Taking out a roof bed (1 Viewer)

[Louisesjpp]

We're about to buy a MH. We are a couple and plan some long touring. My husband is six-five tall and in every MH we've looked at, bangs his head on the stowed roof bed. The solution is either order the van without the roof bed or to take it out ourselves.
The problem with ordering without the bed is that if we ever need to sell the MH, we're going to struggle: it would be a two berth. Wo we're looking at paying £1500 for the bed and then taking it out.... The dealer, btw, refuses to take it out for us, saying the job is too difficult. My suspicion is that the problem for them is a professional decor match in putting the under-bed cupboards back up and trimming over the anchorage pints and exposed rails.
Can anyone advise on this job, particularly with regard to the pesky gas springs and how to handle them? We're competent, we've done a lot with classic cars and other bits and pieces with vehicles, but not this kind of job.

 

[Otter Spotter]

What makes you think selling a 2 birth is going to be hard? Any MH no matter how many births will have it’s prospective buyers and your reasoNing appears a little faulty, if you buy a 4 birth and remove the food down bed, you still end up with a 2 berth that you think you will not be able to sell!
Can I suggest you find a true 2 birth and enjoy it

 

[TCG]

Why not just buy a MH without the drop down bed.there are loads out there. We do not have the drop down we have cupboard instead

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[Landy Andy]

Loads will prefer vans without the drop down. I wouldn’t have one with it. Takes up room, weight, and looks worse.

 

[MichaelT]

Agree with the above, we used ours once but it rattles when we go along and by taking it out and having factory fitted cupboards instead would give much more storage as well as better living area. I think if you take it out it would be hard to make it look nice and match the rest of the van which may make selling it much harder.

I also heard it is not an easy or straight forward job to remove as they are fitted before the roof goes on!!

 

[gpat]

Yes we would not want a drop down bed. 3 years ago we ordered a new van WITHOUT a drop down bed. When it arrived it HAD a drop down bed. We had waited a year. We were gutted but fortunately we already had a newish van so we were not without a motorhome. So, we rejected it. The dealer was not happy and tried to offer us incentives to take it but we felt strongly that we did not want it

They contacted the manufacturer (Chausson) and the manufacturer conformed that the bed could NOT be taken out of the van as the cupboards etc. were built around it. Not sure if this is always the case.

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[carthorse]

We ordered ours without a drop down bed, extra height inside more payload and cheaper to boot if you don't need one don't order it.

 

[MichaelT]

We ordered ours without a drop down bed, extra height inside more payload and cheaper to boot if you don't need one don't order it.

I thought most makers charged to take it out or would it have been an optional extra to have it?

 

[Al-Di]

we dont have one and as others said the extra cupboard space is a god send, with the wifes clothes

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[gpat]

I thought most makers charged to take it out or would it have been an optional extra to have it?

Ours was an optional (cost) extra. trouble was we didn't want it, didn't order it and most importantly didnt pay the £600 extra.

As others have said previously they are built into the van at the time of manufacture. They can't be added after nor taken out after. The wall cupboards are completely different.

 

[Northernraider]

Id order it without or buy one without. Ive never used the drop down bed in any of the 3 vans ive had with one ...they are noisy and a waste of space . Id much rather have cupboard space

 

[Brains]

It is always better to buy what your need, rather than try to convert something into what you want.
(It also tends to work out cheaper in the long run)

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[Brains]

Given your two specialist needs (2m internal height clearance and orthopedic issues) you will find the number of van layouts very limited.
There are however many on the market designed for two adults only.


My Hymer MLT 570 is two adults plus a 3rd 'jigsaw' bed suitable for a child.
It has 4 belted seats (always useful)
However anyone much over 5'8" would struggle in my van, as that is the height at the rear of the van, and the longest bed is 6 foot.

 

[Southdowners]

We didn't want a drop down bed. Not having one gives far more headroom, more overhead lockers and it feels more spacious.

 

[eddie]

I thought all motorhomes were two berth?

Well that is what we always told the kids!

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[carthorse]

I thought most makers charged to take it out or would it have been an optional extra to have it?

Would have cost to have it fitted, why pay for something you don't need.

 

[funflair]

Well just to add to the don't want it don't order it replies we ordered our van without the drop down bed, our argument was if we wanted it like that there would be somebody else who felt the same when it was time to sell.

 

[Conal]

Our Autotrail has ginormous head room in the lounge, not so tall in the bed room, but we use that for lying down. Trouble is, for your husband, the island bed may be too short.

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[Flairy]

I’ve got a drop down bed but if I was ordering not having out of stock forget the drop down bed it will make your lounge seem enormous .

 

[funflair]

I’ve got a drop down bed but if I was ordering not having out of stock forget the drop down bed it will make your lounge seem enormous .

Thats about the only reason we changed from our Flair as we never wanted the drop down but it came with the van, no regrets though.

 

[Grasmere9]

I’ve got a drop down bed but if I was ordering not having out of stock forget the drop down bed it will make your lounge seem enormous .

And your van is awesome even with the drop down bed!!!

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[MisterB]

We wouldn't be without our drop down bed, great for the grandkids without moving cushions to make up a bed for them !

 

[Manic]

Have the drop down bed, remove and store the mattress and use the drop down bed for storage.

 

[mitzimad]

Well just to add to the don't want it don't order it replies we ordered our van without the drop down bed, our argument was if we wanted it like that there would be somebody else who felt the same when it was time to sell.

did you say that about the efoy?

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[Rosemary1]

Our Autotrail has ginormous head room in the lounge, not so tall in the bed room, but we use that for lying down. Trouble is, for your husband, the island bed may be too short.

My hubby is 6ft 5 and our last van had cupboards instead of overhead bed. We sold and want an island bed - now the problem is getting a bed big enough for him!

 

[Conal]

Rosemary1 I am 5’9” and if I place my head right at the top of the bed my toes are only just still on the mattress. I think your husband would be about a foot longer, lying down (pun intended).

 

[Beltie]

I'm 6'5" and have a Laika. Masses of headroom. We don't have the dropdown bed and headroom is well over 2m. Fixed beds, twin singles in ours, are a good size too.
I'd never have the d/d bed, I'd rather have the storage and additional rooflight, not to mention the weight saving and lack of rattles.

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[Rosemary1]

Rosemary1 I am 5’9” and if I place my head right at the top of the bed my toes are only just still on the mattress. I think your husband would be about a foot longer, lying down (pun intended).

Yes I think he is too large to fit. Everytime we see an island bed we try to have a little lie on it - there are X large ones out there but of course that means more space take up although some do collapse up a little when not been used. If we can’t find one in a van that suits then we will have to look at bench beds instead (low ones - too old for all this climbing in the middle of the night. Thanks

 

[Rosemary1]

I'm 6'5" and have a Laika. Masses of headroom. We don't have the dropdown bed and headroom is well over 2m. Fixed beds, twin singles in ours, are a good size too.
I'd never have the d/d bed, I'd rather have the storage and additional rooflight, not to mention the weight saving and lack of rattles.

Interesting……….off to look

 

[cyberyacht]

My Compactline has no drop down bed but additional cupboards which OH manages to fill without any trouble. Saves a bit of weight too which is just as well since we are rather close to 3500Kg in fighting trim.

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