m

24/07/2006 11:23 AM

Help with Aerobed frame?

Maybe you guys can offer some advice?

I'm 48 yr old male suffer from GERD. This means I need
to have my bed head abt 6 inches higher than my
feet...maybe even a bit more.

I'm going back to college soon and will be moving. Have
gotten rid of all heavy furniture that requires two
people and a truck to move. Want to live light and
mobile.

My problem has been how to develop a bed that allows
this.

I recently bought an Aerobed from Costco and it would
work fine if I could figure out some way to raise the
head up higher than feet.

Link to Aerobed

http://tinyurl.com/fgder

Got the idea that maybe a light wooden frame that
breaks down for transport would work. In other
words.... create something like a water bed frame where
the air mattress sets down in the box frame.... thus
allowing me to put some support under the front of bed
to raise it up abt 6 inches

However....I'm NOT a woodworker at all. Have no
woodworking tools at all

Could I buy something like this? Or have it made? If
yes Id need some plans.

Bottom line...any advice or help out there on how to go
abt this?

Maybe just buy a waterbed frame and use the air
mattress instead?


This topic has 8 replies

ba

"bremen68"

in reply to [email protected] on 24/07/2006 11:23 AM

24/07/2006 9:48 AM


I have a few ideas for you.

You could purchase a standard bed frame (with a footboard) that would
fit the size aero matress that you purchased and elevate the head of
the bed with blocks under the feet. I'm thinking you could use
anything from decorative pavers to blocks of wood. 6" wouldn't be
harsh and agle. If you're bed would be on hard surface flooring there
might be a sliding problem....Not sure if that would be the case
though.

Another option for building something would be to make a rope or slat
bed. Here's a site that shows the plans for making one....

http://www.greydragon.org/furniture/beds/ropebed.html

You can go as basic or expensive as you like. Depending on if you want
to tighten ropes on a regular basis I'd think you'd proably want to
install rail runners on the side of the bed and use slats for your
support instead of the ropes. The materials are relatively
inexpensive, they're really easy to make. The tools are a measuring
tape, jigsaw, and a drill with some bits. I made one of these beds in
one evening.

Modify the plans a bit to angle the rail runners and there ya go... You
have your elevation.

Just my humble mumblings.... Good luck!

ba

"bremen68"

in reply to [email protected] on 24/07/2006 11:23 AM

24/07/2006 12:19 PM

The rope bed shown on the link I showed does rely on just the tension
of the ropes to hold it together. A slight modification to this would
be to drill a hole in the tongue of the cross boards and pin them in
place.

When it's broken down you have 8 pieces of lumber to transport. 4
legs, 2 rails, and 2 cross beams. If you choose to do planks instead
of rope you have three or 4 of those too. When you attach the rails or
drill the holes for the ropes you can just alter the angle and then you
won't even have to prop it up.

ba

"bremen68"

in reply to [email protected] on 24/07/2006 11:23 AM

24/07/2006 6:30 PM


[email protected] wrote:
> "bremen68" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >When you attach the rails or
> >drill the holes for the ropes you can just alter the angle and then you
> >won't even have to prop it up.
>
> Not sure what you mean by "rails"
>
> What are the rails for?

Instead of drilling holes for the ropes in the side of the bed you
attach a rail along the same place with screws and glue. You can then
run boards across to support the mattress.

It's a preference thing. If you don't mind tightening the ropes
occasionally (about once a week or so) then they should be fine and
you'd have less lumber to haul around. You'd probably need at least
three additional boards to use as cross planks to support the mattress.



I'm thinking w

c

in reply to [email protected] on 24/07/2006 11:23 AM

24/07/2006 4:57 PM

On Mon, 24 Jul 2006 11:23:23 -0500, [email protected] wrote:

>Maybe you guys can offer some advice?
>
>I'm 48 yr old male suffer from GERD. This means I need
>to have my bed head abt 6 inches higher than my
>feet...maybe even a bit more.
>
>I'm going back to college soon and will be moving. Have
>gotten rid of all heavy furniture that requires two
>people and a truck to move. Want to live light and
>mobile.
>

Do what every other college kid has done. Steal cinder blocks from a
nearby construction site and use for furniture building or in your
case, bed raising. When you move out the blocks stay behind and the
next tenant can have the advantage of a semi furnished room.

m

in reply to [email protected] on 24/07/2006 11:23 AM

24/07/2006 12:50 PM

"bremen68" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>I have a few ideas for you.
>
>You could purchase a standard bed frame (with a footboard) that would
>fit the size aero matress that you purchased and elevate the head of
>the bed with blocks under the feet. I'm thinking you could use
>anything from decorative pavers to blocks of wood. 6" wouldn't be
>harsh and agle. If you're bed would be on hard surface flooring there
>might be a sliding problem....Not sure if that would be the case
>though.

Hi and thanks for the help!!

Elevating the bed isn't hard as I've a pair of what
looks to be plastic flower pots but you set them
inverted on floor so that the top bed legs fit in them
and are elevated.

So how to elevate it really isn't my problem. Cause
that's what I'm doing with traditional mattress now

But.... there are sliding problems. After several
nights the mattress slides down and you need to hoist
it back up

So..... I need some kind of "box" for the actual
mattress to set in regardless if the mattress is an air
mattress or traditional heavy cloth mattress.

My "idea" was a box that came up on say abt half or two
thirds of the mattress. That way its contained but you
don't have that hard edge right there at top of
mattress to bump against or set on. Instead you just
get a "lip" all around that keeps mattress from
slipping down.

>Another option for building something would be to make a rope or slat
>bed. Here's a site that shows the plans for making one....

HEY!! Now there is an idea!! might just work!

I take it the entire bed is held together by rope
tension? No fasteners at all right?

Again.... I need something VERY easy for one person to
transport and haul around. I don't want to have to
depend on friends to help me mover or anything.

I don't suppose I could buy this bed already made and
cut out could I?

m

in reply to [email protected] on 24/07/2006 11:23 AM

24/07/2006 12:51 PM

[email protected] wrote:

>Do what every other college kid has done. Steal cinder blocks from a
>nearby construction site and use for furniture building or in your
>case, bed raising.

How is that going to raise the bed head without the air
mattress sagging or bending in the middle?

m

in reply to [email protected] on 24/07/2006 11:23 AM

24/07/2006 3:05 PM

"bremen68" <[email protected]> wrote:

>When you attach the rails or
>drill the holes for the ropes you can just alter the angle and then you
>won't even have to prop it up.

Not sure what you mean by "rails"

What are the rails for?

m

in reply to [email protected] on 24/07/2006 11:23 AM

24/07/2006 12:53 PM

"bremen68" <[email protected]> wrote:

>You could purchase a standard bed frame (with a footboard) that would
>fit the size aero matress that you purchased and elevate the head of
>the bed with blocks under the feet.

here is what I was talking abt in other post

They are called bed lifts

http://tinyurl.com/ody4b

All I need is some kind of portable "frame" to contain
the air mattress.... I can still use the lifts under
front/top edge of bed to elevate


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