Swapping bedroom configurations

[sander17]

I am interested in changing the bedroom configuration of a 345 classic motorhome from queen to twins. The idea would be to swap the beds between the motorhome and a 96 Excella trailer. Are the mountings similar? It appears that the length is sufficient. The 96 trailer is a widebody with a nitestand between the twins. The queen would be installed in the trailer. This looks easy, but I have not seen the motorhome in person yet. Does anyone know of any hidden interferences I should watch out for? Jackson center refuses to do a straight remodel of the motorhome due to its age.
Thanks for any advice.

Dave in the frozen north
Okemos, Michigan

[Condoluminum]

I'll let other motorhome owners chime in later, but there are several threads you can search looking for "twin beds" or bedroom conversion around this site...

Primary concern is to check actual unit to see how Airstream laid out under-bed storage units, plumbing, etc etc.. ALL beds in a trailer have something going on underneath them ( ) and there is chance that reconfiguring may cause interference fit with storage bins or water piping or electrical cables and access..

Beyond that, project involves skilled plywood-based carpentry skills, as nothing is quite straight or rectangular, and needs to match curved wall and tapered sides... Given a good saber saw and some patience and lots of wood, it's a do-able project, though you will probably have to accept lighting and nightstand options that don't look factory-built also...

There are good debatable points on both sides of argument about building bed into center lengthwise, or against one side, or aligned sideways, and may deped on underneath storage bins again... Lengthwise against wall means "someone" will have cold or warm wall beside them, and bed hard to make.. In center probably won't work with storage units. Sideways might be better, though units of that vintage had less width than new trailers do..

John McG

[smily]

Doesnt the MH have a set of drawers on the curbside and or vanity?

The twins typically rest against the outside walls.
If that is the case, you would have to sacrifice the Drawers.


Smily

[sander17]

Gentlemen,
Thanks for your responses.

John,
I am not too worried about the carpentry, I've built furniture and had lots of home improvement projects.

Smily,
The twins in the Excella have understorage bins, so sacrificing a set of drawers would not cost too much. The only floorplans I have seen for the motorhome were for a different year, but they showed the only difference in furniture between the two options to be an additional nitestand in the twin version. The other cabinetry in the two versions in the motorhome were the same. As far as the installation of the queen bed in the trailer, is the matress the same dimensions as a queen bed in a house?

[smily]

If I am not mistaken, the bed in an older classic MH, or trailer for that matter, is actually a double and not a queen. I could be wrong.

The queen in my Landyacht is not as big as my queen in my house. It is close but not quite as large.

The drawers I am referiing to are actually a vanity type dresser if you will. The cabinetry does hide some other things. There is a thread some where that discusses expanding the usability of this dresser I am speaking of.

smily

[swebster]

Dave,
Keep in mind that the fresh water tank (80 gallons) is located under the "queen" bed in the 345. You also have the rear air bag compressor and water pump to deal with in the curbside rear portion of the bed. I've had my bed out and am planning to reconfiguring mine (opposing couches). I'm pretty convinced you would need to install a new water tank up against the curbside wall to make everything fit.

Pretty sure the 345 was available with the rear twin configuration with a center set of drawers so you know its got to be possible.

Check out www.airstreammotorhomes.com for some good inside pics of different foorplans.

[sander17]

Steven,
Forgive my ignorance of motorhome construction, but are you saying that the fresh water tank is above the floor? I was expecting it to be below, like on the trailers. Hmmmmmmmm........ Verrrrrrryyyyy interesting.....

[swebster]

Indeed it is located above the floor. Fairly typical location in gas MH construction as it has the advantage of not freezing when the cabin is in use.

In the 345 there is a storage compartment on the curbside which spans above and below the floor. The water tank sits (above the floor) the fuel tank (directly below the water tank under the floor) and the black and grey water tanks (both below the floor, streetside).

[ALANSD]

Not only is my tank under my front couch above the floor , but the valve to empty it is behind it, under the heat ducts where no human hand can reach.

[sander17]

Wow,
That means that all the fluids are behind the rear axle, water, gas, grey and black. Just to make sure, you are refering to a rear bedroom 345, right?
That weight distribution would seem to make the tail want to wiggle the dog.
No wonder that Airstream only allows a very small toad behind the classic motorhomes. I suppose that if the fresh water tank is above the floor, it is easy to change out for a different shaped version that would fit under a twin.

[swebster]

Yes - mine is a 345 with a rear bedroom, perpendicular "queen" bed config. Our plan is to convert it into a rear lounge with opposing couches. Since we're "travelers" more than we're "campers" and we have at least our three young children with us in the MH, changing the floorplan into a more modern "two zone" layout should give us some seating flexibility while enroute without loosing the conversion into a bedroom in the evenings.

BTW you're looking at 500 lbs of gasoline (80 X 6.25 lbs per gal) and 666 lbs of water (80 X 8.33 lbs per gal) all behind the rear drive axle and much of it behind the tag axles.

In operation the tail does not wag or yaw like you might think. I've driven other mid eighties MHs on the P30 some of which had severe tail wag and weathervaning tendencies. I think the combination of air assisted suspension and the realtively light weight of the AS MH (15,000#) combines for a pleasant, controlled ride when compared to other SOB MH's on the P30.

You do give up towing capacity but if you don't need to tow a boat or SUV there are toad options that will safely work behind the 345.

[swebster]

Dave,
Found this picture on the photos site from another member (Airstream 345 LE). I think this is from a 1989 unit.

[87MH]

Originally Posted by sander17

I am interested in changing the bedroom configuration of a 345 classic motorhome from queen to twins.......

Dave:

Besides the water tank, water pump, water manifold, and compressor under the bed referenced by Steven, there is also the main 120 volt feed solenoid under the forward portion of the east west Queen (this, also, is located on the curb side). The solenoid isolates the shore based electrical inlet whenever the Generator is running to ensure no sharing of electrons goes on.

Not a big deal to relocate, but something to think about.

With everything going on over on the curb side (all of the items mentioned above, plus the Outside Storage Cabinet mentioned earlier by Stephen), the potable water tank would probably have to be mounted under the drivers side twin bed. The only existing utility currently on the drivers side is the gasoline fill, which would probably not interfere with the water tank mounting.....the primary problems of mounting the water tank under the curb side twin will come from two sources - one, all of the potable water weight will be carried by the driverside tag and dual wheels (check the current weight and see how the weight is now distributed and how much "arranging" can be done), and, two, a new water fill access door will have to be mounted on the drivers side (the current water fill would be on the curb side).

The 345 would also lose the large storage drawer under the Queen bed. Of course, it could also gain the night stand between the twins.

The Queen bed in the 345 is an "RV Standard Queen" - same width as a "Residential" Queen, but about 6" shorter.

BTW, a standard residential queen will fit on the East West 345 Queen platform - you just loose the "walk around" at the foot of the bed (which is almost unusable anyway), of course the last few inches just hang over the platform, but the installation of a residential Queen in the 345 has worked very well for us.

Luck

[sander17]

Something that at first blush seems simple, never is. I have been researching this possibility for some friends who are hoping to go from Excella to 345. They prefer the twin configuration and wanted to know whether to restrict their shopping. It looks like a big deal to change the bedrooms. Adding a water fill to the side of the unit really complicates things.
Thanks for all the information. Our crew of experts in the forum are the best!

[swebster]

I would say look for a 345 that already has the rear twin configuration would be the best solution. Everything would already be right where it's supposed to be.