AirDownGearUp SS1: Storage, Sleeper and Drawer System for 100 series

[suprarx7nut]

I would buy this as soon as variable height control is an option; I've been considering building something similar that would allow my ARB 50qt on a slide underneath with the sleeping platform above. So far this is the closest pre-made design I've come across. Will keep an eye on the thread.

I understand as far as the current sleeping platform design goes it needs to be this height to lay on the back seats for support. I would probably need to retrofit some foldable legs for the platform section and run this with removed rear seats.

@Abigail I'm showing that fridge at about 20" in height. Raising the platform is certainly doable to that height. We will be offering risers with the platforms along with extended anchors. Do you know exactly how much clearance you'd need?

Sleeper support would be a challenge, but certainly possible. Kyle had a nifty support system worked out on his first 16" prototype that supported the sleeper sections without legs at all. You could also simplify the situation, save some cash and forego the sleeper upgrade with just the base platform system. If the base system covers your needs then we have an off the shelf solution for you as soon as we source some longer anchors.

 

[Clunky]

Wouldn't you be sleeping pretty darn close to the roof at that height?

 

[Abigail]

Wouldn't you be sleeping pretty darn close to the roof at that height?

It wouldn't be a good option for a large person but it would be plenty of space for me! You know I'm not a giant
Right now I've been sleeping next to my fridge but I've decided I'd rather have more space to spread out/fit 2 people, more storage space, and I'm ok with less head space. I'd love a RTT but I like being able to park in my garage more.

@Abigail I'm showing that fridge at about 20" in height. Raising the platform is certainly doable to that height. We will be offering risers with the platforms along with extended anchors. Do you know exactly how much clearance you'd need?

Sleeper support would be a challenge, but certainly possible. Kyle had a nifty support system worked out on his first 16" prototype that supported the sleeper sections without legs at all. You could also simplify the situation, save some cash and forego the sleeper upgrade with just the base platform system. If the base system covers your needs then we have an off the shelf solution for you as soon as we source some longer anchors.

I'll take some measurements and get back about this. Definitely would want sleeper option though. If I'm running permanently without seats I might leave the sleeper section open constantly and therefore could probably use similar supports as the rest of the platform.

 

[suprarx7nut]

It wouldn't be a good option for a large person but it would be plenty of space for me! You know I'm not a giant
Right now I've been sleeping next to my fridge but I've decided I'd rather have more space to spread out/fit 2 people, more storage space, and I'm ok with less head space. I'd love a RTT but I like being able to park in my garage more.

I'll take some measurements and get back about this. Definitely would want sleeper option though. If I'm running permanently without seats I might leave the sleeper section open constantly and therefore could probably use similar supports as the rest of the platform.

One person's claustrophobia is a another person's "cozy".

I'm in the same boat with the RTT and that was essentially the catalyst to this whole project.

We could certainly work around the fridge height if you didn't have the middle seats in, but I think there's a solution leaving those in, too. If you or your sleeping partner is short you could mount the fridge sideways on a move-able mount and keep the platform low - you'd just lose some leg space. There are lots of options there to get creative.

Take some measurements and we can see what options exist.

Since I can't update post #1 I'll keep throwing this in my new posts:
Buy link is in post #58 and right here: Buy the SS1

 

[Air Down Gear Up]

Hi Everyone! Quick update on the platform. We added tie down points for larger items stored on top of the platform. These are stainless steel that have been rubber coated to prevent rattling. I've had these installed for about 2 weeks now, nice and quiet. We will be adding another set in the middle, allowing for a wide range of tie-down options.

 

[Air Down Gear Up]

A few more pics... Including a recent mountain biking trip to Fruita.

 

[Clunky]

We will be adding another set in the middle, allowing for a wide range of tie-down options.

Are you going to recess them in the middle? I'd only want them in the middle if recessed, otherwise they will interfere with sliding items in / out and also create a potentially uncomfortable bump for sleeping.

 

[Air Down Gear Up]

Are you going to recess them in the middle? I'd only want them in the middle if recessed, otherwise they will interfere with sliding items in / out and also create a potentially uncomfortable bump for sleeping.

Just to clarify, the additional tie downs will be in-line with others, along the edge of the wing. By 'middle' I meant to say mid way in between the existing tie downs. We'll be leaving the sleeping area nice and flush with no protrusions.

 

[WannaLC]

any ideas when the first batch will ship for those that get in on the initial group buy? any guesses on weight limit evenly distributed on the top?

 

[Greenbean]

I'm really thinking about dropping a deposit on this,

Are you painting them and/or having them coated with a bed liner?
Guess if they show up bare that's a good call too as we can price getting them coated.

I'm liking the sleeping platform and the hinges and the storage underneath.

Are the piano hinge holes going to be pre-drilled or is that part of our assembly?

 

[Air Down Gear Up]

any ideas when the first batch will ship for those that get in on the initial group buy? any guesses on weight limit evenly distributed on the top?

We are anticipating about a 4 week leadtime after deposit for the first round of units. We'll be tracking everything individually, and will try to keep in close contact with everyone on the build status.

 

[Air Down Gear Up]

I'm really thinking about dropping a deposit on this,

Are you painting them and/or having them coated with a bed liner?
Guess if they show up bare that's a good call too as we can price getting them coated.

I'm liking the sleeping platform and the hinges and the storage underneath.

Are the piano hinge holes going to be pre-drilled or is that part of our assembly?

We will be sending the first units out coated with bedliner, with the intent to have a bare option available in the future as well.

The storage under the sleeping platform has been great! With some thoughtful packing you can keep a over-night's worth of gear under the deployed platform, which makes things really easy at camp.

The unit will ship with the holes for the piano hings already in place (this level of precision is hard to do without a CNC router!) The wings will be attached, and the two sleeper panels will be assembled together. You will have to attach the uprights (1 bolt each, allen key provided) and attach the sleeper panels to the pre-drilled platform.

any ideas when the first batch will ship for those that get in on the initial group buy? any guesses on weight limit evenly distributed on the top?

For the weight limit, we haven't gone as far as running an FEA or anything like that, but i'll say that we've had two 200 pound guys on the platform with no issue or noticeable deflection of the panels. I've had mine loaded up a few times with landscaping materials, plate steel,lots of camping gear, etc. and it's been handling the weight with no issues.

 

[Greenbean]

Line-X?

 

[Air Down Gear Up]

Line-X?

After many trials with different brands of liners and application techniques, we will be going with Herculiner for the coating. From our testing, that has given us the best durability.

One of the benefits of the liner is it also 'waterproofs' the system. I used this platform for transporting skis this year, and would find little drips from melted snow that stayed on the surface instead of being absorbed into the wood.

 

[Greenbean]

Sounds good,

By chance do you have any better pictures of the lined version.

Argh! I'm so torn between these or a set of KISS drawers!

 

[Clunky]

Sounds good,

By chance do you have any better pictures of the lined version.

Argh! I'm so torn between these or a set of KISS drawers!

I suspect that's going to be a common comparison. It seems like the big differentiators between those 2 are:

1) This setup is easy to remove, thereby maintaining flexbility. Once you install KISS drawers, you probably aren't taking them out.
2) The drawers provide for more organized storage, but aren't going to have as much storage space.
3) Look / style - just a matter of taste

What are some other points of differentiation?

 

[Air Down Gear Up]

I suspect that's going to be a common comparison. It seems like the big differentiators between those 2 are:

1) This setup is easy to remove, thereby maintaining flexbility. Once you install KISS drawers, you probably aren't taking them out.
2) The drawers provide for more organized storage, but aren't going to have as much storage space.
3) Look / style - just a matter of taste

What are some other points of differentiation?

Weighing in with my two cents! First I just want to comment that the KISS drawers seem like a great product.

Like Clunky is saying, The primary benefit of the SS1 is the extreme flexibility. I end up changing out my configuration frequently, between 14er trips, skiing, mountain biking, road-trip style overnights, 'expedition' level camping gear, hunting, home depot runs, air port luggae duty, etc etc. On top of this, I end up taking the system out entirely to help friends/family move, haul oversize items (just picked up a nice BBQ grill the other week) and having the ability pull the system out has been huge.

We wanted to keep this as flexible as possible, and committing to a drawer system really limits the storage utility to a few otpions (i.e. 4x4 car-camping). For example, over the July 4th holiday, me and my fiance will be doing a backpacking trip in Glacier National Park. We will have the backpacking bags packed, and will keep them under the platform driving with the sleeper deployed as we will be rolling into the first and last night's car-camp really late. The relatively small amount of gear that we'll need in addition to the backpacking packs will also fit under the platform. We'll be pushing the limits on timing (and physical exhaustion!) throughout the whole trip, so having an already set up sleeping area will be a huge benefit.

Having said all that; keep in mind we will be offering a retro-fittable drawer system for this in the near future, because we fully understand that is the best fit for some people.

 

[Air Down Gear Up]

Sounds good,

By chance do you have any better pictures of the lined version.

Argh! I'm so torn between these or a set of KISS drawers!

I'll post up some pics showing a little more detail on the coating later today. Seems like no matter how many pics i take i never have exactly what i need!!

 

[cruzerDave]

I suspect that's going to be a common comparison. It seems like the big differentiators between those 2 are:

1) This setup is easy to remove, thereby maintaining flexbility. Once you install KISS drawers, you probably aren't taking them out.
2) The drawers provide for more organized storage, but aren't going to have as much storage space.
3) Look / style - just a matter of taste

What are some other points of differentiation?

@Kyle Bell not trying to crash your thread here, but thought I should weigh in too as (to my surprise) a thread comparing our two systems has not yet popped up...

First off I'm stoked to see another great storage product on the market, our cruisers need all the love they can get IMHO!

I agree that KISS Drawers and SS1 address different needs, and answering @Clunky's questions:
- KISS Drawers take about 10 minutes to remove- drawers slide out, wings unbolt with 6 screws, then 4 U-bolts. Certainly longer than the SS1 but not so much I think it will be a deciding factor for folks unless like @Kyle Bell they do a lot of helping folks move, etc.
- KISS Drawers are sized to form a sleeping platform with your seats folded down. There is a small gap you might want to bridge with a towel or similar. SS1 are ready to sleep on once you fold them flat, so if you do a lot of sleeping in your rig they might be better.
- KISS Drawers ship unfinished so you need to buy a mat, paint, line-x, whatever you want, but it is an extra step. SS1 looks to be coming finished.
- Cost may end up being a difference, I think SS1 is still finalizing so can't comment for sure but shipping can get frustrating and drive $ (A lesson I learned the hard way)
- Weight. While KISS only weights 104 lbs, that is empty, and no one puts drawers in and leaves them empty! Personally I am carrying around 150 lbs in gear in the back all the time, so +250 over stock. If your suspension is worn out that 250 may be noticed, something to consider.
- Carrying load may end up being a factor, depending on what you need. KISS has taken over 800 lbs without failure or squeaks (hauling cut plywood so I knew what each piece weighed), and SS1 is still testing theirs.

That's it for now, happy to answer any specific questions, and I wish success to the SS1

 

[Air Down Gear Up]

The overall weight and shipping considerations were two things we were keeping in mind during the design of the SS1. Total weight of a full sleeper is coming in at about 40 pounds.

Also, we have the platform designed so that it will ship in 4 main pieces, all of which will break down to fit in a box that does not require freight shipping. This combined with the weight will keep shipping costs reasonable. The challenge was getting the component split right to allow for reasonable shipping and minimizing the amount of assembly you'll have to do out of the box.