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How To: Make a full sized bed from travel trailer bunks!

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In my Facebook group, RV Interior Ideas, member Susan Ringer caught my attention with a post she made recently. Susan, who is also an occasional guest blogger on different subjects, along with being a fine artist, specializing in watercolor and oils, with a particular passion for nature. She and her husband designed and built something really unique. They were able to take a double bunk area in a travel trailer and turn it into a full-sized adult bed for guests. I sent Susan a message asking her to do a guest blog piece for me on their creation. Below is what she wrote up along with photos of the project. 

 

“How to convert a “bunk room” into a double bed “dream cove”!  By Guest Blogger Susan Ringer
RV manufacturers are known for touting the ability to sleep multiple people in the rigs, however, what if you want all the comfort of those larger units, but need sleeping arrangements for adult couples that don’t involve pull outs and table conversions?  There aren’t many options for two bedrooms out there, are there?  Those which have double bed bunks are like MRI tubes or caves, rendering the occupants claustrophobic.  Especially if you add 4 inches or more of padding!  Here is an idea to take that bunk room and convert it to a second bedroom of sorts.  Keep in mind when reviewing these instructions, each unit will be constructed differently.  This one happens to be a Keystone Bullet, Model 277BHS.  The process was so easy, my husband and I couldn’t believe it!  You can see by reviewing the before and after photos what a difference this has made.  We traveled with our dearest friends on a recent weekend getaway and they couldn’t have been happier with their sleeping arrangement. 
Here is the “before” image of our bunk set up.  As you can see, it’s a bit of a tight set up for two adult guests.  Below are the steps to convert this into a beautiful sleeping alcove!

 

Step 1:
Remove all mattresses and top plywood, which may be screwed or stapled in place (simply unscrew then set aside)   Since there were so many screws, we used a drill for this.  We had to get a special bit though with a square head, so check the screws before you start and get the right bit for the job. Also, some areas were attached with large staples, so we did have to use a pry-bar to get the staples started to easily lift off the panels from the frame.  Again, each unit is probably different, so just go with what you need to use to get these boards off.  

Step 2:
remove all trims and the ladder, if there is one (carefully!)  See that gap in the panel on the bottom that was covered by the ladder?  We found a fix for that!  Keep reading…

Step 3:
Remove the decorative “roof” panel of the lower bunk, (which is also part of the upper bunk, below the plywood).  If this is a finished piece, gingerly remove this and set it to the side.  This piece was instrumental in fixing the gap mentioned above.  I was able to peel off a strip of the wallpaper to cover up the gap before discarding the decorative panel.  Whew!  Hopefully, that will work for you too.   During this part, we did have to disconnect a light that was attached to this panel.  No biggie.  My husband capped and taped the wires (consult an electrician of course if you need help with this part).  It can be re-connected later or just kept out.  By the way, that handsome man is my wonderful husband, Joe, who did the job.  I played photographer and crawled into the tight spaces as needed!

Step 4: 
Remove the upper bunk frame. We had to really think about this before we started to make sure it didn’t collapse on us!  I don’t have images of the actual removal, but can easily explain this.  First we unscrewed the entire frame on the walls.  In our case, the bunk stayed put, even after unscrewing, due to the silicone sealant that was used, which also acted as an adhesive of sorts.  Please check this first!!  If this is not the case, you have to be very careful this frame doesn’t fall on your head while removing it. This part is a two person job!  As I carefully took a razor knife to break the silicone seal under the frame, my husband supported it to make sure I wasn’t injured.  All went well!  Another idea would be to take a jigsaw or reciprocal saw and cut it apart as you go. Again, whatever way makes the most sense, given how your set up was constructed.  The main thing here is to carefully remove this upper frame, which in our case was simply screwed and silicone in place (kinda scary, huh??)  No wonder these things have weight limits!

Step 5:
My super smart hubby had the idea to reinforce the new bed by doubling up the lower and upper plywood pieces.  As luck would have it, they ran cross-ways of each other so it added some stability to the bed.  This isn’t necessary, but was a good use of those extra pieces we had from the upper bunk!

Step 6:
Clean up the walls.  Once you get that frame down and have a stable place to work, you will be left with screw holes and a silicone sealant line.  We manipulated the wallpaper with a flat screwdriver to push as much back around the holes as possible to lessen them, and simply patched them with a dot of spackle and a dot of beige paint to match the wallpaper.  Can’t even see the holes!  The sealant was removed with a straight razor blade, slowly scraping it off.  No damage whatsoever to the walls!

Step 7: 

Make the mattress as comfy as possible!  We did a lot to make this remaining sleeping area comfy.  First we doubled up the two mattresses, then I added a 3 or 4″ memory foam topper (I trimmed it where you see the angle).  Next, I added a thick feather bed topper purchased inexpensively through amazon.  On top of all that an old fitted sheet to hold it all together, then a final fitted sheet – a luxurious Ralph Lauren Sateen sheet set purchased on clearance at a local TJ Maxx.  Nothing but the best for my guests!  Now you are ready to make up the pretty bed!

Step 8 and the big reveal!
Now it’s time to decorate!  To make it really pretty, I took the original window valances down and simply made a pattern out of them and sewed up prettier ones.  These roll down and snap into place to create privacy.  (That project is a separate tutorial!)  Then, I found and added some light and airy bedding pieces I had at home – a down comforter, blanket, coverlet, shams, throw and decorative pillows.  I must admit, the bed is NOT EASY to make (but then again, none of these beds are!).  Lots of climbing around, but worth it, dontcha think?  So I make it look pretty once, then tell the guest to just do their best while on our adventures, no fussing while having fun!
Now, about those white curtains.  Many ways you can do this part – but for me, I wanted something less about utility and more about “pretty” –  to give the illusion of both luxury and some semblance of privacy.  The are simply light, filmy, sheer drapes attached to the ceiling by use of Command spring hooks.  Found on Amazon.  They are stationary, but add a little something extra to the look.  I made tie backs out of the curtain fabric too.  Some people may want to actually close the curtains, so you would need to find a different way to mount them.  I have heard that large command hooks on the ceiling will house a curtain rod.  I will leave that part up to you to figure out!  I felt closing off the area fully would, again, feel claustrophobic to our guests.  It wasn’t necessary because our bedroom in the trailer has privacy doors, so we all felt good with it.
And…Voila!  A beautiful little sleeping cove!  Our guests absolutely loved it!  They felt very special and pampered and that is exactly what I wanted.  They said the bed was super comfy and worked just fine for the two of them.  Now, our camper sleeps 8 instead of 10.  So what?  Who wants more than four people in these things anyway lol!  An added bonus of this renovation is that my husband and I use it as a daybed for watching TV, reading etc. It’s a much more useful space for us!”

 

Susan and her husband did a fantastic job! I have never seen a remodel like this so I wanted to share it in a special post. I thought it was such a unique idea to make. I am sure you are wondering how with the extra height you get into the bed but they are planning on either building some cute steps or get a step stool. I also love the bedding! The whole makeover-renovation makes me just want to crawl into that bed and never leave. 

Now for the all important disclaimers.  We are not construction, RV or trailer specialists and make no claims or warranties about this project.  Do your homework first.  If you have any concerns about any impact this renovation may have on your rig, your warranty, etc. please consult the experts.  To us, since it was a simple screwed to the wall frame, we saw no issues or impact and weren’t overly concerned about any of the above.”

 

A little more about Susan:

If you are interested in seeing any of Susan’s work she has her website. She also has social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.  She is also going to be making some military themed art work in the future so make sure to follow her on social media to find out when she lists them. I’m sure they will go quickly. In case you’re looking for some patriotic decorum for your RV, travel trailer or camper. 

 

Christina LaPlaca

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