fine under the tension from the bungee cords?

Thanks

[Eddie Longest]

Don't think so. The bottom of the bunk rods just sit in shower curtain rod wall mounts which are attached to the benches which are only about 1/2" deep. Lots of people fabricate a rail out of PVC pipe and and part of the pipe just slides under the seat cushion.
Eddie

[reachg]

Would something like this work ?

Regalo Swing Down Bedrail, White https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0070WGV9K..._Ae1ivb1YWV9S2
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0070WGV9K..._Ae1ivb1YWV9S2


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[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by reachg

I have a toddler and was thinking of using bungee cords attached to the railing once it is made into a bunk bed, that way my son can sleep on the bottom bunk.

My question is would the rods used to convert into a bunk bed hold fine under the tension from the bungee cords?

Thanks

I've seen some things people do for bed railings that scare the heck out of me. I believe the goal is to prevent inadvertent rolling out of bed, not caging the child in. If your goal is to prevent inadvertent rolling out of bed a simple railing set at about 1" above the cushion can be made with PCV pipe. At the 1" point the child can climb in and out of bed but roll out. I made one for the top bunk out of 1 1/4" PVC pipe and two Ts. You could use "crosses" instead of Ts to make one for the bottom bunk.

[Jon in AZ]

Falling out of the bed is one danger. Entanglement in the restraint is another. I would not use bungee cord. There are standards that crib manufacturers use that you might want to become familiar with. You could Google crib safety standards.

What kind of trailer do you have? Will the upper bunk be set up while your son sleeps in the lower bed?

A 3-4" wide rectangle of PVC clamped between the bunk uprights with the bottom rail just above the mattress level is probably what I'd do in my Scamp. I'd put a vertical piece through the middle going down to the FG bench.

[Island Claire]

If rolling out of the bed is the concern, I have seen some people say that you put a sheet on the bed with a swimming noodle placed on the edge of the mattress under the sheet. Have not tried it myself.

[RogerDat]

I would be more concerned with strangulation than the fall. As a kid I rolled off the bed in a pop up. Wormed my way over the edge of the bed to where the canvas snapped underneath. Put enough force on the snaps holding the canvas that it just let me drop through. So slide out bed height of pop up to ground and I survived. Dragged my sleeping bag back in and went back to sleep.

It does not take much of an edge or rail to turn a child (or adult) back from an edge. Ancestors slept in trees.... and I'm not talking all that many generations back for some folks I have met. ;-)

[Byron Kinnaman]

FYI -- My 1" above the cushion PVC railing has worked quite well. The granddaughter was able to get in and out bed quite easily and didn't roll out at night. She didn't get caught is some loose fitting bungee cord and hand herself. I checked with the rules concerning child bed restraints and didn't allow room for the child to slip under the railing.
My considerations...
1. Prevent an inadvertent roll out of bed.
2. Prevent a hanging.
3. Allow easy to get into and out of bed. If something happened that required a fast exit, I want the child to be able to get out. Typically adults sleep at one end of the trailer and the child of children sleep at the other end. There's a stove and furnace between the two for one thing. Another if one the grandparents had a medical emergency I would want the child to be able to run for help.

[Darnelle]

My concern as well. Please do not have anything a child could get her head through. I think code for deck railings is openings must be less than 4 inches. Bungees obviously would stretch to way beyond that. An option might be to place a pad on the floor instead. It's done in nursing homes.

[reachg]

I think a pvc pipe contraption or the swimming noodle might me the way to go. No bungee cord


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[Lakegal]

Please No Bungee Cord
Pool Noodle is a good idea also I have used a toddler side bed rail. They are available at children stores. They have mesh rapped around a frame that slides under the mattress.
Other option is to bring a porta crib, which I have also used. Easy set up and take down.