plywood vs particle board vs mdf sleeping platform (1 Viewer)

[ccasteel]

I'm planning a sleeping platform build. Super simple with no drawers, just open space underneath. Not being well versed in the benefits of the different types of wood, are there reasons to avoid one or another of the afore mentioned types for my platform.

 

[SlowBuild]

I’d avoid particle board (do you mean OSB? I’d avoid that too).

MDF is not wood, it’s mostly glue, and the dust from cutting/sanding it is nasty stuff. It’ll need more support than plywood but comes ready with a smooth surface and it’s cheaper. Screws won’t hold in it. I hate the stuff.

If that’s the surface you’re after then use MDO or HDO. They’re great but expensive, strong and super smooth.

Plywood is easy to work with, comes with many surfaces to choose from, and it’s strong. It’s not usually as smooth and nice a surface as MDO or HDO but you can get it to that with just a bit of elbow grease.

 

[-Spike-]

Plywood is the best option for strength, durability, and weight savings. Particle board and to a lesser extent MDF are both vulnerable to deformation if they come in contact with liquids. Both are heavier than plywood, and neither has the strength, especially to carry loads over time, that plywood offers.

Another product to consider is OSB (oriented strand board) which has very similar characteristics to plywood while being much cheaper. It is not as good looking as plywood though.

 

[sdnative]

I used either 1/2" or 3/4" birch ply for a fridge platform build. Very sturdy but can get heavy.

 

[kelly saad]

Baltic birch from a hardwood supply store.

 

[joseywales]

As others have said, use plywood. Baltic birch is great if it will be visible, but if you are covering it with carpet or something similar, then just use regular exterior grade plywood. It will be less than half the cost of Baltic. Use white carpenters glue and screws to assemble your platform.

Do not even consider particle board, mdf or even osb (“oriented strand board”). They have far less strength than plywood and will not hold together.

 

[VinylSeats]

Another vote here for plywood. I used 3/4" on my sleeping platform and it turned out great. With the right 2x4 frame, you could maybe get away with 1/2". I'm usually on the "overengineer just in case" side of things and wanted to make sure it could easily hold me, my wife, and my dog.

You can see my platform build here. Sounds very similar to what you are trying to accomplish.

 

[cruiserpilot]

Definitely stick with plywood. The Baltic birch mentioned above would be nicest. Are you leaving it exposed?
As mentioned, if covering with carpet, then standard G1S, ( good 1 side ) works. 3/4" has almost no deflection
or bending. I have a 4' - 3/4" plywood deck I sometimes use in the back of my 60. It sits only on wood resting
brackets I run 4' along under the rear windows.
It's heavy though, if you are framing it then 1/2" should work well.

 

[cmck]

Plywood for sure. The more the number of layers or “plys” the better the quality. The thickness will depend on how big the surface area is and how it is supported. The fewer the points of support the thicker it should be.

 

[76FJ40]

Another vote for Baltic Birch. OBTW, BB is not the same as Birch veneer plywood; it has many more plies and is denser.

 

[SlowBuild]

Definitely stick with plywood. The Baltic birch mentioned above would be nicest. Are you leaving it exposed?
As mentioned, if covering with carpet, then standard G1S, ( good 1 side ) works. 3/4" has almost no deflection
or bending. I have a 4' - 3/4" plywood deck I sometimes use in the back of my 60. It sits only on wood resting
brackets I run 4' along under the rear windows.
It's heavy though, if you are framing it then 1/2" should work well.

This is how lumber is spec’d (S1S, S2S, etc) but I’ve never heard this for plywood. G1S is maybe a term for any of the faced plys? If so I think it’s not necessary if you’re covering it. CDX would do. It’s cheap.

Any decent cabinet ply would do if it’s exposed. Baltic Birch if you like birch, but any wood would be fine. I’ve seen marine ply used.

I like ply for looks but I’d still vote for MDO or even HDO for strength, surface quality, and ease of maintenance.

 

[Spike555]

I didn't sleep in my truck last night, and my back doesn't hurt either.

 

[stock]

Make sure it's US made plywood, it will have safer glues. The offgassing in a small, sealed area is something to consider.

 

[C6H12O6]

My local wood place had Russian Birch. Same stuff. Lots of thin plies, exterior-grade waterproof glue, no voids in the layers. Great stuff. It's pretty, but that only matters if you're going to leave the wood showing. Raw wood will get trashed quickly, so you'll need to finish it in some way.

I'll try to snap a pic of my setup for you later. It's a little taller than some, but the sleeping platform is damn near perfectly flat the way I built it. I was going to go with the KISS drawer(s), but really just wanted a platform with an open bottom. I like it and have never felt like I was missing out not having a drawer under there.

 

[SlowBuild]

Make sure it's US made plywood, it will have safer glues. The offgassing in a small, sealed area is something to consider.

Yes. But in my experience European plys are much better quality than American ones. My guess is their glues are just as safe if not more safe.

 

[stock]

Yes. But in my experience European plys are much better quality than American ones. My guess is their glues are just as safe if not more safe.

European is fine also, so is Canada, just not China, or really any 3rd world. The glues they use are quite toxic and have really screwed up people. Read about the FEMA trailers made with it. But really, importing plywood from Europe seems counter productive. America knows wood.

 

[ccasteel]

Excellent feedback. Just what I was looking for. I had to lookup what MDO and HDO were. I'm planning to glue down carpet, so I don't need the smooth finish. Looks like simple plywood is the direction to go for price and since I'm covering it up with carpet.

I was planning on 3/4 inch, but reading a couple comments makes me wonder if I can get away with 1/2 inch for the weight savings. Mostly because this will not be permanent, and I will be putting it in and out myself.

@TheAshenWolf I really like your design. How did you determine the length of the legs. Did you have them cut and threaded at the store? Or were they standard lengths?

 

[VinylSeats]

@TheAshenWolf I really like your design. How did you determine the length of the legs. Did you have them cut and threaded at the store? Or were they standard lengths?

I did 3/4" standard 12" long pipe. I think it's a pretty ideal size. You could go a little shorter to get a bit more headroom and lay the second piece directly on the 2nd row instead of having to build up a bit of wood like I did.

I did it to accommodate our camping bins. The extra headroom would be nice but I don't think I would change it if I were to go back.

I think you could probably go 1/2" on the plywood but the extra weight of the 3/4" isn't bad. That was something I worried about as well. Would love to hear how it turns out if you go 1/2".

Make sure you post back on this thread when you finish. Would love to see it.

 

[VinylSeats]

Another benefit of 12" legs: the platform is about the same height as the gate. It's really easy to access this top platform area without opening the lower gate.

 

[BillZ260]

@ccasteel check out this thread, lots of great ideas. I stole from a few to come up with my own set up. Figure out what works for you, it may take a few iterations.

100 series sleeping setup?