We've spent some time over the winter developing one of our discos into a usable overnight camper. It can be done using existing captive threaded points, providing a 6' X 4' folding double bed that can be fitted or removed in less than 1/2 hour. By using the existing captive threaded points the vehicle is not damaged and can easily revert back to a 7 seater. When fitted the bed can, if required, be folded to enable the two inward facing rear seats to be used so we still have a four seater vehicle. The original concept is now being 'fine tuned'. I know several LWB land Rovers have been fitted out for sleeping but I'd like to know if anyone else has tried it with a disco?

Got any photos?

a standard double bed is 6'6"x4'6" so i reckon you will have to make one special. plus you have to factor the wheel arches into it so to have it as a rear seat as well, it wil need to be about a foot higher than the standards rear seat

Reply to Dingwalldemon As soon as all the final trimming is done I'll get some photos. We're waiting for better weather before covering the bed base etc. We're working outside as glue stinks the workshop out!
Reply to Yella ; Spot on with your observation, obviously I didn't make it clear that we designed and built the whole thing specifically for the disco. Having previously built interior fittings for yachts we used the same basic materials and design configurations. The folding bed does not double as a rear seat; it folds and has a sliding section so that the two inward facing rear 'occasional' seats can still be used. The gap under the bed is 30cm (12 ins) so with 12mm base + 10cm foam mattress the height above the original floor is 40.5cm (16 ins). This gives us 'sitting-up-in-bed' headroom which is what we would have in a small tent. The space under the bed is for storage (including an inflatable canoe and it can also take a sizable quantity of wine whenever we go to France). The under-bed space can be accessed either from the rear or from the two rear side doors. A small 12v/240v 'fridge sits in the rear passenger foot well. Bed length seems to depend upon model, for example; in my 200tdi the maximum length available is 78cm (5'10") whereas in my wife's 300tdi we have 83cm (6 feet). It depends on how far forward the front seats will slide and tilt. Fortunately being only 69cm and73cm tall 78cm is sufficient for our needs. Incidentally, our insurance company has raised no objections to the change because there are only 4 bolts into existing captive threads holding the whole thing in place and it can therefore be removed and the original rear seat replaced in les than 1/2 hour. The longest job is getting the original reat seat(s) down from the workshop loft!
What we have done has been entirely for our own benefit but I am curious as to whether anyone else has attempted the concept and also if our design and development is likely to be of interest to others? For those of us who are short enough and friendly enough with our wives or partners to take advantage of a 6' X 4' bed it might be an alternative to a roof tent or other camping option especially for those travelling in places where the population and local wildlife can be less than friendly. Having spent some of my working life in Africa; desert areas the Middle and Far East I'd much rather be inside a disco than in a tent, even one on the roof!

its a good idea unless you are over 5'6". the only thing that worries me is, why are you taking wine to france? the place is full of the stuff and its only 4 bob a bottle

OK Yella, we carry wine when we are in France and then bring it back, my grammar/syntax stands corrected as also should two typos in the spelling! In reality at just over 5'8" the 6' bed is long enough for me to stretch out and sleep in comfort; it would probably not be long enough for anyone much taller than 5'9". I have tried it on our driveway which is fortunately long enough to be out of sight of our neighbours who might otherwise have wondered why I was spending a night in the car.

The disco kid said:

OK Yella, we carry wine when we are in France and then bring it back, my grammar/syntax stands corrected as also should two typos in the spelling! In reality at just over 5'8" the 6' bed is long enough for me to stretch out and sleep in comfort; it would probably not be long enough for anyone much taller than 5'9". I have tried it on our driveway which is fortunately long enough to be out of sight of our neighbours who might otherwise have wondered why I was spending a night in the car.

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This sounds great to me, so you can go on tour and when you feel a bit tired, just have a kip - great. I will look forward to seeing pics of this as I'm tempted to do the same as I plan to do a bit of European touring.

Cheers and thanks
Dave

bollox! am 6"1 can just about stretch in one with the rear seats down. need pics as i cant understand what the fook your talking about.

Good for you RAZ8550TDI if at 6'1" you can be comfortable with one of the rear seats down stick with it. At just 5'8" and 5'7" respectively my wife and I prefer something a bit more comfortable. As indicated before, what we have done has been entirely for our own benefit, at some point there will probably be a picture or pictures but as we have been approched by a business that is looking to construct the bed commercially and a patent is under consideration it may soon be possible to purchase the framework as a separate flatpack item which will save a considerable amount of work and symplify the fitting for those who feel it is worth while. Obviously some people like the idea but I learned a long time ago that you can't please all of the people all of the time, its probably enough to please just some of the people some of the time. In reality, I don't care much because we've designed something so that we are comfortable and that's what we set out to do.

a new patent application for a folding bed wouldnt be worth the application fee imho

The disco kid said:

Good for you RAZ8550TDI if at 6'1" you can be comfortable with one of the rear seats down stick with it. At just 5'8" and 5'7" respectively my wife and I prefer something a bit more comfortable. As indicated before, what we have done has been entirely for our own benefit, at some point there will probably be a picture or pictures but as we have been approched by a business that is looking to construct the bed commercially and a patent is under consideration it may soon be possible to purchase the framework as a separate flatpack item which will save a considerable amount of work and symplify the fitting for those who feel it is worth while. Obviously some people like the idea but I learned a long time ago that you can't please all of the people all of the time, its probably enough to please just some of the people some of the time. In reality, I don't care much because we've designed something so that we are comfortable and that's what we set out to do.

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dont get fooking snotty, am just saying get some pics up as i am intregued, also what are you going to patent??? the idea???? or the design???

ill be striat up and tell yer its not worth it, land rover owners, well most of em are practical, mechanical, and kinda enjoy enginnering things themselfs so what gonna happen is there just gonna look at yer design, price, and think fook that ill build my own, so theres probably 70% of landrover owners that wouldnt bother, then you have the rate of expedition veichles compared to everyday and pay and play veichles so get yer percentage of them, then take roughly 70 percent of those and theres yer market.
am sure there is many who agree on this.
dont get me wrong what yer doing for yerself is great but i would leave it at that, maybe make a few in yer spare time and get some beer money off floggin some.

ooo and if yer thinking of sitting on a patent don go telling people about it before you have it.

cunning plan......take out back seats.....and use an airbed...folds away nicely and you can still use the rear folding seats

and what yer gonna do with yer gear when yer unfolding a bed to go in? leave it outside? it will either get wet or it wont be there in the morn.

you should have came on the easter shindig and saw my idea!

plywood false floor,,,stuff goes underneath..

RAZ8550TDI said:

you should have came on the easter shindig and saw my idea!

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What shove all yur stuff in yur mates car??

ok what about anything over 12 inch like he said the clearence was?

Sirus said:

What shove all yur stuff in yur mates car??

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lmao did yer get onto that! i made him carry it all as i said i have an axle in mine and negleted to take it back once i dropped it off at yellas

fooking hate clutter.