Adding a Slide Out for the Cabover Bed

[WyomingJames]

Another change I want to do, is make the bed an extendable bed so we can sleep in the direction of front to back. I know I'll have to add the rails on the wall. The part I'm puzzled with is if you have a platform (plywood), then slide it out wouldn't you be left with a step the thickness of the plywood, 3/4", between that platform and the one it is resting on and sliding on? Maybe it's there and people just aren't bothered by it. I would think you would want a flat surface the full length of the bed. Is there a different way that the slide out is made? I thought maybe some of you may have slide out beds and can give me an idea on how they are made.
Thanks for any ideas or suggestions you might have.

 

[longhorn1]

Thanks for the info. A 6 x 8 in. opening should be enough to access the turnbuckles. Mine did have the 5 x 12 openings in the front but having narrowed the floor pack it makes these more like 3 x 12. I' think I'll go with 8" sq. openings, 2 on each side.

Another change I want to do, is make the bed an extendable bed so we can sleep in the direction of front to back. I know I'll have to add the rails on the wall. The part I'm puzzled with is if you have a platform (plywood), then slide it out wouldn't you be left with a step the thickness of the plywood, 3/4", between that platform and the one it is resting on and sliding on? Maybe it's there and people just aren't bothered by it. I would think you would want a flat surface the full length of the bed. Is there a different way that the slide out is made? I thought maybe some of you may have slide out beds and can give me an idea on how they are made.
Thanks for any ideas or suggestions you might have.

There is a drop off. I added Marine Hyper-Vent to prevent condensation. I cut the material so that it fits in the cabover after the pull-out is extended. I now have a level bed. When I push the pull-out back, I just lift the Hyper-Vent and slide the pull-out back in.

http://www.hyperventmarine.com/

Hope this helps.

 

[Alley-Kat]

The plywood extended slide out is only 1/2" thick and with a good mattress I never feel it in my ATC.
The strength comes from the front support that has a dado for the flat section.

This photo is upside down to show how the flat section fits into the dado of the front support.

And, how it looks right side up and extended.

This is the step down of the 1/2" height. With a good 4" thick foam mattress I never know it is there.

A couple of photos showing the mounting of the slider support.

You should peel back the top of the interior side panel to make sure where the horizontal aluminium stringer is located, so that you can drill the slide out support screw holes into it securely. It's that aluminium piece just under the horizontal wood section and the yellow wires (which you don't want to drill into)..

 

[ski3pin]

The mattress foam thickness is less for the pads on the slide out so the bed is flat.

 

[takesiteasy]

The mattress foam thickness is less for the pads on the slide out so the bed is flat.

Is that true for all the campers? I've never noticed that difference (we have a custom ATC). In fact we reversed the cushions front to back because we like to sleep with our heads toward the cabin and we still haven't noticed it. Now I'm going to check it out.

In other words for the OP, don't worry about the plywood step- it is not noticeable. We did put Reflectix on the cabover, similar to Longhorn, and the plywood extension just slides over it when we push the bed in. We usually leave the bed extended.

 

[WyomingJames]

Thanks Longhorn, I hadn't thought about the buildup of condensation under the mattress. The Hyper- Vent looks like a good solution.

Thanks Alley-Kat for the photo's. They are a big help. I think I'll try the 1/2 " plywood but I'm thinking a 5/8 or 3/4 plywood might be required. I'm not the svelte young man I was in my younger days. I don't think my camper has the horizontL tubes so I was thinking I could make the rail a little wider and put two screws in each of the vertical support tubes.

Ski3pin that is just too smart. A 3 1/2" mattress and 4" mattress. Hmmmmmm........ That could work!

Takesiteasy, the reflectix would help keep us warm but does it wrinkle up under the extended board when you push it in?

Thanks everyone for all the ideas!

 

[takesiteasy]

...Takesiteasy, the reflectix would help keep us warm but does it wrinkle up under the extended board when you push it in? ...

We have not had any issues. The leading edge of the relectix stays under the plywood slider and is taped in place.

 

[liftedlimo]

This is a good idea. I have my interior panels off and i should do it now!

 

[PaulT]

+1 on the Reflectix under the mattress. I first put down a closed cell foam 1/2" camping pad in the space forward of the slide, then lay Reflectix cut to cover the entire area under the mattress. I did this after reading here that some had experienced condensation under the mattress in cooler weather. Thus far, no condensation or bunching of the Reflectix although we rarely pull out the slide. I don't want to lose the step down to the front dinette seat when groggy in the dark.

Paul