Was going to "Rip out the Kitchen" but... - Fiberglass RV
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Old 07-22-2007, 09:52 AM   #1
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Trailer: Scamp 13 ft 1992
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OK - You folks may recall my idea to remove the kitchen sink/stove/fridge unit to make a L shape bed couch thing. I had all your thoughts and input runnin' thru my mind...Well today I looked at all that would be "modified" and had a new idea. Instead of removing the unit, build a bunk on top.

I would pull off the taps for the sink (leave the sink), remove the gill and burners (leave the lines), remove the metal supports (rig some support) and leave the fridge alone. Then build a 6.5 to 7 ft by 2.5 ft ply wood bunk bed (with a small rail) on top of the kitchen unit. Head towards the kids bunks and feet towards the wife. Angle the the last foot towards the corner. The bottom half off the bunk will sit about 1 ft above the wife's legs in the big bed.

I would save all the items and make the bunk as "low impact" as possible. This way it can be removed and everything goes pack to normal.

So what do you think????
Dennis
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Old 07-22-2007, 10:45 AM   #2
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Angle the the last foot towards the corner. The bottom half off the bunk will sit about 1 ft above the wife's legs in the big bed.
I like the layering idea here. I am uncertain of the need for the corner angle, though. I think you'll do OK with a straight run to the back of the trailer.
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Old 07-22-2007, 07:42 PM   #3
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Hi Folks,
So I began to build Dad' bed today. I removed the sink fixture, the range top and burners (saved and stored). I also took down the metal support. Not sure how much load it actually held..? But I plan to rig some support. I put a piece of thin marine rug upside down on the kitchen counter to protect the gel coat. I used the existing holes (4) from the metal support to mount a peice of 1x6. This will be my main mounting "beam". Then I ripped a half inch sheet of ply wood to creat a 6 ft. x 27 inch deck. The range had 2 tabs that stuck up , so I ran 3 ribs to raise the deck a bit.

I went looking for enough 4 or 5 inch foam to cover the "bed" and ended up buying an actual twin foam bed a Sleepy's on clearance for $60. Not bad for a 6 ftx39 inch foam mat. I plan to carefully open the stitching and cut the foam down to 27" or 28" inched wide, then slide in an extra layer of egg crate foam, and sew it bad together. This will give me a cozy bed all to myself. I may need a little extra support under my legs. A few 1x2's should do the trick. Mom gets a brand new memory foam mat for the main bed & kids get new egg crate too.

Off to Knoble's Park for a week in the Scamp soon. We should all be cozy now.
Dennis
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Old 07-22-2007, 07:50 PM   #4
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So far,this is it.
D.
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Old 07-23-2007, 12:46 AM   #5
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Clever solution!
We have a 13' Trillium with little front bathroom closet, so it really only sleeps 2, but there are 3 of us. First we tried putting our daughter on a "bed" made with an extension running from the front half-bench, but that wasn't very comfortable for her, and it almost totally blocked the aisle and doorway access. Thought about some sort of upper bed like you are making, but solved our problem when we got an Astrovan to replace our old pickup. It's the Dad-bed now.
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Old 07-24-2007, 04:16 PM   #6
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all I can think is "guardrails"
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So far,this is it.
D.
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Old 07-24-2007, 04:22 PM   #7
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Thats a niffty solution.
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Old 07-24-2007, 07:01 PM   #8
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Thats a niffty solution.
I'm thinking it might be easier to make a single upper bunk over the "double" main bed similar in concept to the one shown below. The supports could sit on the outside edges of the bench seats which fold up on hinges when you want to take the bed down. Alternatively one could MacGuyver a way to keep the upper bunk up to the ceiling when it was not in use.


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Old 07-24-2007, 07:10 PM   #9
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So far,this is it.
Yikes!!!

I just noticed in the picture that you took out the wrought iron support to the upper kitchen cabinets. That is a structural component that holds up your roof on that side of the trailer, while the closet provides support on the other.

I'm dealing with roof and body sag damage right now
I would not want to wish that on anybody.
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Old 07-24-2007, 08:16 PM   #10
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[quote]I'm thinking it might be easier to make a single upper bunk over the "double" main bed similar in concept to the one shown below. The supports could sit on the outside edges of the bench seats which fold up on hinges when you want to take the bed down. Alternatively one could MacGuyver a way to keep the upper bunk up to the ceiling when it was not in use.


Attachment 9101


That's sort of what I have in mind to do on a 17' Bigfoot (hopefully) I can't wait. Let the mods begin!
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Old 07-25-2007, 12:50 AM   #11
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This thing is built like a tank. If I hit it with sledge hammer, it would take me all week to smash it. It was hard work to remove these small pieces. Scamp knows what they are doing. I fully expect the roof to be fine, the bed will be great for me and the main bed will give Mom all the space she needs. I plan to support the roof and upper cabinet with a L brace, but the thing is a hard core egg that will not cave.

Please fill me in on the roof and body sag issues that you have expeirenced. They sound like a drag. I would hope to avoid them.


I hear your concerns, but I hope to make a functional bed that will maintain and keep the strucutre of the EGG.
Dennis
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Old 07-25-2007, 06:07 AM   #12
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WHAT IF the same gaucho idea was used, the table put on stanchions to stand free of the wall, with a hinged backboard so it could make into a nice big top bed. You could reinforce along the backs of the table benches with 2X4's and put in your support post stanchions. You'd have to find lightweight strong material, as 3/4" plywood could be very bulky/heavy.
I saw a Weekender 13 footer and the top bed above the main bed folded down from the ceiling from a cabinet. Maybe also a big upper cabinet with support posts could be built with a fold down door that was a sleep surface.
This is the "doubledecker" idea I kept tossing around...and if it could be done, all those 13'-ers could put in their bathrooms up front and not lose sleep capacity.

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That's sort of what I have in mind to do on a 17' Bigfoot (hopefully) I can't wait. Let the mods begin!
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Old 07-25-2007, 06:15 AM   #13
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This thing is built like a tank. If I hit it with sledge hammer, it would take me all week to smash it. It was hard work to remove these small pieces. Scamp knows what they are doing. I fully expect the roof to be fine, the bed will be great for me and the main bed will give Mom all the space she needs. I plan to support the roof and upper cabinet with a L brace, but the thing is a hard core egg that will not cave.

Please fill me in on the roof and body sag issues that you have expeirenced. They sound like a drag. I would hope to avoid them.
I hear your concerns, but I hope to make a functional bed that will maintain and keep the strucutre of the EGG.
Dennis
Dennis
If as you say"Scamp knows what they are doing" then I suspect those supports were there for a good reason.

I am on my third egg now and each one has had symptoms of sagging through time from the shear mass and weight of the shell I suspect.
It is not something that would happen overnight but instead gradually as the body deforms slightly with each day and the stress on it from the environment and motion.
I am not trying to scare you but merely stating my experiences.

If you do a search here you will find many stories to back this up.

I would try to find a way to replace the braces soon.

Ed
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Old 07-25-2007, 06:54 AM   #14
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Please fill me in on the roof and body sag issues that you have expeirenced. They sound like a drag.
Dennis,
I'd love to, but it is not that easy to explain in a few lines. I could do it in a few minutes in person while pointing to everything involved on a trailer. I've been looking at what others call the door sag and stress crack issue for over a year to figure out how to fix mine. I've checked out the door and body on just about every Boler and Scamp styled trailer I could find in the last year. My numbers may be off, but I would say 1/3 of the door issues might be related to the door, but the majority in my opinion are related to body sag. Some of the fixes posted here and elsewhere only compensate for the body sag while not correcting the underlying problem. BTW Reace has incorporated a solution into his Escape trailer door frame.

I am at the point right now where I am trying to get an aluminium substructure that fits the door frame built to fix the problem. When I have that, I will do the first phase of my fix and post pictures explaining everything. The second phase involves the screen door mod so many others have done. In my case the body sag is related to the design flaw, poor maintenance by the previous owner and an untoward tree. You can see some of the damage and causes in the pictures here in the thread on my trailer. Note the wrought iron support is not connected to the sink cabinet and the stress crack in the top hinge side of the door frame.

Roy
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Old 07-25-2007, 08:51 AM   #15
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OK - Now, I am seriously concerned about the lack of support under the cabinet. After I wrote my last post, it dawned on me (as Ed noted) Scamp put that support there for a reason. So now I need to build it back up and add some support. I am thinking of using some angle iron or wood. I dont know I have to study the problem today.

Thanks for your feed back.
Dennis
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Old 07-25-2007, 05:13 PM   #16
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Our VW camper has what is called a "rock 'n roll" bed. It gives you a couch for sitting and then it folds out to make a bed.

What about putting in wood supports to put in bed rails over the back dinette/bed?
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Old 07-25-2007, 05:51 PM   #17
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I dont know I have to study the problem today.
Dennis,

My wife, Carol Ann in To had a suggestion. Take a simple folding camp cot, set it up on the floor between the closet and sink, with your feet under the main rear bed and head towards the front bunk.

Cheap, easy to set up and take down and can also be used outside. In the worst case scenario you might need to fold up the foot leg or use some "shims" to make everything level.



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Old 07-25-2007, 06:13 PM   #18
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" Head towards the front and feet towards the wife"
Boy you do want to live dangerously don't you.
Make sure to change socks regularly
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Old 07-26-2007, 08:32 PM   #19
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Or, you could do what we do, get a nice screenroom that has walls that can roll down at night. Use a cot and make that your daddy-bed-suite-deluxe.

Candi
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Old 07-28-2007, 03:10 PM   #20
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On a side note my 70 boler does not have the support the later ones did. I keep my dishes and some food up there and have not had any issues. No stress cracks in the glass either. These days I have it mounted with pan head screws instead of the rivets but still never added a supporting beam and have no intention of doing so.
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