It's well past time for getting some elevated bed set up for the Greyhound Express. We've been camping with the bed on the floor of the van but that's a poor use of space. Here's the thing. The van gets used for hauling varying combos & amounts of gear, Greyhounds & humans. It seems most of the set ups I've seen are meant to be at least semi-permanent, but I'd like a lightweight, modular system I can get in & out of the van on my own.. (And I'm a wimpy girl, with limited upper body strength, who can't easily toss around things weighing more than 40 lbs.) I'm fine with needing tools to secure the bed frame in place. It just needs to be the kind of set up that allows me to install or remove it reasonably quickly. A wood frame means I could build it myself, but am not against getting someone to weld something up for me. Trying it in wood first might be good as a test. Could get someone to do the welding later.
Also, this is a passenger van with the rear heat & AC unit. I'd rather not strip out the rear, lower ducts, even if we won't be using them when the bed is in place. Even with the ducting on the side walls & a second row seat in place, there's just enough room in the back to have a double bed installed lengthwise, leaving storage underneath. I've no problem with the idea of pulling the plastic panels out & replacing those with something else, but it doesn't seem like we'd gain much space by doing that. Maybe I'm mistaken though. Has anyone done this? We could probably manage well without the rearmost vents, as the dogs would normally be riding more to the center & there ceiling vents can help compensate. (The rear heat & A/C is totally for the dogs.)
The idea is to have a platform in the rear, leaving floor space in front for dogs or the second row bench seat. We'd have storage under the platform but I would need to ensure nothing slides forward to where the dogs are. On some trips, like when towing a motorcycle trailer, we'd have our bed on the platform. Other trips, like when towing the camper, we'd have a modular kayak, my recumbent trike, &/or dog crates on top of the platform. Still others we may have the platform pulled out and a 3rd row bench seat instead.
Suggestions or particular threads you've seen with useful ideas? Figured it would be good to ask before actually trying to start construction.
Thanks,
Laura
Also, this is a passenger van with the rear heat & AC unit. I'd rather not strip out the rear, lower ducts, even if we won't be using them when the bed is in place. Even with the ducting on the side walls & a second row seat in place, there's just enough room in the back to have a double bed installed lengthwise, leaving storage underneath. I've no problem with the idea of pulling the plastic panels out & replacing those with something else, but it doesn't seem like we'd gain much space by doing that. Maybe I'm mistaken though. Has anyone done this? We could probably manage well without the rearmost vents, as the dogs would normally be riding more to the center & there ceiling vents can help compensate. (The rear heat & A/C is totally for the dogs.)
The idea is to have a platform in the rear, leaving floor space in front for dogs or the second row bench seat. We'd have storage under the platform but I would need to ensure nothing slides forward to where the dogs are. On some trips, like when towing a motorcycle trailer, we'd have our bed on the platform. Other trips, like when towing the camper, we'd have a modular kayak, my recumbent trike, &/or dog crates on top of the platform. Still others we may have the platform pulled out and a 3rd row bench seat instead.
Suggestions or particular threads you've seen with useful ideas? Figured it would be good to ask before actually trying to start construction.
Thanks,
Laura
