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Newbiie help needed: suggestions for Mattress for a bigger bed


Trishie

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Hi, we are just buying our first narrowboat. We need to make a bigger bed, thankfully the carpenter has some ideas about the base design, but we don't really know the best way to go with the mattress. It will have to be pulled out at night and pushed, folded or stacked during the day. Have you any advise about form or type of mattress? And any ideas where to buy the adaptable mattress.

Thank you in advance.

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7 minutes ago, Trishie said:

Hi, we are just buying our first narrowboat. We need to make a bigger bed, thankfully the carpenter has some ideas about the base design, but we don't really know the best way to go with the mattress. It will have to be pulled out at night and pushed, folded or stacked during the day. Have you any advise about form or type of mattress? And any ideas where to buy the adaptable mattress.

Thank you in advance.

The Edwardian bedding company is a brilliant company and make them at their premises to any spec you ask them. A tip.............DO NOT have a pigmy length cross bed they are the thing of the devil and messing about putting a bed bottom up and down is the pits. Just sayin like.

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Hi Mr Smelly, which style of bed do you recommend? I was thinking about adding a pull out bit down the length of the bed, still sleeping down the length of the boat. I just don't know how to add and manage that extra bit of mattress.

thank you for your reply we have so much to learn.

trish.

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6 minutes ago, Trishie said:

Hi Mr Smelly, which style of bed do you recommend? I was thinking about adding a pull out bit down the length of the bed, still sleeping down the length of the boat. I just don't know how to add and manage that extra bit of mattress.

thank you for your reply we have so much to learn.

trish.

Hi Trish

You will get many replies and much banter on here. Some people buy cross beds which have to have some part of it made up in order to use the bed ( between port and starboard side of boat across ), that is their choice but like marmite crossbeds are the thing of the devil. Extending it lengthwise is fine as you can leave the bed made up and use it anytime. You can specify precisely what bits of mattress, how long etc etc with such as The Edwardian bedding company. They made ours in about five days to delivery at 6ft 6 inches long by 4ft 4 inches wide precisely!! Top quality article, many others use them. If you want one making in several bits take them a drawing and they will sort it for you. google them :cheers: They are Yorkshire folk so you can speak straight John Bull with them.

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I built my double cross bed out of 4''x2'', spaced cross slats, two hinges and a shed door draw bolt, which folds up in half with the draw bolt at the foot whic locates in a hole in the toilet bulkhead to hold it up and secure to walk past whilst working the boat. The mattress and sleeping bag bends up and down with it with no trouble at all, 2 seconds to put up or down and saves a lot of space. I was thinking of spring loading it, but if it suddenly were to let go in the night I'd become suddenly and permanently L shaped.  Last winter I thought I'd wet the bed but it was only hot water bottle that burst. 

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On Legacy we have a pull out main bed. One mattress is 3 feet the other is 2'6"

When pulled out there is just enough room for me to edge passed to get to the bathroom - and yes I get the smaller mattress on the inside against the bulkhead. There is a slight lip on the long side of the bed to stop the outer mattress moving off the base.

During the day, the bed slides in to be 3 feet wide with the smaller mattress on top and so gives great access to the stern. Using fitted sheets and the elastic straps with clips the sheet on the smaller mattress stays put, the quilt folds over the top and the pillows just stack. Whole process is done in less than a minute both ways.

Smaller beds just don't let us have the rest we need. I may have photos if needed.

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I agree with Tim re the cross doubles P.I.T.A ... ! I have a standard 4' mattress with a 1' wide lengthways extension , during the day it sits against the wall on top of the main mattress and at night i pull the mattress out a foot and it fits in the slot making the bed a comfy 5' king size ... if i was doing it again i would probably just opt for a 5' mattress on a lifting base with a couple of bolts as bizzard suggested or chains as i had on a previous boat to hold it up in the day ... incidentally a 5' bed still gives clearance to get past at night even with a radiator along the opposing wall to the bed.

Rick 

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Hi Rick,

Thank you for your reply. You've described exactly what my husband pictured. We've spent this morning talking through your suggestions. This is all so exciting, I doubt whether I'll ever sleep again so reducing the need for a bigger bed.

thank you,

Trish

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10 hours ago, dccruiser said:

I agree with Tim re the cross doubles P.I.T.A ... ! I have a standard 4' mattress with a 1' wide lengthways extension , during the day it sits against the wall on top of the main mattress and at night i pull the mattress out a foot and it fits in the slot making the bed a comfy 5' king size ... if i was doing it again i would probably just opt for a 5' mattress on a lifting base with a couple of bolts as bizzard suggested or chains as i had on a previous boat to hold it up in the day ... incidentally a 5' bed still gives clearance to get past at night even with a radiator along the opposing wall to the bed.

Rick 

Yes a good idea. Incidentaly I am with you re width. Mine is 4ft 4 inches which although only 4 inches wider than a 4 ft does make it more comfortable for two of us. I wonder why people always seem to stick with 4ft because as you say my extra width makes it no harder to get past but much nicer to sleep on?

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We`ve installed a 4`6" horizontal hideaway bed (http://www.hideaway.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_9OXyvuY1wIVJDPTCh0c2w6vEAAYASAAEgIVJvD_BwE) which takes seconds to raise and drop plus gives a social space during the day. We`ve a holding tank under a further seating in the lounge. Have decided however that I`m going to reduce its width to 4`0" as due to a radiator on the opposite wall to that which the bed is stored during the day means my night time exiting is a bit difficult. Obviously takes standard mattresses. Just a thought.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9

Should add MIGHT reduce

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44 minutes ago, Sea Dog said:

I can't be doing with a metric bed, 'cos I'm made in feet and inches!

The bed size was determined by the need to cover the water tanks that sit under it. The nearest available size was metric from IKEA. Is your name Procrustes?

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13 hours ago, sharpness said:

Cant be doing with all this pulling out, fitting in, dropping down & lifting up, just have a standard length, 4ft bed, fore & aft, can be left made up & ready to fall into at any time & cuddle up a bit if you're used to a wider bed!!

Second that!

Designing something that you might want to change later - when you actually use it has its challenges. So--

I bought two 2'3" bespoke sprung mattresses (Couldn't get a double into the car) made an extendable CoD unit to fit underneath them. The idea at the time was that you could stack the mattresses if and when you needed a wider corridor (never used) The bed is higher than usual as the Management likes to look out of the windows in the morning whilst having a cup of tea. The height means that we have two blanket drawers and two relative deep drawers above.

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" Can't be doing with all this small bed stuff, 1400 x 2000 fixed bed with a small passageway. "

  • Can't - Not until we agree a divorce payment
  • be doing - get around tuit
  • all - some
  • small bed - not a big bed
  • 1400 x 2000 - kingsize in length and slightly bigger than a double in width
  • fixed bed - sensible bed
  • with a small passageway - liable to digestive disorders

which gives:

Not until we agree a divorce payment will we get around tuit some not a big bed which is kingsize in length and slightly bigger than a double in width which is a sensible bed liable to digestive disorders. Ok?

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