Hi guys, I’m very new here and am just about to start my van conversion(or reconversion). I’ve just bought a MWB 2006 LT35 Volkswagen Transporter.
I’m after any advice on the bed set up.
I want to get a hinge set up or build one that will allow me to convert my bed into a couch facing the drivers seat and will flip so it also faces out the back.
Like couch to bed futon set up
Any advice would be super helpful I’m trying to see if I could design and build the hinge into the bed base.
I’ve seen one hinge set up that might work from an ikea kit set but doesn’t look super sturdy.
Greetings & Welcome!
Are you wanting this behind the drivers seat, or in the rear? Old trolley cars, and some boats has seats that could easily face either forward or back. Most camper versions were needlessly more complicated. How wide do you want this? Is it going to be part of a dinette or ??.
I’m normally pretty good at solving problems if I fully understand them. Your problem seems simple enough, if you can paint a picture in my head of exactly what you want.
Cheers!
"If you prepare for the worst, every thing else is easier." ~ Off Grid
Thank you this is for the back of the van my bed are is set up is in the rear.
I think this is pretty much exactly what I’m after I’m just not sure if this is an easy addition
It’s the mechanism in the 30 second video
Greetings!
I’m not a huge fan of commercial brackets, even though I am currently using a standard house style futon sofa/bed, but I also usually sleep on it in sofa mode, so the mech actually gets very little use.
I’ve built a lot of them though for myself or helping others, and never used store bought brackets. My typical criteria is simple, reliable, durable, foolproof, and comfortable. The first two pictures below were hands down the most comfortable, due to the angle of the seats, but it was also the most complicated to build.
The middle picture is a simpler box design, but gives the same level of comfort. Instead of pivoting legs, it uses rails on the side walls of the box it sits upon. Besides the seats lifting up, I also added sliding doors front and back for easy access to the storage underneath.
The bottom picture is a typical double sided boat seat. They can easily be built as wide as you wish. They sit on a box, and except for the front legs, the box supports them in both seating and bed mode. The seat is usually flat with that design. It’s a very simple, straight forward design, just not as comfortable.
If none of these tickle your fancy, let me know… I have built many other types as well.
Cheers!
"If you prepare for the worst, every thing else is easier." ~ Off Grid
Hey!!!
Those were my very concerns with mechanical brackets. My hope was, as you’ve shown me a simpler design I could build myself that would be sturdy and fool proof. I really like the first design my only question is have you built anything with only the two pieces. I currently have a bed here but am hoping to get away with two smaller futons
Thank you 
Greetings!
Oh sure, you can literally cut that design in half for a 2 piece unit, and you will just have the bed length in width, rather than in depth.
Cheers!
"If you prepare for the worst, every thing else is easier." ~ Off Grid
