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Old 01-01-2017, 10:04 PM   #1
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Ikea slatted bed base in a 19

I should call this thread; Trilogy of Holiday Mods because 3 separate mods are involved.
a. install the Ikea slatted bed base
b. run antenna cable and King Jack antenna power supply to the rear bumper
c. install a new circuit running from the panel to a new outlet panel with USB and cigarette lighter outlets near the stove.

All mods involve the rear bed area and the decision was made to remove the bed to make access easier.

I did remove the structure and it did make access much easier. It struck me how easy it would be to convert to a rear dinette if one were so inclined.

A couple of things I didn't like caught my eye; one, the 3 fore and aft bed support stringers stop short of the rear ledger. Lots of screws are used to secure them rather than notching the ledger and having them mechanically supported. Debated changing this but left it as is. Secondly, the incoming power cable was left in a large unsupported loop. Since it's solid, not stranded wire, it would just be a matter of time before constant movement created metal fatigue. It was secured to prevent movement.

Temperatures were around freezing when I was doing the work. I could feel the difference in temperature near the Reflectix. Checked temperatures with an IR thermometer. The hatch didn't do any better than the Reflectix. Outside air temperature; -1* C; inside hatch temperature; -1*C. Central area was about 10*C.

I made the decision to treat the area as unheated crawl space and insulate the underside of the bed deck. The deck is unfinished plywood which I dislike and I hate leaving wood unfinished so I painted it. I installed R3 foam on the undersides of the bed deck panels. Since the slatted base is raised and creates an airspace I'll install Reflectix on the top of the bed deck.

We originally bought a slatted base with the intention of putting it in the trailer. We put it on our own bed to try it out, liked it and decided to buy a second unit. We bought the simpler version of slats; the attraction being that it was basically a drop it in situation. Didn't like it, little arc to the slats and virtually no air space. During this time we tried out the ETI mattress on our own bed and found the slats to be an improvement from it just laying on plywood.

Installation was pretty straight forward. The rear two corners were notched to accommodate the curved corners and about 1/4" was removed from each end of the slats.

Ron
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Old 01-01-2017, 10:07 PM   #2
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More pics.
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Old 01-01-2017, 11:08 PM   #3
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How do the slats improve comfort over the plywood? Do they have sorting to them?
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Old 01-01-2017, 11:26 PM   #4
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I was also surprised at the piecework involved in the framing of the bed for my 21; a bunch of 1x2 stick pieces screwed together with a zillion screws. I chose to reframe the bed area as I needed to install an inclined platform with the head 4 inches higher than the foot due to wifey's stomach issues. Really did surprise me. Think that's really the only really mediocre construction I've noticed on our 21.
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Old 01-02-2017, 12:32 AM   #5
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IKEA bed frame

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron in BC View Post
More pics.
Really like the bed frame Ron . Besides air circulation gives a little movement to bed like it was on a bed spring , so bed isn't just on a hard surface , making it very uncomfortable .Guess I need to investigate the bed framing also under ours Pat
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Old 01-02-2017, 09:19 AM   #6
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Quote:
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How do the slats improve comfort over the plywood? Do they have sorting to them?
Jim, If you look closely, you can see a color pattern to the slats. The softer, more forgiving slats cover the hip and shoulder areas. The firmer slats cover the head, upper body and leg areas. You can actually feel the 'give' or 'spring' when you lie down. Very comfortable!
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Old 01-02-2017, 09:40 AM   #7
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Jim, If you look closely, you can see a color pattern to the slats. The softer, more forgiving slats cover the hip and shoulder areas. The firmer slats cover the head, upper body and leg areas. You can actually feel the 'give' or 'spring' when you lie down. Very comfortable!
That makes sense. I never realized that. Makes good sense. I know with a thin wearing mattress, like we had in the '09 19 (5" foam), this is where I started to feel pressure. However, with a good supporting mattress, would these slats still be effective?

I know in our temp trailer we added a 2" convoluted mattress cover to the spring filled mattress we got with the trailer, and that was a HUGE improvement. A cheap temporary fix too.
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Old 01-02-2017, 12:09 PM   #8
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Quote:
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Jim, If you look closely, you can see a color pattern to the slats. The softer, more forgiving slats cover the hip and shoulder areas. The firmer slats cover the head, upper body and leg areas. You can actually feel the 'give' or 'spring' when you lie down. Very comfortable!
Couldn't have answered it better myself.

Jim, hard to explain but you can feel the difference between the mattress laying on a slab of plywood and on the slats. There's a "give" to it. If you were blindfolded and got into the bed you'd be able to tell the difference. Not all the "give" is from the slats. If you look at the end view in the photos you might be able to see that each slat sits on a rubber support the can also compress.

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Old 01-02-2017, 12:19 PM   #9
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I am catching on now. All I have seen from IKEA are the flat ones meant as a mattress support, not designed like these for added support.
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Old 01-02-2017, 12:29 PM   #10
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Ron..this is a 2014 Escape 19 ..not 2nd gen?
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Old 01-02-2017, 01:14 PM   #11
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Ron..this is a 2014 Escape 19 ..not 2nd gen?
That's correct. I don't know if for the 2nd gen. that means the corners are less rounded vertically, probably not much change there and therefore the corners would still have to be notched. I'm thinking that the 5.0TA might be the only model where the slatted base might be able to be used "as is".

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Old 01-02-2017, 01:37 PM   #12
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That's correct. I don't know if for the 2nd gen. that means the corners are less rounded vertically, probably not much change there and therefore the corners would still have to be notched. I'm thinking that the 5.0TA might be the only model where the slatted base might be able to be used "as is".

Ron
The new model trailers at the belly band are pretty much the same, so I bet your retrofit would be identical with the new models.

I would need to get my trailer and confirm in the 5.0, but would guess that every inch of headroom would be nice, though a good sleep would be even more important.
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Old 01-02-2017, 04:22 PM   #13
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I would need to get my trailer and confirm in the 5.0, but would guess that every inch of headroom would be nice, though a good sleep would be even more important.
I agree, I spend more time in bed horizontal than vertical.

The IKEA slatted base is designed for their bed frame. In that use it spans open space. In the trailer, since it rests totally on plywood, the extra width of the side pieces isn't required. I trimmed 7/8" off them. Not much, but as you say, headroom is important.

You can see in this photo both the cut down side rails and the support for the slats. Essentially the whole mattress is floating on rubber supports hence the double "give".

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Old 01-02-2017, 06:33 PM   #14
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... All I have seen from IKEA are the flat ones meant as a mattress support, not designed like these for added support.
Ikea still sells a more plain slat system (LURÖY), which is what I recall too, but even those are now arched laminated springy slats. Long ago, they were just straight solid wood, with little give - we have a single bed of that design (and old Ikea size) in a guest room.

The current system which Ron installed looks like LÖNSET, for anyone wanting more information on the product.
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Old 01-02-2017, 08:48 PM   #15
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You're correct Brian. That's what's shown in post #2. Half the cost but way less than half the effectiveness of the the Lonset.

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Old 01-25-2017, 11:13 AM   #16
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OK, two weeks of field testing and my conclusion is that this is one of the best mods that I've ever done.

In freezing cold weather it seems like the bed is warmer, hard to measure, but having insulation and air space can't be making it colder.

It's the pure increase in comfort that's the benefit and that's what I was after. My wife, who doesn't like soft mattresses in general, agrees that the "give" of the slats results in an increased level of comfort.

Definitely worth doing.

Ron
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Old 01-25-2017, 11:20 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron in BC View Post
OK, two weeks of field testing and my conclusion is that this is one of the best mods that I've ever done.

In freezing cold weather it seems like the bed is warmer, hard to measure, but having insulation and air space can't be making it colder.

It's the pure increase in comfort that's the benefit and that's what I was after. My wife, who doesn't like soft mattresses in general, agrees that the "give" of the slats results in an increased level of comfort.

Definitely worth doing.

Ron
Good morning Ron ! Pat
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Old 01-25-2017, 12:26 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by Ron in BC View Post
OK, two weeks of field testing and my conclusion is that this is one of the best mods that I've ever done.

In freezing cold weather it seems like the bed is warmer, hard to measure, but having insulation and air space can't be making it colder.

It's the pure increase in comfort that's the benefit and that's what I was after. My wife, who doesn't like soft mattresses in general, agrees that the "give" of the slats results in an increased level of comfort.

Definitely worth doing.

Ron
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Old 01-25-2017, 02:52 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by Ron in BC View Post
OK, two weeks of field testing and my conclusion is that this is one of the best mods that I've ever done.

In freezing cold weather it seems like the bed is warmer, hard to measure, but having insulation and air space can't be making it colder.

It's the pure increase in comfort that's the benefit and that's what I was after. My wife, who doesn't like soft mattresses in general, agrees that the "give" of the slats results in an increased level of comfort.

Definitely worth doing.

Ron
curious..does it feel any different if perhaps you are in the middle of your mattress where the two ikea halves are butted against one another?..as in uncomfortable or not, since there is no slat but rather the slat holders? thanks for the field test and it does look interesting..
in the tent/backpacking days just used to hike some more so one could easily fall asleep on the ground....mattress and such is a real upgrade.
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Old 01-25-2017, 03:07 PM   #20
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Does the IKEA slatted base affect the use of the top access door? This is the hinged plywood door under the mattress.
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