cab bunks

Post by **kathyshack** » 26 Mar 2007, 09:45

right i know this has been done before, but i tried with little success yesterday to make a cab bunk for summer to sleep in this weekend....
Boo Hoo!!! got the brackets fitted to the doors ok, but the problem came with the poles. I had bought a cab bunk from a camper on ebay, but the poles are too long so need cutting down. Could i cut htese buggers?! no chance.... hacksaw did nothing more than make a scratch. went diy store and bought some jigsaw blades for metal, snapped 2 of them! Poo! not to worry me thinks, I have one of these camping bunk things people on here have used. dig it out and cut it down. (not realiseing first time that one needed to be shorter than the other, so another cut in metal to do) they fit, but when you put any weight on them they bend and fall out of the bracket! POO!!!

So, my thinking is, kathy your crap at this kind of stuff, just go and buy a proper bluebird one.... I'm not sure however that it will fit as my seats don't have removeable head rests, so think they might get in the way. Does anyone have one of these bluebird bunks, and how to they fit? Do you need to remove headrests on seats, in whch case i can't have one, or am i worrying about nothing? Can't recline the seats too much as the cooker unit is behond it. They're not the cheapest things for what they are, so don't want to buy one if its no good!...

Any help/advice/pics appreciated,
Kathy

Post by **Mocki** » 26 Mar 2007, 10:03

go buy a cheap angle grinder and a cutting disc...... about £7 or less, almost as cheap ass hacksaw blades and whey easier

Post by **timber technician** » 26 Mar 2007, 12:18

How about oval wardrobe hanging rail, oval is stonger than round. Hanging rail can be bought as a 2.4 or 3mt length. Metal hanging brackets on doors and pillars. Just a thought may not work may have to experiment and see when we get five mins.

Dave and Margaret

Post by **timber technician** » 26 Mar 2007, 12:18

How about oval wardrobe hanging rail, oval is stonger than round. Hanging rail can be bought as a 2.4 or 3mt length. Metal hanging brackets on doors and pillars. Just a thought may not work may have to experiment and see when we get five mins.

Dave and Margaret

Post by **plymat** » 26 Mar 2007, 15:24

The way mine fits is:

I swivel the passenger seat around and recline the drivers seat as much as possible (I too have a cooker unit behind it, so it doesn't move that far), insert poles into material and clip into place.
For added security to stop any of them jumping out I use a couple of small wedges to lock the poles in.

Post by **Mocki** » 26 Mar 2007, 15:50

i have a couple of ratchet straps if all else fails.....

Post by **BillyBus** » 26 Mar 2007, 21:43

I sympathise with you soooo much Kathy! I spent Sunday trying to fashion a cab bunk, having lost patience with it last weekend! I have the same problem! I cut down the poles from a camp bed, only to find having measured about 5 times before cutting, one pole is a fraction too long, the other too short, and no amount of swapping the bits about achieved the right lengths on either side! I could not get the D cups anywhere locally, so opted for the U shaped ones and hit the pole ends with a hammer to make them oval. Having chocked out the U shaped bits to hold the shorter pole, I thought I had sussed it, and I put some weight on it, and it seemed to hold, but when my brave daughter climbed in, the poles flexed and all of the ends came out of the U fittings. I am now waiting on getting some D shaped ends, which look to be a little deeper in profile, and think I may have to get a pole to replace the one that is too short!
Still, so far I have spent about £18 for the camp bed and fittings, so even with another pole its still cheaper than a Bluebird one... and I am learning lots..... like where I put my plasters

Hoping to get it done before we need the bed at the weekend!
Good luck with yours!

Post by **kathyshack** » 27 Mar 2007, 08:38

its so annoying isn't it! I reckon I have spent around £35 now including drill bits and blades for jigsaw and netting stuff for the safety sides.... probably would have been better buying a bluebird one, as I still don't have anything that will work... just need to know if a bluebird one will work with my seats..
Looks like alex is going in the unlined hightop this weekend!

Post by **kathyshack** » 27 Mar 2007, 09:02

bit more research and i dont think the bluebird one will work as i dont have removeable headrests on my seats.... gonna go to B&Q later to check out prices of angle grinders as mocki suggested. whne you use angle grinders, do they produce lots of sparks?....
anyone used wood or copper piping? wonder if they'd be strong enough?

Post by **BillyBus** » 27 Mar 2007, 10:01

I managed to saw through my poles by using an ordinary saw. Hacksaw hardly touched it! I thought about trying my jigsaw...glad I didn't! I have a normal saw with the front teeth closer spaced than the back ones. I got it started with the front of the saw, then longer strokes as I got into the metal. I found so long as it is cut deep enough all the way round, and cut through in little areas, it was actually possible then to bend the end and it snapped off in a clean line! The resulting edge is a little sharp but tapping it with a hammer to furl it inwards slightly got rid of that.
Maybe worth a go before you go buy another tool for the job!

Post by **BillyBus** » 29 Mar 2007, 16:45

Hooray!!! Finally sorted out a cab bunk that holds up! Eventually I ditched the camp bed poles and opted for oval hanging rail stuff from Homebase (I think someone mentioned that oval was more sturdy than a round pole) anyway I already had the oval fittings and the biggest advantage is that the poles cannot swivel at all in an oval fitting. Although the poles are now not collapsible I have an area where I can store them, so that works for me.
As for cutting poles, I got a metal cutting jigsaw blade, and it cut through in seconds!
The resulting bunk will hold my weight, (I have tried it! ) so I know it will be safe and secure for the munchkin!
Feeling quite pleased with myself

Post by **jamesc76** » 29 Mar 2007, 17:12

any chance of a couple of piccy's billy bus ????

Post by **DiscoDave** » 29 Mar 2007, 18:56

kathy, if you mark the poles up at the length you want them cut at and head down to the nearest building site, flutter your eyelashes and someone will have a chop saw, (like an angle grinder but bigger and better), and no doubt will chop em up to your required length! belter!

yes an angle grinder will give lots of sparks be sure to wear goggles and keep summer well out of the way

Post by **kathyshack** » 29 Mar 2007, 20:59

Thanks guys, and well done billybus! I also built my bunk bed but using timber pieces. Tis very solid and will take my weight. It has a thin piece of ply accross then the old foam seat section off the old bed. Spent the last 2 nights sewing a material type box thing which will attach to various parts of the van, hopefully making a travelcot type thing, so summer can't roll out of it. Needs a little bit more work yet, but I am quietly confident

will keep you informed

oh and disco dave..... those led lights i've had fitted to the van look amazing! went for blue, green and white!

he he he

Post by **BillyBus** » 01 Apr 2007, 22:13

jamesc76 wrote:any chance of a couple of piccy's billy bus ????

Just back from a successful weekend using the new cab bunk! I will try to get some photos up in the next couple of days.