Has anybody ever converted a non fixed bunk caravan into one with fixed bunks?
For example an old 5 Beth van with bench seating at both ends? How easy would it be to build / fix a bunk above one of the rear bench seats to make bunk beds for kids?
I would love to know if someone has managed this yet as I am considering trying it if I get an old van and try to pimp it!
I've been trying to talk my brother into this for ages now. He has 3 kids, I've told him it wouldn't be difficult to fit a triple bunk in an older 4/5 berth with the right layout (one with the washroom in the rear corner).
I don't think it would be difficult, it's only basic carpentry. You could always go & have a cheeky look at a few new/newer ones at a caravan dealers, if you needed any pointers.
I think the trick would be to take your time, do a nice neat job & make sure it's all securely fixed/mounted & strong enough.
Getting foam mattresses made up isn't difficult, & they wouldn't need to be elaborately covered if it's a fixed bed, as they would have a sheet over anyway.
Best of luck if you do undertake it, make sure you keep a blog with plenty of pics.
Probably not as cheap to do as you may imagine, the price of timber has shot up recently, and you can recon at about £30-.£35ish for a shallow 3ins foam mattress.
You mention trying to do this on a rear washroom caravan, so if that obstructs one of the rear corners, the fixed bunks would be very short indeed and less than 5ft long, not really viable for fast growing children. You may be better with a rear transverse dinette and taking out the base boxes and building up from that, although there wouldnt be much room for the occupant to sit up in bed and the top bunk would be quite narrow due to the sharing of space at that level with any rear lockers.
If its a case of you need to make a 5berth caravan into a 6berth, we did this once by having a rear double dinette with single bunk over, the type that rests on wooden side batons, and simply added a longer batton and an extra set of wall plates, topped off by a piece of quarter ply, folded lengthways using a piano hinge, which then stored inside the other bunk when not in use, and folded out hinge side up to sit on the batons and form a bunk shelf when needed. The extra mattress was curtosy of a single airbed at the time.
The main problem with any major structural alteratinons is they may impede future sales of the caravan and its value if the conversion was not to a potential new owners liking. Everything we did to our caravan mentioned above was totally reversable without trace, and when it became time to trade it in we simply put it all back to its original showroom layout as a 5 berth.
Julia
Post last edited on 03/03/2012 10:16:58
------------- Just love to be out amoungst Nature and Wildlife
Celebrating 37 years of Caravanning in 2019, Recently Considered Retiring, but Totally Addicted for Life!
I think you misunderstood the layout I was referring to. I mean the one where you get a small double running fore/aft at the back of the van (sometimes with a single bunk above). The foot of these beds are in one rear corned of the van, where the washroom is in the other rear corner, with the door on slightly the diagonal.
Maybe I'll look out for a plan view of this layout. It would work, & you would have most of the old cushions to use for mattresses anyway.
The kind of van I'm referring to would be under a grand anyway, so nothing too much to worry about as regards future saleability.
Ah! sorry Matt, I get what you mean now, my very first caravan had a similar layout, it was a 1982, 5 berth Monza. Yes it should work, although if the caravan has rear end lockers, the top bunk would be rather shortened at the foot end by the overhang of these, and unless the children are quite small, they still would be rather cramped for sitting up space if they like to read in bed ect, especially as some of the older caravans had lower internal headroom heights than the modern caravans with the purpose built tripple bunks.
Julia
------------- Just love to be out amoungst Nature and Wildlife
Celebrating 37 years of Caravanning in 2019, Recently Considered Retiring, but Totally Addicted for Life!
I think I would remove any lockers in the way, but, of course, with fixed bunks you are losing some seating space, so there are compromises to be made all round.
Mind you, I think caravans are too big these days anyway. they always used to be just a place to sleep & eat (& spend the odd rainy day), whilst you explore some new part of the country. I was recently bought a calendar with old caravans of the 60s & 70s on it. Some of those old 5 berths were only 12 foot long! Imagine that these days! We've all become so spoilt in these modern times (but I quite like being spoilt ).
I think thinks that this is a good idea, I have recently upgraded ny caravan. My old caravan has the layout that you are talking about. My sons are big 10 and 12 year olds and they would have been lucky to get this year out of my old van (about to sell). When I was deciding what to do I thought about the 6 berth Elddis Wisp, this has two sets of bunks. I thought that one side of that could be made into fixed bunks and the other side made into a single dinette that could be converted into a bed at night.
Quote: Originally posted by magsruby on 03/3/2012
I think I would remove any lockers in the way, but, of course, with fixed bunks you are losing some seating space, so there are compromises to be made all round.
Mind you, I think caravans are too big these days anyway. they always used to be just a place to sleep & eat (& spend the odd rainy day), whilst you explore some new part of the country. I was recently bought a calendar with old caravans of the 60s & 70s on it. Some of those old 5 berths were only 12 foot long! Imagine that these days! We've all become so spoilt in these modern times (but I quite like being spoilt ).
My first ABI Monza was a 5 berth, at only 11ft 6ins (360cm) long and with a max gross weight of just 12.3kg, and we towed it with a 1.3 car. the front double was only 3ft10ins wide, and once the pull out double at the rear was in place, and the bunk fixed over the top of it, the only way to the loo (which used the outer door entrace as legroom to sit on the loo, and yes i have been caught out whilst 'sitting' a few times lol) was to climb over the occupants of the double!
Our neighbours had a 13ft Bailey Mikado, a 6 berth, with a layout that ment the kids slept in hammocks over their Mum and Dads double bed at the front, whilst the two teenagers slept in the bunks to the rear.
Those where the days of sardine camping, where if you owned a caravan longer than 14ft it was considered huge, and quite a rare sight unless it was owned by a showman or a member of the travelling community!
Julia
------------- Just love to be out amoungst Nature and Wildlife
Celebrating 37 years of Caravanning in 2019, Recently Considered Retiring, but Totally Addicted for Life!
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Topic: Fixed bunk conversion?
We've all become so spoilt in these modern times (but I quite like being spoilt 
).
We've all become so spoilt in these modern times (but I quite like being spoilt 
).
