What Is a Gaucho Bed for an RV or Camper?

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When you purchase an RV there are plenty of things you will have think about. Most notably, sleeping space can be a problem for many RV owners. A lot of the time RVs have plenty of space, but some don’t actually have enough beds for people to sleep.

This can be a big problem if you want to bring a big group with you on a vacation. However, you can go out and purchase beds and couches for your RV so that your guests have somewhere to sleep. One of the best things for you to purchase, or build, is a Gaucho bed.

What is a Goucho bed for an RV or Camper? A Gaucho bed is like a futon or pull out bed. However, these are pull out beds that are specifically designed for RVs and trailers. As a result, you will be able to fit these beds into your trailer with ease.

So, if you are in need of an extra bed for your RV, you might want to purchase a Gaucho bed. It will give the extra space you need so that your guests aren’t sleeping on the floor. This way everyone will be well rested for the next day and you go on as many adventures as you want.

What Is a Gaucho Bed for an RV or Camper?

A Gaucho bed is a pull out bed that you can install in your RV or trailer. These beds are easy to install and can be installed in almost any RV. All you need is the space to install it. Most RVs will have the space you need to fit a Gaucho bed.

A Gaucho bed is like a futon in many ways. It is not as comfortable as a regular bed, and it is not as large. It is much thinner than your typical bed, and it is harder. The primary purpose of a Gaucho bed is not to provide comfort like a regular bed. Its purpose is like that of a futon. It can provide sitting space when it is in the form of a couch. However, it can also provide a guest a place to sleep when you pull it out. Although it will not be the most comfortable thing in the world, it will be better than sleeping on the floor.

Can You Make Your Own Gaucho Bed?

Yes, you can make your own Gaucho bed. However, you will need to be good with your hands. If you are not great at making things in general, it might be better to purchase a Gaucho bed rather than attempt to build one yourself.

How to Build a Gaucho Bed for Your RV or Camper

The first thing you will want to do is go to an RV dealership or show and familiarize yourself with the various methods for extending and retracting a Gaucho bed. Understanding how these mechanisms work will make it easier for you to build the bed yourself.

You then need to determine the measurements for your Gaucho bed. So, you need to go ahead and take measurements of the area in your RV that you want to place your Gaucho bed. Once this is done, you can start constructing the frame of the Gaucho bed.

The frame should be constructed to be a comfortable seat and strong enough to support both the sleepers. You can build the frame with 2 inch by 2 inch lumber or metal joined together with welds or pipe fittings.

You will then need to build the tracks for the extending portion of the bed. For the track you can use wooden slides that you can find inside old fashioned chests or cabinets for this.

The next step is to cut cushions to size with a craft knife. Keep in mind that the cushion used as a seat when the bed is retracted will be larger than when it is used as a back rest. You can usually purchase large sheets of high foam density from fabric and department stores. Once you have them cut out, you should glue them to the base panels in their seating and sleeping configurations.

Finally, it is time to build the extending portion of the bed. Install rubber stops at each inside corner to stop the bed from being drawn too far out. Screw folding legs to the outside corners that can be deployed for sleeping and retracted when it is in storage.

Where to Find Gaucho Bed Plans

Gaucho beds are not advertised like a regular bed. As a result, it can be incredibly difficult to find Gaucho beds for sale or to find bed plans so that you can build one yourself. This is especially difficult if you are looking from your typical sellers like Airstream. Instead, you should be looking for private sellers that build Gaucho beds.

If you want to find Gaucho bed plans, there are several places you can find them. One of the best sources available to you is Pinterest. Pinterest and similar websites allow users to upload blogs and images as thing like. As a result, you can find almost anything you need on a website like this. So, if you are struggling to find Gaucho bed plans, you should take a look at Pinterest.

Here is a great article called An Extending Bed in my DIY Van Conversion where they go step by step with how they built their extending gaucho bed.

Where Is the Best Place to Buy a Gaucho Bed?

Finding a seller of a Gaucho bed can be extremely difficult. They are not typically sold by classic RV brands like Airstream. As a result, you will need to do some internet sleuthing to find a seller. Check RV forums for people advertising their businesses.

There are several small businesses out there that sell Gaucho beds. However, they are not easy to find because of their size. As a result, you will need to spend some time looking around to find a good seller. However you can find pull out gaucho beds like the one below at Ikea!

What Size Is an RV or Camper Gaucho Bed?

A Gaucho Bed does not have a determined size. There can be very small Gaucho beds and larger options as well. However, they are typically smaller than a regular Queen sized bed. That is because these beds are built to fold up when they are not in use. They turn into couches when they are folded so that there is seating space in your RV.

Since Gaucho beds need to retract into the wall or into the rest of the bed, they need to be smaller. They also need to fit in smaller spaces, so they are usually smaller than other beds. However, you do not need to worry about them being so small that you cannot fit in them. They are big enough that anyone can sleep in them. They are not just for kids.

Where Can I Buy a Mattress to Fit my Gaucho Bed?

If you have the frame for your Gaucho bed, you will need a mattress to go with it. However, many mattress sellers will not have customizable sizes. So, you need to find a company that does that for you. One of the best sellers of customizable mattresses is Tochta Mattresses. They have mattresses at fixed sizes if you just want to purchase something already built. However, they also have many customizable options for you to look through.

When you are building a mattress you have lots of options available to you. You can customize a bed of any size. So, you can set the specifications for the mattress and customize it to be the exact size you need. You can then go in and adjust the thickness of the bed as well. Many companies will let you customize the length and width of the mattress, but not the thickness. Thickness is super important with a Gaucho bed because it needs to be able to fold into a couch. If it is too thick that will not be possible.

Additionally, you can choose from a plethora of fabrics to ensure that the bed is as comfortable as possible. Obviously, it can only be so comfortable because it needs to be a relatively thin mattress, but that does not mean you cannot try to make it as comfortable as possible with an ideal fabric.

Set Up Your RV with an Extra Sleeping Space with Your New Gaucho Bed

After reading, we hope you have all the information you need about Gaucho beds. We know there is a lot of information to absorb, but it should all be helpful to you going forward. We also know that information on this topic can be scarce, so if there is more you want to learn, you just need to make sure that you take your time and research thoroughly. If you look around enough, you will find all the information you need.

A Gaucho bed is a great option for any RV owner that needs an extra place for someone to sleep in their RV. Not only does it provide someone a bed to sleep in, but it can be folded up and used as a couch during the day. So, you do not need to worry about it taking up too much space because it is folded up when it is not in use.

Although a Gaucho bed is not the most comfortable bed in the world, it is a great option if you just need a bed for someone to sleep in. You can give it to your kids or someone younger that does not need to worry about their back getting screwed up. Once it is installed you can bring another person with you on your next trip.

Why are you interested in a Gaucho bed? Have you ever used a Gaucho bed before? Do you think you will try building one yourself? Let us know in the comments!

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