A truly flat heated bed.

Maxcamp

After our inaugural very long trip we swore we'd build a substitute to the cushion system on our 2021 Tab 320s.
Front spongy cushions, mid internal-frame cushions in which frame joints broke when kneeled on (140lbs), rear cushion framed higher on lifts, huge gaps and bumps in the wrong places.  A horrible sleep!  Moving extra plywood and toppers and excess cushions around was a real pain. 

Finished project.  Made it look like it belonged, and it's reversible if we sell in future.  
Planned layout to allow for tilted backrest function if choose in future. (A wood ratchet below, not the NuCamp hardware that projects upwards.)
Milled poplar buildups, drilled and screwed through base bed cabinetry.
3/4 baltic birch cabinet ply, routed heat slots 6" long on nominal 3" spacing.  
Everything gets a 1/8" roundover to ease handling and forestall splintering.
Did not orient all grain one way, would require another $$ sheet.
2.5" foam mattress is what works for us.  We sleep head forward, the foam joint is not perceptible.

2023 update: Foam replaced with very dense 4" foam later laminated with 1" softer blue foam.   Think we've finally dialed-in the correct density for variant temperature scenarios.











Travel Mode


Remaining tasks:

- Upholster the banquet seat cushion and square bed insert.
- Bought two 12v computer fans and controller, planning to hole saw 3" openings high in verticals and pull heat from cabinets into cab.  Bought two 12v computer fans and controller, ran fused circuit.  

On another note, the NuCamp plywood veneer on our trailer is defective and was either laid up without a vacuum press or improperly glued-
normal care with forstner bits, taping faces, and clamping backing blocks during drilling fail to prevent splintering.  As a former millwork shop manager I can attest this excessive fragility should not occur.  Every screw NuCamp drove features heavy splintering. 

xdr

This looks fantastic. Where will you store the front center bed panel during the day? 

mer

Tabnero

this is a good solution to the problem of terrible sleeping arrangement

Maxcamp

Update: 3.6" dia heat circulation fans mounted at rear cab speaker-access ports. 
Reduces rear bay temps from 100's to 80F, monitored by remote thermometer.
All that heat finally going to the general room.
*(GDSTIME 2 Pack 92mm x 92mm x 25mm 12V Dual Ball Bearings DC Brushless Cooling Fan)

Concept testing fall 2023: how effective would this be?  Wired remote thermometer used to monitor.




Drilled 3" air circulation holes in interior dividers. 
Fan draws air from cooler floor and front cabs, rearward to hottest bay, up and back out over feet.

Permanent recessed mounting Spring 2024: 

1/4" Luaun ply replica of the OEM speaker access panels, will be stained and polyurethaned later.
Furnished guards are necessary.  My feet end up in this footspace.



Details of mounting. Coupling nuts used to enable machine screws from front.
Fan will be separated from faceplate by 1/2" cabinet plywood. 
I cut and ground screw lengths down to 7/8" in front, 3/8" in rear.
During installation I used a 1.5" screw temporarily to reach across space and draw the two together.

Fan guard and machine screw heads WILL interfere with existing hinged wood storage lid.
Cross cut the wood storage lid mid-length, removed a 1/4" total to gain clearance, remounted in two separately hinged lengths to permit easier access.  


Cut and ground down the coupling nuts to nest into the sides of fan assembly.
Ran a machine screw from good end to clear the cut threads.


Very tricky final installation:
Loosely hang fan by one screw, angle assembly into opening, push fan back to clear 1/2" ply cab thickness, rotate and force fit into the opening.  Drift pin to align another hole and overlong machine screw to pull into place.


Best to fish any wires up this wall to the Alde location first, and then feed them to your final destination.
A fiberglass fish-rod was much easier than an earlier pass on another project using a metal fish tape.



Top: on-off switch on fused circuit
Below: testing 'blackout' flap over EMS readout.  Since glued in a black plastic hinge that flips down or back up.