Chinook RV

I had mentioned to someone in a private message that I was building a new couch/bed and was going to post eventually on the build when I was done. But I wanted to give him and update with a picture, and you can't have attachments in private messages, so I posting here.

I guess I'll post here as things progress. It will take a while to be completely done, as I am moving my batteries inside, under the new bed, next to the fresh water tank. And will also have the fuses and switches along the bed, just above the batteries. Assuming everything works out

The bed has a 7" storage layer under it, above the water tank/heater. It makes the bed/couch taller than the dinette cushions, but I really, really, need this space

I am using the 8020 Aluminum rails that have been mentioned before in the forum somewhere (that's how I got the idea). I really like them, though it does get expensive. I am using the 1.5" rails, with lots of supports. A friend of mine laughed when he saw them last week, though he admitted that he also likes to over-build things like this. I am paranoid regarding the bed weakening one day from all the travel vibrations, or my girlfriend and me playing on it, and crushing my fresh water tank, water heater, and/or batteries! Not to mention the weight of the tools and things I'm probably going to have under the bed in the new storage area.

Progress update on couch/bed. Looking good overall, making adjustments currently. The couch was secured with a 1/2" thick bolt, and yes, the bolt does go all the way through the floor and has a washer and nut under the chassis, and it takes two people to remove the bolt. In my case, the bolt, nut, and washer, was very rusted and it took hours of holding, banging, multiple wrenches, PB Blaster, and sweat to get the two bolts off! I need to get brackets that I can use to bolt to the floor, or modify the brackets I have, for a larger bolt hole. One of the current brackets has a slot (to allow adjusting where the screw will be tightened), and I don't have a drill press to force the drill bit steady in the middle of the slot to make the larger hole.

In the picture you can see the 7" storage level, and one cushion laying on top to give perspective. Once I've adjusted all the rails just so, then I need to go buy plywood for the storage layer and bed layer. The couch back is not in the photo, but it came out too tall, so I will be cutting about 3" off it, and rounding the top edge just a couple inches, so it is more comfortable leaning against it. It will slide into the aisle when sleeping, probably held up by a small bench. Other than that, I like the cushions.

You can see on the left along the wall that I'm using the 2x4 wood beam that was already there for the original couch. I'm thinking that I may have a version 2.0 in a month or two, replacing that wood beam with a 8020 1.5" rail, as it will make it easy to more perfectly line up the rails on both sides (you can't see in the photo, but it is off being level by a slight amount).

Or maybe I'll find that I don't notice it and just leave the wood beam. Note that the beam was held up by just two 1.5" legs (and they were shaved thinner at the bottom!), plus all the screws that hold it to the wall (which is a 1/4" plywood panel I found). I added another two 1.5" legs under the middle of the beam for more support. I have photos of that for another time.

The 2nd photo I just had to show, as it is a weird electrical junction attached to the back of the plywood wall, completely inaccessible, only visible using a flexible wire camera for seeing in walls. Could get any clear photos, and, from what I can tell, only way to get to it is completely removing the entire wall.

The photos are sideways in the posting, but if you click on them they come up correctly.

Bob

Glad you are posting the progress - thanks! I keep thinking I'd like to modify the stock couch base a bit. Those round bars that go to the outside wall are always in the way, as are the feet that go down to the floor bolts. I wish I knew how to weld! (Then I could just modify the frame with 1" steel tubing as it mostly does what I want it to.) The 80/20 does look so clean though. I like the three "compartments" in the "shin" area. I keep thinking that I should modify the bottom door into two or three parts. Nothing like clearing the entire living room just to reach in for one little thing with the one long door

I have my batteries and main bus bars, plus solar controller and inverter under the couch and have zero complaints. Both the solar controller and batteries have temp gauges on them and they both stay nice and cool even in very hot weather (and while the solar controller is working). Of course I don't pack things in around them.

Since the wire junction thingie photo came up first: Very interesting. Is there something on the outside of your rig in that spot? Alien docking port? When I took my original water heater out, I could see wires running along between the outside wall and the inner wall paneling just above the hole, but they are "normal" wires and easily accounted for (water heater).

Looking forward to watching your progress.

BG

PS: Do you feel as goofy as I do running one of those borescopes? Geesh, you see something and want to shift it a bit to get a better look and it goes every which way but toward the thing (because it sort of works backwards/upside down). Or at least mine does. I'm sure the neighbors get a good laugh when I'm using it anyway. "No, THAT way! No, up! I said up, you darned thing! No, the OTHER up! I just had it, now where is it? Grrrrrr"

Ah, that's what those wires are! I got turned around on my scope - the left side is the outer wall, and that is the junction for the cable TV connectors, just to the right of the hot water heater on the outside!

Those 3 compartments you see are just the spacing of the supports. The outside of the storage area will be taken up by cabling, Class T and MBF fuses, main switches, maybe even a gauge or three. I don't plan on moving the main AC/DC fuse panel from under the drawers next to the sink, but also don't want cabling along the bottom of the couch, blocking access to the water pump, so the cabling will stay along the storage level. The storage will be accessed by lifting the top (split in two pieces, each 35.5" wide like the cushions). May install struts later, to make lifting the cushions and board easier. Kind of like people have in houses for a window seat with storage under it. At least that is the plan so far.

BobW9 wrote: July 17th, 2018, 9:58 am Ah, that's what those wires are! I got turned around on my scope

Guess that answers my question about whether your scope has the disorienting display like mine does

No doors at all on the front is not such a bad idea - especially if they don't lead to anything in your design. (In my case I have access to the battery switches and etc. there.)

BobW9 wrote: July 17th, 2018, 9:58 am I don't plan on moving the main AC/DC fuse panel from under the drawers next to the sink,

Don't take this as arguing your plan (in case it comes out that way), but just to be devil's advocate. If you do eliminate the brown box, you get a *glorious* giant/square/handy/accessible storage compartment. I would hate to give that up now that I've had it for a few years.

In my case it went like this as far as what the brown box did:

1) Automatic transfer switch - not needed since I don't have generator auto-start. The AC panel has a simple manual slide that allows you to select one power source while it blocks the others.

2) Charger - not needed or wanted since even the best charger I could find that fit in there didn't have temp compensation or the adjustability I wanted.

3) AC panel - replaced by Blue Sea AC breaker panel with two sources and four breakers (so equivalent to ATS and AC breakers)

4) DC panel - replaced by Blue Sea fuse block. I gained a few fuse positions as a side bonus. Breaker panel is slicker, but not really needed and much more expensive plus fewer mounting options.

These things can all fit under the couch (well, under my couch anyway), and/or in other places around the sink cabinetry (if desired).

For example: I mounted my charger against the shower wall above the "box" that surrounds the shore power cord (on my era rig, but I imagine there is always some wasted space in that corner especially on Concourses with the ell counter).

The AC panel isn't mounted yet (can you tell how often I plug in?), but I have a couple of options under the couch or sink area. Since I am going with a marine panel I needed stranded wire to crimp ring terminals to (RV's seem to all use solid AC wire -- guh). But then they needed to be extended a bit anyway. So I used a large junction box mounted atop the shore cord box under the sink, and matched each wire to an Ancor stranded equivalent. That accomplished both extending the wires and making them stranded. Voltage drop is not a concern with 110 volts.

DC fuse block is temporarily hanging out on the wheelwell under the sink on a "bread board." This is achievable with the original length wires. It could stay there mounted to the cabinet wall. I think I will extend the wires and put it under the couch (don't want to add too much wire as there is already more than enough voltage drop, but less than three feet will do it).

Okay, sorry, I don't mean to be killing your couch thread. (OTOH, since your batteries are going under it, maybe it's okay? I can move this if it seems like a hijack.)

Now I have a glorious square super-accessible storage space where the brown box used to be (it's huge!). And a better charger. Also, the DC wire attachment method in the brown box is prone to loosening (driving vibrations) and can cause melting and maybe fires (OTOH they can be checked and tightened periodically).

Just an idea

I also replaced my bed.

Once I removed the old sofa, I assembled a frame using slotted steel angle irons with 2x4s & 1x3s for support. The back angle iron was attached to the same mounting wood pieces that held the old sofa. There was enough space over the water tank to install a drawer.

I stained and installed an oak 1x3 lip to hold the mattress. I had to reposition the spring clips that hold the 2 drop-down access doors. The top of the bed was covered by plywood that I cut into 3 sections, which allow easy access to the pump and HW heater.

I purchased a 7” firm 32x72 mattress and two 36” wedge bolsters for which I ordered customs coverings.

Got the wedges from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004EW ... UTF8&psc=1

The mattress from Estee Bedding:
http://www.esteebedding.com

The slipcovers from Slipcovershop.com:
http://www.slipcovershop.com/Product_Li ... _cover.asp

Wow, that's nice too! I can't decide whether this makes me want to post my couch mod (because wouldn't a bunch of couch mods be a great resource) or not (because you people are outclassing me ).

Bob: Do you think we should start a new thread? Keep this one for your 80/20 couch? Or turn this into a couch mod sampler thread?

I say, couch/bed mods rule! Let's parade the mods people have made, I'm interested.

Looks nice, Bill. If hadn't been so desperate for more storage, I'd have gone for something like yours. I like that drawer.

I'll be adding a few photos this weekend, the frame is about done. But now I need to pick nice wood, and start building out the front of the storage for fuses and switches (and haven't designed that yet, just the general idea). Summer Fun.

Bob

Great, let's bring on the couch mods - thanks for sharing your thread, Bob. I'll see if I can put something together on my humble mod.

I know you know your way around electrical (After all, I did my very first Chinook electrical mod based on your description of changing the coach radio wiring D ), but I'm going to mention a concept I picked up while doing a friend's new lithium system (we had set his system up originally for AGM and recently modded it for a lithium bank), and that is having a separate bus for "load" vs. "charge." First of all it potentially sets one up nicely for any future lithium mod, but also.... it just turned out to be so handy and logical (at least to my mind). In it's simplest form it just requires one more switch and a separate positive bus/fuse bar.

So in other words, you have something like House bank ---> Big honking fuse ---> Two "equal' switches
Switch A ---> positive load bus
Switch B ---> positive charge-source bus

Then common negative bus.

I'm going to mod my Chinook setup this way. Handily, I already have an extra switch mounted, so will just need to add a charge bus and move the solar/generator over to it (alternator combiner comes in on the Big honking fuse, but then it has its own switch anyway (but it could go to the charge bus, alternatively).

Looking forward to seeing more of the 80/20 couch, plus anyone else's couch mods.

BG