Single width bed
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2014 2:42 pm
Not sure if the photo attached or not, but here goes...
Finally got a bed in the back of my L300, but mine's a little different than the usual platform-style setups that most people go with in their vans. I've been just sleeping on the floor of my van for six or seven years now, which is fine for me as the entire back is covered with a thick rubber mat (an un-cut blank of a truck bed mat that I trimmed to shape over many hours) that I'd combine with a foamy, but I've always wanted something a bit more purposeful. I need to be able to put a few mountain bikes in, though, so a full-width bed was out of the question, and whomever I'm rolling with can sleep on the floor or pitch a tent as far as I'm concerned, so I went with a single-width bed. I also wanted to keep the third seat in the back.
It's completely closed in on the sides, bottom and back, and split down the middle with a support that divides the forward and rearward sections. The wall of the backend is also cut out to fit around the wheel well so the bed sits flush to the side of the van, and the sliding doors give access to each compartment. I went with doors as I often have a lot of expensive bike gear inside my van and this lets me stash it inside and out of view - it won't add any security, but out of sight, out of mind, right? Maybe... I also like the setup because I don't lose any storage space by adding a bed. It's held in place from sliding by a few long screws into the rubber mat (it probably wouldn't slide around anyways), and it's light enough that I can pull it out on my own if I need to. Nothing fancy but exactly what I need.
Mike
Finally got a bed in the back of my L300, but mine's a little different than the usual platform-style setups that most people go with in their vans. I've been just sleeping on the floor of my van for six or seven years now, which is fine for me as the entire back is covered with a thick rubber mat (an un-cut blank of a truck bed mat that I trimmed to shape over many hours) that I'd combine with a foamy, but I've always wanted something a bit more purposeful. I need to be able to put a few mountain bikes in, though, so a full-width bed was out of the question, and whomever I'm rolling with can sleep on the floor or pitch a tent as far as I'm concerned, so I went with a single-width bed. I also wanted to keep the third seat in the back.
It's completely closed in on the sides, bottom and back, and split down the middle with a support that divides the forward and rearward sections. The wall of the backend is also cut out to fit around the wheel well so the bed sits flush to the side of the van, and the sliding doors give access to each compartment. I went with doors as I often have a lot of expensive bike gear inside my van and this lets me stash it inside and out of view - it won't add any security, but out of sight, out of mind, right? Maybe... I also like the setup because I don't lose any storage space by adding a bed. It's held in place from sliding by a few long screws into the rubber mat (it probably wouldn't slide around anyways), and it's light enough that I can pull it out on my own if I need to. Nothing fancy but exactly what I need.
Mike
I also somewhat see my upcoming Starwagon as Number 2 in the Thunderbirds series and choosing its belly content depending on what you expect to do. Yours will be if I travel alone 