RV Renovation; Removing the Jack-Knife Sofa!
How do you fix a jack-knife sofa?
By replacing it with something else.
Getting rid of the jacked-up jack knife sofa was the first major remodeling I needed to tackle in my RV. It took up a large amount of space in the RV when made into a bed and I began hating making it a bed / couch every day. It was really not the easiest thing to move up and down. I’ve dealt with futons that were smoother and MORE comfortable!
Under the jack knife is my water tank, so that eliminated the possibility of a sofa bed. I could replace it with another jack knife sofa, but i really didn’t want the hassle and honestly most didn’t look that comfortable. I do love a lot of the newer RVs that have a Murphy’s bed. It’s a brilliant concept and I wonder why many others do not use this concept for space saving. It's a great solution for the “permanent” but not seen bed. I unfortunately can not afford those model RVs.
Having a permanent bed was an important decision, did I want something I had to pull out or something I could quickly fall asleep on?
Since I have no slides, I am limited in my space. I did this on purpose. Many told me I would want them, but I did not want the hassle, quite a few RVs that I looked at had slide issues. I also read and watched a few Youtube videos that showed problems people had with them. Yes they are fantastic; they open your space and give you room, making the RV feel much larger. My next RV may have them but for now I am limited to the nine foot width.
That left me a few choices;
Build a couch that pulls out using slats to create a bigger bed.
Create a slightly wider couch that doubles as a bed.
Make the "couch/bed” twin sized.
I chose option 2.
My brother and I came up with the idea to basically build a box around the water tank and I would then order a mattress that would fit. I spent roughly $75 on materials to make the bed.
We had to cut around the wheel well and water tank. I also had to come up with a solution for the storage space that is under the bed. Originally I had to lay on the floor in order to access the storage. While it worked, my arms were not quite long enough to reach the back without effort. Since I really can not be on my knees, I wanted something that I could pull out, something on wheels, that made the access easy to get to.
We ended up creating a cart on wheels, attaching a handle and locks on the front, I can easily access the items on the cart without having to be on my knees. I am however going to have to add tracks for the wheels. While it works I have found that the cart moves too much when trying to close the “drawer”.
After getting the bed constructed; it measured 77in x 31in.
I found a place to order a custom size foam mattress (https://www.thefoamfactory.com/). They are based out of Michigan, It was about $360 for the mattress/couch and cushion for the dinette. It took about two weeks to receive and both fit perfectly. They were very helpful and called to confirm the use and actually recommended a thinner mattress, due to the firmness of the foam I ordered. I ended up ordering one that was 77x31x6in.
How do I feel about my new Bed?
They say sometimes that you have to try something to determine if you like it, right?
It’s officially been a few weeks since I began to live/sleep once again in my RV. While I was parked at my parents, I slept in the house. It was warmer and my RV was going through some of steps of the renovation process, so sleeping in it was a bit difficult. I didn’t officially move back in until I was heading over to my brother’s to help watch 4 of the boys while my nephew Owen went through open heart surgery.
I regards to my bed-couch; I may have made a mistake. The foam mattress I ordered is a bit harder than I had anticipated and I’ve been having a hard time sleeping on it. Not sure if it’s because it’s new or because it’s that firm. I should have gone with the 5in thick foam, but wanted to make sure it held up for the next few years (minimum) - UPDATE: after 6 months of use, the mattress has softened and I am currently sleeping through the nights with no issues!
I’m currently debating how to resolve it. Read that walking on it is an option, everyday, but doesn’t say how long it takes to make it softer.
I feel so freakin’ old.
The bed I had in my apartment was perfect, semi-firm. Soft but firm to make sure you didn't wake with a crap back. So now I am on the hunt for the “semi” part of the firm. The quickest, besides cutting down the front and replacing it with a twin XL mattress, building slats or support to hold the wider bed, is purchasing a relatively thick down mattress topper.
I’m finding that my back is having issues, which means the foam is not forming to my body and feels like I’m sleeping on a floor. Hips hurt, shoulders hurts, back hurts. I wake achy and really lack any true sleep. I’ve been looking at Japanese futon covers, as an option but spending an additional $100+ and unsure if it will work I don’t want.
I did find an inexpensive down mattress topper, which will go on top of the 2 inch memory foam topper already on the bed (which doesn’t seem to be helping as it should). I need the softer part. I’m hoping a two inch down topper will be sufficient.
If not, my route will probably take me by an IKEA and I will be stopping by there to find a replacement.
If any of you have an idea of what may work, a suggestion that doesn't involve a complete redesign of the bed, please, please let me know in the comments below.
My back, hips and 48-year-old self would appreciate it!
2/4/21 update: I ended up cutting off the side lip of the box, this then allowed the mattress to lay flat and resolved the issues I had. On a personal preference note; I have decided however that my next rig will have at least a full-sized fixed framed bed.
