"Origami" Bed Platforms?

[BCam]

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of collapsing and storing them in place (thanks, 1der). I'm thinking of a 24" deep unit on the passenger side with 24" slide out bed slats and an 18" unit on the driver side. When the 18" unit is collapsed, I'll have about a 33" passageway to the rear door. Since the bed slats slide to stow, there won't be a heavy piece of plywood to wrestle around. I may or may not make the passenger side unit collapsible since the end will butt up to a 2' deep refrigerator so collapsing it won't increase the passage way width. It and the refrigerator will still be removable if need be.

With the driver side unit collapsed, I still should be able to haul a 4 x 8 piece of plywood tipped up at an angle. A sheet of plywood is my worst case hauling scenario.

Your comments are really helping my design ideas evolve.

[tc275]

Here is another platform bed design i installed on our ext E350. 3ea pieces of 3/4” plywood with steel unistrut bolted in the center of each plywood section. Angle iron attached to body utilizing rivnuts. I then used small flat metal bars to tie each plywood section together to limit flex on edges. All fasteners use plastc knobs with nut inserts so no tools are required for complete bed removal minus angle iron of course. Install or remove in under 5 minutes. We sleep east west ( as we are under 6’ tall) and bed is “full” size width = 54”.

Keep in mind the body is curved top to bottom and front to back. So you need to determine bed height based on storage needs and head room (sitting up in bed). The ends of each plywood piece are tapered front to back as the van get narrower the farther to the rear you go.

[ConnieKat]

Hi Guys,
Just wondering since you’re more or less on the subject, if anyone will give me your thoughts on
“ remaking a Gaucho” set up I already have installed in my van?
Having broken my back in several places, and now with arthritis and Fibromyalgia......I am having serious
problems trying to lift up the setup I have now, with both heavy plywood and memory foam mattress to get to my house batteries and water tank. So here’s what I was thinking of doing: buying or finding a lightweight cot-type platform ( aluminum?) to fit the
size of the base ( maybe a partial lift at the head?).
Then using the type of small memory foam mattress
that folds up and can be removed if necessary to put on top. I had figured I would need an L-shaped ledge
on both the side and end to hold things in place.
If anyone has a better idea I’d be very interested in hearing it!
Thanks,
ConnieKat