Boler Couch - anyone have a photo (Front Gaucho)

[Kurt in BC]

I have a 1970 Boler and the last guy ripped out the couch and installed more counter top space. Works great except now we have a little girl and need the extra bed. Just wondering if someone could post pics of their couch without the cushions so I can figure out how to build mine. Thanks everyone!!

- Kurt

PS - here is my Boler as it stand today:


http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2307057/1

[Jollean]

Heya,
Nice little egg you got! Here is a pic of my Boler's back chair. The yellow blocks are where the hinges are. The cushion on the back (with the hinges) goes all the way to fiberglass seat (behind the bottom cushion). This way when you flip it up the length will meet the bunk bed poles. I don't have pics of these but can share them when we get our Boler back. I also highly recommend getting the Boler set up for bunks. We have our little one sleep on the top bed and store our additional baggage underneath. But at this point building a bunk bed bar is essential. Easy to do but essential.
I can share pictures of all eventually...Our Boler is in the shop....

[Kurt in BC]

thanks, appreciate the picture.. Do you, or anyone else, have a photo of the cushion removed./ I am curious to see if there is any 'structure' (ie. plywood) behind that cushion or do they just but up to the ensolite wall.

I ripped my extra counter out today so I just need to complete the mod to have the copuch back. I should be able to keep the large drawer that was installed too for extra storage

I am thinking of making up a bunk to duplicate as an extra shelf to throw crap while set up.

[Donna D.]

On my Scamp, there is a piece of wood (approx 2 feet x 3 inches) fiberglass perpendicular to the wall under the window. The hinges attach to this piece. The top cushion is wrapped around a piece of plywood and the ends of the plywood are hinged with some sort of canvas material so when the top cushion is in the seating position the cushion forms to the curve of the front of the trailer.

That description is probably clear as mud.

[Kurt in BC]

thanks, i think the Boler's are slightly different in the design as I do not believe the rear cushion is hinged.

Any idea the height and length of the rear cushion? So, I know what to tell the Foam shop for when I order the foam.

I'll browse some of the albums and see if there are any other 'works in progress, with their cushions removed.

Tahnks!

- Kurt

[Jackie]

I removed the fiberglass couch and am building a front dinette for two that will convert to the bunk beds. However, at this point in the building, it looks just like a couch - I still have to cut out the knee space on the top board, and the access doors. Hope this helps:

[Barbara Gardin]

The Boler back Cushion is hinged just like the Scamp. It lifts up and is supported by poles to form the top bunk. The bottom is attached to the wall by means od a strip of wood which is fibreglassed in...There is nothing else between the wall and the couch.

[Kurt in BC]

thanks everyone. That plywood fiberglassed to the shell of the trailer is still there. I had no idea the rear of the couch was hinged to that. Does make sense though. I figured the bunk was just an option but I see the holes where the front bunk suppors once were. I'm not sure I will make it a bunk again as I have no immediate use for it. The extra storage would be nice though when flipped up.

It must be a real pain to recover the hinged piece if the plywood is wrapped along with the foam. My wife won't like hearing that

perhaps I can just hinge the plywood and keep the cushion seperate so it just lean against it. Might make life a little easier. I have though of leaving out the ply wood at the rear all together but i'm not too sure how comfortable it would be as a couch with the back cushion just leaning against the front of the trailer. We'll see...I'll start with the bottom piece and go from there....

[Donna D.]

It must be a real pain to recover the hinged piece if the plywood is wrapped along with the foam. My wife won't like hearing that

Actually, I think it would make it easier. Top upholstery (with or without piping) and some long sides that wrap around to the back of the plywood. Staple a bunch. Done. It doesn't have to be beautiful on the back/bottom...just functional. The only person to see it would be the person sleeping on the bottom bunk looking up. And nothing to move around if you have a wiggly person sleeping in the top bunk. It can't move, so the person wouldn't slide off the top along with the cushion.

[Kurt in BC]

holy crap, I never though of that!

Makes me wish I added a small piece of wood to the bottom of all the cushions...they all could be recovered that way without having to sew anything......

Donna, you rock!

[Benny K]

Kurt, I don`t think that upholstering the back cushion with a hinge in it should be a great problem if you are going to do your own recover...it`s not wrapped in foam just covered on one side with it and if you upholster it flat, the foam will always compress on top to allow it it bend to conform to the trailer at the ends......also there is a banana cushion between the the top cushion and back wall to taper it when it is down as a backrest and the back wall....this cushion is about 64" long with one side straight and the other side curved to conform to the back wall....the widest portion it about 7 1/2" wide and is in an arc with a point on each end...like a banana with one straight side.......in our trailer we don`t use the back rest because without it the bed gets about 7 1/2" wider in the middle......the hinges in the top cushions are about a 60" length apart....I can measure ours....we keep it stored under a bed in the house and never use it, but had it reupholstered also, in case we sell the trailer......we just use toss cushions and a quilt for the backrest when it`s used as a sofa.....pictures of it on our web shots site.....Benny

[Kurt in BC]

oh I see...

that banana cushion is just to fill the void that is left when the back couch cushion is folded down. the void btw the cushion and the Boler wall...So what do most peopel do with the banana cushion when converting to the bunk. Seems like i could be a pain to store?

thanks.

[Donna D.]

holy crap, I never though of that!

Makes me wish I added a small piece of wood to the bottom of all the cushions...they all could be recovered that way without having to sew anything......

Donna, you rock!

I think that's exactly what Keith and Dee D. did when they reupholstered all the cushions in their Lil BigFoot?? Althought there is still sewing..top and sides and maybe piping? When it's time to either change the fabric or even wash it, just unstable and throw into the washer. Dry, reattach, done. Saves a bunch too not needing to cram the foam in. Wouldn't add a ton of weight either, because the wood (other than the top bunk) isn't supporting any weight. A thin piece of paneling-type wood would suffice. I've seen Keith and Dee's trailer and you'd never know the upholstery is only 3/4 around the foam. Looks great.

Obviously it's one of those mods that can be done several different ways...depends upon what/how the owner chooses to do it

[Kurt in BC]

ya, I ran the idea passed my wife and we may end up going that route. The only tough part would be in the side cushions by the table as they do curve a bit there. We bought the fabric and have patterns already cut out but they have been sitting for 2 years w/o being sewn. I'm pretty good with a staple gun

[Donna D.]

As an FYI about Keith and Dee's upholstery...it was only the bottom cushions that were backed with wood. They are using big fluffy overstuffed pillows as the backrests. They can be smooshed, squished into a comfortable leaning shape.

[Jayfor]

Hi Kurt, Thanks Donna for the intro. One small correction there is no sewing on the bottom cushions just fabric stretched over foam and batting then stapled to the plywood. The back cushions Dee purchased Euro sham pillows and sewed the covers up. Here's a coupla pictures that might help. Keith
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[Jayfor]

Heres next picture
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[Jayfor]

Last picture, Keith
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[Benny K]

Kurt, The banana cushion remains between the lower cushion and the Boler wall.....the upper cushion when down squishes tight between the lower cushion and the wall and when the upper cushion is in the up position the bottom cushion and the banana expand somewhat and more or less fill the void....hope that my explanation makes sense ...Oh, also when we redid our cushions they are 4" thick, where the sofa back cushion is 3"....Benny

[Kurt in BC]

thanks for the pictures, thats what I had in mind.

Benny, yes that makes much more sense now. Guess thats why I never seen the 'banana' cushion, the pics usually have the couch down instead of up for the bunks.

I am still contemplating if I should install the bunk but I really like the idea of extra storage.

One last Q - Do the hinges mount on the top of the molded in ply wood piece or on the bottom? Top seems to make more sense for dispersing the load.