Smart beds

[Ted III]

Are the the new beds that you push a button really nice? I could motorize mine but then they would drive right through the outer doors into oblivion. I never did understand how to install the stops so I think I will leave this procedure to Tom & Patty.

[Rick Coleman]

SlimSlider offers motorized units. Nice, but they are expensive enough as is.

[EngineerMike]

SmartBeds are, IMHO, the best thing to happen to motorhomes since room slides. Wife Annie figured them out @ DRR this last week (I had her bamboozled into thinking they were mysterious), and now she wants her share of space in the basement!!
Never had that problem w/the hinged doors you have to crawl into.

[Voiceman]

E-Mike, you might want to talk with Woodinboater about SmartBed allocation. I got to the site too late to meet you but did look at the coaches on display and talked with Rich. Woodenboater and his wife were very gracious in sharing their Alpine story with us. We are still looking.

[big jimbo]

If you think you like smart beds, try to figure out where you are going to put anything that is over about five feet long.

I only owned my 06 Apex for less than a year and the smart beds were already starting to give me trouble.

[EngineerMike]

The long stuff goes in the propane compartment. I put coupling nuts on some bolt end threads by the jack stands & used all-thread hanging down to hold the front edge of a sheet of plywood, then hung the rear edge by chains off the rear side of propane tank. Took some 8' lumber to Mexico last Dec., and again to the DRR to assemble for testing steering, and it rides great.

Once I've emptied the 38 gal. propane tank (with AquaHot, I only have a gas stove & the gas side of fridge while boondocking, so that'll be a while), I'll install a full 3/4" plywood floor like Bob Kapp did on his Apex, and trade the cross-wise (heavy) tank out for a 10 or maybe 5 gallon model, and carry a 2.5 or 5 gallon spare, then load even more junk into that bay just behind the front wheels. I can close it up w/sheet metal between the two tire skirt bulkheads and make it watertight with enclosures around the jacks. Lotta volume there