There is a lot about Mako that deviates from the original plans laid out in the 1978 Toyota Chinook, of those, only one really stumped us. The reimagining of the bed platform was procrastinated for months before we had no choice but to put our heads together and make it happen, I mean, we had completely run out of other things to do. You can only sketch out so many wanna-be CAD doodles before you admit that its time to conjure the reality.
The original interior was too far gone to be saved. Im talking total rewrite. From mouse poop lodged in the walls, to the aged shag carpeting the color of pumpkin vomit, we were left with the duty of stripping out the interior and starting from scratch. But let’s be honest, we kind of prefer it that way.
Originally, we planned to just rebuild with the original design and dimensions, but there was one major problem; the bed is simply too small for two people to comfortably sleep on for every night of the foreseeable future. The dining table/couch unfolded into a bed not much larger than a twin, great for a weekend of camping; not 365 nights of overlanding. Sure, I love Ashley, but I love night time breathing space even more.
I was determined to design something better, particularly something with more elbow room. Chinook had another interior layout called the ‘Dinette’ which turned the table into a bed that laid cross wise, the issue: I’m 6’3” the interior width of Mako is barely over 5’9”. Back to the drawing board.
I continued brainstorming until I stumbled across Pinterest pictures of a kids sleeping cot that clipped onto the sides of the ceiling. This brought life to a new plan: utilize the space above the cab in a way that would not involve blocking the view from the two coolest windows in the truck. Our heads could rest in the space above the cab, and I could engineer removable platforms that would connect, resulting in a spacious sleeping area with minimal setup time. A bed fit for a queen, bigger even than the bed we currently had in out apartment.
This was all great in theory, but making the idea in my mind translate to reality, was another challenge all together. After drawing up a million unsatisfactory design concepts, I finally settled on three separate platforms that made up the couch, a smaller one for the back rest, and 2 identical pieces to act as the seat of the couch. These 3 platforms would sit on rails attached to each wall set to the same height as the cab.
Bed Specs:
- The rails are built out of 1”x1” square tubing attached to an “L Track” that is anchored to Mako’s metal frame.
- Each platform is built out of 4 pieces of 1x1x1/8 angled steel (lol nope) and 3/4” birch plywood topped with 2” high-density mattress foam wrapped in a water resistant fabric.
- Platform #1 is 14” long and 62” wide
- Platforms #2 and #3 are 24” long by 62” wide.
- The total length of the bed including the stationary platform above the cab is 7’6”
It was coming together beautifully, the bed was exactly the right size and light enough for Ashley to pick it up and maneuver it into place without any trouble. Or so we thought..
We climbed into the bed we had spent the last three days building with huge triumphant smiles on our faces. The project that had haunted the building process for months was done, this was the bed that would carry us to a peaceful dreams for years to co.. *CREAK* Beneath the weight of both of us, the frame bent to an alarming degree. We froze, both worried it was going to snap in half and impale the floor with us crashing on top of it. I hopped off and it bent almost back into shape, though there was definitely a new curve there. Barring a scenario in which we both undergo leg amputations, there was just no way the frame was going to hold our weight for over a year. It may not break the first night, but I wasn’t willing to put money on the 2nd. There was nothing for it, I needed repeat exactly what I had just done with beefier steel. With new 1x1x3/16 (150% thicker) angled steel to play with, I didn’t leave the shop until 3 am that night, determined to have the bed build done and over with.
The platforms were built, they folded into a couch with ease. just one last obstacle. How to keep the platforms from sliding onto the floor every time we took a turn?
The backrest platform was easy, It set nicely into custom built brackets that were attached to the wall then clipped in to eliminate rattling, the sitting platforms however, were prone to tumbling at the slightest jolt. With only a month left before we set sail on the open road, we ended up settling for straps that sandwich the two platforms together and to the wall, it works and is hardly noticeable, but we hate it. In the five months since we installed the first one, we’ve had to replace them three times as they become frayed and break under the stress.
*If anyone has had to deal with something similar, and has a more elegant solution, please send us a message, We are coming up blank on this one!*
All in all, we are extremely happy with the way our bed worked out, it works for us. If you’re considering integrating this same model into your chinook/van build here are a few pros and cons to chew over:
Pros:
- You get to keep the storage space under the couch
- In Mako, this space accommodates all my tools and extra parts, waters, first aid kit, 400 ah battery bank, and the occasional miscellaneous items. No small feat.
- Allows for a wider corridor, making the interior feel spacious and homey, much less cramped than the original.
- Allows the couch to sit at a more natural height, again, this makes us feel as though we are in a home rather than a car, a huge comfort when traveling long term.
- It can be set up in under 5 minutes.
Cons:
- It’s just a bit too heavy for Ashley to easily maneuver it into place, she can do it, but it’s much harder for her.
- The space to pick the platforms up and turn it into place is tight, resulting in some scratches on the window screens when we weren’t being careful.
- Sleeping with the top down is much less comfortable. It can be done by placing one of the wide platforms on the floor and flipping the other over and sleeping as though you’re on a trundle bed. Not ideal however, and something we avoid when we can.
Do you have an out-of-the-box and on-the-road sleeping set up? Share it below!