7 man caravan

[tyndall]

Back in what must have been the early eighties I was invited to stay aboard HMS Yarmouth by a family friend, a crew member, Brian Jones.I was about 10 or 11. It was a family open day type of thing but we got to stay a couple of nights on board the ship. I remember vaguely most of it-there was some kind of display with a helicopter winching crew members from the ship to the chopper,also one of the deck machine guns firing tracer. I remember other bits more clearly- firing a rifle at an empty oil barrel being towed 100 yards behind the ship was very memorable. Most memorable was the ‘dorm/bunkroom’ ?? we stayed in. We were in with members of the crew-the lights stayed on all night and it was hot. The bunk itself was about 2 feet wide with maybe 2 feet of headroom- I recall even as a small child it felt like a small area to sleep. I understand submarines have even smaller bunks?? Fast forward the best part of 45 years and I am the proud owner of 5 children aged between 4months and 13 years and one wife. I am designing in my head a camp trailer capable of housing aforementioned tribe internally with sleeping arrangements for all. Bunks would be the solution for the children.

My question is - how small can a bunk get for an adult before it becomes a bookshelf?

 

[grubworm]

I understand submarines have even smaller bunks??

My question is - how small can a bunk get for an adult before it becomes a bookshelf?

i was on old fast attack subs and yes, the racks were pretty tight. i remember being in bunks that were so close stacked that if i slept on my side, my shoulder would be hitting the bottom of the rack above me. i was just out of high school and still a teenager, so it didnt bother me. now that im pushing 60...there is no way i would put myself thru that. i just built a cargo trailer conversion and ended up lowering the bed because i wanted more headroom even if it cost me storage space underneath. i guess it really depends more on age? seems like the younger folk might be ok with a tighter space.

submarines were built with the equipment first and people second, so a lot of the bunks were stuck in weird places...basically install the equipment and then worry about bunk space later. people like to roll over in their sleep, so i would say that as long as you can roll over and not tag your shoulder on the bunk above you, it should be tolerable...i guess try it and see if youre ok with it. what some people call "cramped"...others would call "cozy"

one cool design with the bunk was the bedpan. basically, the bunk was a long box about 4-5" deep with a hinged lid. the mattress sat on top of the lid, so when you got up, you would lift the lid with the mattress on it and access the bedpan where you and your bunkmate (most enlisted had to share bunks with someone) stored clothes and toiletries. excellent storage. we didnt carry much personal stuff on deployment, so that one pan was enough for both our gear. not a bad idea for making bunks in a camp trailer or small house/cabin. you can see in the pic that there is a lid the mattress sits on and there is a drawer in the middle you can access without having to lift the lid. good place to put books since you could open it and get what you need even if someone was sleeping in there

 

[tyndall]

Thanks for the pic Grub,those racks look pretty tight,the top one would take some getting in to especially with those uprights at the front-it shows what’s possible for sure. I like the idea of the storage also,it makes use of all the space. It makes sense to be able to roll over,it would also be nice to be able to sit up a bit and read a book- or watch a device in my children’s case! They could be staggered along the wall a bit to allow room to sit up and to climb up to the top maybe.

 

[socal geek guy]

former navy enlisted here, and the bunks with the storage under it are referred to coffin racks. below is a picture i found on google of what they have on the uss midway (carrier). the ones i had were the same. similar to grubworm, when i slept on my side, my shoulder hit the "ceiling" of my rack, but it was helpful to keep me from rolling out of my rack while sleeping. i couldn't lay flat on my back with out my feet touching the end and my head pushing into the other end of the rack (i'm 6'4" tall).

https://www.letsgoseeit.com/index/county/sd/san_diego/loc09/midway08_5in_30.jpg

the newer san antonio class LPD has L shaped racks for the sailors so they can sit up if they want to. maybe that could be some inspiration for your build. i remember reading about these racks when the ships were still a concept and thought it was super cool.

https://preview.redd.it/saw-someone-post-the-navy-berthing-so-i-am-posting-the-v0-9vag45sx12gc1.jpeg?auto=webp&s=c12d710a653ffc6db9799dea9b56819a4a9e725c

https://preview.redd.it/are-there-any-ships-besides-the-san-antonio-class-lpds-that-v0-u3yqengmut7d1.jpeg?auto=webp&s=b50e3ad7bcb97fc7c010d5dc4d20b9f6b94b6e70

 

[North American Sojourner]

This was me but we had no end lockers. Just the coffin locker. I spent a decade on 3 ships and have scars on my forehead to prove it. LOL
Zim
midway08_5in_30.jpg (480×720) (letsgoseeit.com)

 

[North American Sojourner]

I also rode to work in this death trap for eight years. Yup, eight years. If you missed this trap, you had to get on the overflow boat. 33' open utility boat and when we hit the break wall the waves came over the bow. Arrived at work soaking wet. Great way to start the day.

 

[grubworm]

I also rode to work in this death trap for eight years. Yup, eight years. If you missed this trap, you had to get on the overflow boat. 33' open utility boat and when we hit the break wall the waves came over the bow. Arrived at work soaking wet. Great way to start the day.
View attachment 283464

Suck it up, Shipmate!
ha! wish i had a dollar for every time i heard that...

well, one good thing about going into the military at a young age is that bad stuff later in life will look good in comparison. for example, a "submarine shower" was about a half gallon of luke warm water and a half bar of ivory soap with short curlies embedded in it. but now, 40 yrs later, i get an entire gallon to myself and a fresh bar of irish springs when boondocking. life is good!

i'm sure the OP will figure out the bunk situation and hopefully no matter what, the kiddos will look back at these times later in life and have fond memories despite the comfort level of the beds. as far as young kids go, even if the beds arent the best, let them pick out their own sheets and stuff and make their bunk their own and by being a part of it like that, they will be a lot more positive about it and a lot less likely to see any negatives.

i also learned "mind manipulation" from being in the military!