Diane and I are the same way. We each sleep better if one is driving and the other is using sleeper seat belts or other restraint system. It gives the driver confidence too. If an abrubt maneuver or escape into a ditch must be made, you can do so without fear of tossing your co-driver about in the sleeper and causing injury. Restraints definately reduce risk.
When interviewing custom sleeper manufacturers, we were surprised to find very little information available about sleeper restraints. All were willing to include a couple of seat belts that wrapped around the bunk, but those provide little comfort. The Freightliner device you refer to is sold by its maker only to OEM manufacturers. We were told it is unavialable to custom sleeper builders.
Finally, one vendor came up with a brilliant solution which is available to you too, if you are comfortable with the concept. It's not a sleeper restraint cage of straps, so to speak, but a blanket of sorts.
Look through the material handling equipment cataloges and ads in the back of Land Line or other trucking magazines to find the following:
1. Fine-woven mesh used to secure or divide freight in dry vans. It is like a cargo net only finer mesh.
2. Seat belt buckles with straps and mounts.
3. Companies that custom-sew seat belts or cargo straps. A shoe repair person or tent maker may also work.
Figure out your diminsions and anchor points. If one is not already there, sew a border of sealt belt strapping around the perimeter of your mesh. If desired, reinforce the mesh by sewing seat belt straps across the mesh in a web fashion. Use as few or many as you wish. Remember the mesh itself is for securing freight.
Mount the female ends of seat belts along the front edge of your bunk. Sew the male ends onto the mesh. Seat belt ends on the back side of your bunk are optional. You can bolt them in if you wish. Using buckles enables you to totally remove the mesh from the bunk. Seat belt ends for the front of the bunk are essential for quick release in an emergency.
When completed, the restraint will resemble a blanket that you can pull over you and buckle yourself in. When not in use, it can be rolled up and stored along the back end of the bunk, or removed entirely if you have buckles on the back.
The one down side is those darn seat belt buckles in the front of the bunk, but it is a worthy trade-off, we believe, in the interests of safety.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, Part 393.77(h) addresses sleeper occupant restraints. It says, "The restraint system must be designed , installed, and maintained to withstand a minimum total force of 6,000 pounds applied toward the front of the vehicle and parallel to the oongitudinal axis of the vehicle."
The cargo mesh, seat belt buckles and seat belt straps are all rated by their manufacturers. You should have no trouble piecing something together that will satisfy any scale cop or ambulance-chasing lawyer.
