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Ikea units with RIB bed sizes etc

5K views 19 replies 7 participants last post by  danpayneuk 
#1 ·
Evenings guys.

Im starting to double check sizes of the units I need to buy so have a couple of questions regarding the units with a RIB bed/seat setup.

How deep can I make the units so I can fit a RIB bed in without it fouling. Bearing in mind I want to fit a smev hob/sink combo. Think its the 8???? model. As its the slimmer one. Is this correct?

Also what is the height of the RIB bed, to the top of the cushions you would sit/sleep on and the bit that is at the back behind the seat, if this is different height.

I am thinking about fitting a tambour door on the wardrobe at the back so need to make sure it doesnt go below the cushion height when closed.

The unit sizes I was looking at so far are as follows, starting from the back of drivers seat.

1 x 500mm (to be cut down to 420 to fit fridge), 1 x 600mm (with 2 x 300mm doors), 1 x 500mm (non opening) and then a 600mm wide wardrobe. Just not sure about sizes yet due to bed height.


Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Dan
 
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#6 ·
I have seen some pics of your interior on some of the ikea threads that you must have posted but never seen your build thread.

Some of the of the problems I thought you had with not being able to use certain cupboards have been answered. I was thinking that it would really me off not being able to use the space effectively. You obviously thought similar, . Good work.T:T:

Going for a very similar layout but with a couple of tweeks here and there to suit our needs. Hopefully it works.
 
#9 ·
Thats the problem I have. Unfortunately we dont have 2k to spend on a bed at the moment, not after just buying the van.

Due to having a little lad and one day another little one, we need a crash tested seat. Im not happy putting the kids or anyone else for that matter on something that is not 100% safe.

So I was hoping to kind person out there with one of the beds could take some measurements for me.

I did notice that the bed seems to sit further forward than I expected, That surprised me and is making me rethink the layout of the furniture.
 
#10 ·
i fitted out a t5 a couple of months ago with a bepp bed in ,i was very impressed,one of mt customers bought a run of furniture to put in with a rib and it all needs altering.If i was you i d save my money and wait till you can buy your bed then do your units a van with a bed is better than a van with units and no bed surely the manafacturers will give you the dimensions ,and you ve limited width for your units if there ikea items
 
#12 ·
ive read through this thread and cant comment on how wide to do the units etc as i have a t5 but i will add a few things
what toby says is bang on fit the bed then work to it
the rib bed sits further forward than the all the off shelf ie cannons forge and auto beds stuff so this makes the tradiitional layout a pain
the standard 2 cupboards under the side window wont work the traditional wardrobe positon wont work as the bed sits further forward the back rest sits further forward if you get me
i think from memory the rib is 112cm so have a good old measure and fit the bed first

in a t5 the rib width left me about 390mm and is very tight "as i say mines a t5" and dont now the width difference between t4 and t5

:ILU:
 
#15 ·
RIB seats can be a bit cheaper than £2k if you dont get tempted by all the add on extras . . . Best deal we can do for the moment assuming price is key & what you want is a cheap comfy crash tested seat that turns into a decent bed:

112cm wide (or narrower ones at 104cm if that fits better)
no headrests
plain grey/black fabric (as opposed to expensive Inka etc)
no slider mechanism
shorter of the 2 bed lengths (ie 1860mm rather than 1960mm)

£1700 inc VAT.
Delivery £50 or collect from us in Yorkshire

option to add headrests: the cheapest ones are stick-on-top ones at £85 for a pair

Delivery time is 8 weeks as we need to order in large batches to keep costs this low.

These prices obviously liable to change so please don't quote me on this after end of January 2012 !!!!!!!!!


Merry Crimbo
Rob
Kiravans.co.uk
 
#17 ·
This thread touches a nerve or two for me.

Firstly, I am Toby's brother, so yes - I am bound to suggest that his units are a far better idea than several kitchen cupboards bolted together. He only does full runs for T4 and T5s, using the templates from his own vans. That way you get any colour you like, excellent quality, but at a price that T4 owners can afford. He reckons a diy-er can fix them in about 30minutes flat! (and my brother is a fussy perfectionist)
You'll only save a few quid by using Ikea units, it will takes ages, and you've already found complications. Do have a good look around at your alternatives before you spend money on kitchen units.

But your point about spending SO much money on a bed reminds me of 1992 when my first lad was born. And the hundreds we wasted, and couldnt afford. By 1995 when my second lad arrived my wife and I felt very differently about things we had previously thought essential. Like a huge expensive complicated pram/chair/cot that we rarely used because a simple cheap buggy folded to an eigth of the size and weight, with one hand. And there were many other 'essentials'.
It sounds that like me, and many T4 owners, you dont have a massive budget. I am certain the crashtested beds are good kit, and testing isnt cheap.
But the excellent T2 Westfalia campers have a plywood bed and you bolt the seatbelts directly to the chassis underneath the bed. When you are folding the bed back into a seat you reach through the gap in the cushions and pull the belt stalks through. Like you do on most saloons.
I am going to spend under £500 on a seat and belts and be confident strapping my own sons in (both now bigger than me!) I will use the correct M10 or forged M8 bolts, with big spacer plates for beds and belt fixings. And I will try to keep my big smiling gob shut when I see people who have happily spent four times as much as me, and hope that they just earn more than I do.
 
#18 ·
Sorry dude, bit confused where I even compared your bro's cabinets to ikea ones. I think the stuff he makes and designs is really good. Only reason I havent been in contact with him is only down to the fact that the look I am after he doesnt seem to do.

I really like the modern bright look of high gloss finishes and from what I can see from his website it looks like he does an awesome selection of colours but they look like laminate with the ironed on edges (please correct me if I am wrong). These look really good but not what I like.

I would much rather use someone who designs stuff for a t4 than just bolt some carcasses in and then get custom doors and tambour doors made for it but as you guessed our budget isnt a free flow of cash and from what I have seen from other companies for the same thing we want it would cost at least three times the amount. Admitiddly the quality would also be a hell of a lot better too.

If your bro can do what I am after (Sorry I havent asked if he can) and its at a price we could afford then I would obviously go for it.

As for your comments on the bed. Every parent out there has more than likely thought or done the same thing. And as much as I agree with you I would still rather know my kids are strapped onto a seat that has been tested to a proper regulated standard.

2k is a shed load of money, but not for my kids safety. I would rather sell the van and buy a car than drive around with them on something that may not be safe. I have only ever heard great things about cannon forge and the like. There beds would most probably be more than adequate, but there would always be the element of doubt in me which would stop me strapping my kids to it.

I do find it hard to believe that companies can supply beds with seatbelts attached if they arent properly tested, but thats a different debate. lol

Its crazy how we look at things differently now. As you said years ago we wouldnt have battered an eye lid at putting our kids on a home made made etc. Only thing I can say is, I feel confident in my driving ability and hopefully will not crash. But there are way to many wan&ers on the road these days who have no clue on what they are doing. Old & young.


Hope this isnt taken in a way where i sound like im moaning or bitching as it wasnt written in that tone what so ever.T:T:
 
#19 ·
I must apologise for my brother the idea of the forum is too help each other out if i was in your shoes and could afford it i d buy a good bed i d probably buy one from autobeds ,as for units theres nothing wrong with the ikea route its horses for courses thats what i love about the v dub thing you can do whatever you want and its all for the love of the badge T:
 
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