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ddact's avatar
ddact
Explorer
Feb 04, 2015

Recliners that will fold completely flat?

Hi All. Newb here. Been lurking this site a while absorbing info and getting ideas. Great place.

So over the past year or so I have converted a 15 passenger van into a stealth-camper/road-trip vehicle. I'm loving it because it's MY van and I can do whatever I want to it (redneck as I want to be :B) as long as it looks reasonably presentable on the outside since it's also my daily driver.

Unfortunately we don't get to camp often so it gets used more for road trips than camping and that's where the design emphasis is.

At the end of this post is a list of things I've done to the van if you're interested. However I do have an issue I'd like some help with:

Right now I have cut up and modified a home-type reclining couch and mounted it in the van (and yes I went to great pains to make it very secure and be able to use the seat belts mounted to the stock mounting points). Basically it's like having 2 recliners in the back. It's crazy comfortable for trips and all of us have spent a lot of nap time in them.

However after our last camping trip to Disneyworld for a week, I'm reconsidering my setup. We normally have the boy (5) sleep across the recliners and we sleep on a full size air mattress. However this takes up ALL the floor space in the van and is a pain to set up and take down.

So, what I'd like is to find a recliner that can fold completely flat. Kind of like this:


Only more like a normal recliner with all the cushy padding. Anybody have any suggestions?

As promised. Below are some descriptions of modifications I've done to the van with pics:

Recliners. Best thing EVER! Took a couch that had recliners on each end and cut it up, removing middle section. Mounted to 1" plywood and bolted to stock seat mounts in floor. Super comfy!

12v/110v TV/DVD combo. I have an adapter so I can run the sound through the van stereo if desired. Works great.

Porta-potty that sits just behind the recliners in the back. Not sure how anyone with a small child could survive without it. Works for big people too.

Tool box mounted to back door. Took a steel tool box like you hang under a tractor trailer, modified it and mounted to rear barn door. It houses the air conditioner and Eu2000 generator. A 200lb man can stand on it...

Air conditioner. Redneck as I want to be! Cheap too... Has a 6" pvc ducting system to force the air to the front of the van so it has to circulate through the entire van length. Has a booster fan in-line for extra air flow if needed. Keeps the van nice and cool even in July in Florida! Managed not to screw up the rear door latch, power locks or defroster when installing.

Power conditioner. For those pesky low/high voltage campground circuits. Shhhh...

Swivel passenger seat. For an extra seat in the back area. All 3 of us should be able to eat at the table after all...

Teeny tiny microwave. Sizzling hot pre-cooked bacon at the campground in the morning...yum!

Future projects. Deep cycle batteries underneath w/inverter. Custom interior furniture for better storage.

Bonus! ...you can still mount one of original bench seats in the van if you need it!

Double bonus! ...you can put the bench seat in backwards and play games on a card table with the folks in the recliners while you're going down the road! Except for the driver that is....*grumble* *grumble*

Here's a couple pics of our Disneyworld setup if you're interested.


So I was hoping someone might have an idea for some comfy recliners that fold completely flat into a bed. I've scoured the internet and can't find anything. Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!

18 Replies

  • A 2-pc futon chair and ottoman might work for you. They come in a 28" mattress width and I have one at home that is very comfortable. The only downside is that the arms add width and the most comfy arms are large and rounded, so a total width of about 40" is involved. But, you have a good reclining chair when you want and a good bed, too. But securing it while moving would need to be something like straps which can be undone as you would need to move it out from the wall to open it.
  • OP: Do you have any more pictures/info about your toolchest AC holder?

    Are you sure your seatbelt setup with the recliner is sturdy enough? Does it need to meet some DOT code? I'd be afraid it would recline or do something weird in an accident or short stop.
  • Really like what you are doing with your van. I have pictured something like this in my head for years. I know some want a full feature RV and some of us want just a basic multipurpose vehicle. Have you tried the rv surplus places around Elkhart? They seem to have a variety of outlets up there and may have the recliners you are looking for.
  • PastorCharlie wrote:
    Look for hospital recliners....I have seen the recliner in your picture in hospital rooms. GOOGLE KNOWS


    Yeah, I found those. What I'd like to find, is a comfortable (no hard sides) recliner that goes completely flat.

    I guess I want my cake and want to eat it too.
  • I am also a DIY having gutted and converted a conversion van to an RVan. I also bolted a recliner down ($15 from ReStore) (that I sleep on) complete with seat belt.

    I have changed a few things. First I mounted a hose reel on the inside of the back door and wind my hoses, electrical cords and TV cable on it to keep it neat and out of the way.



    Then I removed the swinging tray and instead mounted a moving shelf on top of the storage carts. The first picture is with the shelf in, the second with the shelf rolled out.





    And I mounted the microwave under the counter for convenience.



    I cant stop fiddling with the inside of my RVan.