Bailey bed construction

[Dustydog]

The following was posted on another Forum. What do you think😎

I have a 2021 Phoenix + 640 and I was wondering if anyone has removed this vertical piece of timber under the bed space ?
I can’t see any logic or anything that requires it to be fixed in an offset position.
Logic would tell me if it was to offer support to the bed it would be fixed in the centre, if it is to give additional support to the Bed frame.
If it was removed it would remove any restrictions to anything that is stored right at the back as the 10 inches gap that it leaves is useless
Only sensible replies please, thanks

 

[otherclive]

Are there lockers above that end of the bed that may require users to kneel on the bed to access them. The strut then gives some support to enable the farthest to be accessed.

 

[Dustydog]

I felt he was nuts. Caravan manufacturers are so cost and weight conscious why would they install the supports? I think they are there to supplement the supports screws into to the side walls. Plus good idea Clive👍

 

[Raywood]

Knowing Bailey they would not spend a penny on anything unless it was needed. Looks odd but you remove it at your own risk. I take it this is in the double bed and the reply from Otherclive may be the answer, but if so you would expect another at the other side.

 

[Mr Plodd]

I have repeatedly looked at that identical strut in mine and thought exactly the same thing. Like the OP I can se no logical reason for it to be there and it is somewhat in the way. It's right at the very head of the bed. There are lockers above the bed head, but they extend the full width and can be accessed from either side of the bed so the "support whilst accessing the lockers" seems unlikely to be fitted on just one side.
Logic tells me if it's for additional support then it would be in the middle, but its substantially offset!
I wonder if it, and the piece it's attached to, are used for something else on another model so its a case of reducing the number of items they need to stock thus not having to carry another specific item for the 640 ?
The bed frame is all metal and supported all the way round.
Maybe the OP could email the pictures to Bailey and ask them the same question? I bet any reply will be totally non-committal

Having niw looked closely at mine the strut is 210 mm from one side and 1010 mm from the other side.
In addition the two side of the bed frame are different! See the below pictures! The near side has vertical support at the edge and off (strut) side doesn't, bizarre!

I might move my strut to the outer edge so it doesn't impinge on the storage area. Thoughts??

 

[Sam Vimes]

Considering the design and construction techniques employed I wouldn't be at all surprised if it wasn't used somewhere else.

Equally it could be that its been put in the wrong place and has always been so.

I notice they use those cheap and not very strong wavy fixings are used. A couple of my drawers had these and they snapped.

 

[Jcloughie]

Could it be that the strutt is placed directly above a chassis member? To put it in the centre might case the floor to sag.

If I removed it, I would strengthen the horizontal member with a length of aluminium angle.

John

 

[Mr Plodd]

I notice they use those cheap and not very strong wavy fixings are used. A couple of my drawers had these and they snapped.

Those 〰 things don't have to take any weight/stress, they are just used to hold two pieces together so they don't move relative to each other, no need to form any type of joint either so less machining costs.
Every little helps

 

[Sam Vimes]

Those 〰 things don't have to take any weight/stress, they are just used to hold two pieces together so they don't move relative to each other, no need to form any type of joint either so less machining costs.
Every little helps

If only that were true. Wood, of the type used in caravans flexes very easily. Especially over the lumps and bumps in our wonderful roads. That's why two of the supports in my drawer units came apart. The fixings snapped in half.

 

[shouldknowbettor]

I'd have thought the strut is located to avoid blocking a side locker door if one was installed (hence not in the middle)?

 

[Mr Plodd]

It's a "fore and aft" island bed so not possible to access the under bed storage from the side, can't understand why they don't fit an access door in the rear though.

 

[Dustydog]

Whatever I think I’d be a fool if I said to the designers got it wrong . On the contrary I’d say they take it to the cliff edge.
I still think that upright is to take the stress load off the wall fasteners. Note the special typical Bailey crap L bracket at the bottom.
If it was my caravan . Would I remove it? No!

 

[Mr Plodd]

I still think that upright is to take the stress load off the wall fasteners. Note the special typical Bailey crap L bracket at the bottom.
If it was my caravan . Would I remove it? No!

You could well be right, but why place the support 210mm out from the edge? Much greater support if it was under the side piece like on the other side.

 

[Dustydog]

You could well be right, but why place the support 210mm out from the edge? Much greater support if it was under the side piece like on the other side.

No idea. But who knows anything about the Caravan manufacturers poor designs🤔🤔

 

[Hutch]

No idea. But who knows anything about the Caravan manufacturers poor designs🤔🤔

A slip of the designers 2B pencil maybe.

 

[Raywood]

It's a "fore and aft" island bed so not possible to access the under bed storage from the side, can't understand why they don't fit an access door in the rear though.

Probably cost.

 

[Woodentop]

When we got our Unicorn 4 Seville in 2018, on our second trip I turned over during the night and the bed collapsed under my shoulders on the wall side. (Seville is a 2 berth which we use as singles* with head towards the front and me on the nearside. *Much easier for night-time facility usage!)
Bailey's answer to the dealer was for the dealer to find a solution and let them (Bailey) know. I wasn't too happy about their solution so strengthened it with two pieces of 3x2" timber. Never had any more problems.
For interest, on the offside bed there is a piece of laminated timber between the end of the lifting slat section and the storage area under the occupants head which provides good support: on the nearside the only support is a small piece of wood screwed into the caravan wall with the slat support screwed to it, hence why it failed (I am 6ft 1in and a bit on the heavy side!)

 

[Gafferbill]

.....on my 1995 Swift Challenger I strengthened the support of a single seat at the rear where it was handy to sometimes sit sideways with legs in the aisle rather than under the table.
Seat wasn't designed for this so collapsed.
Guess what! ....... in my 2012 Swift Challenger, exactly the same thing happened.
I've found you have to add support rather than remove it!