Permanent rear bed in a Class B

[markopolo]

Take a look at Pleasure-Way Plateau-RB (rear bedroom) in the Industry News section:

http://www.classbforum.com/phpBB2/vi...0&p=9315#p9315

I know Booster has a permanent rear bed in his Roadtrek. I've been thinking about doing that in my van also.

Would you consider doing this? Have you already done it?

What do you think of the new Plateau-RB?

[Mike]

Kinda looks like a version of a Murphy bed to access the storage area.
I wonder how strong that base is, as it doesn't look very thick? Are the round black things
rear speakers? Looks interesting, in general.
I'd buy one, if the price were right, or it was "gently used" and the price was "righter".
It's on a Sprinter chassis, correct?
We have a permanent rear bed too, because we're lazy.
I often try to figure out how I could remove the 3rd seat in ours, and replace it with some storage
space solution, without hiring a carpenter/cabinet-maker. Then when we were leaving the Grand Canyon
North Rim last week, we happened upon a group of hikers, hitch-hiking on the main road, so we stopped
and picked them up and gave them a lift to the Kaibab trail head a few miles out. The 3rd seat was handy.
A young couple from Delaware and a friend of theirs from Philly. Nice folks.
We also met a lovely lady from Prescott, AZ at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, UT. She asked us
to call her if we ever wanted to sell our Roadtrek. I thought she was joking, since she was driving a Dodge
chassis Pleasure Way that looked like it was in great shape. She was doing an extended trip with her
Rottweiler, travelling around the country. If I had thought she was serious, I would have gotten her phone
number, but her van looked to be in pretty good condition.
But, I digress.........

[booster]

That is pretty interesting. It actually looks like a retreat from the "soccer mom", wide open, minimal storage, mold that so many B's have been heading to.

I like the use of the air springs to help lift it, but I think they missed an opportunity by making it a one piece platform. If it were hinged in the middle, you could lift either end. This would make all the storage more accessible, and particularly give access to 1/2 the storage from inside the van. Putting the crank and stuff on the bottom of the bed seems like a good idea at first, but it becomes a real pain when you try to slide something in, and would make it so you would have to lift the bed fairly often.

It looks like the platform is plywood, probably 3/4", with a doubler in the rear, which is a bit unusual because in the rear you can put the strengthener on the top of the deck along the back of the mattress and it is stronger and more out of the way. I would be interested to see how solid it is.

The doors are a waste of effort and weight, IMO.

All and all, I think it is a step in the right direction. More utility than most of what we have seen in new stuff lately. Hopefully, the other brands will move that way also.

[yizit]

Looks great. I like the new direction they are going in. The "soccer mom" styles lack storage for traveling. I would rather see a wardrobe closet and an isle shower to gain more storage. The doors to the RB could have it's advantages for people who go to bed at different times. Can't wait to see it in person at a local RV show.

[goreds2]

I have not switched to the dinette table all summer so I guess you could say I have a permanent rear bed.

I love that Class B though.

[Ron J. Moore]

I switched our RT190P to a fulltime bed - those cushions, then foam just didn't cut it. I visited The Original Mattress Factory in Richmond, VA. They made us two 10" thick mattresses. We have a space between them, and I left out that one piece of wood at the bottom for ease of getting in/out. I opted for two mattresses so I can get to the water and electrical compartments with ease. It has worked great, for I was hating the winter trips to FL - because of that little bed!! Safe travels.

[booster]

Originally Posted by Ron J. Moore

I switched our RT190P to a fulltime bed - those cushions, then foam just didn't cut it. I visited The Original Mattress Factory in Richmond, VA. They made us two 10" thick mattresses. We have a space between them, and I left out that one piece of wood at the bottom for ease of getting in/out. I opted for two mattresses so I can get to the water and electrical compartments with ease. It has worked great, for I was hating the winter trips to FL - because of that little bed!! Safe travels.

Doesn't the 10" mattress get a bit tight on the feet under the cabinets? We had ours made at 5.5" and I still occasionally get bumped in the shins if I roll over with my legs bent at all. Ours also leaves space for getting the cabinets and such, but it is full width at the head end and twin style at the foot to the end of the bolsters. We like having the extras shoulder room.

[Mike]

Does sound a bit tight. I usually hit the underside of the 19" LCD, as I mounted it lower on the outside
of the old TV cabinet, so it's closer to the wall, and could clear the aisle better. Mostly when I turn at night,
I'll clip it with my foot, leg, or knee. We have the original mattresses/bed layout.

[Ron J. Moore]

In the 4 years we have had them in, there has not been a problem. Safe travels.

[Photog]

Our 190V has the electric bed/couch. It has been set up as a bed, since the day we took it home.

I would like to remove the whole thing, and put in a simple frame and custom mattress. The padding on the bed/couch is not comfortable, even with the 3" memory-foam top we added.

Like Booster, I would design it to have minimal things to hang-up on, when moving items in/out of the storage area.