Fitting a bed in a Doka... the story begins

[PC52]

This is how it fits in mine. The higher up it goes the further back it will sit as you can see by the back of the seats being level with the bottom of the back window.
When you unfold them into the bed position, they can be a bit awkward because they can foul the front inertia seat belts. So a bit of practice and it'll be fine. Front seats have to be well forward but when you fit the swivel bases that should make it easier.

[jed the spread]

Jed if ya need a wheel carrier made up I kno several cheap fabricator mates down here or if ya can weld well enuf do it at my place if it's pishin down..
I like the simple fold one the best, looks easy to make too in fact there are bearers similar to that which we have at work if ya want me to acquire one from the scrap heap?

very kind mate

jed

[PEET]

No worries, jus let me kno if ya need owt..!

[jed the spread]

This is how it fits in mine. The higher up it goes the further back it will sit as you can see by the back of the seats being level with the bottom of the back window.
When you unfold them into the bed position, they can be a bit awkward because they can foul the front inertia seat belts. So a bit of practice and it'll be fine. Front seats have to be well forward but when you fit the swivel bases that should make it easier.

Mine sits the same hight depth etc as yours. More to do with its the only way it can go really in order for the bed to lay flat



I started off following off from the other day by making and fixing some packers to make up this difference,





On they went,





Next i took off the ply door card on the non opening door side and fixed some marine ply to the back with glue and screwed through the front to hold it in place,










This allowed me to get a good fixing for the R&R bracket on that side with coach bolts and washers,





I then screwed through the front of the kick board into the timber packer bits. Before i did this i sat the seat spacers on the floor to raise the seat an inch and three quarters so the bed would clear all obstacles so it could fold out flat and it would allow me to take the rubber flooring out still to give it a wash when full of mud.

jed

[jed the spread]

Last bit now,




put some packers on the side bit now so i could fix an end panel on,



this allowed me to bolt the brackets of the bed to something,



and now the bed is in and is all working,



just got to pop some swivel brackets in now. the spare doesn't fit under the seat ether and there is a lot less leg room but it has a bed

jed

[ringo]

Enough room there for Isaac for a fair few years!

Looking good...

Ringo

[JamesT25]

Hello all,

I've got a doka currently in a million pieces waiting to be painted and am going to do this mod as it seems like a great idea to have a bed in your car!!

couple of quick questions there's no welding required???? (not my thing)

and as i got my doka as a half finished project does anyone know where to get the steel U shaped under seat storage thingy from as i havent got one in mine just an empty floor!!

Cheers

James

[kooldubs]

i have been trying to find a "tub" the rear box you are referring to, but with no luck at the mo..you could try www. tristar.de they may be able to help chap

[jed the spread]

Hello all,

I've got a doka currently in a million pieces waiting to be painted and am going to do this mod as it seems like a great idea to have a bed in your car!!

couple of quick questions there's no welding required???? (not my thing)

and as i got my doka as a half finished project does anyone know where to get the steel U shaped under seat storage thingy from as i havent got one in mine just an empty floor!!

Cheers

James

make a plywood base it will be easyer to fit the R&R bed rather than work round the 'tub'. No weilding

jed

[JamesT25]

Hi Jed,

will a plywood base not be a bit "weak" for a base for seats i.e. in a crash??

not bothered if it is wood to be honest as it's gunna be carpeted anyway just concerned about safety

[PEET]

1/2 or 3/4 inch ply should be ok - most cheaper aftermarket bucket seats are made from this and when you see what kids do on a 1/2 thick skateboard without snapping em too often you can see how strong ply is!

[PEET]

Oh n they also use ply in aircraft construction to this day even ben used on jets!

[jed the spread]

And in campervan conversions the interiors are made of ply

jed

[PEET]

Just avoid MDF like the plague - in an accident it snaps ply deforms before breaking and is a lot lot stronger!

[quagmire]

looking great that jed