http://www.livejournal.com/users/tasteofsilver/

word! we built a loft bed in it this weekend, as you can see. Not bad for the price, i tell ya. Dodge Ram 250 I think. I hope it serves us well. It is called Nettle Carrier.

Me (11:42:15 PM): you have to talk to the van
Alex (11:42:24 PM): i talk to my car
Alex (11:42:26 PM): heh
Me (11:42:27 PM): and refer to it in female ways
Me (11:42:30 PM): like
Me (11:42:33 PM): it is a woman
Alex (11:42:40 PM): when u go through red or yellow lights
Me (11:42:41 PM): because old sailors would be at sea for so long
Alex (11:42:42 PM): hit the roof
Alex (11:42:48 PM): pat the roof
Alex (11:42:51 PM): or whatever
Me (11:42:55 PM): yeah and you have to say a prayer before a long voyage
Me (11:43:05 PM): so before the winter tour, we need to make sure it's christaned
Alex (11:43:08 PM): id rather have a pep talk with it
Me (11:43:09 PM): and that we ask for a blessing on it
Me (11:43:16 PM): no!! there are rules!
Alex (11:43:22 PM): oh
Me (11:43:23 PM): god works in patterns ;-)
Alex (11:43:24 PM): err
Me (11:43:28 PM): we should look up viking tradition
Me (11:43:31 PM): and perform rites

nicholas....you are a very strange man.

The muppet baby i most closely identified with was Gonzo, and then next was Fozzy.

yeah, let's just say I've always been a little "different".

;)

looks like its in good shape! wheres the 3rd guy sit tho? yer not lap riding are you?!

Good question. I think we're going to go to the junkyard and purchase then install a bench-style seat, you know the traditional van backseat, against the wall so we still have room for more equipment or bigger pieces of equipment, and so johnny law doesn't get mad at us for not following the "one person one seat" rule.

We designed the bed so people can sleep while we drive, but don't tell anyone!! that's not in line with the rules of the road!!

I may sound like your mom or something, but , what if yer sleepin and the driver hits the brakes?
Lol ur goin thru that windsheild!!!
you should cargo net it so u dont fly or fall out!!

Thats a sweet van bed man!! Very innovative!
tell me more about the design.

I fought alex on the lack of center support the whole time we built it, but I think in retrospect it's a pretty decent contraption...

Essentially we took a cut section out of a sheet of this layered wood (I forgetwhat you call it, but it's like several thin layers of wood in sheets glued together, or pressed together?" and made a bass that fits between the behind of the wheel wells and the door frame. We screwed 2x4s to that for two of the legs. We then cut two 2x4s to sit on the wheel well, then made cross supports that go from leg to leg at the base of the wheel well supports to the middle of the other leg, and then at the top of the legs on each side to each other. This way the middle is still open.

Next we added reinforcements to the legs to make them more stable as far as cross supports. Then we added a second set of leg (from an old bed frame) to the wheel well supports to prevent the sides from tipping in. We stuffed foam under the leg sections and behind them to protect the window and suppress noise.

The main bed support is really thick wood (that layered wood) between two strips of longer wood. This rests on top of the leg supports (imagine two horseshoes with a board on top of them). Then we screwed all sorts of "stops" (wood blocks located at the end of the leg supports and on the center board itself) to prevent it from moving in directions we didn't want it to move.

The part that bummed me out was the lack of support in the middle of the bed, where the center of gravity of a person is...this part gets the most stress when a person lies in bed (most beds have a "dip" in the middle as a show of this effect). However, Alex recognizes this now and is going to put a steel bar underneath the board so it will be reinforced.


This way, the bed is removable when we need to put bigger stuff in there.

The mattress is from a cot and rests on top.

voila

Beats that box I'm sure you've seen...the evil, evil box...

badass! nice engineering!!
put some restraints on that bed tho!!

a seatbelt on the bed isn't a half bad idea, actually....we should look into that. good call.

let me know if you need that bad larry waxed!

BornSoVile said:

thanks! the bad larry and it's waxing go hand in hand, as they say!