Era 70X Sofa Bed

[White Cloud]

We have a new 2017 Era 70X, purchased October 2016.

I am 215 lb, and my wife is between 140 and 160 lb. (TACT!)

We use the table top filler for the fold down sofa bed and found that the table top flexes when we crawl over it to get in and out of bed. So much that table socket for the pedestal actually stripped out the mounting screws and fell off.

Has anyone else had this problem? Dealer (Lichtsinn) replaced table top, but do not want to repeat the issue.

Am thinking of getting a second pedestal leg and cutting it down to fit between the floor and the table pedestal socket to provide added support in the bed configuration. Would use another (unmounted) table socket on the bottom of the leg to prevent scarring the floor.

Always looking for better ideas.......

[BBQ]

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WGO is very responsive to customer feedbacks. You should reach out to them.

[White Cloud]

Thx for the suggestion. Have already done so via Lichtsinn.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by White Cloud

We have a new 2017 Era 70X, purchased October 2016.

I am 215 lb, and my wife is between 140 and 160 lb. (TACT!)

We use the table top filler for the fold down sofa bed and found that the table top flexes when we crawl over it to get in and out of bed. So much that table socket for the pedestal actually stripped out the mounting screws and fell off.

Has anyone else had this problem? Dealer (Lichtsinn) replaced table top, but do not want to repeat the issue.

Am thinking of getting a second pedestal leg and cutting it down to fit between the floor and the table pedestal socket to provide added support in the bed configuration. Would use another (unmounted) table socket on the bottom of the leg to prevent scarring the floor.

Always looking for better ideas.......

WGO experts - please correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the 170X originially deliver without the fill-in feature and only added it subsequently? If so, perhaps it wasn't vetted by engineering.

But are you saying that the edges of the fill-in float and the sole support for the table is the pedestal and socket? There is no support from the frames of the twin beds?

[White Cloud]

The edges of the table top ride on two rails when used as the bed filler -- one rail each mounted to the boxes that house the load center and the multiplex center across the aisle from one another.

The problem is that the table top is a lightweight foam-core covered with laminate, and when it bears weight spanning that aisle, it flexes.

The extra pedestal I am considering would add support in the center of the table top halfway across the aisle to eliminate the flexing.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by White Cloud

The edges of the table top ride on two rails when used as the bed filler -- one rail each mounted to the boxes that house the load center and the multiplex center across the aisle from one another.

The problem is that the table top is a lightweight foam-core covered with laminate, and when it bears weight spanning that aisle, it flexes.

The extra pedestal I am considering would add support in the center of the table top halfway across the aisle to eliminate the flexing.

I'm guessing that the table top was designed for just that - of light weight material to support loads typically impressed on a table top. But used as a fill-in support, it involves substantially greater load moments, {particularly in the longer fore and aft dimension) when clambering in and out of bed. I don't think foam-core construction is up to forces involved and I also doubt that the screws that fasten the pedestal have sufficient gripping power in that material.

I would follow BBQs suggestion to address this with WGO prior to correcting this yourself.

FWIW, your issue isn't unique to your coach. I suspect that it's a problem for other coaches also. Our 210 uses a plywood fill-in (which I think should be pro forma for this), but even so it tends to wobble and shift around particularly when getting in and out of bed because it just sits on the rails but isn't captured by them. It works, though not as well as it should, but at least, as in your situation, it doesn't fail.

[White Cloud]

Got a 27" table pedestal and cut it down to about 15-1/4". Added an end cap epoxied on to the pedestal and used a composite table socket for the "floor end" of the new pedestal.

I insert the "table end" of the new pedestal into the existing table top socket

The rig supports the table top firmly when in place as the bed filler.

No marks on the vinyl floor from the new pedestal.

No more adventure crawling in and out of bed!