Thanks to MKRyan for getting me some pics of how the bed is raised and hung in newer SMBs. Rusty is a 95 and has the 3 section bed, which is really a lot of crap to move around when setting up or breaking down camp. My goal was to make mine a 2 section and hang it like the newer 50 plans without any upholstery work. The rear third is not really a problem but we flip it up out of the way when it is.
I used two 4' sections of aluminum angle on the sides, thick enough to support the 2 sections and thin enough to still fit in the width of the bed channel.
Next, I attatched 4 rope cleats (two front, two back) to the 3/4 plywood the bed sections are made of. 3/4 ply is plenty thick but I used 2.5" screws since I was screwing in to the side of plywood.
$2 or so per pair at Lowe's, and about the same for small cable (#100) and ferrules.
Then it was just a matter of figuring out the perfect hanging distance where we can still store some pillows and bedding on top of it with clearance to walk around. That wound up to be about 10" cable.
Perfection for right at $20!!! I'm super thrilled about this modification. It's perhaps one of my favorite upgrades to Rusty's interior. I wish I had done it the day I brought him home!
My 6'2" mug can still walk down the aisle with clearance.