Simple bed

[Banjeed]

Still working out storage and a few other things on my weekend warrior build, but wanted to report that a cheap tri-fold queen sized mattress with a california king duvet cover around it work great.  I wanted the duvet cover to be oversized so I can still fold the mattress up and put up the 2nd row seats when needed.  The back two panels of the mattress needed to be trimmed, which I found a box saw made quick work of.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KWDBZZQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GH2Y1V4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Edited August 5, 2020 by Banjeed

[KevinRollin]

On 8/5/2020 at 7:52 AM, Banjeed said:

a cheap tri-fold queen sized mattress with a california king duvet cover around it work great.  I wanted the duvet cover to be oversized so I can still fold the mattress up and put up the 2nd row seats when needed.  The back two panels of the mattress needed to be trimmed, which I found a box saw made quick work of.

 

Brilliant!  

 

You mention cutting the two back panels, I presume for width.  Did you cut for length too?  Or are your front seats far enough forward?  I can't quite tell from the block of leftover foam riding shotgun...

 

Also, did you need to put any sort of plank or support on the folded seats?  Or just threw the mattress down as-is? 

[Banjeed]

Only had to trim for width.  I'm 6'2" and the missus is 5'10" so we have both seats as far back as they can go with no clearance issues.

[Marquizzo]

@Banjeed That is such a good idea! I'm using a twin foam mattress from Ikea and it leaves really big and annoying gaps, especially by the doors. I've woken up out of the mattress several times. I'm definitely going to try your approach. Could you share a photo of how you store it while folded? I'm imagining the "winged" front part probably doesn't fit in the trunk, does it?

Edited August 12, 2020 by Marquizzo

[Banjeed]

@Marquizzo it takes a little stuffing but it fits for sure

[WatsonS]

As a single traveler I've decided to just use the roll-away bed I already have. It's 73" long, 30" wide and 10" off the floor. With the LWB that gives 10" of usable storage between the bed and door. Metal construction with proper ventilation for the mattress and easily removable as this is my daily driver. Being a minimalist I'm not looking to putting up wood siding on the ceiling and walls. I'll use a portable AC vented thru the passenger window or small electric heater, depending on the weather. I've got little desire at my age for much boondocking. I do have a SoGen to provide power when I'm off grid but I don't expect to use it much. I also have a cheaper 12V fridge.

[billet_@bellsouth.net]

Here's mine. I bought this chair that unfolds into a 6" thick full size bed on Amazon. I didn't want a raised platform due to the low roof height so I installed two 12" x 12" x 30" cabinets on both walls for some inside storage. Also insulated all walls and ceiling with 3M Thinsulate and paneled them using Coroplast with trunk lining carpet. Did the floor with vinyl planks.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 16, 2020 by billet_@bellsouth.net

[sKiZo]

Found this one on Amazon a while back and quite happy with how it's worked out. Just fits with the doors closed in bed mode. Folds up into a comfortable chair and provides a lot of flexibility. Old pic (van is still a work in progress) and I've since raised the base several inches for more storage underneath and to make it easier on my tired old knees ... just pop the hold down strap and give the seat a spin on the base to fold it flat for sleeping. Bonus - perfect fit for my Aerobed sleeping bag, so I can dial up my sleep number ...  ;-}

 

 

Edited November 16, 2020 by sKiZo

[LakeLady]

Hi - I am new to this.  So new that I haven't yet taken possession of my 2021 Transit Connect xl.  That should happen in the next 2 days.  I want to put a mattress in the back.  I spent hours on Amazon and found 3 tri-fold sofa/beds with a 48 inch width.  The lengths vary.  Then I found this form and I see some tri-folds used as beds but the width is grater than 48 inches and they look squeezed in.  Now I'm wondering what I should do.  I will have sliding doors on both sides of the bed and I thought the width of the interior is 48 inches. I would appreciate some insight.  We are not doing a conversion but want to be able to car camp occasionally.  Thanks

[Chip]

Since you only want the mattress for occasional use, why not consider an air mattress? Connects are real cozy and there's not a lot of extra space. With the trifold, too much of the space must be dedicated to the mattress. There are air mattresses designed to fit between the wheel wells and some have a built-in pump so are a snap to deploy (inflate), and they fold down to a small space when not in use.