Bed modification

[Tinker]

Hello, everyone. Just joined the forum to share a modification I've made to our new to us California Ocean. But first thank you all for the fabulous info and guidance made available here.

Like most people here the decision to buy took a while but once done no looking back! Great easy to drive car with occasional parking care being the only driving compromise that I can see.

Anyway, the modification. I like the many different ways you can load up and use the Cali, very flexible.

But the lower seat/bed with the rear boot shelf does not help. Basically, I hate the rear boot shelf. Too heavy, does not tilt up when fully loaded below, blocks kitchen cupboards, minimises lounge floorspace, leaves tiny floorspace when bed is setup and blocks kitchen cupboards even more.

So I decided to take a hacksaw to the rear shelf. Not for the faint hearted!

All above grumbles improved enormously.

Of course, I'm not suggesting anyone does this. Just showng what I've done. Hope thishelps.

Have a look at the pictures and let me know what you think.

Notes:
I'm 6' 2" and bed is still ok.

Short bed length only available on top shelf position.

The frame does leave an 'impression'
on the seat back but comes out over time. I will use a couple of leather patches to protect the seat back in future

Space when loungelounge


Space when bed


How much I cut off! Gulp. About 19cm

 

[Bellcrew]

Hello, everyone. Just joined the forum to share a modification I've made to our new to us California Ocean. But first thank you all for the fabulous info and guidance made available here.

Like most people here the decision to buy took a while but once done no looking back! Great easy to drive car with occasional parking care being the only driving compromise that I can see.

Anyway, the modification. I like the many different ways you can load up and use the Cali, very flexible.

But the lower seat/bed with the rear boot shelf does not help. Basically, I hate the rear boot shelf. Too heavy, does not tilt up when fully loaded below, blocks kitchen cupboards, minimises lounge floorspace, leaves tiny floorspace when bed is setup and blocks kitchen cupboards even more.

So I decided to take a hacksaw to the rear shelf. Not for the faint hearted!

All above grumbles improved enormously.

Of course, I'm not suggesting anyone does this. Just showng what I've done. Hope thishelps.

Have a look at the pictures and let me know what you think.

Notes:
I'm 6' 2" and bed is still ok.

Short bed length only available on top shelf position.

The frame does leave an 'impression'
on the seat back but comes out over time. I will use a couple of leather patches to protect the seat back in future
View attachment 40906
Space when loungelounge

View attachment 40907
Space when bed

View attachment 40910
How much I cut off! Gulp. About 19cm

View attachment 40909

Original idea, what are you using for a mattress?

 

[Taff7996]

Very interesting but Personally i would try and source a secondhand rear shelf to cut

 

[motacyclist]

Thanks for sharing that, you are very brave cutting the shelf!

A few years back I replaced the shelf with a shorter one I made up out of plywood; as I think the bed is too long for a lot of people and like you I wanted more room for loo etc when the bad is made up. However, I had to put legs under the plywood to support it and these got in the way of loading stuff, so in the end I went back to the original.

I don’t think I have the bottle to cut up the existing shelf, but I’d have a go on a spare one!

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Tinker]

Very interesting but Personally i would try and source a secondhand rear shelf to cut

I've got a Brandrup ixtend topper. Cut off some of the foam length with electric kitchen carving knife. Only slept on it once but seems to work well.

 

[Tinker]

Thanks for sharing that, you are very brave cutting the shelf!

A few years back I replaced the shelf with a shorter one I made up out of plywood; as I think the bed is too long for a lot of people and like you I wanted more room for loo etc when the bad is made up. However, I had to put legs under the plywood to support it and these got in the way of loading stuff, so in the end I went back to the original.

I don’t think I have the bottle to cut up the existing shelf, but I’d have a go on a spare one!

Welcome to the forum!

Thank you.
Yes doing it took some thought. No doubt replacing it would cost far more than it should. For me it was worth the risk of failure cos it improves many areas of flexibility/use. Just need to protect the seat cover fabric for repeated use.

 

[Auberg-ine]

Love people with electric knives in Cali's! Makes me feel less weird as 'the one with the drill'
Still waiting for 'the one with the paint brush'

 

[Jay20cali]

Often thought about hinging the rear bed shelf in half to give more living space as reimo do with there veriotech bed systems the mattress also splits and flips over many experiences of vw campers over the years and the floor space in the California is very small ...
Obviously ud need a second rear shelf because it won’t suit everyone

 

[motacyclist]

Interesting that you have managed to slide the bed under the mesh. Is there no way the bed will go underneath without cutting the shelf? (Too cold at the moment to go and find out for myself! )

 

[Tinker]

Interesting that you have managed to slide the bed under the mesh. Is there no way the bed will go underneath without cutting the shelf? (Too cold at the moment to go and find out for myself! )

I don't think so without damage. The outer frame is very thick. Cheers

 

[motacyclist]

Another thought, if the shelf is in the lower position without the mattress bit, will the seat slide over it? I must check when it's warmer!

 

[Mike Maguire]

Interesting post!
A few months ago I posted a modification here, but more of a substitution. Ours is an only vehicle and when not just the two of us & the Beagle girl I fit the 5th seat. So the bench seat just had to go futher back!
Solution was a 1x0.6m low cost table with screw on adjustable legs from Ikea (£16.00 all in). Very important that the table is just high enough so as not to project into the recess in the back of the bench seat & trap the seat belts. I then attached 2 heavy duty straps from the metal rods lower on the seat back to come up in in front of the table high enough to attach 2 dog harness car restraint leads plus a dog matress. So now we can carry 2 Beagles in the rear (son has one as well) plus 5 humans!

Camping ... whip out the table & 5th seat (40 kilo!!), slide bench forward & refit backboard (08 reg, so a heavy board version, not metal frame).

Btw, Beagles are very happy in the back having good rear & driver side vision plus the rear of the bench seat for support under heavy braking if & when necessary.
All my car bits & bobs still fit in under the table.
Ok, cheap & cheerful but works fine.

(The older backboard fittings on the body of the van defeated me, couldn’t see how to refit the seatings in the two sides, otherwise might have been tempted to get a second board & shorten.)

 

[bassbikemike]

@Tinker (and @motacyclist ) thank you for this, it has inspired me... I feel another project coming on...! ;-)

For some time I have been frustrated by the fact that the bench seat can't go back further, though it hadn't occurred to me that the bed was actually quite a bit longer than it needed to be (I am also 6'2") - eureka!

I have an older T5 with the wooden shelf. I'm not familiar with the metal shelf, but all the hardware (hinges, retaining bolts) are removable on the wooden shelf, so when it gets a bit warmer outside I plan to get 2 lengths of angle iron, mount the hinges to the ends of this and secure a shorter, shaped, plywood shelf to the angle iron and the retaining bolts to the underside of the plywood. I will have to find a suitable subsititute for a shorter shelf pad/topper - any ideas anyone for an economic and attractive solution on that..?

I guess assuming the fixings are compatible, anyone with a newer steel shelf could also do this mod if the hardware on the shelf is removable, or failing that acquire some replacement hinges and retaining bolts as fitted to the older wooden shelf T5 Calis.

The big advantage of this mod is that the original shelf and pad can be retained/stored so it can all be put back to standard if required later.

I have very quickly sketched up my idea

 

[bassbikemike]

Further to this, I have just thought of another variation, which could provide even more flexibility...

You could split the board and hinge the section nearest the bench, fixing the angle iron to the rear-most static portion and making sure there was adequate length of angle iron to bolt to the static part. This would mean being able to slide the bench back even further in the day time, while retaining good bed length at night

 

[Mike Maguire]

Further to this, I have just thought of another variation, which could provide even more flexibility...

You could split the board and hinge the section nearest the bench, fixing the angle iron to the rear-most static portion and making sure there was adequate length of angle iron to bolt to the static part. This would mean being able to slide the bench back even further in the day time, while retaining good bed length at night

******************
Yup ... both great ideas. I did contemplate the first, but sadly, when we moved most of my tools got buried deep in the garage which is full of “stuff” right to the front except for a narrow pathway to the freezer. So very little workshop facility! & hence the table idea was born!

It’s a tight fit between the sides and the Bench seat outer sides when you slide it back, might have to limit the angle iron section to the length of the side of the wooden “shelf” itself and using heavy gauge angle iron cut back the horizontal part of the angle iron for the distance onwards to the inner side fixings. Might even find yourself getting the projections into the side fixings welded ont the flat sections to minimise projection into the space the bed will slide back into. I might have overstated the tightness of fit here, easily checked by sliding the bench back once you’ve loosened & slid back the floor rail stop in the rear. The other limitation for how far you can go back with bench seat .... if still using it for adult tall passengers .... will be the overhead locker across the back.

Re the cushion for the made up less deep rear shelf, down here in Exeter I came across a specialist disability-focused workshop that made up specially designed one-off items from foam. In my case it was to be for a bespoke dog bed to fit in the rear, but as if happens I found a standard dog mattress with a durable cover that fitted well enough so didn’t go ahead in the end.

If you do go ahead, please update on progress here!

 

[bassbikemike]

Cheers @Mike Maguire for the additional pointers re widths and clearances and bed foam mattress ideas...

Will certainly come back and update this thread if/when I tackle this project

 

[Cali1]

Why didn’t I think of this!
Ive had my Cali Coming up to seven years, love it, I average four months a year living in the van, 50/50 upstairs / downstairs sleeping weather dependant.

I’ve usually got wet outdoor gear and boots drying within the small space between the bed and the front seats when the downstairs bed is been used ..I wake up in the morning fighting for room feeling I’m in a Chinese laundry horror flick ( it can sometimes smell that way too!!)

The original idea chopping the shelf is brilliant.
Thanks for sharing will be doing this once home again.
Can see the benefit also for my dogs one sleeps on the bed the other prefers the floor when there is space!

 

[Tinker]

Why didn’t I think of this!
Ive had my Cali Coming up to seven years, love it, I average four months a year living in the van, 50/50 upstairs / downstairs sleeping weather dependant.

I’ve usually got wet outdoor gear and boots drying within the small space between the bed and the front seats when the downstairs bed is been used ..I wake up in the morning fighting for room feeling I’m in a Chinese laundry horror flick ( it can sometimes smell that way too!!)

The original idea chopping the shelf is brilliant.
Thanks for sharing will be doing this once home again.
Can see the benefit also for my dogs one sleeps on the bed the other prefers the floor when there is space!

Hia Cali1
Been away for a while.
Glad you think the mood might work for you. It is all more usable afterwards provided you protect the reclined seat back cloth from rubbing. We use an old but if vinyl cloth.

Best advice for the job is to plan the cuts several times before you actually cut

And remember you are actually modifying OEM part and can't unmodifiy it

Cheers,
Tinker.

 

[TripleBee]

Wouldn't work for me. I would even make the bed extension much longer so I fit in better.

 

[chez786]

following this as interesting idea. As may pictures as possible would be ace!

 

[Tinker]

I did originally post photos. What different angles would you like?