High Tech Bed Mod, A new way to do twin beds in the LD Options

[Dave and Ruth]

To start with, we want to keep our 2007 LD as light as possible, and I don’t like to drill holes in the fiberglass unless I really have to.

I had been reading about how some people have glued solar panels to the top of their rigs to avoid drilling holes, and in those discussions the subject of 3M VHB (very high bond) tape came up. They have been using this stuff to assemble ambulances since the ‘80’s, and also use it to hold flap material on airplanes, among other uses. Some trailer companies use it in place of rivets to assemble their trailers (Trails West, Pace American, Southland). This was news to me! It is an industrial product, specifically sold to replace rivets, nuts and bolts, and glue, in joining dissimilar materials. I read a couple of University studies on how it holds up, and I think that this is not your ordinary foam tape.

For our first big mod, 30” wide twin beds, I had been thinking of a shelf approach for making the 8” extension necessary for 30” wide mattresses, but I saw a lot of drilling ahead and a structural problem, so I had just about given up on a shelf, and was going to use the heavy platform approach (an extra 90 pounds). Then Ruth suggested I should consider the tape.

I haven’t seen VHB tape in retail settings, but a search found a few places that sell it by the roll (36 and 72 yards). I also found out there are several varieties, for better bonding of different materials, and in different thicknesses and conformabilities. I narrowed it down to 3M 4941, the one that works best with painted metals and plastics. I chose the .45 mil thickness, and half inch width, at 85 lbs per square inch tensile strength. I figured I could get a very strong shelf, with great flex, and no holes. But my confidence level was not high. After all, we’re talking about tape!

My materials included a 1“x8”x82” best pine board and 3 reinforced steel brackets on each side, a ScotchBrite pad to roughen up the shiny surfaces, and a few isopropyl alcohol pads to clean the area to be taped. And about three yards of tape for each side (54 sq inches). The tape cost about $1.68/yd including shipping, in a 36 yd roll.

Here‘s some pictures:



I used 5” of half-inch tape on each side of the brackets, and 2 12” strips on the fiberglass.



Half done. Laying down the boards after removing all the protective paper takes some care. The tape needs 15 lbs. pressure for a few seconds after application, and achieves 50% strength after 20 minutes. One of the brackets had a little curve to it, so I clamped it for an hour, which worked well. The sanded wood seemed to develop plenty of strength, without sealing. We shall see.



The boards in place without the mattresses. They were plenty strong after a few hours, and just get stronger.

Dave