T6 upgrade of upper bed from wooden slats to OEM 6.1 Froli bed system

[Perfectos]

In response to several threads and various posts About the new upper bed system used in the T6.1.

I Thought this may be of use to those that have discussed if this was indeed possible.

I can confirm that it is possible to upgrade the wooden slatted upper bed in a T6 Beach to the Standard OEM Froli system used in the T6.1, it may be possible in an T5 Beach & T5/6 Ocean, but this post relates specifically to the T6 Beach which I can confirm is possible.

The work was carried out by CityGate Wooburn Green, who had never been requested to carry this out before.

method : This was carried out by the Dealer so may not be the exact order the works were carried out: the following is an indication of what was / is required to give an over view of the works involved.

1) Remove existing mattress completely
2) Remove existing living area head lining from existing wooden slatted frame: VW fixings along the sides of the headliner will need to be removed which will probably destroy them, if indeed they are actually still in place. (Plastic Push fit Fixings need to be replaced when fitting the new frame)
a) remove two screws at the front of the bed either side of the access hatch fixings either side of the headliner to the exist frame (to be removed)
b) remove the tambour access cover (slide forward out of plastic rails)
c) undo the Velcro ties to the centre of the slats ( holding the middle of the headliner under the wooden slats)
d) carefully remove the living area headliner and set aside.( to be refitted)

3. ) Remove the two gas ram fixings from the existing bed frame.
4) ) remove the hinge fixings at the rear or the bed (saving the screw fittings for reuse)
5) Remove the existing wooden slat bed frame ( slide forward and carefully lift one side up, to allow the frame to be removed from the van via the tailgate)

6) The T6.1 has only one fixing per side at the front to secure the headliner to the bed frame, the T6 has two holes for the fixings to attach to the headliner: (edited )

fitting is the reverse of of removal. Noting new plastic fixings to the sides of the headliner will be required.

the time to carry this mod out was about three hours, so quite doable with a modicum of common sense and some DIY skill

Please don’t ask me to disclose cost, (I do not have the part numbers of the components either).
this will be dealer dependent, but suffice to say this is the first time the dealer has attempted this and did so reluctantly (initially) ,
therefore you will need to make your own enquiries regarding parts and labour cost if you are interested.

Subsequently (post fitment) I asked City Gate Woburn Green if they would be happy to carry this out for others, which they confirmed they would.

The Bed is obviously of factory order and took approx three weeks to arrive.

see photos below of the new bed system Fitted.

A test sleep has not been carried out as yet (the princess who requested it has not had the opportunity to try it out yet) although on a very quick initial try I would say it makes the bed feel more stable when accessing and less lumpy Particularly to a side sleeper like me.

the original matress and foot end infill pad was retained and re used.

I hope this is helpful to others and shows the possible upgrade from the slatted upper bed to the T6.1 OEM Froli system.

A big thanks to Citygate Wooburn Green Service department for accepting to take this on.











Edit: images of original bed frame / slats for reference

 

[andyinluton]

That sounds a lot more work than I've seen before.
There was a thread on doing this around xmas, which was just removing the slats & replacing them with the new springs, rather than changing the whole bed frame.

 

[Perfectos]

That sounds a lot more work than I've seen before.
There was a thread on doing this around xmas, which was just removing the slats & replacing them with the new springs, rather than changing the whole bed frame.

That was not on OEM upgrade, it was after market retaining the original bed Frame. The above is a complete OEM replacement.

the non OEM upgrade involves pop riveting the new system in place

 

[andyinluton]

I realised that, just wondered why you replaced the whole lot, wouldn't have thought it was cost effective. The after market version ends up with the same springs, fixed the same way etc.

 

[Perfectos]

I didn’t post this to to compare cost, quality and labour of after market modification vs OEM retro fit, i posted it to show it is possible to upgrade to the T6.1 OEM bed system & in response to many questions from interested parties in other threads.

the Squergo after market system comes from Germany via post, which since Brexit brings its own challenges (for an individual).
the after market system offers different springs to the OEM, different fixings (not as OEM) and various spring options which require the existing bed to be modified.
I wanted the OEM Bed system.

Many have asked if it’s possible, it is.

Two after market options lifted from other threads :
after market options don’t look the same In any way shape or form,
the Squergo upgrade from Germany is a partial bed upgrade (as in the first photo,) it still retains some of the wooden slats. The second retains them all.

 

[westfalia]

Without having an idea of the cost, I don't know how good
of a mod it is.

Although it looks good, Mercedes have been using this system
for a while.
DIY is 600€ from here including a new mattress.

Set: Dachbett-Unterfederung und Matratze 121 x 168 cm - VW Bulli T5/T6 - squERGO

Matratzen und Tellerfeder-Lattenrost for Wohnmobil und Caravan. Ganz einfach nachrüsten und ausbauen. Jetzt online bestellen.

squergo.de

Ball park - was your upgrade
1, 0 - 900 quid
2, 900- 1250
3, 1250-2000
4, 2000-6450.

 

[Borris]

In response to several threads and various posts About the new upper bed system used in the T6.1.

I Thought this may be of use to those that have discussed if this was indeed possible.

I can confirm that it is possible to upgrade the wooden slatted upper bed in a T6 Beach to the Standard OEM Froli system used in the T6.1, it may be possible in an T5 Beach & T5/6 Ocean, but this post relates specifically to the T6 Beach which I can confirm is possible.

The work was carried out by CityGate Wooburn Green, who had never been requested to carry this out before.

method : This was carried out by the Dealer so may not be the exact order the works were carried out: the following is an indication of what was / is required to give an over view of the works involved.

1) Remove existing mattress completely
2) Remove existing living area head lining from existing wooden slatted frame: VW fixings along the sides of the headliner will need to be removed which will probably destroy them, if indeed they are actually still in place. (Plastic Push fit Fixings need to be replaced when fitting the new frame)
a) remove two screws at the front of the bed either side of the access hatch fixings either side of the headliner to the exist frame (to be removed)
b) remove the tambour access cover (slide forward out of plastic rails)
c) undo the Velcro ties to the centre of the slats ( holding the middle of the headliner under the wooden slats)
d) carefully remove the living area headliner and set aside.( to be refitted)

3. ) Remove the two gas ram fixings from the existing bed frame.
4) ) remove the hinge fixings at the rear or the bed (saving the screw fittings for reuse)
5) Remove the existing wooden slat bed frame ( slide forward and carefully lift one side up, to allow the frame to be removed from the van via the tailgate)

6) The T6.1 has only one fixing per side at the front to secure the headliner to the bed frame, the T6 has two holes for the fixings to attach to the headliner: (edited )

fitting is the reverse of of removal. Noting new plastic fixings to the sides of the headliner will be required.

the time to carry this mod out was about three hours, so quite doable with a modicum of common sense and some DIY skill

Please don’t ask me to disclose cost, (I do not have the part numbers of the components either).
this will be dealer dependent, but suffice to say this is the first time the dealer has attempted this and did so reluctantly (initially) ,
therefore you will need to make your own enquiries regarding parts and labour cost if you are interested.

Subsequently (post fitment) I asked City Gate Woburn Green if they would be happy to carry this out for others, which they confirmed they would.

The Bed is obviously of factory order and took approx three weeks to arrive.

see photos below of the new bed system Fitted.

A test sleep has not been carried out as yet (the princess who requested it has not had the opportunity to try it out yet) although on a very quick initial try I would say it makes the bed feel more stable when accessing and less lumpy Particularly to a side sleeper like me.

the original matress and foot end infill pad was retained and re used.

I hope this is helpful to others and shows the possible upgrade from the slatted upper bed to the T6.1 OEM Froli system.

A big thanks to Citygate Wooburn Green Service department for accepting to take this on.

View attachment 82145

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Edit: images of original bed frame / slats for reference

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A very interesting project.

Could you please give us your before and after thoughts on the whole sleeping experience.

 

[Perfectos]

A very interesting project.

Could you please give us your before and after thoughts on the whole sleeping experience.

Will do Borris

 

[Perfectos]

Without having an idea of the cost, I don't know how good
of a mod it is.

Although it looks good, Mercedes have been using this system
for a while.
DIY is 600€ from here including a new mattress.

Set: Dachbett-Unterfederung und Matratze 121 x 168 cm - VW Bulli T5/T6 - squERGO

Matratzen und Tellerfeder-Lattenrost for Wohnmobil und Caravan. Ganz einfach nachrüsten und ausbauen. Jetzt online bestellen.

squergo.de

Ball park - was your upgrade
1, 0 - 900 quid
2, 900- 1250
3, 1250-2000
4, 2000-6450.

As I said in the original post, I will not disclose costs to me & I do not have part numbers Of the components.
if I did it could be misleading & may not be representative.
Suffice to say this was carried out as an experiment at my request.

initially the dealer was very hesitant to take the work on due to not having carried out the works before, we discussed what we both believed was required / possible, during which time the dealer put a T6 & 6.1 along side each other and had a tech investigate the possibility and potential difference in parts / required, it was only then they decided to take the work on.

After the works were completed successfully I asked the dealer if they had any issues & would they consider carrying out this modification for others, which they confirmed the works We’re relatively straight forward and would Consider the retrofit for others.

My Retrofit of the upper bed was carried out along with other works including some good will, so cost to me may not be a true representation of the likely cost in the open market. (I simply do not know the true costs and therefore I do not want to mislead others)

i have indicated The time I believe the dealer took to complete the works, on their first encounter, which equates to the time I spent at the dealers waiting area, although I suspect with experience that time May come down.

i purely post this to show it is possible, following various other posts on this subject, which may or may not be useful to others.
may I suggest if you are interested you make your own enquires.

I would add that I dont Think it would be possible to directly compare costs for OEM dealer retro fit of the factory T6.1 upper bed, which replaces the whole bed frame and requires some more parts to be removed vs the available aftermarket parts only mod due to the varying extent of both sets of works. (main dealer Labour costs and OEM parts Etc)

@westfalia I know that may not be the direct answer you wanted to hear but it the best I can offer you without potentially misleading regarding costs.(Either Lower or higher)

@Borris has requested an update regarding comfort of the new system vs old, it will be a couple of weeks, but I will post a review,

although from reading feedback generally from T6.1 owners, particularly those whom have had a T5 /6 previously, with slatted wooden bed & those whom have experienced this system elsewhere I am hopeful of a satisfactory outcome.

 

[2haw]

Nice work.
My partner reckons the T6 Upper bed was more comfortable than our current T6.1. I wouldn’t know because I’ve never slept upstairs.

 

[andyinluton]

I found sleeping on my own in the middle of the T5.1 bed about the same as the T6.1
The T6.1 is far better if there's two up there.
The springs work right to the edge of the bed whereas the slats only work as springs in the middle. Also stops the roll together effect.

 

[Calimili]

Without having an idea of the cost, I don't know how good
of a mod it is.

Although it looks good, Mercedes have been using this system
for a while.
DIY is 600€ from here including a new mattress.

Set: Dachbett-Unterfederung und Matratze 121 x 168 cm - VW Bulli T5/T6 - squERGO

Matratzen und Tellerfeder-Lattenrost for Wohnmobil und Caravan. Ganz einfach nachrüsten und ausbauen. Jetzt online bestellen.

squergo.de

Ball park - was your upgrade
1, 0 - 900 quid
2, 900- 1250
3, 1250-2000
4, 2000-6450.

The DIY takes a normal person, using a manual riveter and for the first time, 2h:30m (described by user marchugo in the german forum.
I assume more than a mechanic, with the full resources of a dealership, have taken in Perfectos case 3 hours of labour.
It is definitely a lot more involved, changing the whole frame. In the diy it is just a case to jank the wooden slats out, lay the aluminium traverse and rivet it to form a frame on/with the existing Cali frame and attach the springs.

Assuming time/labour/skills be irrelevant, as it is often the case for diy projects to make any sense, the whole OEM 6.1 frame plus the springs cannot be cheaper than 600€, especially when coming from VW.

Especially this part I'd like to avoid:
"d) carefully remove the living area headliner and set aside.( to be refitted)

3. ) Remove the two gas ram fixings from the existing bed frame.
4) ) remove the hinge fixings at the rear or the bed (saving the screw fittings for reuse)
5) Remove the existing wooden slat bed frame ( slide forward and carefully lift one side up, to allow the frame to be removed from the van via the tailgate)"

Even if it was 100€ cheaper , I would still opt for the DYI, as it is by far much simpler than swapping the entire frame.

As Perfectos said, his thread is more to confirm a swap T6/T6.1 frame is possible, rather than making sense. He had a particular set of circumstances that was worth going the OEM swap route rather than Froli.

To find out if it makes sense we'd need a quote from the dealership, but like I said, I think the parts will be more than 600€ and the job complexity would put me off.

 

[andyinluton]

Especially this part I'd like to avoid:
"d) carefully remove the living area headliner and set aside.( to be refitted)

3. ) Remove the two gas ram fixings from the existing bed frame.
4) ) remove the hinge fixings at the rear or the bed (saving the screw fittings for reuse)
5) Remove the existing wooden slat bed frame ( slide forward and carefully lift one side up, to allow the frame to be removed from the van via the tailgate)"

I was thinking that bit sounded pretty easy & would be worth doing if going the DIY aftermarket route so that all the pop riveting etc could be done in comfort in the garage, rather than crawling round the roof space.

 

[soulstyledevon]

The only two questions that need answering are:

Is it more comfortable than slats…?
The cost…?

Im guessing the dealer isn’t going to touch this for anything less than a grand. Potentially more.
I can’t see it being anymore comfortable, unless two heavies are upstairs.
The problem with these types of mods, is it’s all subjective. When someone has spent lots of money on a modification such as this, they will always convince themselves it was worth doing.

Good effort anyway @Perfectos
Hopefully it works for you.

 

[Borris]

Whilst we don't sleep up top that often, I/we have always found the existing slatted roof bed to be reasonably comfortable. I am curious about what others think about the improvements the new bed base offers. However, even if they are considered substantial, given our limited useage, I doubt if it's something I will consider doing. Interesting project though.

 

[soulstyledevon]

Whilst we don't sleep up top that often, I/we have always found the existing slatted roof bed to be reasonably comfortable. I am curious about what others think about the improvements the new bed base offers. However, even if they are considered substantial, given our limited useage, I doubt if it's something I will consider doing. Interesting project though.

Its actually my preferred bed.
Even when sleeping on my own in the van, I usually head up to the roof.

 

[Saesneg Shaun]

Nice write up Perfectos, Thanks for taking the time to do it.

I do sleep on the 6.1 top bed and find it pretty comfortable but i've never tried the wooden slats

 

[Calimili]

I think it depends a lot if you usually sleep on your back , on your side or on your stomach. I can sleep in all these three positions, I did find, sleeping two up, that sleeping on the side can be a bit uncomfortable on my shoulder, especially since I'd be at the side-end of the slats where they are less flexible.

If you sleep on your shoulder or on your stomach it will hardly make any difference I believe.
It is like choosing a mattress, it depends how heavy you are, how you sleep and how you like it soft/hard. So there isn't a definitive answer.
I'd like to have the Froli for those nights where I unconsciously turn and sleep on my shoulder. But it is not 600€ so bad that It needs addressing.
Might obtain a better result with a S2S inflatable mattress at half the cost

 

[BeagleMum]

I didn’t post this to to compare cost, quality and labour of after market modification vs OEM retro fit, i posted it to show it is possible to upgrade to the T6.1 OEM bed system & in response to many questions from interested parties in other threads.

the Froli after market system comes from Germany via post, which since Brexit brings its own challenges (for an individual).
the after market system offers different springs to the OEM, different fixings (not as OEM) and various spring options which require the existing bed to be modified.
I wanted the OEM Bed system.

Many have asked if it’s possible, it is.

Two after market options lifted from other threads :
after market options don’t look the same In any way shape or form,
the Froli upgrade from Germany is a partial bed upgrade (as in the first photo,) it still retains some of the wooden slats. The second retains them all.

View attachment 82162

View attachment 82163

As with any accessory be it for a Cali, another vehicle, house etc it’s all about choice. If it is something you want, you feel it is beneficial to you, you can afford it then go for it and enjoy it. Don’t let your enthusiasm be dampened by any negative options you may receive. We hope you enjoy your upgrade

 

[bvddobb]

We went for the after market Squergo system last year Nov. rather than the OEM system, after we compared the two, even though our dealer was more than happy to put in the OEM system, and had given a quote for it.

Our reasons:

• The dealer quote (incl. placing it) was twice as high as the price (incl. delivery to our home) of the Squergo system;
• The Squergo system has discs with greater depth than the OEM system, in principle more comfort;
• The Squergo system has different types of disc springs that are easily replaced/exchanged, so in consultation with the manufacturer different people have been able to realise different set ups, each to their liking (different weights, sleeping modes, build). For us too. The OEM had one size fits all only.

It took us 1h 45' to put the Squergo system in, being no really experienced DIY'ers (had never operated a riveting gun before).

It's good to see that more different, feasible choices are becoming available, now, the OEM, the Froli and the Squergo!

 

[OGII]

Always good to see someone testing what can be done, so thanks @Perfectos . Also nice to hear Wooburn's service can be good...

For the moment we'll stick with putting 2x narrow sim mattresses side by side under the existing VW mattress in our T6. It's a slight faff but softens things slightly and allows each sim to be at a different pressure with less sliding around.

 

[The Merle]

So I use to always sleep up in the roof in my old Cali had wood slates.
I now have a joker with froli system which I think is way more comfy, but saying that I still use a 2.5mm duvalay topper.
The froli system does work a lot better with 2 over the wooded slate type.
Great mod and I’m sure you will be pleased.

 

[westfalia]

Especially this part I'd like to avoid:
"d) carefully remove the living area headliner and set aside.( to be refitted)

Once I read that bit I realised its not going to
be a DIY job.

 

[Perfectos]

Once I read that bit I realised its not going to
be a DIY job.

10 plastic VW fixings down the side of the headliner and various Velcro straps to the middle of the liner which attach to the wooden Slats.
the headliner weighs nothing and will bend somewhat to allow removal from the vehicle. (Using the available space between the under side of the bed and the floor to angle the headliner and remove through the tailgate.

Not beyond the whit of man (some anyway )

im pretty confident that had I had the new bed frame supplied, I could have done this Retro fit with no issue at all.
A methodical approach, Basic tools, clean hands and a bit of care is all that would be required as in most Diy jobs.

As your probably aware, the headliner fixing heads are renowned for snapping on their own,
on mine 4 of the 5 on each side had been replaced by me with two part VW panel clips, I simply popped these out before it went in to the dealer, leaving only two fixings holding the headliner in place:
VW fixing ; Grey two part popper: the middle expander part (use a flat blade screw driver to lift the edge slightly then a clean V pronged trim tool to remove the expander and repeat for the retaining part)

the remaining Original fixings simply had to be snapped off the fixing shaft to release the headliner, new fittings were used to refit. (The original bed base still has the serrated shaft showing where the head was removed by the dealer)

 

[Daveb999]

Its actually my preferred bed.
Even when sleeping on my own in the van, I usually head up to the roof.

Agreed, very rare I sleep on the bottom bed.