Thread: Murphy beds
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Old 10-25-2012, 06:04 PM   #8
volvoman
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Rockford
Posts: 490
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i am just finishing building my bed that lifts to the ceiling. it took several attempts to make it work. i was going to make it work even if it broke the bank. i took a toy hauler wall bed and disassembled to use. i was trying to make a roll up door operator and tracking work. 1st mistake i made was to use 1" tracking and rollers with standard spools. after about 80 hrs. i call a over head door company. they said i should use 2" tracks and rollers. also needed to use tapered spools. i never knew they made them. they said i was trying to raise same amount of weight all the way up. as you normally raise a door weight decreases and door goes around top tracking. then i tried an electric motor to raise bed. it would raise bed about 1/2 the way up and run out of power. as soon as you let up on power switch bed would fall back down. now i went hydraulic lift gate motor assembly with a char-lynn motor. works just like i wanted it to. i am going to run hoses from pump to a selector valve which i can switch between two motors. one for raising bed and other for raising toy hauler door. i don't want to work when its play time. i took it part way back apart to paint. when i get it back together i will post pictures.
full fold down bed $500.00. 1st roller set up was about $120.00 that i couldn't reuse. electric motor was $100.00 cash. 2nd roller and operator assembly $300.00 bed motor $181.31 2) selector valves $58.02 each to switch oil flow back & forth. i don't remember what i paid for lift gate pump. i had it quite a while. sprockets and chain about another $60.00.
with what i know now i could do one for about $900.00 to $1000.00 for just a bed.
i have 9 foot ceiling so head room wasn't a problem. only sticks out about 3" from wall.
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