Queen to Twin conversion - 25' FB FC

[The Colonel]

You did a very professional job. It looks great. We did the easy thing and bought ours with twins.

[MaggieScott]

I love this post and it describes exactly what I am planning to do (as a coronavirus social distance project).

I would be interested if you kept track of your costs on this - I am guessing that it ballparks around $2K, with most of that being the cost of the mattresses?

If anyone else has done this and can give me an estimate that would be great.

I am inspired - tempted to run out in the dark tonight and start pulling things apart.

[Bilbo]

Originally Posted by MaggieScott

I love this post and it describes exactly what I am planning to do (as a coronavirus social distance project).

I would be interested if you kept track of your costs on this - I am guessing that it ballparks around $2K, with most of that being the cost of the mattresses?

If anyone else has done this and can give me an estimate that would be great.

I am inspired - tempted to run out in the dark tonight and start pulling things apart.

Unfortunately, I did not keep a careful record of costs. I also estimated $2k, including the cost of the mattresses, new road-side storage door and special tools I needed for the job. Before I took this on I looked into the cost of buying new twin furniture from Jackson Center - available, but out of this world. DIY is definitely a bargain.

Bill

[Kalidas]

Thanks for the motivation to get the project started.
I am about to start putting things back together.
I am curious where you sourced the flexible cable channel.

[Kalidas]

You have done an awesome job!!
Thanks for the helpful direction as I muddle my way through our conversion.
Curious where you found the cable channel?

[Foiled Again]

Thanks for the ideas. I think I will chicken out at cutting another outside door. Can do fine with the outside access storage space as is.

Great pictures.

[Bilbo]

Originally Posted by Kalidas

You have done an awesome job!!
Thanks for the helpful direction as I muddle my way through our conversion.
Curious where you found the cable channel?

I am pretty sure I bought it at Home Depot. I don't think this is the one I bought but it is similar: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Unimax-L...0W-A/203326973

[Bilbo]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

Thanks for the ideas. I think I will chicken out at cutting another outside door. Can do fine with the outside access storage space as is.

Great pictures.

I thought the same thing until I realized the original outside access was less than half the depth after the conversion. It becomes pretty small, especially as the water heater is on that side. The new street side storage is no deeper, but basically runs the length of the new twin. I get a lot of "stuff" in that one. I do understand not wanting to cut a hole in your Airstream, however.

[JOHN SANTA]

Your conversion looks great. I am just starting with my 2009 FCFB and have a couple of questions:
1. how and where can you screw the support blocks into the wall?
2. when you cut off the drawers below the closet how did you provide support for the closet, or is the wall not adjacent to the bathroom strong enough without support?

Thanks for any help or tips.

John Santa

[dabhunter]

Originally Posted by m rafferty

I have posted previously about the convertible set up I have in my 25 AS. Our 2005 came with twins and we wanted a queen. I am in the yacht business and many of our charter boats have a set up where you can have twins or a king in a stateroom. So now I can have both. We set the table in the middle down on the floor, have two pieces of plywood under each bunk we can pull out and turn sideways, push the mattresses together, take a large kayak strap wrap around both mattresses, give a slight tug and we have a king size bed with a small shelf outside each bunk for bed side tables. Works great and takes about ten minutes to set up. Many times we keep the twins for short trips or put together for long ones. Great set up that we love and answers the on going debate, twins or queen, [king].

This my first posting.
After a lot of hunting I've located and and I am purchasing a 05 25 AS twin but my wife is not on board because she wants a queen configuration. Your work around looks like great solution for me. Can you post or send pictures of the before and after setup?
Thank you
Bill in Richmond Va

[MStrange]

Bilbo: Thanks for all this information. Very useful! I hit your link button to find this, after you kindly responded to my request for converting a queen into a twin.

I do have one question, if I may. I noticed a number of small locations - here and there - that could be used for some extra storage. But again, they are small. Like on the "turn" of the outside wall, there is an outside "pocket" area. Do people try to use every single space, or is that just plain stupid on my part? God knows how one would access such little cubby holes, anyway... I am just interested if you have any comment about that? If you can...

Once again, my sincere thanks!

Michael

[Bilbo]

Originally Posted by MStrange

Bilbo: Thanks for all this information. Very useful! I hit your link button to find this, after you kindly responded to my request for converting a queen into a twin.

I do have one question, if I may. I noticed a number of small locations - here and there - that could be used for some extra storage. But again, they are small. Like on the "turn" of the outside wall, there is an outside "pocket" area. Do people try to use every single space, or is that just plain stupid on my part? God knows how one would access such little cubby holes, anyway... I am just interested if you have any comment about that? If you can...

Once again, my sincere thanks!

Michael

Michael, within reason we use every available "accessible" space. For example, the rounded foot of the roadside bed is connected to the "inside" storage area under the bed and we put items in there that we rarely need access to. Reason being that the plastic storage bin we use for general storage under the bed blocks off access and has to be pulled out to get to whatever you have stuffed back there. On the other hand, the same area on the curb side bed is blocked by the power distribution panel so it winds up being dead area. There is another similar space in front of the curbside bed storage. Again, you have to pull the plastic bin all the way out to access, so I use that to store a small tool bag, which I only need once in a while.

I did not try to use the area under the heads of the beds for storage, other than that the chest I build between the beds goes all the way to the front wall. In the factory version of twins there is an access door on the outside front that gives access to this area. It is difficult to access (behind the propane tanks and battery box) and it means the between-beds chest can not have as much drawer volume. So there is some dead and inaccessible area under the curb side bed, in front of the inverter (which I did not relocate).

But, the same area on the roadside is partially accessible via the new outside storage I build under that bed. If you did not see it, here is the link to installing the access door. https://www.airforums.com/forums/f48...ml#post1903420

Overall, we have more inside storage and abut the same outside storage as we did before the modification. Hope that helps.

Bill

[Tdwyer]

Bill, I am about to start the same project and wanted to know if I might be able to give you a call and pick your brain? This is regarding the twin bed conversion?

[dabhunter]

Originally Posted by Tdwyer

Bill, I am about to start the same project and wanted to know if I might be able to give you a call and pick your brain? This is regarding the twin bed conversion?

This forum web site is pitiful
I will be happy to answer any questions about my
conversion project but I want to communicate via
email ... Billdebender1@gmail.com

I have pictures and will send them to your email
Bill DeBender
Richmond Va
804 467-2889

[dabhunter]

BTW
our AS is a 2007 25FB International
Bill
Richmond Va
TV 2015 GMC 2500 HD Duramax

[Oldgeeezers]

I like your grandson, we think much alike. When I saw his pictures with that "light fixture" over the bed, I thought that same thing and was sure I was seeing a misplaced picture.

[Native143]

[QUOTE=JOHN SANTA;2423559]Your conversion looks great. I am just starting with my 2009 FCFB and have a couple of questions:


1. how and where can you screw the support blocks into the wall?


2. when you cut off the drawers below the closet how did you provide support for the closet?




And I have an additional question to the ones John Santa asked: How did you prevent the heat from the water heater coming through the foot of the bed? The drawer above it is already warmer than the other.


And do you think we can hinge the bed platform to lift it and utilize more space?


Thanks.

[Bilbo]

[QUOTE=Native143;2720352]

Originally Posted by JOHN SANTA

Your conversion looks great. I am just starting with my 2009 FCFB and have a couple of questions:


1. how and where can you screw the support blocks into the wall?


2. when you cut off the drawers below the closet how did you provide support for the closet?




And I have an additional question to the ones John Santa asked: How did you prevent the heat from the water heater coming through the foot of the bed? The drawer above it is already warmer than the other.


And do you think we can hinge the bed platform to lift it and utilize more space?


Thanks.

I must have missed John's post. I think another Bill hijacked the thread and I quit watching .

1. support blocks were screwed to the wall with sheet metal screws (probably drywall screws, which have become a go-to for me). Top of each block leveled and level with the rest of the base, blocks spaced about a foot apart. I can't remember if I did this, but a bead of construction adhesive under each block would not hurt, though I'm not sure it would adhere to the coating on the aluminum.

2. I mostly used the original closet mounting points that remained after the drawers were cut off. I cut so that a strip of wood remained under the closet floor, which support the closet floor but also give you a place to install screws to both the Airstream and toilet walls.

Water heater is already insulated with a styrofoam jacket and it's under a sheet of plywood and a mattress. Have never noticed the mattress being warm (usually the opposite...)

I don't think hinging the platform would gain you much, if anything. You'd have to section the platform so that only the part between the closet and the curved section is hinged to avoid interference. You'd have to remove the mattress first, so much for easier access...

Good luck, and I'll watch for new posts in case you have more questions.

Bill

[Wazbro]

Originally Posted by Native143

And do you think we can hinge the bed platform to lift it and utilize more space?


Thanks.

The factory twins are hinged, it's not the easiest access but it can be done.