Wheelhouse bench seating

[hoggsback]

Anyone have any plans and/or photos to share on how you built bench seating. I have a 6.5 x 12 wheelhouse with two bunks at the rear. I would like to take out the bottom bunk and put in two benches (type with cushions like an RV) with a table in the middle. I am looking for advice.

[Sutty]

I am in the same boat(house) There are tables and cushions available online but I have not found the whole setup.

[fishhook8]

I built a wheelhouse about 11 years ago,I put my bunks on the front wall.

I bought two damaged metal doors from Menards. I screwed a board horizontally to the vertical studs. I screwed hinges on the door and board.

The bottom bunk is high enough to slide a 5 gallon pail under it. There is just enough clearance between the bottom bunk and the top bunk to lift the door up angainst the wall without the mattress. The front of the bottom bunk sits on a board screwed vertically at the front of the bunk. Also. I screwed 1/2" plywood to the bottom of the door for strength.

The top bunk is also hinged. It can be lifted up and pinned if you sit on the bottom bunk (for head clearance) or leave the mattress on the bottom bunk and let it down for a back. Sits like a sofa.

When I built the house I put a 2x4 flat vertically instead of a 2 x2 at the front of the bunk. The top bunk has a dead bolt under the bunk that slides into hole drilled in the paneling and two by four. I also install a 1/8" metal plate with a hole in it for the bolt to slide thru for extra strength for holding up the top bunk. It has worked well for a long time.

[hoggsback]

I was hoping to build the benches myself and not have to buy them from an RV outlet or similar outfit. I would think I could frame it just like a guy would the cabinets and stove in the V of a house. Use 1x lumber to frame it and then plywood over it. Not sure if 1x lumber would be strong enough to hold an adult though. Or even use MDF to build it?

[chad austin]

I will post pictures tomorrow. I built two benches that pull out into beds. I used the same design as my dinette. The ends are made from 3/8 plywood and the frame is 1X pine.

[chad austin]

I couldn't find any of the pictures I have with the cushions off but hopefully this will give oyu some ideas. The next time I am where my house is stored I will try to remember to snap a few pics.

This is the bench in the up position while it was still in my garage.

Here it is, out for sleeping

And finally installed in the wheelhouse

They are really light weight but once you fasten them to your walls they are very strong. I installed them over the wheel wells in my house.

I almost didn't post these pics, look at that mess.

[hoggsback]

Thanks Chad for the pics.

What you have in the background of your last pic is what I am going to build...a dinette I guess it's called. I would like to make the table so it fits in the opening between and then can be used as a bed also.

I think plywood and 1x will work after looking at what the current bunk is built with. Does your dinette do the same or is it fixed?

[Iambjm]

Here are a couple of pictures I had saved in my file when I was finishing my Yetti

[chad austin]

Thanks Chad for the pics.

Does your dinette do the same or is it fixed?

The benches on my dinette are fixed and the table drops down in-between them. The above photos should give you some ideas as well.