Forum Discussion

1jeep's avatar
1jeep
Explorer II
Dec 20, 2018

rear drop down bed - replace lower couches

My toy hauler has a drop down bed and 2 couches in the rear as most do. We find the couches to be useless and nobody but a dwarf can sleep on these, so we thought of replacing them with a second bed. Haas anyone done this? if so was there a kit or did you build your own bed? i assume i can unbolt the couches and use the existing brackets.

Thanks
  • Don't have an answer to your specific need, but how about just getting another mattress and put it right on the floor. Lift the couches up so they are out of the way, put the mattress right under the lift bed.

    When you need the full garage back, just put the mattress on top of the lift bed and raise the bed, both are now out of the way.

    Our front living room 5er has two opposing oversized love seats facing each other. When both are made into a bed, they almost touch each other, making 2 beds end to end. However, both beds, because of the folds in them, is kind of lumpy. Problem was solved by getting WalMart blow up, motorized, air mattresses to lay on top of them. My son and grandson sleep pretty good now!

    In our prior camper we used an air mattress on the floor for extra sleeping space when the "kids" came along. (It was strictly a couples trailer).

    Anyway, it's something to think about before you spend a lot of money and begin dismantling things and then having to jerry-rig everything to make it work.

    Good luck.
  • i have adults that sleep in the back, tired of carrying an air bed around and thought maybe someone on here had done what im thinking of doing.
  • I hate to admit it but I've never been inside a TH nor have I looked inside one other than in passing so I may not be one to listen to. There are a huge number of pull down and Murphy bed mechinisms available but not necessarily within the RV industry.

    Most will be from places like Rockler Woodworker stores and from wholesale furniture suppliers. I have seen spring loaded pull down bed frames and fold up frames. It seems that Europeans are more likely to have these things available than here. Simplicity is also a key feature of their lives.

    Most of us are familiar with the industrial uses of Cotter Pins but few know that the inventer of the Cotter Key(not pin)), did so for the European knock down furniture industry, back in the 1800's. You'll probably find your answer someplace other than a RV supply store.
  • 1jeep wrote:
    i have adults that sleep in the back, tired of carrying an air bed around and thought maybe someone on here had done what im thinking of doing.


    I've looked at them pretty hard with the idea of making a "kid's room" out of the back. First thing I would do is take out the couches and the drop down, and put in whatever size bed you want.

    I'm pretty sure you could get a metal bed frame and if you are handy, figure out a way to attach it to the brackets.
  • WE put a mattress topper on the lower bunk and it was fine. Is yours a single or a queen on the bottom?
  • the upper bed is a queenish...rv queen. the lower unit is 2 opposing couches that sort of fold flat to make another bed. i am thinking of taking them out and trying to mirror what is above, we have never used the couches and table in the rear. i want to mount it to the existing happijack system so it goes up as they do now.
  • Go to the link I posted. They have everything you need to add a bed to your exiting system.



    https://store.lci1.com/products/happijac-truck-camper-accessories/happijac-bed-lifts/happijac-bed-lift-replacement-parts
  • fatboy..thanks this will at least get me going.
    im starting to think i should stop being lazy and just make one that matched the top bed.
  • I use an RV mattress on top of the folded out couch/bed. Not too terribly uncomfortable.
  • I removed the couches and we built a kid's room back there. I think the actual bed portion is made by the RV manufacturer and is mounted to the HappiJac brackets. Shouldn't be too hard to do the same thing.