fabricating a metal frame

Here's me roof as is. Minus the side hammocks, although I've stuck em back in now

Looking rear to the roof storage shelf


Looking forward to mini roof bunk


@davidoft the Devon boards would normally sit on the roof opening as in middle of PIC I think, but you can see the slide out frame for the canvas is raised up a bit so I want the bed over that to create one big bed

 

What board do the pro roof installers use for the froof beds? None of them seem to say what it is on their sites

 

Well I feel beaten, pain in the arze Viking roof.
I've tried countless ideas to make a huge size bed to take advantage of the space up there, spent hours frolicking in my roof, measuring, making mock ups, every idea is flawed.
Think it would be easier to do away with the Viking canvas and mechanism, and just fit a normal style bellows/canvas.
Pah.

 

I have to admit I still don't understand what you're trying to do.
Which way will the users lie?
You're not trying to cover the end bits, just where the hole is, but extend over the edge?
How will peeps get up there?

 

If you think of the big Moonraker roof with a couple of big bed boards yes?
Well I'm trying to recreate that, but also to increase the width, because my Viking canvas extends out over the side.

BUT ( this the pita bit)

Its not as simple as just having very wide boards........because when the roof is down, the width is that of a normal roof bed, so with wider boards left insitu the roof won't come down and close.

But I can't just have wide boards and remove them to store elsewhere for roof down, because as the poptop roof slopes, its almost impossible to get them into position (lifting and turning) up top without damaging canvas and poptop roof lining.

So they need to be small enough to leave in position for when roof comes down, but also to then extend (somehow??????) To fill that extra space when roofs up and canvas slides out over side


Its hard to describe, easier to demonstrate!

 

Also because of the Viking sliding frame that pushes canvas out to side, the bed boards need to be raised up over that mechanism, they can't just sit on the frame work of the roof cutout!

 

Could you answer my questions please.

 

I'm not familiar with moonraker beds.

 

I think its same as lordcongi ? A huge full length side elevating roof, big bed boards making a massive bed up top

 

So why not copy that?

 

As above......my canvas extends out over side so I wish to make the bed wide enough to fill the whole space, otherwise small people will roll off side and get stuck under bed board and between canvas

And

 

Like I said would be easier to demonstrate than describe

 

The upright tube on the sticky out bit - what's that for?

 

I took a super viking roof/bunks to bits once - enough to get the poptop off and paint the tin roof.
It had the same mechanism and as far as I remember the bed was attached to it, so can you use this for your plans?

 

You mean the bit on right of PIC? That's the strut to keep frame /canvas in position.
You can see the silver tube sticking out to right horizontally? That's part of the frame to push the canvas out over side of van. The upright bit then slots in position to hold it all in place

 

Not really, as this is the "small" basic Viking it has none of the bunk stuff you find in a super Viking. My variety had two canvas hammocks which were no good for me so I removed

 

There only kids, let them lay on their sides in the roof canvas, turn them over half way through the night. Let them be thankful for having a lovely holiday in a camper van.

 

What about a normal sized board. Long piano hinge with a flap to cover the Viking gap and a bar or bars pivoted in the middle of the board to support the flaps and stand on roof to raise the whole gubbins up to the required height
Put in flaps folded. Turn bars to support flaps and stand on roof and the drop flaps. Make the bars out of some decent box section and the bit that sits on the roof put a rubber cover on

 

This sounds like one of the ideas I've tried to make work, but it just gets so bloody complicated!
I'm starting to think it'd be easier to get rid of the Viking canvas and mechanism, replace with a normal one like this

 

I've made up a temp roof bed today so we can get camping, but at some point my roof has to Come off for work to be done anyway, so may be easier to do a canvas swap then.