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mothercoder

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I'm considering buying the Zinus bed frame, assuming it will fit in whatever vehicle I purchase.  I understand that if you buy the full size, it comes in two separate platforms that you bolt together.  I'm wondering if anyone has chosen to hinge the two pieces together and added braces so that it can be changed into a sofa. I haven't been able to find anyone who has done that. 

If it can be done, I would imagine that you'd need two pieces of memory foam since you would damage the memory foam by folding it repeatedly (even if you could, depending on the thickness).  You certainly couldn't do that with a conventional mattress.

I need to find a way to have a place to sit with good back support so that I can work on my laptop.  When I'm coding I can be at it for hours and sitting upright in a bed just won't work.  My other option would be to put the passenger seat on a swivel base and create a table top to use.  I've seen that done innumerable times. 

Any other solutions I'm overlooking?
 
Do you have a good, comfy camp chair for sitting outside?
Will it fit in your van during bad weather?
I'm hoping to find room for an actual office chair on wheels.  After all, I've been sitting in one 8 hours a day for the last 20 years, and it would be pretty handy in a van when you don't have standing headroom.
 
I was going to go the office chair route, but found a really cozy GSI folding camp chair. It is more of the director style chair so it takes up a bit of space when folded up. Then a month of so after I bought it, they came out with a rocking chair version of it. Now I can't wait for mine to wear out so I can get the new one. However it is holding up so well that it may be a while before I get the rocking chair model.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
How wide of a bed suits you? Twin is 38" wide, but I have seen mattresses down to 25".

I went to the Walmart site to find the bed frame , https://www.walmart.com/ip/Zinus-18...online&wl12=53836866&wl13=&veh=sem#about-item, and it says, With plastic caps to protect your floors and an innovative folding design to allow for easy storage.

It looks like it is made to fold up lengthwise, So if the bed is 70" long the seat part would be 35", (too deep for a seat). Making it fold along the width would be an engineering feat.
 
mothercoder said:
. . . I understand that if you buy the full size, it comes in two separate platforms that you bolt together.  I'm wondering if anyone has chosen to hinge the two pieces together and added braces so that it can be changed into a sofa.

If it can be done, I would imagine that you'd need two pieces of memory foam since you would damage the memory foam by folding it repeatedly (even if you could, depending on the thickness). . .
I need to find a way to have a place to sit with good back support so that I can work on my laptop.

My guess is that the frame would come in two 1/2 length pieces.  With hinges it would fold kind of like a hospital bed.  The thinner mattresses that hospitals use fold OK.  The problem is they keep sliding down if not constrained and the sheets don't stay on well.  A piece of 4" foam should survive being folded to 90º repeatably.

Another option is Amazon sells foam wedges that could be used to make a back rest for sitting up in a bed:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AK3VZB...olid=27BMN3KDN9Y78&coliid=I318Z00XIDXTRN&th=1

mayble said:
Do you have a good, comfy camp chair for sitting outside?

This is what I use: a comfortable folding deck chair that fits in my center isle.  I put a pillow on my lap and the laptop on that.  It is just the right height for working on the computer.  One could make a hard top if wanted for writing or mousing surface.

 -- Spiff
 
This one looks like it would work if you have the room for a full size bed. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HCZ0YFC?psc=1 I don't see how the back legs would fold so that you could push it against a wall.
Here is a futon frame. http://www.kmart.com/dorel-home-fur...SellerId=Kmart&prdNo=8&blockNo=8&blockType=G8

I also found this one that interests me. as a seat it is 71”(L) × 22”(W) × 29.5”(H) Bed Dimensions: 71”(L) × 41”(W) http://www.kmart.com/bestchoiceprod...ce Products&prdNo=13&blockNo=13&blockType=G13

Here is a home made version which may be the best of all because you can make it with whatever dimensions that you need.
 
I used to build beds and other furniture for a local retail store.
One of my designs was a single size bed/couch with a head and foot board that were about a foot higher than the mattress. I cut some tilted slots in both and made a backrest out of a padded board .
There were 3 sets of slots.
1 near the edge of the bed for a bench type seat.
Another a little further back for sitting back away from the edge in a cross legged (TV) mode.
And a third almost on the other side for laying back lounge style.
It was a hot item.......

I donate the patent here for the tribe !

PS: I had a waterbed version but probably not a great idea for a vehicle , skuh kuh kuh kuh kuh kuh
 
mayble said:
Do you have a good, comfy camp chair for sitting outside?
Will it fit in your van during bad weather?
I'm hoping to find room for an actual office chair on wheels.  After all, I've been sitting in one 8 hours a day for the last 20 years, and it would be pretty handy in a van when you don't have standing headroom.

I have a comfy camp chair but it's not good for sitting at a computer.  I need something with more back support when I'm coding.
 
TrainChaser said:
Actually, the swivel chair sounds the most comfortable.  But maybe borrow or try a director's chair and see how that fits what you need.  

folding front-seat desk:  http://www.dhresource.com/albu_212342146_00-1.0x0/portable-folding-car-notebook-pc-laptop-cup.jpg  But I think this folds UP, rather than down, and would block your vision when driving.  Install it upside down?

Or this (memories of school): http://leotraits.info//wp-content/u...sk-laminate-top-18h-student-chair-desks-6.jpg

The first could be maybe be installed on the front most barn door on the side of the van but it would face the wrong way.  I figured I would just get a folding shelf to mount to the door or I could use one of my wooden folding tables.   The table really isn't my concern - a place to sit with suitable back support is.  :)
 
Baloo said:
I was going to go the office chair route, but found a really cozy GSI folding camp chair. It is more of the director style chair so it takes up a bit of space when folded up. Then a month of so after I bought it, they came out with a rocking chair version of it. Now I can't wait for mine to wear out so I can get the new one. However it is holding up so well that it may be a while before I get the rocking chair model.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

That sounds like a great outdoor chair!  But I'm thinking a canvas-backed chair wouldn't be very good for long stints at the laptop.  :(
 
DannyB1954 said:
How wide of a bed suits you? Twin is 38" wide, but I have seen mattresses down to 25".

I went to the Walmart site to find the bed frame , https://www.walmart.com/ip/Zinus-18...online&wl12=53836866&wl13=&veh=sem#about-item, and it says, With plastic caps to protect your floors and an innovative folding design to allow for easy storage.

It looks like it is made to fold up lengthwise, So if the bed is 70" long the seat part would be 35", (too deep for a seat). Making it fold along the width would be an engineering feat.

A twin bed would be too small for me.  I will likely be going with a full size.  I think the Zinus full is 54" wide so folded it would be 27" on the seat.  That still might be a bit long on the seat for someone as short as me.
 
Spaceman Spiff said:
My guess is that the frame would come in two 1/2 length pieces.  With hinges it would fold kind of like a hospital bed.  The thinner mattresses that hospitals use fold OK.  The problem is they keep sliding down if not constrained and the sheets don't stay on well.  A piece of 4" foam should survive being folded to 90º repeatably.

Another option is Amazon sells foam wedges that could be used to make a back rest for sitting up in a bed:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AK3VZB...olid=27BMN3KDN9Y78&coliid=I318Z00XIDXTRN&th=1


This is what I use: a comfortable folding deck chair that fits in my center isle.  I put a pillow on my lap and the laptop on that.  It is just the right height for working on the computer.  One could make a hard top if wanted for writing or mousing surface.

 -- Spiff

Do you have a link for the folding deck chair?  It would depend on the material and back support on whether it would work.  I can't work for long periods with my laptop on my lap so it would have to be on desk or table of some sort.
 
DannyB1954 said:
This one looks like it would work if you have the room for a full size bed. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HCZ0YFC?psc=1 I don't see how the back legs would fold so that you could push it against a wall.
Here is a futon frame. http://www.kmart.com/dorel-home-fur...SellerId=Kmart&prdNo=8&blockNo=8&blockType=G8

I also found this one that interests me. as a seat it is  71”(L) × 22”(W) × 29.5”(H) Bed Dimensions: 71”(L) × 41”(W)  http://www.kmart.com/bestchoiceprod...ce Products&prdNo=13&blockNo=13&blockType=G13

Here is a home made version which may be the best of all because you can make it with whatever dimensions that you need.


So here's the deal:  I hate memory foam.  I've tried to sleep on it and it doesn't work for me.  The fold down sofa bed might be great as a place to work but to sleep I'm guessing it would suck without something else on top of it.  And while I like the idea of a home made bed, I don't have a place to build (apartment living) nor the tools to do that.  That's why I was going with the Zinus bed frame and a regular firm mattress. 

But I realize now that since I really need to have that regular mattress, there's no way I can make a place to work using the bed.  I think my best bet is putting a swivel base on the passenger's seat and either getting a folding table or install a flip up shelf on the inside of the van door. 

Sometimes you just need to talk these things out to figure out what is going to work.  :)
 
I put the swivel base in for the passenger seat and it's great for my living room chair, my dining room chair and my office chair ... :D 

I'm using a regular old tv tray that I brought from the S&B as a table for both dining and the laptop. It works but the legs on it don't fit around the chair so I can't pull it close enough to me when I'm sitting with my back right up against the seat back. You'll need to fit the table to the seat so that you can use the back support of the seat.

One thing I saw that might work for you was someone (wish I could remember who!) had mounted a pipe elbow on the door post beside the passenger seat. A flat work surface was similarly mounted on pipe hardware so that it could be removed when not in use and then inserted in the door post assembly. The table then swiveled on the post. Something like that might work better for you than a tv tray.
 
Almost There: was that mounted to the paaawnger cabin door or the door behind the passenger' seat? I've seen that done although not with PBC.
 
It was mounted to the door post between the front passenger door and the front side cargo door. This put it right at the seat edge when the passenger seat was swiveled around facing the back.

I wish I could draw a picture here, it was rather ingenious in that it was fastened to the wall with a bracket, turned 90 degrees away from the door post then had a receiver in it for the matching piece of pipe attached to the bottom of the table.

Maybe someone else on the forum will recognize who it was that had it. I saw it up on the mesa here in Ehrenberg.
 
I think the swivel is your best bet, they are very practical and really expand you living space, I have one in my Dodge caravan and it just increases the living space so much, it is very comfortable with arm rests and adjustable back to nap in.
 
If the bed is 75" x 54", there is only one way it will fit, and it will not give you much room for anything else. My van is a conversion it measures 69" wide, (near the back door), and 115" from the front seats to the back door.  The bed, (Yellow), could have storage under about half of it, (the darker yellow part).

If you will need to unfold the bed from the side, you will need a place to stand. So not much if any room for a cabinet. The red is the usable floor space in my van behind the seats, (ignore the green) .
I put a king size bed in the back of my 30' Class A. Are you sure you want a van?


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Sorry, I don't think the 2 piece bed frame will fold up properly, unless the legs against the wall are hinged to swing down and out of the way. Swivel your front seat and stack cushions or pillows to support you lower back. I've been mulling this problem over too. The 2 biggest things in my build right now are the bed and the fridge. I have a hi top,which supplies lots of storage off the floor. If I have room, I'm going for an office chair and swing out or fold down desktop. Maybe remove my passenger seat in favor of a small easy chair.
 

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