Longitudinal Sleeping Modifications?

[Nut501]

After reading this forum for a while, one of the big problems or concerns is sleeping and crawling over the other person in the bed! I agree that the fiberglass campers are small. But, there are a lot of great minds on the forum! I have not seem any discussion relating to changing the beds in these campers to be longitudinal (maybe there has been a discussion, but I can not find it). Can someone provide me with ways to change the bed from across the back of the camper to making it longitudinal, where each person can just slide out of the bed, rather then crawling over the other person. This problem appears to apply mainly to Casita and Scamp campers, but I'm sure this is an issue in other small fiberglass campers?
Thanks,

[Timber Wolf]

There have been several discussions on this topic. Search "bed modifications" or some such. Basically you need to make a slide-out support with a piece of foam on top to make a larger "T" shaped bed with the foot out in the "hallway".

[TomK]

Carl, this is one I saw recently:

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ons-51320.html

Tom

[honda03842]

Carl, When we bought our first small trailer we planned to use it for only 2 months and then sell it. We joked all the time with each other and our friends about a 44" wide bed, trying to decide who would get the inside, about the opportunities of 'crawling over' and having to learn synchronized rolling over.

Well we kept that small trailer for more than two months. We've now slept in small trailers, in narrow beds for almost 2000 nights. There has never been one night of complaint.

Initially I slept against the wall. In fact I could get out over Ginny almost without touching her. We finally decided I should be on the outside because I get up more than her (though not so much now that I've added vitamin D to my diet).

If Ginny wakes up when I get up she just goes back to sleep.

I guess the key is the two people. We find it to work well. I know this isn't the case for many. Now when we come home to our queen, we feel a little lost. There seems to be less intimacy. In Florida we stayed in a motel, first time in years.... it had a King bed.. just ridiculous for us.

My suggestion is try a twin bed if you want to know what it's like or to buy a fiberglass 5th wheel.

[honda03842]

Carl,

I once wrote a proposal to Scamp for a bed like you suggest. It required one modification to the Scamp 16 and a different layout, even including a dry shower. Nothing happened but I believe it's possible.

[Nut501]

Tim- I had been using the wrong search terms! I found the treads. Thanks!

Tom- You are right it is bed extensions!

Norm- Thanks, for the information! Everyone is different! At the present we have been sleeping on a king size bed for years! Oh, crap, now the question is how can we both get back to sleeping on a twin bed together? Norm, do you have any suggestions?

Thanks,

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Nut501

Tim- I had been using the wrong search terms! I found the treads. Thanks!

Tom- You are right it is bed extensions!

Norm- Thanks, for the information! Everyone is different! At the present we have been sleeping on a king size bed for years! Oh, crap, now the question is how can we both get back to sleeping on a twin bed together? Norm, do you have any suggestions?

Thanks,

I'm with Norm. We've spent about 1000 nights in our 13' Scamp. We've learned that we don't need a lot of bed space. Actually we learned that many years ago when all of our camping was done in a very small backpacking tent. We use sleeping bags for one thing, we're against each other most of the night and it's kind of reassuring when the other person moves to know they're there. As far as getting up for trip(s) in the middle of the night our ritual is whoever has the need wakes to other up. Since we don't have an on-board potty we have to make a trip outside to the local facility. We keep each other company while making the walk and enjoying the starry night.

Both of sleep better in small Scamp bed than in our queen size bed in the anchored house.

I also know it's not for everybody, but it sure works great for us. Good luck and happy camping.

[Stretcher]

I'm 5'11" and was uncomfortable waking up with my feet pressed against the side window of our new 2011 Scamp 19. I sleep on my side and had sore hips after sleeping on the factory-issue cushions.

We cut two 1/2" plywood sheets to 26-1/2" X 80" and laid them on the loft floor and the top of the couch back/top bunk folded down. We rabbeted 53” length of 2X4 to help tie the two plywood sheets together and add stability to the back end. We attached two shower curtain rod support rings to the underside of the plywood to receive the ends of the Scamp supplied top bunk support rods and placed the rods for added support. This formed a solid base onto which we added a ‘full’ size (53”X80”) mattress. Getting it into the loft was a battle. We added a 2-1/2” memory foam topper, which we had gotten to enhance the original cushions.

The end result is a very comfortable bed. On a three month trip last winter, we stayed a couple of times with friends and found their beds to be less comfortable than the Scamp. Getting in and out takes a little effort, but no one has to climb over or be climbed over and making the bed is a challenge as you have to be on it while making it. The mattress sides pretty easily on the plywood so you can get fitted sheets onto it. We are able to sit up in bed with no problem. The setup created spaces on both sides of the mattress in which we store extra bedding and clothes.

We bought a 2-step Costco stool/ladder, which fits securely on the couch base. It will straddle seat cushion, but we don’t use the cushion. We attached a couple of bungee straps to the 2X4, which we wrap around the upper sides of the ladder to secure it.

There are other, much more involved conversions on this forum, but we find our solution works very well for us. Other than fighting to remove the mattress, this setup can easily be removed and the original Scamp setup restored.

[honda03842]

We do use a 2" memory foam topper on the Scamp's cushions.

There have been a lot of changes in our lives as a result of the last 13 years of RVing. We have come to recognize that this was an opportunity to take a different tact through life.

We never complain about out previous life, it was pretty good, However we saw RVing as a new way to live. In some ways it's like getting married again, sharing a different class of adventures.

We've changed numerous aspects of our lives, and it's just been marvelous.

Like Bryon, we sleep in contact a good part of the night, It is comforting to be near Ginny. In some measure life in the RV is rejuvenating, the whole thing in a measure is like being a kid again.

When we first started camping, we were weekend campers for the first 4 months until Ginny retired. Weekend camping is very different from long term camping; long term camping gives you enough time to develop a new style, should you choose.

Ginny will tell you I'm a romantic, someone who sees excitement in life, who seeks it at every turn, looking for wonder in beach pebbles or soaring mountains.

This attitude extends to our narrow bed. The narrowness of the bed is a small situation compared to the joy of every day on the road.

Last week while in Florida we had dinner with a woman who volunteered in Nicaragua this spring. She related how fortunate we were. She related how she used to laugh about our 'crowded life' in our Scamp. Now she recognizes how comfortable our life really is in our 92 square feet compared to a good portion of the world's population.

Like Byron we sleep better in the Scamp. I think partially because our days are so interesting and exciting, partially because we are more active while traveling, partially because we eat less while traveling, making sleep easier, partially because we're out where the air is better, the nights quieter, ..... To me it's about being out there.

Before we leave I'm like your pet dog when he knows you're taking him for a walk or going for a ride in the car, pacing about ready to go, looking for new adventure,

The new adventure is not simply going to the world famous places though they are great, it's also seeking the previously unknown little places. Personally I wish we had started our travels earlier because I have absolutely learned we'll never see it all.

Rambling, I know, but honestly I love the travel......

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Nut501

After reading this forum for a while, one of the big problems or concerns is sleeping and crawling over the other person in the bed!

Not a problem, a good excuse to snuggle.

We have to do this dance too, and have no problems with it. Plenty of headroom to stand up crouched over while stepping over, then just one more (big) step to the ground. I would certainly like to be able to enter the bed from the end (like in the Escape 5.0TA dream trailer), but in a 19' or smaller trailer, I will take the space savings over sleeping side-to-side, any day.

[honda03842]

Jim,

I like the snuggle word.

It reminded me that when I dated Ginny her mom had a place in the living room called the cozy corner. To this day all the grand kids smile at the mention of it. Happy times in a happy home. It helped me decide to lock in to her family.... of course there were also the taffy pulls, the charades, ........

[jennykatz]

We have a twin bed Lil Snoozy It runs length wise the beds are 74 in by 30 in .Its Great we don't disturb each other's sleep. I don't know if they still build that unit? We bought it used a 2013 model. We need to use it more.

[Gilda]

I added this comment to the thread that was recommended above by Tom K...

I wonder...Why can't we just cut a piece of 3/4" plywood to size (as the platform) and attach plumbing pipe (with rubber tips) to the screw-in flange for legs? You could use the extension as a table outdoors by day and a bed extension by night. The foam to go on top can be the less expensive kind available at fabric stores. Simply unscrew the pipe legs and store all pieces flat on top of bed while on the road.

[papa-t]

I found myself in the same situation. I didn't like sleeping sideways and my feet were always touching the window or curtains. So, one night or actually morning around 1:00 AM I said out loud. Hey we should turn the bed front to back. So, right then and there we were up moving things around. After that trip we decided to purchase a really comfortable new full size mattress. It just fits between the sides; still gives us about 10-12 inches on each side of the upper bed. My wife is a gypsy at heart as I always say, so the color scheme is hers. Don't tell her but I kinda dig it too. LOL

[Donna D.]

One of the very best Scamp loft mods I've seen done was by peterh. His whole trailer is wonderful.

You may want to check out his thread for more ideas: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...oft-28336.html

[Timber Wolf]

Originally Posted by Stretcher

Other than fighting to remove the mattress,

The worst whooping I have had as an adult was at the hands of a "full" size mattress. That thing beat me like a rented mule.

[Nut501]

Everyone has great comments and suggestions!

Donna, thanks for the thread-link.

Norm, please keep RUMBLING, I could read them all day! Your rumblings make sense and provide me with a lot of information for my future travels. I want to learn from people who have been there and done things, so I hopefully will not make the same mistakes twice!

[emers382]

Yes Norm keep on rumbling!

For my two cents worth (well that's actually zero cents cause in Canada we lost our pennies and two cents would be rounded down!) we have almost never slept cuddling in fact we're both comfortable at opposite ends of the queen at home. Could be my restless legs syndrome?

For that reason we gave up on the Escape 17b idea and went for the 5.0. Easier getting in and out as well compared to the 19.

Adrian


Sent from my iPhone using Fiberglass RV

[Rob Outlaw]

Indeed, that was some nice work. Impressive.

rob

Originally Posted by Donna D.

One of the very best Scamp loft mods I've seen done was by peterh. His whole trailer is wonderful.

You may want to check out his thread for more ideas: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...oft-28336.html

[RogerDat]

Wife sleeps on side sort of curled so she gets inside, I sleep on back so those curved corners would crowd my shoulder. Worse case if she crawls over me I will wake up and know. Best case I can go back to sleep while she makes some coffee.

Wife is more shall we say considerate of my anatomy than the dog, the dog just takes the shortest route to the door to make sure if Mom is going out she gets to go too.