Removing overhead entertainment center
I just purchased a very nice, clean 2004 Winnebago 31C Minnie Class C. Everything is perfect layout wise except for the entertainment center; not needed. Has anyone removed the entertainment center ...
Forum Discussion
Oh, MY! I never would have thought a builder would use a different outside wall to handle the bed vs. the entertainment center. I think there's a melding of strength (stiffness) and flexibility involved here. Our coach has the cabover bed. When we hit a dip or hump in the road, it at least "seems" that the cabover has additional motion, compared with the hood and the cab roof. It might just be that the top of my visual "horizon" (the bottom of the cabover) changes as the whole coach pitches up or down, though.
I don't usually say this because I believe it's implicit that our statements here are our own, unprofessional, often uninformed, opinions. THIS IS A SHOT IN THE DARK. CONSIDER THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! If the reinforcing in the cabover side walls isn't adequate to help with the weight of people up there, I might consider making the chassis' cab responsible for that weight with 3/4" plywood. Cabover is bigger than 4x but Oversized plywood is available. Put a second "deck" in, and count on that to support the kids' weight. Only if I could get a full-sized piece in, and only if I could securely tie it to the cab, with nothing between that could flex. Ideally I'd put angle braces down to the back edges of the cab. But at a minimum find out how the cabover is attached to the steel of the original cab and improve it. Say stainless machine screws with nylon locking nuts, appropriate washers, etc.
Are you willing to give up the opening above the center of the cab? Doing so will make it tough to get in and out of the cockpit from/to the coach. But it'd retain a lot of the stiffness of the plywood. On our first C, we made the cabover bunk our permenent bed. In fact had a full queen innerspring mattress up there. We had to duck to get in/out of the cockpit but it wasn't bad. We had flat floor, coach to cockpit, because we didn't have basement storage. The Winnies we looked at had a big step there and that would make it a gyration to get in and out. Of course, there are cab doors to come and go through.
Again, my thought may well be severely faulted.
I don't usually say this because I believe it's implicit that our statements here are our own, unprofessional, often uninformed, opinions. THIS IS A SHOT IN THE DARK. CONSIDER THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK!!! If the reinforcing in the cabover side walls isn't adequate to help with the weight of people up there, I might consider making the chassis' cab responsible for that weight with 3/4" plywood. Cabover is bigger than 4x but Oversized plywood is available. Put a second "deck" in, and count on that to support the kids' weight. Only if I could get a full-sized piece in, and only if I could securely tie it to the cab, with nothing between that could flex. Ideally I'd put angle braces down to the back edges of the cab. But at a minimum find out how the cabover is attached to the steel of the original cab and improve it. Say stainless machine screws with nylon locking nuts, appropriate washers, etc.
Are you willing to give up the opening above the center of the cab? Doing so will make it tough to get in and out of the cockpit from/to the coach. But it'd retain a lot of the stiffness of the plywood. On our first C, we made the cabover bunk our permenent bed. In fact had a full queen innerspring mattress up there. We had to duck to get in/out of the cockpit but it wasn't bad. We had flat floor, coach to cockpit, because we didn't have basement storage. The Winnies we looked at had a big step there and that would make it a gyration to get in and out. Of course, there are cab doors to come and go through.
Again, my thought may well be severely faulted.
