Thinking outside the box

[DannoT]

I love taking my bus camping whenever, and where ever I can. The only problem is Im six foot three and have to fold my self up whenever I want to sleep in my bus. So I decide to build a form of camping box that could be easily installed and would be easy to use.
I started with a jumble of mixed materials made up of, a full sheet of 3/4in thick plywood 20 feet of 2x2's and a table that I was originally going to cannibalize for its folding legs.

First I had to decide on how big I wanted the camping box, and to make a cut out to fit around the bulkhead in the bus.

I then framed the outside of the plywood platform with the 2x2's.

Which looked like this from the top.Also you can see the sacrificial camping table which made a nifty work area.

Then after some brainstorming a plan for different legs on the box saved the camping table from it's fate of horrible mutilation. The new legs are made out of the 3/4" plywood and attached with 3ft long piano hinges.

After some more designs I added a front piece that slides in to a slot on the underside of the box, and braces the legs with L-brackets that aren't installed in this picture.

The whole idea behind the camping box was that it would be able to fold flat when not in use and fold out to make a bed sized surface with the original bus rear seat. This is what the legs and front brace look like folded together.

The last step was the easiest and consisted of cutting a hinged door in to the front brace, and glueing carpet to the top and front of the box. This is the box all finished and ready to install!

This is a picture of the box installed and folded flat.

This is the box folded out, it worked exactly according to the plan!

The box fits snugly against the bulkhead without rubbing or marking the upholstery, and the box buts up to the bench seat to form a flat sleeping surface.

For the final test I took my bus and the new camping box out for a 3-day camping trip and it worked great with plenty of room to sleep on top, and tons of space underneath!

And as a last minute detail I put pads on top for comfort, they are the blue and white flowered material seen under the sleeping bags.

So thats my easy to make alternative to the Z-bed and other costly bus modifications that would change the interior of the bus and be frowned upon by stock nazis. I had a great time building this project and look forward to any questions, improvements, and comments that you guys have. One last thing in the camping picture, thats the sacrificial table happily being a table.

[sventinker]

That is sweet!

Edit would you share the dimensions with the rest of us?
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April 3rd 62 standard mgr/pw
374 North American equipment
Includes 6 popouts
025 Safety belts
195 Adjustable bench seat/backrest (until 1963)

[DannoT]

The width of the box is 48in and the length is 47 and 3/4in, its 14in from the ground to the top of the platform and the front brace is 45in wide and 13 and 1/8in tall. If you need more detailed dimensions I can get them tomorrow afternoon.

[Adam]

Very cool idea

[hubcap]

Hi

Nice work, and a good way of showing respect to the 'stock Nazi's' out there. I love campers and must admit that I have not seen it done this exact way before, you said you welcomed any input, so here we go.

with the top of the box I would probably have routed some lateral slots into it about 4" apart and considdered some 1 1/2" holes in strategic places to make it considderably lighter, and breath better. the slots will allow a degree of flex/forming a bit like sprung bed slats. You could do them to just short of the middle on both sides to avoid roll together or sag (unless that was your intention! ). The same goes for the legs/sides, you could shave plenty of weight off of it, and it would still be really strong. Also invisible when covered with carpet, or use various size holes and make a feature of them!

The only other thing I would have considdered would be to work the top of the box height to be 3" lower than the seat base so that you could get a bespoke foam pad cut and upolstered to really max out on the comfort!

In principle it is the same end result as a Devon interior, I must admit that at 6ft 3" I am suprised it is long enough for you but am off to the garage now to get a tape measure out!

Once again, good work

[BulletBus]

Wow. That thing is really cool, and simple. Make it out of plastic, put a handle on it and you would probably sell more than you can make at any show. Very nice.
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53 Hatch Barndoor
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If it's not a bus, it's bus money waiting to happen.

[Slow Steve]

Cool idea! I might do the same, thanks.
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BarryL wrote:
100 years from now when they have reverse atom regeneration attractor technology perfected and in a hand held back yard mechanic's price range, someone will dig up this thread and go, "What were those guys thinking? The whole thing was all there just waiting to be re-atomized. Funny how easily they cut them up back then."
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74 911
72 914
65 13w Deluxe
60 Ragtop

[DannoT]

Thanks for all the great comments so far, the bed is a little heavy weighing in at around 60 pounds, so it could go on a diet for sure lol. I also have to admit when i sleep on it me feet are flat against the bulkhead but its still plenty comfortable. One interesting side effect of the box is that the storage space underneath the box stays allot cooler than in the bus, and one morning I woke up and pulled my toiletries out from under it to find my toothpaste had frozen overnight, even though the interior of the bus was warm enough to keep a few windows popped during the night.

[sub-hatchtim]

not a bad idea

"i still love my zbed"
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58' pg/sg silo fridge westy
58 Dove blue singlecab
76 911S

[SCZ9-1-1]

Sweet!

[mtb7001]

nice bus too. what do you have for curtain rods?
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63 15 window deluxe Turkis walk through 1500
"comfort the afflicted, afflict the comfortable"

[DannoT]

The curtain rods are just small fiberglass rods held up by strong rare earth magnets stuck to the interior, another trick I used to keep the bus as stock as possible.

[zuggbug]

That is sweeeeet.....but I am 5'-3" - I can curl up on the back seat w/o any problem.

who said "short people have no reason to live"
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SOUTHERN INTEGRITY AIRCOOLERS
58 15 window
56 westy