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Old 01-17-2015, 07:45 PM   #1
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Happi-Jac Beds & Benches

Here's a question for the group: How many of you actually use the Happy-Jac bed and/or bench seats in your garage or patio package?

In re the upper bed:

I'll admit that I've used the upper bed a few times. Twice when I had a visitor for a few days... and once when the weather was so nice in the evening, I slept in it to enjoy the night air.

But for this trip, I removed the mattress (left it at home), and have been using the empty platform as a storage area for things I don't need very often... and it works GREAT for that. All of that stuff is now up (literally) and out of the way.

In re the folding bench seats:

I'll be the first to admit that I thought this would be a really neat thing when I first saw the rig & bought it... but in reality, in my opinion, those bench seats are pretty worthless. And don't even get me started on the included table.

My first trip out, I set everything up as advertised. Both benches down, and the table set in place. Well, the first thing I began to notice is that they take up every bit of the room in their portion of the garage. And the table's relation to the benches was such that it was impossible to get to the patio deck without sitting & sliding along the benches to the end of the table... which was a PITA. So the table was the first thing to get left behind at my house for the next trip.

Next time out, set the benches out... but sitting opposed to each other as they are, looking 'sideway' to both the outside & the TV set on the wall... again, to me they're pretty much worthless.

So for the next few trips, including the one I'm on now... I just leave the benches & upper bed platform in the up position, with no plans on deploying the bench seats at all. I've got a folding table & a couple of camp chairs that I can arrange any way I like, and that seems to work much better for me. I've got much more room in the garage space, much easier access to the patio... and I'm facing outside instead of towards a wall.




Now, that said... I'm thinking that it all need not be worthless. What I'm thinking of doing before my next trip is removing one side of the bench seats. This would provide some seating area, but would not take up the entire space in their portion of the garage. 4 large machine screws for each of the 2 braces is all that connects them to the Happy-Jac drive... so that doesn't appear as it would be any problem in actually removing them. My concern is wondering how the system would work without uneven weight distribution on both sides of the chain drive?

So just curious: has anyone already done this and encountered issues... or will I be the guinea pig?
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Old 01-17-2015, 08:48 PM   #2
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How many of you ever use the Happi-jack end seats that slide in so that you have seats all the way around the table? I'm sure most aren't even aware that you should have got them with your rig. Mine didn't have them, and a friend with a Voltage did. I had the factory send them to me with the bolt on brackets. I never installed the brackets. I figure when I sale it , it's just one thing to give the new guy.
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Old 01-18-2015, 12:24 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by waytoogood View Post
How many of you ever use the Happi-jack end seats that slide in so that you have seats all the way around the table? I'm sure most aren't even aware that you should have got them with your rig. Mine didn't have them, and a friend with a Voltage did. I had the factory send them to me with the bolt on brackets. I never installed the brackets. I figure when I sale it , it's just one thing to give the new guy.
That's the first we heard about end seats.... got pictures???

ATCguy, we agree about PITA sliding around table and space lost.
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Old 01-18-2015, 12:43 AM   #4
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We bought our Voltage with the express purpose of using the dinette in the back. Our last trip, we had 14 people with us in 3 campers, but the Voltage was the main gathering space. On two separate days, we had rain for lunch, and we had seats for everyone, with the Voltage lounge chairs in the garage. With both beds lowered, and the bottom setup as benches, the kids had many nights playing board games back there. We use them all the time, but we don't, set up the patio much, we just leave the ramp down with the screen lowered.
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Old 01-18-2015, 01:01 AM   #5
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I bought a residential mattress for the top bunk and keep the stock mattress pad and a 3 inch foam topper up top to use on the bottom couch bunk to make it more comfortable when my daughters join us on the road. I also carry a blow up mattress that I can put on the floor to sleep 6 in the garage when they bring their friends.

I never use the garage table as it blocks the path to the patio and rarely set up the den table.

When you say end seats... do you mean to make it like the u shaped seating I've seen on some SOB THs?
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Old 01-18-2015, 02:37 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by waytoogood View Post
How many of you ever use the Happi-jack end seats that slide in so that you have seats all the way around the table? I'm sure most aren't even aware that you should have got them with your rig. Mine didn't have them, and a friend with a Voltage did. I had the factory send them to me with the bolt on brackets. I never installed the brackets. I figure when I sale it , it's just one thing to give the new guy.
Here is a picture of the end pieces. Most of you paid for it and never got it.
If you got the Happi-Jac bed roll over option you should have it.
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Old 01-18-2015, 02:44 AM   #7
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Originally Posted by waytoogood View Post
Here is a picture of the end pieces. Most of you paid for it and never got it.
If you got the Happi-Jac bed roll over option you should have it.
This is from the Voltage option list.

OPTIONS

3rd A/C - Garage 13,500 BTU w/Thermostat Sensor & Load Management System
Dual Pane Safety Glass Windows
Garage Power Fan w/Rain Sensor
Bathroom Power Fan w/Rain Sensor
Generator
Backup Camera
Aluminum Ramp Door Patio System w/Patio Awning
Garage Carpet Kit
Voltage Logo Deck Chairs (One Box)
Voltage Happi-Jac Electric Bed and Rollover Sofa System w/Table
3-Season Patio Doors IPO Screen Wall
Custom Full Body Paint
Gelcoat Fiberglass Upgrade
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Old 01-18-2015, 03:18 AM   #8
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Hmmm...don't need the end pieces. But we do put down the benches and set up the table once the RZR is out of the garage.

Sadly, the folding support legs for the benches are all different lengths, and the height they hold the bench is too high for comfort. A project for this Winter.

I use the end of the table closest to the ramp as a place for my wireless printer/scanner/copier. I like to print out maps of trails we're going to take and scan and save info we find locally.

We're trying to use the dinette as a place to have dinner and watch the evening news....note I said trying....

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Old 01-18-2015, 09:12 AM   #9
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We have used the bunks but not the table. When our daughters DO go with us seems 4 or 10 friends come along so at some point every bed in the rig has been full more than once.
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Old 01-18-2015, 12:55 PM   #10
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Our situation may be somewhat unique. I work out of the garage for 5 weeks at a time while in FL. I use the bench seats and table as my office setup Monday through Friday. The foam in the seats is not very firm, and sitting in the same spot every day, all day causes it to compress. As Tom pointed out, once you've got the table in place, it's pretty hard to get out on the deck.

Not having a dinette in the main unit, if we have company, and can't eat at an outside picnic table, the inside benches and table can accommodate 4 comfortably, and six if you all get along really well.

On occasion, if I'm not working, and it's a nice day, I'll take out the table, flip the bench backs down, and layout to relax or watch some TV.

We've never used the upper bunk for sleeping, don't even travel with the ladder. The mattress looks pretty cheap. We do use if for storage. Store the table and legs up there when traveling. Store spare blankets, throw rugs, and empty water bottles too.

I'm curious what size residential matters would fit. If we were going to get company, would want to replace the POS that came with the unit. Has anyone tried sleeping on the benches? Wife suggested we take the matters from the bunk and put it on top of the benches to make it more comfortable.
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Old 01-18-2015, 02:46 PM   #11
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OK very dumb question and since our TH is not here can't go out and look.....do you have to have the "pins" in both the bench & bed unit while on the road? Or can you have it in just the lower bench unit?
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Old 01-18-2015, 03:14 PM   #12
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I never looked to see if the pins can even go in the lower bench. I only use the pins in the upper bunk when traveling. As the upper bunk is not tied to the chain hoist, it would rest on the bench when up, causing extra pressure on the bench.

I do always travel with the bench in the up position, especially since we've always got a motorcycle, bicycles, and other stuff down below when traveling.

I'll just checked, there is no place to put the pins in the bench when up. I always assumed the chain hoist and electric motor would hold it, and so far, we've never had a problem.
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Old 01-18-2015, 04:02 PM   #13
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Yeah, as Paul said... no pins on the lower bench set. The mounts for the benches rest ON the chain itself, while the upper bunk is 'free riding'.

Paul...
When I replaced my bedroom mattress with a TempurPedic, I took the old mattress out of the bedroom and placed it on the upper bunk, and took the thin upper bunk mattress and put it in my garage. The old bedroom mattress was too small for the platform... so I'm guessing either a king or CaliKing.

As for the table... I removed mine from the rig, and replaced it with a simple folding table like this from Costco:




It provides the same function, and stores in the same way as the old one... but it's not regulated to only remain in one place. I can slide or move it wherever I want... and even take it outside as a work table when I need to do maintenance on the bike. Much more convenient than that 3-legged pole table they gave us.
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Old 01-18-2015, 04:17 PM   #14
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Thanks for the info on the pins gentlemen!
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Old 01-18-2015, 08:46 PM   #15
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We tried the table setup when we first got the Voltage. But, it didn't work for us. So I removed the benches and made a bed frame. Now I have a king on the bottom and a queen on top. That seems to work great for us.
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Old 01-18-2015, 10:14 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pdonoghu View Post
I'm curious what size residential matters would fit.
I put a standard 60 X 80 inch queen mattress up top. The width is just right front to back, it comes up a little short on the length of the platform side to side.

I drilled new set holes a little lower for the locking pins on the top bunk, so when the residential queen, stock mattress pad and 3 inch foam topper are all stacked up on top, I still have enough room for the return air on the AC to circulate. I dropped it as far as I could without lowering the bunk support legs to were I would knock my knoggin walking through.

You can still raise the top bunk all the way up to the stock holes for the locking pins with these three items up top, but they slightly compress against the bottom of the AC and would block the return air for the AC.
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Old 01-19-2015, 02:20 AM   #17
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We have only used the top bed once in the two years of ownership. I removed the mattress and now it's a handy storage area for our corn hole boards, fishing rods and whatever else I can squeeze up there. We've used the bottom bunk on many occasions when the kids come out.

The bench seating has only been used a few times.
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