FIXED BED TIME

[dave and mary]

We have now reached the age that making up our bed every night has become a real pain, now we are one of the fixed bed brigade ( I prefer to call us people with a choice. ). Now we have a fixed bed and I believe the posh name for it is a front dinette. After removing all our cushions to the safety of the loft , great believer of never getting rid of things. Started looking at mattresses both standard and made to measure this procedure did not last long after a few prices were got, Ebay then and found a god supplier of foam, he talked our language regarding prices it turned out that the best one for sleeping on would be a 6 inch high density and would cost us £170 cut to size so it was ordered and after a few days we were the proud owners of technically a fixed bed. I altered the front seats so both swiveled and made a small table for our small dinette ( who thought up this dinette term ). Out with the sewing machine at make a matrass cover ( I was informed by another party that this was necessary ). All in all its turned out great so good to just get into bed, only drawback is getting into the storage units under the where the seats were but as its only tools and battery under there not really a problem to lift the mattress up , a few pictures of how it altered.

 

[QFour]

You cannot beat a fixed bed. Making one up every night is a right pain. We have a fixed in the back and a pull down one over the cab. That way two old crumblies don't keep waking each other up during the night

 

[RoaminRog]

We have opted for two singles, that way we don’t disturb each other when ‘nature’ calls.

 

[wildebus]

At a certain time in life, time to say "enough is enough" and ditch the puzzle beds!
The last camper I built I went for a fixed bed and it was very comfy (better then the bed in the house) and so nice to have it there to just fall into. Motorhome has the above-cab bed, but as that just needs the base pulled out and the mattress flops down and ready to use, I regard that as a fixed bed as well (still have the "guest bed" below available if needs be), same as your dinette will convert to an extra bed, no doubt.)

 

[oppy]

We too have gone down the fixed bed route but using the rear lounge area. We replaced the rear bench cushions with new bunk bed mattress's thus giving the best of both worlds

 

[mariesnowgoose]

Don't worry Dave! Sending Amnesty International round to get you out of that sewing sweatshop asap...

Well done you, grand job

 

[REC]

Makes such a difference. Glad it has worked out so well for you.

 

[trevskoda]

We have opted for two singles, that way we don’t disturb each other when ‘nature’ calls.

Depends what bit of nature is calling.

 

[trevskoda]

When I built my yogi a set of fixed beds was the way I wanted it, double top and same bottom at the back of the van, with 2 kids I can sleep with the sun and mum with daughter.

 

[Herbenny]

Hi Dave and Mary hope you both well

Well I admire you for lasting so long managing without the fixed bed thingy, it was one of the first jobs we had to do and considering Paul’s no carpenter he done a great job even though he put a indent smallish hole in a side panel but we don’t talk about that
Anyways your van looks great and probably wise you left the bed lower … the amount of times I have drunkenly got out of bed and missed the steps and face planted into the dog bowl are too many to remember

 

[GreggBear]

Welcome to the fixed bed club!
First thing on the list when I built mine, its the only way to go...

 

[Boris7]

My first motorhome experience was when we rented one in 2000, it had an over cab double bed that lasted maybe 40 seconds.

Next option was converting the living/dining area to a double bed each night, I was in my 30's and vowed if I ever bought a motorhome it would have a fixed bed or beds.

20 years later almost to the day I bought a motorhome, fixed beds no looking back.

 

[mistericeman]

When we built the transit.... It was on the basis that it HAD to have a fixed bed....
Built it around the fixed bed and Dogpod underneath for the beasts to dry off after the beach AND to have thir own space if they wanted....

Transits now sadly gone and replaced with a C class Swift on a ducato chassis...

BUT still got a permanent double over cab...

Next (if there is a next) would be fixed double at the rear....

 

[2cv]

Horses for courses. I love having the space and views afforded by a rear lounge in a small van and the conversion to a bed takes us less than two minutes.

 

[Rumour]

We just bought a coach built with a fixed, rear bed. Our last van had two side benches that we had to make into a large double. The benches were not big enough for me to use as a single, although 'er indoors is small so would have been ok! We now have the fixed bed and after a week in Devon at the end of March (remember the heatwave?) it makes us wonder why we didn't do it before.

 

[winks]

Talk about cushion Tetris.

This is how I have to set up the front of our van to accommodate our lad and his partner's three kids. Two less on the small double and the lad on the single bench. The french bed is dead comfortable and not too high for us oldies, unlike the overact in the Hymer.

Cheers

H

 

[Silver gapyear]

We have the best of both worlds! Bench seat beds. Daytime, seats + duvalay covered with fitted bottom sheet, duvets folded in half on top and a stretchy furry cover for daytime sitting. I used the 'teddy bear' bed sheets as daytime covers. So at night, remove the cover, unfold the duvet and you are ready for bed. I also wrapped the back cushions in teddy sheets. These are the only 'furniture' that needs moving at night. It means we free up locker space as we don't have to store duvets/sleeping bags. The hardest part was finding single sheets and duvet covers - apparently people don't use them these days - went on line and found bunk bed fitted sheets.

 

[GMJ]

We have a fixed rear bed. Our first MH didn't have one and lasted less than a year with us before we chopped it in for a fixed bed version. We also have to have it low enough as Mrs GMJ struggles to use ladders and steps.

 

[Rolyan57]

We don’t want a puzzle with cushions every night. But we love the rear lounge with double van doors thrown open. So we have a van with 2 bench seats; using a duvalay means the seats are protected during the day but the bed takes 30 seconds to make up.

I definitely wouldn’t go for a bed requiring an IQ of>140 to put together every night. But each to his own, whether it’s fixed bed or assemble as required. We all have different requirements.

 

[Snapster]

We have fixed beds at home and fixed beds in the van.
A few years ago we had an Autosleeper with a French bed, it was too small and with the cut off corner, uncomfortable.
Then we had an RV with a king size island bed….brilliant.
Then we had a van with a rear lounge where we had to make up the bed, every night and put it away every morning, and store the bedding somewhere. I hated it.
Now we have a van with rear island bed ( and electric drop down bed, should we need it).
No need to clamber over each other ( unless you want to!) The bed stays made up so no storage problems.
I’d never go back to any other sort of bed now.