We bought a Homestyle Sleeper last fall from a rv furniture place in Nampa Idaho. They have a website www.refurniturecenter.com. although we sold the 78 Tradewinds when we got home we did sleep on the sleeper a few nights. In transit we just sat it upon the cushionless goucho. It was comfy and pretty good looking. and more than anything the price was right.
I dunno what they charge to ship but it is worth a look.
We paid less than $200 for the one we bought.
Tom & Betsy
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WBCCI #6978
There are two ways to die in the desert.
One is by thirst and the other is drowning.
Well you know, if your 25' is like mine, there are no tanks, etc to worry about. I can't see it being too hard to change it to a dinette. Parts might be pricey, but very little labor would be needed as the couch pops out fairly easy and all you'd have to do is screw the pre-cut materials from the factory right in-- heck you might even get them with the fabrics too!
i couldn't sleep on my bed the airstream mattresses are the pits. but i bought a piece of "4" inch memory foam on ebay and i now sleep like a log . my wife keeps bugging me to do her bed as she claims i snore and she cant sleep. i put the foam on top of the mattress, should work for the couch also. no major changes required. you could roll it up in the day time and store on a rear bed. cost would be less than $200.
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AL
2007 chevrolet 2500 duramax 6.6
allison 6 speed
2004 classic 28 trailer
PEGGY SUE security dog
Eric,
There is just storage under the couch, HOWEVER there is a gap behind the couch of about 6 inches (maybe a little less) that is covered in wood (making a shelf of sorts) that stores something important (I don't remember what exactly). Anyway, that is what the Airstream factory and dealer said would have to be relocated to put a dinette in. They were also talking several thousands of dollars, if you can believe that. It shouldn't be so difficult, but it is our understanding that it would be. I don't know what the new ones look like, but I am not sure why putting a dinette in ours would be so involved. My husband stopped listening at the "thousands of dollars" part! Popping the couch out and putting in another couch would be maybe the most practical. I would like a dinette, but cost would be an issue at that price! I need to go have my father-in-law measure the couch and the depth we have to work with if we got a new one. I should have a better idea once we get it up here in a few weeks. I wonder if anyone out there has a 25' 2000 Safari and has slept on the couch???? Just curious.
Last edited by Tin Can Crabs; 03-03-2004 at 07:58 PM.
Al and Sue....is that a dachshund you have there??? I grew up with standard long hair.
Anyway, memory foam might just do it. I would have to start there at any rate. The neighbors will wonder what I am doing sleeping out in the trailer in our back yard!
Eric,
My in-laws have an anniversary edition 35' (I think) with the leather and their couch is VERY COMFORTABLE to sit on and my daughter said it was great to sleep on. The dinette was also pretty nice. I will have to check with Jack. Thanks!
Last edited by Tin Can Crabs; 03-03-2004 at 08:01 PM.
A major problem with sleep comfort on any assembled bed is all the pleats and buttons and cracks and crevices between cushions. This is why futons are so popular - they utilize a single continuous piece of foam. Since a dinette/bed has the same problem, I would not jump to the conclusion that it would be more comfortable, although it may well be. It would be worth while to locate one somewhere and try it out, anyway.
Any competent cabinet maker could build you a dinette. The items at the front are (I assume) one, or possibly two, battery boxes, and the converter. The battery boxes could remain as is and should hide under the dinette benches, one on either side. The converter would be a bit annoying to relocate. I think I would box it in (with provisions for ventilation), and give up the leg/foot room at the front end of the dinette.
Even so, you are talking about a set of benches, with finished wood ends and fronts, a table with provison for dropping down to bed height, and a set of four upholstered cusihons. I'm guessing, depending upon local labor rates, perhaps $1,000 - $1,500?
And whatever you do, don't toss the couch! Somebody somewhere is looking for one and will pay $$$ for it! At a minimum, put it in storage and have it available for a future owner.
As an aside, we hated our couch when we got it. We had it reupholstered, with new foam, and it is now a great place to sit and relax, to nap on, and not bad for sleeping. I think if we had to sleep on it regularly I would get a good air mattress to put on top.
Okay, now I got to ask... there seems to be several names other than gaucho used to describe the seating. Which is which, and what do I have? The term jackknife I thing is one of those you lift up the front until it clicks, kinda pull, and everything lays flat?
With ours, you grab the back and pull forward....... the back rotates or swivels or pivots, and becomes the leading edge of the bed.
Anybody out there know how to take one of this kind apart to recushion? It looks like three cushions each, back and deck, but is really one piece....
Elizabeth in Iowa
__________________ The carpeting is gone! The carpeting is gone! Long live the cork floor!
I dont know if anyone has mentioned this. For about $20 you could simply use an air mattress on top of the fold out and put it away daily. Not the best solution but it would certainly take care of the problem for next to nothing in cost.
I have re-upholstered that very couch.
The couch is made like an automobile seat, There is no bottom to it, It is a steel frame with springs that cross from front to back.
To remove there are two straps that look like this _n_ on each side, (near the rear of the couch, behind the arms)
The couch has pins on each side that sit under the strap. TRhis is the pivot point for the couch.
If you remove the bolts from one of the straps and loosen the other the whole couch will come out.
It is very awkward to get out of the trailer, and heavy.
I added foam to the couch prior to upholstering to fill in low spots.
The part of this retrofit that is not promising is that the unit is actually seperate from the storage boxes below it. Unlike the earlier version of the Gaucho that was more of a single unit. (the slides were part of the storage boxes.
The couch you have merely sits on top of the storage box frame.
Also, the older gauchos were made of a wood frame and much easier to re-upholster. The couch you have is completely made of steel.
Smily
__________________ Ken Smillie
My 1994 36' Classic MH is for sale See it in the classifieds
What you have is a jack knife sofa. They have a couple of clamps on either side to hold them down - just four screws, pick the whole thing up and carry it out. Once out, you can disassemble easily. You are correct, they are just two cushions, seat and back.
I was under impression a "Jack Knife Bed" was one that pulled forward and the backrest lowered becoming the back of the bed I have done a little homework and it seems that the couch that has the backrest that rolls over the front of the couch is a Jack knife bed. The ones that slide down in the rear are commonly referred to as a rest-a-lounger.
Smily
__________________ Ken Smillie
My 1994 36' Classic MH is for sale See it in the classifieds
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The carpeting is gone! The carpeting is gone! Long live the cork floor!
I have done a little homework and it seems that the couch that has the backrest that rolls over the front of the couch is a Jack knife bed. The ones that slide down in the rear are commonly referred to as a rest-a-lounger.
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