Front cab drop down bed

[toomoxy]

I recently purchased a Class A
2008 Thor Four Winds windsport 34Y (Toy Hauler)
I find the front cab a huge waste of space and
would love to add an "Electric Overhead Hide-Away Bunk Bed"
as seen on this page:
http://windsport-rv.com/

Has anyone done this and if so where and how much ?

[toomoxy]

Hey I like the floor plan of the Winnebago Forza.. namely the dining table/couch being just one big area not separated and a table that can be moved out of the way....
cause when visiting that is what i will want to use ... as long as there are foot stools ...LOL
and LOVE the entertainment center...wow.. but it is not a toy hauler...
THor damon for me !!

[alkillion]

My new 2014 Winnebago Forza has the drop down bed over the cab area. In fact, that is the biggest reason we bought the coach.
The design does not interrupt the front cabinets, and looks like you could keep a tv in place if you had one. Attachment is two pivot points on each side. Unit is electric. Load limit is 300 lbs.
You should be able to acquire all the parts from Winnebago, of course it won't be cheap.

Take a look, you may get some ideas on how to approach your issue.

[toomoxy]

NOPE... Keeping my unit...
Now I am going to wait for the Thor outlaw to come up used for sale that
has the cab drop down bed, the over the garage bedroom and drop down queen in the garage.
AND now that I have seen the "parti patio" well I want that too !!!

I retire in 6 years and want an RV that is paid off by then 😉

[Rikmac]

toomoxy wrote:
Well Camping World got back to me and said that the
Thor engineers said "it can't be done" as the windows in mine
are in the way of the track system...
I offered to get new windows... still no deal.
Frankly I think they feel it is too much work to gut it and
install what I want.

I already figured I would move the TV to the entrance wall and put it on a swing arm... not a big deal... as cabinets hold nothing for me.

I will check out the boating rigging that was suggested... as
I can't use walls or ceiling for any mechanism as there is not the reinfornce strength there to lag into..

However I'm now thinking perhaps a "U" shaped bracket...
screwed into the "floor" and on an air assist lift might be a solution.
Kind of like the new styled patio furniture that don't have 4 legs...
Trust me when I get it designed and figured it out...
I will be advertising...

I think right now dealers are just hoping everyone buys new with
all the features that they want instead of modifying 😞

Like I said... I just can't afford another $60,000.00 for a rig I don't use full time..

Did you figure out anything yet? I to am going through the same issues you have been going through. I love this coach but now we have grandchild and I need a place for them to sleep. Sleeping in a tent or on the floor is not an option.

[toomoxy]

cbigham wrote:
Curious..why didn't you get a standard funmover? Seems the configuration you want to use..

I did look at a 2007 that was available... but was $99,000.00
and they would not budge on price.
It was also well used... and limited visability
because of the bed...

A Class A 2008 new condition, suddenly came up for $68,000.00.
Could not pass up that amazing deal. Negotiated for even cheaper.

Used toy haulers in or near Ontario are rare to come across... so
I grabbed it.

Didn't really consider "dedicated" bedroom for myself would be a
priority.... until a few camping trips with friends who wish to stay up watching TV or talking, when I wish to go to sleep in the common room...(friends sleep with the dogs in the garage on the happijac drop down bed).

YES... I could buy a new one with all the features I need and could ever want...but I would be in the hole around $80,000.00 just to get a dedicated bedroom...or maybe a used one and be $40,000.00 in debt ...it is just $5,000.00 sounded so much better for a modification instead...

[cbigham]

Curious..why didn't you get a standard funmover? Seems the configuration you want to use..

[toomoxy]

Well Camping World got back to me and said that the
Thor engineers said "it can't be done" as the windows in mine
are in the way of the track system...
I offered to get new windows... still no deal.
Frankly I think they feel it is too much work to gut it and
install what I want.

I already figured I would move the TV to the entrance wall and put it on a swing arm... not a big deal... as cabinets hold nothing for me.

I will check out the boating rigging that was suggested... as
I can't use walls or ceiling for any mechanism as there is not the reinfornce strength there to lag into..

However I'm now thinking perhaps a "U" shaped bracket...
screwed into the "floor" and on an air assist lift might be a solution.
Kind of like the new styled patio furniture that don't have 4 legs...
Trust me when I get it designed and figured it out...
I will be advertising...

I think right now dealers are just hoping everyone buys new with
all the features that they want instead of modifying 😞

Like I said... I just can't afford another $60,000.00 for a rig I don't use full time..

[vacuumbed]

My 1978 Fleetwood Pace Arrow has one, I can fit up there. :B

[workhardplayha1]

I would think the $5000 is just what you said-bait on the hook. I was in my RV today andlooked at the drop bed over the front seats. You would have to gut what ever cabinets and what ever else is in the cab area. It would be a big job and you may (will) never get it back on resale.
Mine has a rack system and an electric motor to drive the bed. If you PM me I will be happy to send you pictures. If you have a Fleetwood dealer in your area stop in. They should have one on the lot with a cab bunk. The Thor ACE has a over head bunk also.

[michelb]

Out of complete coincidence, I found this manufacturer today http://www.happijac.com/index.php/products/bed-lifts that produce bunk system typically for back for toy haulers so I suspect they probably suitable hardware to build something over the cab.

Prices seem to be around $1500 but that's only for the lifting mechanism and doesn't include the actual bed platform or the mattress.

[bobphoenix]

After looking at the Trek that on the lot at my dealers lot... I'd like to throw out a couple of suggestions to be picked apart (improved upon) if someone actuallly wanted to retrofit a drop down solution...

My first thought was to mimick the Trek system and go with a rack and pinion system... But, finding the matching parts is provong to be the major stumbling block with that idea...

Then I thought about two other systems...

The first was a similar system to what they use on boat lifts... Basically it's a single electric motor with two shafts (the motor drive the two shafts via a belt) and the shafts are wrapped in stainless cable... (the weight of the boat helps to lower.) In a MH a track, would need to provided to guide the bed down...

The second system would use a garage door opener mechanism (converting the motor to 12V of course...) and a screw drive to lower the bunk... All the needed parts are there... the travel limiter switch, the screw reciever and the track...

Granted, both would need a bit of "shade tree" engineering... but it's a start...

If the bunk is going to be hinged at the front of the cab over section that the boatlift shaft arrangement may be the best arrangment and the easiest to backward engineer...

Just my .02

[michelb]

As others have mentioned, front dropdowns were quite common in the 80s (Winnebago, Tiffin and Fleetwood amoung others all had them) and Trek kept having them since (although Trek would typically come down in the living room area not in the cab area).

I'm sure retrofitting is not impossible but it's probably not a trivial job as pretty much all class As without a dropdown will have upper cabinets and often the TV and backup camera mounted at the front and those would likely all have to be removed.

[workhardplayha1]

Fleetwood and ACE have them. Retrofitting is another question.

[bobphoenix]

Trek makes something like that in their Safari motorhomes.
The bed works on a pinion system...