After about two nights in the Voltage on our first trip we both agreed that the mattress had to go. I was already tired of sleeping with my legs hanging off the end half way to my knees. By morning you might as well be just sleeping on the OSB base.
So a real mattress was in order. Problem was it was wider, longer, and thicker. The three inches per side and six inches on the end that overhung the OSB base just wouldn't work so I built and installed a new base to support the mattress. Also the gas struts in their original location would hardly hold up the puny original matress let alone this new monster.
Hopefully these pic's come out in order.
Pic #1 - shows the original support boards, notice how the smaller head piece has square cuts and leaves gaps where it meets the bed head frame.
Pic #2 - shows how the piece I installed is radiused to fit tight to the head frame.
Pic #3 - is the gas struts in their original location
Pic #4 - is how far I moved the struts to get them to hold up the larger/heavier mattress.
Pic #5 - I had a couple of pieces of oak square laying around the shop so holding the other end of the struts looked like a good spot for them.
Pic #6 - The completed base. notice that I also radiused the corners of the base under the corners of the mattress. (Just a another example of Dutchmen's cutting corners, (ohhhh, bad pun,) to save a dime.
I gave the whole top a good sanding to smooth out the slivers that would snag the bottom of the mattress. I was going to apply a coat of poly to the top but I ran out of time and just placed the mattress on top. The relocated struts now hold up the end of the heaver mattress just fine although the opening is and inch or so narrower.
Yaaaaaaaaaa'wn, look'en at these pictures of that new bed makes me feel like a nap------- Ya, I think I'll go find a comfy spot------