Electric drop down beds (4 Viewers)

[hilldweller]

"Did the earth move for you sweetheart ?"
"No the damned electric bed just collapsed again".

A load of weight where you don't want it and a load of engineering to go wrong.

 

[Ukbandit]

We had Chausson 610 (for 6 months) only thing that was any good was the bed worked fine.

 

[DL42846]

Just a quick one, had my nose in another van t'other day and it had two electric drop down beds, would this be a problem without EHU? Possibly for touring (staying in two nights max before driving on) or say on a rally for 4 nights. It has 120 solar on 110 battery, would the battery wind the beds up and down each day without flattening the battery?

We have an electric bed. When we are on site for a few days without EHU I start the engine up for a couple of minutes just while I fold the bed away.

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[sciac2001]

Yet another technical "advantage" that has been introduced by manufacturers which is not fully matured and which leaves us guinea pigs to prove its worth or otherwise.

In my experience the dreaded Engine Management Light is another - 4 times we have taken the vehicle into "specialists" to find that their diagnostics magic-box cannot find fault and 4 times I have had to pay for the privilege. (In my opinion if the light comes on and no trace of a fault appears, the workshop should invoice the manufacturer not the user. Smells of (yet another) ripoff to get non-technical users to call into official franchise workshops when they are frightened and powerless to overrule the manufacturer's explicit instruction to take the vehicle in as soon as possible.)

 

[Puddleduck]

Sounds good and ive not seen a drop down bed in a manual version other than the type you get above cab in a lot of motorhomes... but they have to have some sort of counterbalance mechanism in the form of levers spring or gas strut... that all has to be supported and housed somewhere ..i cant visualise an island drop down bed like chausson have fitted without it been electric..
Andy.

Come and have a look at ours Andy Okay not an island bed but it doesn't touch the sides when it drops - the side lockers come down with it!

 

[JaneyBMotorhomer In Hants]

We had an electric bed in our new Adria. Loads of problems with it and it was never properly fixed despite many visits to dealer and repairers. Would never have one again. Just a gimick with too much potential to go wrong. Traded it in for a different make with a fixed island bed. Bliss.

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[PeteH]

Reminds me of some friends, many years ago, they bought a New Safari Trek R-V. This had the "electromagic" Bed which was being touted as "making your 26ft into the equivalent of 36ft!". At a rally they all went out and came back late. To find ALL the bateries flat and when they tried to put the bed down no dice!. They spent the night on the "rack and Roll pullout BUT without any heating, in several layers of clothing. Next day they had to boost start the Generator before they could get any power back at all!.

 

[Cairngorm]

We have a Frankia i640 with drop down bed, which we are delighted with. However no manual override ,so hopefully we don’t encounter any of the horror stories, that I have just read about.

 

[Petehvan]

We have a Pilote with a drop down bed which we don't use much but it works fine, if you upset the settings by loading things on the bed when in the up position you press the up and down button at the same time for 3 seconds and it resets itself and everything works fine again.

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[Molls-Phot]

We have spent over 400 nights in the electric bed in our Swift. In three years it has only stopped working a few times but was quickly fixed by pressing a reset button on one of the stops. I do often wonder how much longer it will last as it's slow to go back up. I think it could do with a more powerful motor.

 

[hilldweller]

it's slow to go back up. I think it could do with a more powerful motor.

So you put in a more powerful motor.........

Then upgrade the gears, upgrade the drive board, upgrade the wiring, upgrade the leisure battery, upgrade the safety of the now dangerous system.

It's never as easy as it first appears.

 

[darlobob]

I had a 2013 Chausson Flash with Electric bed. Became inoperable near Fort William and had to use manual winder. Takes about 25 minutes after you have engaged double-jointed wrist mode. Supplying dealer e-mailed translated French instructions for re-set to Portree on Skye. They told me about the invisible button! Used this button successfully for five years because it Lways works and overrides pre-set bed positions and lets you put bed where you want it. No problems with power usage. Whole system far too complicated. Cables get caught and tangled. Fishing rod mangled! I'm not a fan but the space for seats and a big table was amazing.

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[Leyland20]

My wife and I bought a 2009 Chausson around 5 years ago with a fixed bed over the garage, separate toilet and shower and a hard door to separate us from any other family members travelling with us. It was superb. As a lot of motorhomers do we went to the show at the NEC but all of the new ones seemed to have island bed or drop down, we found nothing new that came anywhere near the spec. of Vera. Sadly, it was stolen from our drive in 2017 so we had to look around for something else. Had to settle for a Swift that has a lounge to convert into our bed - not ideal but far better than a drop down. Why is that most manufacturers seem hell-bent of having drop downs nowadays?

 

[Molls-Phot]

We prefer to have a bed with a proper mattress that we can leave a quilt and pillows on. Making up a bed from a living area using the cushions is a non-starter for us. It's horses for courses...

 

[thebriars]

Be careful sir,

It only comes with an advertised payload of 280kg on a 3.5T chassis so if you have an awning, solar, telly, extra gas and then consider the potential for it to be manufactured heavier than stated then you could be close to a zero kg payload.

If you add a towbar then you'll definitely be on zero without putting a tin of beans in it.

You'll have to take out the beds just to travel within the law

Rubbish! Picked up our new Beni last week, and took it straight down to a local weighbridge. It was exactly on the weight stated in the literature. Payload 400kg. That is certainly a lot more than we need, and in any case I'll be taking it back to the weighbridge to get it checked again.

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[thebriars]

Ours has an electric bed too. It appears they have improved them considerably in the last few years. There are no programmed stops any more, you can have the bed where you want it, and a simple switch raises and lowers it.

As for draining the battery I'm not in the least worried. Benis come with a solar panel for starters but also having moved from caravans and motor movers, these motors don't use much current. A motor mover uses 20amps. Thus with a 100ah battery you've got over 4 hours use of a motor mover. The motor in the Beni is a far lower current, and only takes 30 seconds to raise.

 

[hilldweller]

Why is that most manufacturers seem hell-bent of having drop downs nowadays?

From a sales point of view it's hugely attractive. It gets rid of a full two metres of real estate when it's not needed. A salesman's dream.

But the reality is different. No afternoon snoozes on the bed. No "I'm going to bed early, all this athletic sex is wearing me out". How do you re-calibrate this damned thing ?". "This floor is not that comfy".

 

[thebriars]

From a sales point of view it's hugely attractive. It gets rid of a full two metres of real estate when it's not needed. A salesman's dream.

But the reality is different. No afternoon snoozes on the bed. No "I'm going to bed early, all this athletic sex is wearing me out". How do you re-calibrate this damned thing ?". "This floor is not that comfy".

Is it? There is no calibration on ours. Afternoon snooze on the bed? Just lower it down part way. After all, when used as a 4 birth someone would be sleeping underneath anyway.

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[Blue Knight]

Rubbish! Picked up our new Beni last week, and took it straight down to a local weighbridge. It was exactly on the weight stated in the literature. Payload 400kg. That is certainly a lot more than we need, and in any case I'll be taking it back to the weighbridge to get it checked again.

How do you magically get 400kg when the brochure states 280kg @ 3.5T before extras.

Also, you're a wee bit short with people and need to learn how to converse properly on a forum.

 

[Ukbandit]

We have spent over 400 nights in the electric bed in our Swift. In three years it has only stopped working a few times but was quickly fixed by pressing a reset button on one of the stops. I do often wonder how much longer it will last as it's slow to go back up. I think it could do with a more powerful motor.

We’ve spent over 100 nights on our fixed island bed, without any of the worries of Will it go up come down, or flatten the batteries. Utter bliss.

 

[thebriars]

How do you magically get 400kg when the brochure states 280kg @ 3.5T before extras.

Also, you're a wee bit short with people and need to learn how to converse properly on a forum.

The weight limit for mine is certainly not 280kg. I wonder if you even know which model I have?

As for criticising other posts, I suggest you reflect on the tone and accuracy of your own posts first.

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[Blue Knight]

The weight limit for mine is certainly not 280kg. I wonder if you even know which model I have?
.

In your case I really couldn't care less

 

[Mr David]

Just a quick one, had my nose in another van t'other day and it had two electric drop down beds, would this be a problem without EHU? Possibly for touring (staying in two nights max before driving on) or say on a rally for 4 nights. It has 120 solar on 110 battery, would the battery wind the beds up and down each day without flattening the battery?

We have a 2016 Bürstner Ixeo 680 with electric dropdown bed. This is the one with the lengthways bed that doesn't involve the lockers being lowered. It uses most 12v power when going up. It draws about 15 amps for about 15sec which works out to be less than 0.1 amp/hr. So anyone worrying about flattening their battery need no longer give it any further thought.
When we bought the van, secondhand, we were told that the supplying dealer had done work on the bed. The first two months it gave us a few problems, mainly either not stopping to lower or raise the head end and/or stopping at different heights at the lowest level. Having at built-in distrust of dealers, I started to investigate the beds installation and also to look at the dealers workmanship. I found that the topend stop bracket (this bracket activates the topend limit switch) was bent and as a consequence it wouldn't fit in its correct position so 'someone' had re-drilled the mounting hole and then fitted the bracket upsidedown. This 'modification' allowed the bed to rise higher that designed. I reshaped the bracket and reinstated it in its correct position. I then did a reset on the control panel and the bed now behaves itself. I does occasionally forget to lower or raise the head end but a reset on the control panel will sort that out.
These types of dropdown bed make very good use of the available space within this van, giving alot of daytime living space for van length.

 

[Sandie]

I'm currently looking for a replacement m/h and have been discounting those with electric drop-down beds. It does rule out a lot of otherwise strong contenders, though, and I can appreciate the amount of space it creates.(I'm looking at <6m vans).
I see how the lifting mechanism works, but what actually supports the weight of bed + occupants? Are there metal supports inside the m/h side panels and roof?
I'd be very wary of any amorous activity in one of these. Anyone willing to comment?

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[thebriars]

I'm currently looking for a replacement m/h and have been discounting those with electric drop-down beds. It does rule out a lot of otherwise strong contenders, though, and I can appreciate the amount of space it creates.(I'm looking at <6m vans).
I see how the lifting mechanism works, but what actually supports the weight of bed + occupants? Are there metal supports inside the m/h side panels and roof?
I'd be very wary of any amorous activity in one of these. Anyone willing to comment?

Its a good question Sandie. Our bed slides up and down on 4 metal runners fastened to the wall. The weight limit on ours is 250kg. Probably getting near the limit with threesomes!

Basically there is one 100w motor, though it looks to be quite large. This lifts the bed up and down using 4 seat belt straps and a gearing arrangement. Obviously the weight will be supported through strengthened elements in the roof and walls. Each strap is fastened near the edges of the roof so most of the structure taking the weight will be the walls. The metal runners stop the bed moving from side to side. However the roof is over 60mm thick, so quite a substantial structure. It is not designed to be raised and lowered with anyone on the bed. The supports in the walls of ours are a plastic material which seems to be pretty strong.

Ours doesn't have any programmed stops unlike some of the earlier versions, just mechanical limits on one of the metal runners, and the bed can be in any position between these limits. It takes about 10 seconds to fully lower down to the seat base level of the seats below and just over 15 seconds to raise up again. There is enough space to leave a duvet on the bed but not the pillows. There is a net which can be fastened round the bed if it is used in the half way or 2/3 way up position and it also comes with a ladder. There is a manual override should anything go wrong but this is a bit slow and tedious.

Personally it was this electric bed feature that appealed the most. We have a really good sized lounge, and loads of storage in the 2 huge wardrobes and the garage underneath all in a 7 m motorhome. Some models have a cutout at one end of the bed, meaning you always have to sleep one way round. Ours has a rectangular bed so that if the MH is on a slight sideways slope you can always sleep head up. A little point but worth looking out for.

We looked at this van at the start of the NEC exhibition in October, and I noted a spare fuse taped to the fuse box. This tends to be the weak point if you try and force it to the ceiling with pillows etc. still on. We later went back to a dealer to have a quieter look at the van after the exhibition was over. The fuse was still taped to the fuse box, so a week of people raising and lowering it had not harmed it.

 

[Sandancers]

I'm currently looking for a replacement m/h and have been discounting those with electric drop-down beds. It does rule out a lot of otherwise strong contenders, though, and I can appreciate the amount of space it creates.(I'm looking at <6m vans).
I see how the lifting mechanism works, but what actually supports the weight of bed + occupants? Are there metal supports inside the m/h side panels and roof?
I'd be very wary of any amorous activity in one of these. Anyone willing to comment?

The weight on ours, a Project2000 bed in a Chausson is taken on the lowering straps, which are similar to seatbelts so loads of strength in them.

As to amorous activity, you'll find that each of these beds has a free copy of the Karma Sutra (energetic edition) tucked into the bed frame from the manufacturer. In other words the bed performs way beyond my capabilities !!

 

[Tony50]

Buy a Chausson and a set of tools you want to be a handy man,
Shower drains collapse last year ,got Spain this year kitchen sink pipes decided fall apart , my fault though !!!! as I had previously removed the drawerunder the oven and found th heater duct pipe sqashed to near nothing as it was under the sink drain pipe I repositioned it over the drain pipe and reshaped it to get heat into the dining area, little did I realise That the heater duct pipe was holding the sink drain pipe up keeping the lot on situ !!!!!!! What a pathetic assembly
On a £ 60 K plus 2017 motorhome.

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[andy63]

Buy a Chausson and a set of tools you want to be a handy man,
Shower drains collapse last year ,got Spain this year kitchen sink pipes decided fall apart , my fault though !!!! as I had previously removed the drawerunder the oven and found th heater duct pipe sqashed to near nothing as it was under the sink drain pipe I repositioned it over the drain pipe and reshaped it to get heat into the dining area, little did I realise That the heater duct pipe was holding the sink drain pipe up keeping the lot on situ !!!!!!! What a pathetic assembly
On a £ 60 K plus 2017 motorhome.

I'm having a laugh here reading your comments.. could have written them myself..

I've got a 2016 620 and one of my shower tray drain traps let go because the securing bolt sheared...

also noticed that the area under the sink was getting red hot , even when the oven wasn't on. I eventually found one of the heating duct fittings that was pushed into a hole in the floor had come away, and the pipe was also crushed like yours...
as you say.. you are definitely kept busy if you own a Chausson
Andy

 

[tonyidle]

My overcab electric bed uses two industry-standard electric rams where the gas struts would otherwise be installed. It has an Up / Down rocker switch & a couple of relays. The ram internal limit switches turn them off in the fully lowered position & two limit switches fitted into the bed stop it in the up position. The circuitry is schoolboy stuff & the rams are over-specced for the job they have to do. I can't see any downside to the system.

 

[Jezzerr]

Have an electric "guest" bed in our Burstner Harmony 728G. Been absolutely trouble free - but do keep an electric drill with appropriate socket and long drive in case of emergency.

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