How to Modify Residential Sofa for RV Camper Van Comfort Build Wheel Well Vanlife
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- čas přidán 30. 10. 2018
- Wouldn't it be great if you could just take a residential sofa and put it in your RV, Van, Camper - but it won't fit because of those troublesome wheel wells - in this video I show how to open up a residential sofa, modify the frame, re-support the structure and re-attach the upholstery, it's not as bad as you would think.
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FINALLY someone who demonstrates how to fit a house couch over the wheel hump thank you , thank you , thank you ! Your video is the ONLY ONE I found ( out of thousands ) that explains how to do it properly again THANK YOU SIR !!
I like how you aren’t afraid to try new things. Not many people would modify their sofa.
It took me quite a while to work up to cutting up a brand new $800 sofa. The sales lady tried to sell me a warrantee until I told her what I was going to do to it. I finally figured if I can cut it up, I can someday rebuild as well. So glad I did it, crazy comfortable.
It is amazing to me how you can reconstruct things to fit in odd places.
Hehe - I spend a lot of time pondering things like this. I hate puzzles but for some reason I enjoy sorting problems like this out. I remember trying to figure out the Rubix Cube. It drove me crazy so I tore it apart, reassembled in proper sequence, set on my shelf and never picked it up again - problem solved!
Awesome job! 🙂 I also modified a residential sofa for my small 22ft class c.
Couldnt you use some of the extra fabric off the back and add it to the bottom front and sides. This way you can have extra hidden storage under the sofa. Maybe it wont hold too much but long items would work. Space bags with extra clothes and bedding would work great. I had enough room to add 3 large drawers that I put on rollers. It is so great to use that extra space that would have otherwise been un-used. It looks great in there and more like a cozy home now. You need comfort more than walking around room. Walking around us for outdoors and inside is supposed to be a comfy retreat after a long day outdoors or bad weather 🙂
I absolutely agree. Comfort is key. I was concerned that the headroom would be a problem as it is about 3" too short for me but I find that I am not standing up much and sitting way more. I like that I am not having to heat the extra headroom. I have been pondering how to best use the space under the couch especially since I raised it a bit. I like the roller idea as I noticed if I put anything against the wall at the bottom, I get some condensation buildup. The wheels would likely solve that problem having some circulation under it. Thanks for the great ideas!
@@timdillen
Awe! Your welcome 😊 I'm excited to see the finale. I bet it's going to be wonderful😊 Where do you travel too when your able? I live in Michigan and since my rebuild is almost ready I will be leaving here and heading to Arizona on January 1st. I'm going to the RTR in Quartzsite 😊 then I'm going to travel around the Southwestern states for awhile and take some time to honor my mom by sprinkling some of her ashes at some amazing sites.
Well you take care and I hope you get to go somewhere warm for the winter too 😊
Not to bad. You got lucky that the seat deck didn't use springs like the old style sofas.
Those have enough tension to just collapse the frame if the structure is week. I've seen it happen on test builds of frames.
That metal strip with the teeth in it to keep the back tight is called take metal.
If you do this again take a cheap flat head screw driver and use a grinder to cut a slit down the center of the blade. This makes it what is known in the furniture biz as a tack puller.
You can also grind the blade of the tool to be a little sharper so you can get it under the staples.
Put one tooth between the prongs of the staple and twist. One prong of the staple will pull free and it will twist around the tool allowing you to pull the other prong out.
This tool would have taken the staples out of the sofa in about 20 minutes tops.
Pulling the staples was very tedious!
Outstanding! I really appreciate how your mind works...if fact, if I listenclosely, I can hear the gears turning. You remind me that it's possible to make almost every project possible IF I remeber to think it trough! Thanks for sharing. Journey mercies.
Thank you for your great comments! I spent all day yesterday on a project, then woke up this morning, didn't like it, tore it out and spent all day rebuilding it. Version 2.0 is so much better than 1.0. I mention it in the video that will come out where I build a slide out for the fridge and pantry.
I could totally hear your huge smile when you said 60 inch TV lol
Hehehe! Absolutely! It's all built and it is wonderful. Video to come.
Wow, it worked out well and looks great! Thanks for sharing :))
Thanks - sitting on it right now answering comments using the 65" TV as the monitor keeping warm with just a little space heater. So happy!
It's looking really good!
Thanks! Oh so comfy too!
Hadn't thought about doing this, but it's a great idea!
Thanks! Was way way easier than building one from scratch and far more comfortable!
Sofa, so good!
I am loving it! I spend a great deal of time especially now that the TV/Monitor is installed on the wall so I can do my computer work on the sofa. Thanks for your comment and for watching!
That's what's up 👍🏾
Glad you liked it!
You would be my friend - great videos
Awesome! Glad you liked the videos and thanks for your kind comments and for watching!
Great wall opposite sofa for projector screen
65" 4K TV/Monitor installed - video to come! Thanks for watching!
@@timdillen How about an exterior camera hooked up to that big TV... then it will look like you wave a window on that side too. :)
Big wave 🖐 from the Piedmont. Hit me with any questions on the drivetrain. I found you through the stealth prius videos, I am looking to invert for emergency generator and camping.
Cool! I have a couple more videos on the generator and a/c unit if you haven't already seem them. The one on winter RV camping with the photo of the snow has the prius/ambulance/generator/inverter setup.
@@timdillen So no problems with a 2k inverter? On a regular alternator system I understand it would be too much. I am considering a (or possibly two) 750 watt msw inverter(s) in mine. When I get my wife hers for carpooling kids she will get a Similar setup. My intention is only for light and communication during no power, entertainment is not a need and climate control is available in the car.
The HUGE plus is the lack of a noise signature and how little fuel by comparison than a stand alone generator.
The 2000 seemed to work fine. I don't know i really pushed it. I ran my 750 watt microwave a few times. The 750 inverter might be a little more efficient and make less heat. I had to vent the compartment that had my inverter in it.
Did you get your TV? Do you still have this MAV?
Right after you leave DMV please sign up with Good Sam's Club (or similar) Having a front tire go or needing a tow could cost $500. A commercial grade diesel is a princess.... she wants it, she wants it NOW, and she ain't going to do anything till she gets it.... and it's going to cost daddy a thousand dollars.
Good advice! I don't think AAA would be of any help with the ambulance. Thanks for watching!
That gray material from the back of the sofa is a light weight imitation of your commercial dark gray carpet. Your (20 oz.) carpet has straight rows of yarn. The staples on the sofa were attached helter skelter, however staples on the carpet should be applied between the rows of yarn, to be hidden. This is how a carpet installer knows if a pro installed commercial carpet. He'll look for the carpet to be glued down and a "small" amount of staples to be attached in a straight line, between the rows of yarn. That piece of metal at the corner with nails gives strength to the flimsy material stapled to the back of the sofa. For any future projects needing material on the underside or hidden backs of chairs or sofas, that light weight commercial carpet (20 ounce weight) works wonderfully glued and stapled to hardwood furniture frames. Acts to strengthen the frame and as a sound deadner.
Good to know! I should have done a bit better job on stapling the carpet between rows.
From what I could see, you were born with a God given talent. You can look across a 20 ft. room and see if a picture frame is 1/16'' out of square. I can do the same. It's an artistic given.
Hehehe! Some times it is a curse! I go to people's homes and see all their flaws in the drywall installation and curves in the framing and sloping ceilings and keep staring at them (and do my best to keep my mouth shut). Now that I did the cabinets I look at people's kitchens and notice that the tops of the drawers and doors don't line up. I have an upcoming video where I cut the support between two cabinet doors to make a big opening. I spent a lot of time getting the fittings just right. You will appreciate it.
Well done 👍. A question: I bought an armchair from Pier 1 last year and altho rarely used the front right fat spindle type leg with the long screw broke off. It was actually the triangular filler piece that holds the receiving hardware. I took that piece to a local upholstery guy who made me a new piece out of scrap hardwood. It was awful workmanship but I paid and left. The chairs frame wood is extremely hard and I had difficulty reaming a screw into both sides (considering nothing is square off at all). Well, my older son sat on it and broke it again..bad boy! Pier 1 wont honour any defects so I’m on my own. Do you have any ideas about how I can get this structure working again? Gluing not an option bc rejigged piece is not squared or flat nor does it reach both sides of main frame. Sometimes the smallest jobs are the most ornery!
The particle board that the furniture is made of today is terrible so the hardwood is a blessing. The best thing is to add some new wood in the weak spot to make sure you have something to make good attachments. Then get a 1/8" drill bit to make pilot holes. Use wood screws and put in with screw bit on drill. The screws will go in without breaking up the wood board and should not take a lot of hand strength - if too hard to screw in then make the pilot hole a bit bigger. If the new wood is exposed then paint flat black. I noticed that Lowes sells quite a nice variety of legs for chairs, they are over in the millwork section near doors and windows. Might could get a pair of matching ones. This is great practice for building your dream conversion camper!
PSC Camper Conversions Thanks!
I thought generators had to be outside, to vent... ??
RV's have generators in the lower bins. They do need to be vented property to keep from overheating and from getting fumes inside. The bins in the ambulance are vented in the back to the underside. I would need to enlarge them and plan to add powered ventilation with small fans. I would also add a temperature sensor to watch the heat. I have a CO detector in the ambulance. Thanks for you question and for watching!
Thank you for answering! Your videos are very interesting to me!@@timdillen
First!
I thought this would throw you off being Wednesday but you did it!
@@timdillen Yeah, my bad sleep doesn't discriminate on days!
John McCain would be proud of you, when will it be shipped out to isis in Syria?