The table beneath the bed collapsed! (And other musings)

wizard1880

On my last camping trip, the table, which supports the bed beneath us, collapsed!

It seems the table was warped, but just ever so slightly.  It tore off the trim too.

I decided to measure the width of the table, slats and the space itself to see what happened.  Keep in mind we have the clamshell so there's just two benches between the bed that support almost the entire weight.

It turns out It's about 29 7/8" width, at the front near the A/C.  In the back, however, it's only 29 and 1/16" !

I took the existing two slats in the way back, and slit them up to the front--- and when I did this, the slats were just barely hanging on the lip!  I wouldn't feel comfortable sleeping on them like that!

I guess it's always been this way.  The benches are still secured well, and the silicone caulking is in place, so they haven't moved.  No warps or stretching in the flooring, either.

Since the table is only about 28 inches wide, it's just barely sitting on the wood shelf.  The slight warp was just enough to dislodge it.

I know most folks just get rid of the table, and I'm beginning to see why.

Anyone else had this experience?  Is there supposed to be so much variance in width?

Verna

With changes in temperature and humidity, wood expands and contracts. For instance, if you were to leave the slats in a sauna environment, they would swell and expand. Typically the particle board of the table should not expand, but if it is damp enough, yes, the table can warp. And no, it will not necessarily warp back into the correct shape and size. 

So, looking at the supports, they can expand across the grain with moisture or decrease in width across the grain in an extremely dry environment. With the movement of the wood, it is entirely possible to have the slats change just enough in width to move them to the wider spot between the side supports where they will allow the slats to fall off. 

You could put small spacers behind the supports to even out the spacing between the sides.  I would measure and cut the slats to be a tight fit in high moisture so they should still fit in a dry environment. I would also either number the slats or use the nylon webbing attaching them in the correct order so that they always go in the correct spot. 

I hope this makes sense. 

wizard1880

I understand how the width of the slats can be affected by humidity, but that doesn't explain why the benches are not parallel.  If that's part of the design, I get it.  It just caught me off guard.

Our T@B is stored at 80-90% humidity in the wintertime, inside and out.  It's just the nature of our climate in western Washington.  I find it a bit odd that the slats are so narrow in this humidity.   What will happen if I camp in the desert?

Verna

I've never made slats for my T@B. I think I measured and I do believe that mine were not parallel, also. I would imagine that the newer T@B's are more square (parallel) now do to increased scruntity on quality. 

I camp in the desert in the winter, but I don't have the bed slats. The white pine 1x6's that I use as a shelf across the lip of my truck bed sure are easier to remove in Arizona than they were last week in Indiana!

jkjenn

I had slats cut by a big box store last year. They butchered the cuts, so my mother's husband fixed them for me. They were still not great - that's what I get for buying cheap wood. I picked up a set from the factory while I was there and they also added cleats on the rails. I will try to post a photo if I can, before I leave for the weekend. The slats are really nice and they put the webbing on them.

Sharon_is_SAM

How about making slats from something that has limited contraction and expansion relative to wood?  Something synthetic.  I think someone here found something at Home Depot that they cut into slats and it did not require finishing.

Ratkity

My sister's table was warped too. It was level when in the "up" position and leaned ever so slightly when down in the bed position. She was told by her bf that it was off cuz the lean was on his side! PV (NuCamp) changed out the table after the dealer messed up AND put a table-sized vertical dent in the door. PV (NuCamp) graciously changed the door too. She has picts of her and Ed K

ScottG

When I converted to bed slats on my 2015, I also noticed the benches were not quite parallel. I doubt it's part of the design, but rather an example of, eh... allowable variation. Mine was more like 1/4" though--the 13/16" you describe does seem a little out of spec.

ericnliz

I noticed the same thing when I built the slats for mine as well. I simply made the rails a bit wider to accommodate for the inconsistency. Best thing...outskie with the &*^%#@* knee bangin', sinking, stinkin' table! Now lives in garage with camping supplies stacked on top.

j_ntabowners

measuring tape?... I was supposed to measure things before I cut?  

ScottG

j_ntabowners said:

measuring tape?... I was supposed to measure things before I cut?  

Apparently. I cut my dang bed slats three times and they were still too short!  :-)

ericnliz

ScottG, Time for a new tape measure!

ScottG

Or a new carpenter...  :-)

wizard1880

Well, consider me the odd one out, because I want to keep my table!  I find it useful in "dining" mode.

I'm thinking of having a slab of Corian cut and sized to match the dimensions of the table, but adding a half inch or so of width so that it doesn't rest on the lip like it does now.  Then, I'd just attach the legs mechanism to the new slab and dump the warped wood piece.

Questions still not answered are, does Corian warp too, in the same conditions?  And will any added weight make it a problem to work with the existing legs?  Research goes on.

Verna

@wizard1880, there is some "give" to Corian", so you may have to go with a thicker piece than your tabletop. You may also want to fasten cleats to the Corian so it doesn't slip and one side slide 
onto the floor. And there is a special glue that is to be used on Corian. The cleats would just sit behind the raised lip of the two benches so the lip helps to hold the Corian in place. 

ScottG

@wizard1880, I'm a little confused about your set-up. Your original post mentions the table along with slats and a lip/shelf. If you are using the original table in your 2014, isn't it self-supporting in the lowered position? That's how it was in my 2015-S, but perhaps the CS models have a different configuration? 

Ratkity

My 2015 was in a self-supporting position (ok eric, go with that!). I put rails in for slats, but the table still cleared the rails (slats were thick wood, just unfinished).

ericnliz

Ratkity, Yup, I fired mine, self supporting or not. Did yers git a pension?

Ratkity

@ericnliz, nope, I just folded laundry on it in the house until the T@Bitha was sold. Mine was in perfect condition unlike the OP's. Even the mechanism for raising it up and down worked without much effort on my part. 

ericnliz

Ratkity, Mine's still in perfect condition....except for the shin skin attached to the front edge, and the knuckle skin attached to the "release, raise/lower knob"! Not to mention the blood blister pinch marks I sooo fondly recall.

Ratkity

@ericnliz, leaving behind DNA? You'll never get away from the coppers now! Depending on the amount of the reward, I may or may not let them know where you left the evidence behind. And I should have said "without" much effort to raise and lower it. I was caffeine deprived at the time (my backup excuse for most everything I type here, btw).

wizard1880

That's what I thought, but my table can collapse down about an inch or so beneath the benches level.  So the lip on the benches is supporting the entire weight of the table, in the down position.

ScottG

Ahhh. I suspect that's what contributed to the warp you described initially; that's a large span for relatively flimsy material, particularly if you are laying directly on it as seems to be the case with the CS.

If you are committed to the table and plan to replace the top anyway, maybe you could build it up an inch or so so that it is supported by the legs as well as the lip on the benches. The Corian might just work for you in that case.

driftless

We have the original table in our Q.   However, it is self supporting when folded down and has adjustable feet that can be screwed in or out to level the table and alsso bring it up to the correct hight for the bed.

wizard1880

I was able to re-attach the table's trim to the outside edge, using a rubber mallet and some patience.

I put the table back down into position, and noticed how it just barely hangs onto the lip of the benches.  Any pressure and it will tear off the trim again and collapse.  Err...nope!  Time for a new table solution!

I bought some 5/4 lumber (rough 1.25 inch thick) soffit wood to make bed slats without breaking the bank.  Long term, I'm thinking more along the lines of Lagun table or some other solution because there are times I'd like to have a table inside instead of relying on the picnic bench outside.

Mouseketab

In my 2007 Clamshell, in one of our early trips, we were using the provided table top, with the extra boards on the side supports alone. We had gotten rid of the table legs after the 1st trip. We had a support break on us. We glued and screwed the rail support back together, and installed some 1x4s that came from the floor to underneath the side rails to give them some vertical support. After a a couple of years, the table and extra boards quit fitting on the rails and were barely hanging on. We decided to cut new support boards for the bed and instead of slats, we got a piece of 3/4" MDF and made two solid boards. One is in use for when I'm solo, both are in use when hubby is along.

Anyway, I measured very carefully the dimensions to cut the bed boards and they are NOT square, but they fit very snugly and hold everything in place very well. I also cut new side rails and put in bolts with fender washers all the way through the 2x4s that creates the benches. Probably way over engineered, but it's all solid now.

irvingj

There's certainly something to be said for wood swelling with humidity... but I suspect the underlying issue lies with camper manufacturers trying to make them as light as possible --not a bad goal, really-- but perhaps going a bit too far.

Our T@B was an earlier DM model, but we had the same problem: the bench edges were NOT the same distance apart, left-to-right, between the rearmost and front-most positions. I believe that was a natural consequence of the light construction, allowing the floor (yes, we had that issue, too) and the walls flexing a bit with age & use.

It was a bit disappointing, but I'm not sure there's any way around it, assuming there aren't other issues (wet floor again, in our case) that are contributing. I'd just make a new table that wasn't square but rather made to fit the space. Trapezoid, anyone?

I'd also be willing to bet, if someone were in the T@B as it was being towed (I know, not supposed to happen...), they'd be able to observe the left-to-right distance between the benches there --and in many other spots, I'd further argue-- changing as the trailer moved (and flexed) over the road.

Anybody have a recording run-out gauge? 

BirdieJane

We decided to make a smaller bed, and leave a space for sitting at a table, for eating when on the road. We did not want to move things around each nite after a long drive. I am working on a new table mod now will let you know how it works, think light aluminum Tabel top with Lugun like feature. 

Marceline

I have a 2013 CSS with the original table and two boards that drop onto rails to complete the bed. 
Maneuvering these boards in and out of the storage well under the passenger side bench (where I found them) is a giant pain. Is this where these boards are supposed to be stowed? And what do people think about the idea of putting these 2 boards on a table saw and ripping them into 4 boards total? It seems that they'd stow much more easily if they were narrower. They seem very sturdy. 

Michigan_Mike

Marceline said:

I have a 2013 CSS with the original table and two boards that drop onto rails to complete the bed. 
Maneuvering these boards in and out of the storage well under the passenger side bench (where I found them) is a giant pain. Is this where these boards are supposed to be stowed? And what do people think about the idea of putting these 2 boards on a table saw and ripping them into 4 boards total? It seems that they'd stow much more easily if they were narrower. They seem very sturdy. 

You can configure them to what works best for you.   This has been a very a well researched and discussed topic here on the forum in the past and if you type in bed slats and search it you will find considerable posts and excellent info on this subject.  My bed slats are very similar to these.  I bought a flat bungy style cord at Home depot, stapled it to the bottom of my slats and this allows me to fold them up accordion style and store them in my bench seat on the driver's side when not in use.  

Runtarooti

@BirdieJane Where did you find that fabulous grey fabric you used for your modified bed configuration? I have been looking all over for some like that. (Fingers crossed...still available)