Bed width

[Billy The Impaler]

The existing bed in this 2015 Mercedes Sprinter is front to back, and I just can't stand it not being across. The mattress is too big to turn sideways, though. Anybody know the right length to order to use all the space across? I'm planning on using several Home Depot buckets as a base, supporting plywood as a platform, with the mattress on top. Anybody order one before and know the right size?

 

[LDB]

Why would you want a shorter and probably less comfortable bed?

 

[Billy The Impaler]

One, I can't get used to sleeping the wrong way. Two, I never lay out flat, always curled up some, so the 6" or so less won't bother me. 3, the farther back my bed extends, the more often I'm going to have to take it down and put it back up because of the freight. Last, if I have a bed-freight conflict on a multi-day trip, I won't have a bed for the duration. If an east-west bed means the bed can stay up with the freight back there, I will have a bed.

 

[danthewolf00]

Look for a foam shop that makes custom pillows/beds.
There are at least 2 up in Detroit.

 

[LDB]

One, I can't get used to sleeping the wrong way. Two, I never lay out flat, always curled up some, so the 6" or so less won't bother me. 3, the farther back my bed extends, the more often I'm going to have to take it down and put it back up because of the freight. Last, if I have a bed-freight conflict on a multi-day trip, I won't have a bed for the duration. If an east-west bed means the bed can stay up with the freight back there, I will have a bed.

Two solves the biggest problem with those beds. When I was in my van I had a folding recliner from the RV shop rather than a bed. I always sleep in a recliner to help avoid reflux. It fit between 2 skids and the van seats in a 1 ton Chevy so I always had my spot. Empty I turned longways so my face was right beneath the Fantastic Fan.

 

[Billy The Impaler]

So when loaded, the recliner sat east-west? Hmmm, interesting. Did it lay pretty flat? I'm having a hard time imagining it fitting. Convenient, if it did. But unlike a bed that you can flip on it's side to allow for more freight, that would permanently occupy more space.

 

[LDB]

It functions basically like a home recliner but folds up when not in use.

Infinity Zero Gravity Recliner

Camping World

www.campingworld.com

 

[Turtle]

I had my bunk across the van, side-to-side, not front to back. I generally needed to park the van with the nose up slightly. The engine weighs a lot so parked on flat ground it wasn't too, too bad, especially when loaded, but when parked with the front of the van facing down hill I had to struggle to keep from rolling off the bed.

My mattress was 30 inches wide. Narrow, but it's all I needed. I had it made at an upholstery place. I had it done in 6 inch think foam. It wasn't firm enough and I bottomed out (hip), so I got a 3 inch thick memory foam topper and cut it to fit the top of the mattress. Used a twin sized fitted sheet to cover it, and slept on a mostly unzipped sleeping bag.

 

[Billy The Impaler]

I had my bunk across the van, side-to-side, not front to back. I generally needed to park the van with the nose up slightly. The engine weighs a lot so parked on flat ground it wasn't too, too bad, especially when loaded, but when parked with the front of the van facing down hill I had to struggle to keep from rolling off the bed.

My mattress was 30 inches wide. Narrow, but it's all I needed. I had it made at an upholstery place. I had it done in 6 inch think foam. It wasn't firm enough and I bottomed out (hip), so I got a 3 inch thick memory foam topper and cut it to fit your to of tyke mattress. Used a twin sized fitted sheet to cover it, and slept on a mostly unzipped sleeping bag.

Do you remember how long it was? Did it touch the side wall and door?

 

[danthewolf00]

Do you remember how long it was? Did it touch the side wall and door?

Mind did but I am 5'9"

 

[Billy The Impaler]

I'm 6'1" but I've slept a bit cramped like that before. I can sleep diagonally if necessary. Anyone know the length of theirs?

 

[Turtle]

Do you remember how long it was? Did it touch the side wall and door?

Not exactly, but the bunk frame was a tight fit between the side wall and the door. I wanna say the distance was 69 inches, but I also wanna say it was 65 inches. I'm 5'9" (69 inches) and laying on my back with my head up on a pillow that was pushing the door my feet would push the wall pretty good. I'm a side sleeper and sleep with my knees slightly bent, so it worked great. If you're taller, then a wider bunk would be in order, so you can sleep corner-to-corner at an angle.



That long shot just shows the bunk lid was attached using three large hinges. The bunk itself was basically a big box, screwed into the floor with a couple of screws in each of the sidewall ribs.