Questions about lofted bed design

[skuld]

(initial apologies for bad mockup in paint) So originally, I planned on strong angle iron on the steel studs in my walls. I decided against it mainly due to simplicity and avoiding that thermal conduction.

So now I need to have good support from the floor. I was thinking of doing a full wall through the middle but I don't think it's actually going to give that much more structure than just using posts (plus my wife doesn't like the division). I think the post design gives the most structure, but I'm still looking for other ideas.

I really would've loved to have some strongly mounted metal rails that I could just lay slats between similar to an ikea bedframe I just don't think I'll be able to make enough support for this type of design.

I should mention that there will also be support by screwing a 2x2 into the wall at the head and the foot. I would also still put a couple posts on the wall design to give a bit more support from twisting.

 

[2kool4skool]

Our bed is in the same spot on our bus. Overbuilt and very stable. Under we have water tank, AGM batts, water heater, the cat's hidey spot etc.

 

[skuld]

I think this is the design I'm going with. Need to figure out some exact details on where the posts will hit in the bus, but I think I can just slide the splits over a bit to accommodate. I might also do another post or two in the middle of the bed, and add 1x6's along the face and/or the sides of the posts for some added stability. I'll also screw the head and foot into the wall, but there's only so much support I'm going to get from that pine siding, and I might even be better off to have a certain degree of freedom.

frame and posts on 12" splits

frame and posts on 16" splits

moved the post down to show how it fits into the frame

Added 1x6s around the edge, and 1/4" plywood on top. Might add another 1x6 around the posts (or maybe just on the outside) to add additional support

top view with edges and plywood

 

[o1marc]

If you are securing it to the side walls as support I would use appropriate length screws and secure to the metal ribs through the wood siding.

 

[PNWorBUST72]

We are contemplating something like this for our kids room. A lofted bed with toys and juk underneath.

Question I have is sleeping height for a 6 and a 2yr old.

Also, I am doing it in a MCI8 Coach...

 

[skuld]

With my design, I have about 2.5 feet of headroom above the mattress. While that doesn't sound like a ton, it's just enough for me to be sitting up straight and not hit my head, and I'm 6'0. I'm pretty strapped for headroom in the bus everywhere, so I'm used to scraping anyway.

 

[George-SKO]

Perhaps this can help you out.
Keep in mind this is a narrower bus and just a camper

 

[Thomas1985]

I decided I'm going to use a link spring bed frame because we like a box spring but want more space for storage.
Something like this:

https://www.wayfair.com/browse-by-brand/pdp/symple-stuff-universal-top-link-spring-sypl2238.html

Braced in the back corners of the bus with one leg in each corner at the desired height.

 

[skuld]

So I built it over the weekend, and I'm really happy with how it turned out.

I ended up deciding to mount the edge all the way to the metal stud. I put in a 1x2 to help fill the gap between the paneling and the insulation (still probably 3/8" gap) and drilled a hole into the stud for a 3" lag bolt. I was surprised how sturdy it was, even without the legs. I know it's a thermal bridge, and I potentially messed up parts of my insulation in the wall, but it think it's worth it for the extra support.

We built the frame inside the bus, which allowed us to get everything to be the exact length we needed. It wasn't perfectly square (about 3/4" shorter in the back) but the middle splits are all straight. After getting the edges and the middle two splits, we were ready for the posts.I don't know if it's because the bus is not level, but this picture makes the bed look really crooked. I swear it's straight.

You can see how we cut the posts to accommodate the rail and a split. The way I cut it, the depth was controlled by the height of the circular saw, and I just made cuts every 1/4" or so. This left me with shims that I ended up gluing into place before screwing the posts to the frame to be perfectly flush to the rail. (My dad came up to help with this, and I am hugely grateful that I didn't have to do it myself.)

I put some thin plywood on top and tacked it down to help spread the weight of the mattress. It's only 5mm underlayment, and I might eventually do something more sturdy, but I think it will be fine with the mattress up there.

You can see in the back corner, that I actually fit the plywood to wrap around the wall. This was mostly because we had plenty of length and had to cut a non-square edge, but this is going to keep me from dropping my phone at some point.

It's very high. If I was doing it again I might drop it 6", but it doesn't feel claustrophobic, and my dog is already a big fan, so not going to change it. Plus we have so much room for storage underneath.

It really is quite cozy. Now to cover up the ugly front of the bus to make the view a bit better.