Converting front bunk in Boler

[Tenneille M.]

Looking for more guidance on the best way to do this for th boler style with NO Porta potty cut out.
Making a new frame so wondering about the addition of supports in this area.

Photos please of your conversions will be helpful.

[Jon in AZ]

I’m assuming your goal is a dinette that converts to a single berth? Main difference without the porta-potty recess is you have to make the whole thing taller to get adequate legroom. You won’t be able to use the factory tabs for support. Plus side is a better view out the front window.

Since you’re not constrained by the size and location of the recess, you may want to offset the table a bit toward the door to make accessing the street side seat easier. Maybe make it a little bigger, too.

See the Scamp website deluxe layout A (13’ or 16’) for pictures of an offset front dinette. (Scamp has the recess, but builds over it on the deluxe front dinette models.)

Or build the new frame with the recess.

[leonachi]

We are interested in doing the same thing to our 1974 Trillium 1300. I assume the issues/challenges/process would be very similar to those with a boler? Anyone one have experience doing the same with a Trillium?

[Verz]

Some cool and inspiring ideas for a front dinette.

Is there a magic way to have a front dinette with seats by day and an upper bunk by night? I realise that the upper bunk board in dropped position doesn't provide anywhere to attach a pop-up table, but I wonder if anyone has solved this puzzle?

I have just acquired a '75 boler 13 which has the space in the middle, albeit closed off with a cupboard door and a lid to complete the bunk surface, so it's just another storage space. But I have fantasized about a table top which could be made to appear or disappear on command.

I imagine a folding or removable center post for a table leg, and hooks halfway up the lowered bunk board to attach the table top in some way when it is lifted off the bunk surface. Both seat and back cushions would have to be split into three sections for this to work. Or perhaps the table could be stabilized from underneath with three folding legs attached to the floor and/or front wall.

I am not a carpenter, just a dreamer, so there are likely lots of reasons why this wouldn't work. But there's a lot of genius and ingenuity on this forum; maybe someone has come up with a solution.

Thanks for the add!

PS And what about wings on the sides of the boler to make it fly? Any suggestions?

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Verz

Is there a magic way to have a front dinette with seats by day and an upper bunk by night? I realise that the upper bunk board in dropped position doesn't provide anywhere to attach a pop-up table, but I wonder if anyone has solved this puzzle?

Yes, you can leave the upper bunk in place for 3-way functionality. The table will be smaller, and you will need to use a pedestal or Lagun mount. Pedestal mounts are inexpensive and available from any RV supplier. They can be a bit wobbly. The Lagun is more stable and leaves the space under the table free for your legs, but it’s pricey.

Here's a pedestal mount in a Scamp. Not mine. The floor piece can be surface mount or flush, depending on whether you're willing to make a hole in the Scamp floor. A surface mount is shown.


Here's a Lagun mount. It swivels and can be removed leaving only the lower mounting plate. In a Scamp you could probably mount it to the metal frame at the front of the footwell.

[Verz]

Thanks for the ideas! it prompted a whole lot more rabbit-holing!

Lagun is certainly pricey and I'm not sure about how easy it is to take out and replace, and how heavy, how much space it requires for storage, and how flat it folds.

I had already thought of the single pedestal being wobbly, at both table and floor ends. So then I thought about adding two folding, telescoping legs for stability and all that ends up being about $175 (Amazon.ca), not a whole lot cheaper than a Lagun assembly. A bit more complicated, but it would work.

However, I came across a folding table ("Soundance adjustable folding table" on Amazon.ca) that would fit into the space, and appears to have a removable top (the folding leg assembly seems to be screwed to the plastic top, I found a pic in one of the customer reviews), so I could likely attach the folding assembly to a board that matches the "decor" (no decor yet, ha ha) and fits into the bench space, and just collapse it for bunk use or during travel.

Even if it can't be attached to a board, it takes up little storage space when flat. That way it could also be taken outside when a table is needed for drinks or meals on the "patio"!

I think this will work!!!

[Hidalga]

Originally Posted by Tenneille M.

Looking for more guidance on the best way to do this for th boler style with NO Porta potty cut out.
Making a new frame so wondering about the addition of supports in this area.

Photos please of your conversions will be helpful.

My girl's front bunk conversion was done into an executive desk, shown via video:
https://youtu.be/R5ofLqoRVZ8?t=563

[Verz]

That's impressive! I doubt that I would take it that far, as I plan to be away from the office, not dragging it with me! But congratulations on a very nice conversion indeed.

[Hidalga]

Thanks. I full-time in Hidalga, thus the need for a office space conversion.

I re-read the post from Tenneille M. about NOT removing the porta-potty center. I don't know how to convert that front area otherwise, because you'll still be left with a front bench taking up the footprint.
All the fiberglass framework inside these trailers is just that...fiberglass molds that are fastened down. They all can be fairly easily taken out, reworked, replaced etc.

Don't be afraid to bastardize them! It's not like taking a jigsaw to a Ferrari.

[Verz]

After checking out your website, I see what you mean! You're a busy person! That's a beautiful office.

My 1974 boler has a normal looking front lower bunk, but it is split with a cubby on each of the outer two thirds, so no chainsawing necessary. There's a cove (middle third) with a removable board (and a removable cupboard door) all ready to go for adding in a table, but I don't know that boler ever did a table there, although it's clear that that was the reason for it.

Since my original post, I've found a little folding camping table online which I can attach to the underside of the removable bench board and unfold to be a table when I want one, and also take outside as needed. It's a cheapo so hopefully it won't fall apart right away but it should work nicely. It will have to wait until spring as it's -25° right now, but I look forward to doing that.

Best wishes!

[Hidalga]

Awesome, Verz,
It's great to hear you found something like a table that will have a multi-purpose. I think we all strive for multi-use functionality with our limited space and carrying capacity.
That's what makes these forums so exciting. We're all doing something tailored to our needs, but we can get ideas from one another to make our campers better to fit our needs.
Happy camping and I look forward to meeting you on the road.

[alan H]

Originally Posted by Verz

After checking out your website, I see what you mean! You're a busy person! That's a beautiful office.

My 1974 boler has a normal looking front lower bunk, but it is split with a cubby on each of the outer two thirds, so no chainsawing necessary. There's a cove (middle third) with a removable board (and a removable cupboard door) all ready to go for adding in a table, but I don't know that boler ever did a table there, although it's clear that that was the reason for it.

Since my original post, I've found a little folding camping table online which I can attach to the underside of the removable bench board and unfold to be a table when I want one, and also take outside as needed. It's a cheapo so hopefully it won't fall apart right away but it should work nicely. It will have to wait until spring as it's -25° right now, but I look forward to doing that.

Best wishes!

I’m following this thread
Any chance you have a picture of your table or a link to show what it looks like

[Verz]

Here is the link on Amazon. I haven't done anything more than buy the table and look at it and try to work out how to do it, and I have a plan, but it's winter!

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The table collapses to a little briefcase size which is very compact, and the legs dismantle and hide inside it. What I would like to do is to add a couple of straps or perhaps bungee cords to the underside of the bench board for storage of the table during travel.

The bench board will become a somewhat larger table top that will sit on this little table. I plan to make a little add-on (an end leaf, so to speak, I think about 6"x 21 1/2"), to lengthen the table top so it sits over both ends of the table. The leaf can be attached to the board with two table locks on the underside and 3 or 4 bolt sleeve connectors (also amazon.ca).

A couple of little wooden blocks along each side and end of the table, on the underside of the board, should keep the table top from sliding around and still make it easy to dismantle for storing everything away.

I think this will work reasonably well, and the table can be taken outside easily. The table itself will likely be the weakest link, as it's pretty cheap, but I won't be giving it much rough use, hopefully.

It's within my skill set to do this much, as I am not a carpenter or fiberglass-wrangler! Someone with bigger tools and more experience could surely come up with fancier ideas, which would be cool as well, but I'm not likely to incur any damage by doing it this way!

In due course, when winter is over and I can work on it, I will post a picture of what I've done. Right now it's nice and clear in my head, but that's as far as I've taken it!

[alan H]

Following this
As I have same questions

[Chadwick1977]

Does anyone know if the scamp trailer front dinette fit the same in a boler?

I know the back main table they fit

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Chadwick1977

Does anyone know if the scamp trailer front dinette fit the same in a boler?t

Scamp only offers a front dinette in deluxe models, and they are custom wood construction. Fiberglass options are a front bath or front sofa/bunk. The latter should fit a 13’ Boler. Only caveat is some Bolers lack the center cubby. If you buy the part from Scamp, they can likely omit the cubby opening. But if you buy a used take-out from a Scamp, it will have the cutout.