Pop out bed discussion

[RocKrawler]

Just an open discussion of my mind wandering - wondering if anyone has ever considered the possibility or practicality of adding a pop out bed on the side of a van like the Northstar campers to add additional sleeping space? It seems normal these days for cutting a hole in the roof to add square footage via either a high roof for those without low clearance overhead parking restrictions, or the popular penthouse roof options being offered by either Sportsmobile or CCV (the one I plan on using when the time comes). But I don't ever remember reading about anyone considering the side pop out that many campers are using to add an additional bed. When folded in it adds no notable width so daily and trail driving would remain virtually unaffected. But when folded out it would add sleeping for 1-2 depending on size. Personally, anything that would add usable square footage on a small platform would be a great idea and one that would make the longer base camp trips more appealing to a family. The floor space would increase quite a bit with sleeping quarters moved outside the main cabin - to the side with the pop out added, and overhead with the pop up penthouse added. We definitely have the length available, is there any reason this wouldn't work or someone wouldn't think this was a good add on?

Here are pics of other campers using the application, why hasn't it made it to the van world? It seems combining the up and the out works well for these applications!

 

[billwilson]

I agree
Have no clue why we dont see these

I have a center aisle lay out
Gaucho bed behind driver side
would be great to have a 2 foot Slide Out for the bed/couch

Properly engineered even a slide out would not add that much weight

CCV, you listening?

 

[FusoFG]

jay shapiro's eco roamer:

 

[kerry]

I like the idea a lot. The one on the Northstar looks short. Perhaps a bed for kids?

 

[Toolman]

I was day dreaming the other day about doing something similar to this, but making the slide out go out through the back doors. More of an extension for your legs to hang out side of the van when sleeping. Something that would have an interior zipper like a screen on a tent that would seal the rear section of the van but you could remove it completely to haul material if needed.

 

[elmo_4_vt]

The problem I see is trying to find a place that will just sell you the pop out. I really like the liv'n'lite trailers and the pop outs they employ, but wouldn't want something so high. I would love to try and build something similar with a pop out.

 

[thebrassnuckles]

I had considered doing something on my flippac. I think it would be a great way to add another bed.. without losing any storage space in the center of the bed, or even having to, say, fold up your table or whathaveyou.

 

[Maximus Ram]

There's a guy on here, I think it colorado camper van, that has one that comes out the back.

found his site
http://coloradocampervan.com/

 

[1leglance]

curves baby curves....
stand in front or behind your van and look at how the side walls curve...that is your limitation really.

That said, if a person was building on a narrow body/single rear wheel ambulance that has a flat box or on a dual wheeled box van then you have cool options.

But for the Fords & Chevys it is curved wall headaches.

 

[18seeds]

CCV, you listening?

There's a guy on here, I think it colorado camper van, that has one that comes out the back.

found his site
http://coloradocampervan.com/

Derek is busy working on a pop top for a van project but i'm sure he's watching this thread.

I am going to see him on sunday to do a quick (non-expo) project for my tundra. I'll pick his brain.

 

[RocKrawler]

Actually I'm digging the rear door location, it could be made as a replacement panel that bolted to the factory hinge locations, that way no cutting and theoretically could be removed or put back to stock, or swapped to another vehicle should the original get in an accident further up the body.

 

[dsw4x4]

I was out of town for thanksgiving but I am back now. Yes this is a very cool idea a while back I talked to Boulder off road about doing a pop out in the side of a van. I think the new chevys with doors on both sides would be perfect because you could then use that opening to make the slide/fold out work. However with most of us being ford guys and already having the van we want I was also thinking that it would be cool to basically make it so the window area of a van would pop open and make a single bunk to sleep in much like the one on the eco roamer it would be rather short (top to bottom) but nice out of the way sleeping. Like many cool ideas I do not have the time to try them out but hopefully some day I will get around to it and see what happens. First i need to finish this suspension system and the universal van bunk then I can go on to playing with this concept. Darn if making a living does not get in the way my creativity

 

[Herbie]

More food for thought on the rear-of-van pop-out: Here's a few pictures of a solution from Safari Condo for the Astro/Safari platform:

This is an interesting solution given the short nature of the Astro/Safari and the limited interior space. You can see in the photos that roughly half the bed is outside the cabin. In this case, the upper dutch door is still in place and supports the rear tent. I don't have any photos from the outside, but I imagine it looks similar to this rear-hatch tent for the VW's:

I will probably consider something like this for my van as a "version 2", to gain some interior space at least in "tent" weather. When using a more traditional layback sleeper bed, I'm struggling a bit with storage underneath, since it sits pretty low to accommodate headroom for the "seated" position. This implementation sits up higher (over the back of the fold-forward OEM seat), which reduces sleeping headroom but should gain significant rear storage height - enough, perhaps, to relocate my fridge to the rear where it currently must be up-front.

 

[Herbie]

I take it back, I did manage to grab an exterior view of the rear bed pop-out a la Safari-Condo:

 

[RocKrawler]

time to buy a sewing machine...