Chinook RV

Hi, new member here..
I live in Europe and own a 2000 low miles concourse. Main problem is the sleeping accomodation.When alone I find it more comfortable to sleep on the sofa without opening it.
I need another bed for my dw . Any ideas ? I think I will scrap the chairs and pocket table and try to fit a convertible sofa or single bed over the existing boxes. Has anybody done it ?
Ron in St Tropez

Welcome! Lovely place to have a Chinook

I have the Club Lounge plan as well. I have had both of the chairs and bases in and out, as well as the furnace and the table. I have posted photos in other threads if you want to search them (furnace removal). I didn't find it too hard to remove/install. I can think of a number of ways I might accommodate a second sleeper. I'll just mention a few:

1) Maybe a bit unconventional, but a Thermarest type inflatable sleeping pad (~25" x 75") fits perfectly on the floor between the sofa and the club lounge base boxes. Then just lift it up in the morning, Japanese style - nothing else is affected for daily living.

2) Remove Club seats from bases, attach cleats to sides of bases in the center (or just lay a board over them) and then put foam on top. Instant 24" wide, 74" long bed.

3) I have seen where someone essentially took those two base boxes (without the chairs) and built them up to be the height of dinette seats. Then they put an adjustable height table in between. The table lowered down at night and voila, twin bed. Not as comfortable as the club chairs in the daytime perhaps, but not much different than many booths.

4) There was another Chinooker who made the Club chairs quick release, then put them in the driver/passenger seat area overnight (to me they are a bit heavy for that!).

5) Some folks just go all out and make a twin bed on that side, then use a table in the middle.

I have an arrangement right now where I kept the forward club chair base, but since I didn't find the club chairs all that comfortable, I got a take-out folding seat from a mini van and mounted it there instead, to the original swivel. Now I have a headrest (ahhh), arms, and a reclining back. Slides forward/aft just like a car seat (and like the original club chair). I can also touch the floor now with my feet (the Club chair was a bit too high up for that; I think the furnace drove that height). It's small enough to be removable (back folds flat forward onto seat), so that might play into a plan? I then put in a more normal sized table (removed little wine bar thingie) that is around 24" x 32" (although not square on aisle end). I'm just reconfiguring the aft seat base, but the plan is to just make it a bit higher so it is like a "booth" type base seat. I didn't use the second seat and wanted a bit more space there for other purposes, but with the ability for someone to sit there at times.

Maybe this gives you some ideas.

BG

PS: Not sure if you have looked underneath yet, but you basically only have two things to accommodate there.

1) Under the forward seat base is a (tightly fit) furnace. I removed mine, but that's because I didn't use it and wanted more storage. It can be taken in and out, although the first removal requires reaching some screws that require a bit of cursing.

2) Under the aft seat base is part of the wheelwell (not removable! ). I think later versions may have had the safe there (mine is under stove), and/or a central vac.

Late reply to your ideas...I think I will just put a board over the bases and have a bed made in the shape of the wall after removing table/bar. It is the easyest way to go.
Thank you for the detailed explanations.

That's a good idea. Even if you decide to do "more" later, you'll have a better idea of what you want/don't want, and you won't have lost much (effort). I have figured that if I had a friend along for more than a couple nights, I'd simply remove the club chairs and secure a bed base over the boxes. Something like a Thermarest or REI car camping self inflating foam pad (3" thick) is very comfortable, and they are typically around 25" or 30" wide. For short guest times, I use one of those same pads and just lay it on the floor in the aisle. It's actually pretty comfortable (no feeling like you might fall off like a similarly narrow bed) and each person has some autonomy and more personal space than a 44" opened couch/bed (22" apiece there...). I use the pad on my bed customarily, but can shift it to the floor for those times (so don't need to carry anything extra. I like these pads because you could basically sleep on a bed of nails and never feel it! Adding or subtracting air makes it soft, firm, or medium. (They are nothing like old-fashioned "air mattresses" in the way they work/feel.)

But if I were planning my layout to accommodate two people all or most of the time? No question I'd go two bed/couches, one on each side. That's a classic boat layout (only they would be "settees") and works quite well. Of course everyone has different tastes (which is why I really enjoy seeing everyone's individualized mods )

The beauty of using the Club chair bases is that they are basically exactly the same height as the couch base on the other side, and being 24" wide they are wide enough to accommodate a wider, bed-size (RV or boat anyway) bunk. Then if one wants to go back to club chairs, just remove the new platform and fasten the chairs back down.

One "fair warning": It's a bit of a struggle to get to the chair fasteners on the base that contains the furnace. Pretty sure whomever did that at Chinook had the short straw that day! But it is doable. The chair and swivel base together are fairly heavy, but they are easily separated from each other. I have both of my club chairs out (one chair and base both; one just replaced the chair with a more comfortable one on the Chinook swivel and base). Easy enough to store with a protective covering over them where they patiently wait to be reinstalled someday if desired.