sofa bed head slops down on 2021 303rls

[Dennis66]

Anybody have a cheep fix for the sofa bed slope? I adjusted the feet to get it level but the head slops down like 3" were planning on using a 10" air mattress but will need some sort of wedge to keep it level

[tortuga]

swap ends?

[Cate&Rob]

Anybody have a cheep fix for the sofa bed slope? I adjusted the feet to get it level but the head slops down like 3" were planning on using a 10" air mattress but will need some sort of wedge to keep it level

Amazing that 303s are still being built this way! This was identified to Grand Design . . . six years ago !!
The back of the seat cushion can be shimmed up, but this compromises seating comfort.
The best solution that I have seen is to put the sofa on taller legs . . . which has the added benefit of increased storage space under it when folded in.
We have found that an inflatable bed on the floor in front of the sofa is a much better plan for occasional accommodation.

Rob

[Dennis66]

Yep we thought about the same thing bed on floor for few guests, Im going to experiment with some foam wedges to level that and try the air mattress on that. All I know is Im not sleeping out there....

[Jlawles2]

If its too comfortable, they want to stay. GF's Sister went with us on a trip for a few days last summer. the bed was so uncomfortable she just slept in the recliner. Now that was not the GD, but Thomas Payne couch bed none the less. I would pay a few extra bucks for a decent bed back there because I have lower back issues and that thing hurt me just laying in it to see what it was going to be like.

[howson]

Amazing that 303s are still being built this way! This was identified to Grand Design . . . six years ago !!
The back of the seat cushion can be shimmed up, but this compromises seating comfort.
The best solution that I have seen is to put the sofa on taller legs . . . which has the added benefit of increased storage space under it when folded in.
We have found that an inflatable bed on the floor in front of the sofa is a much better plan for occasional accommodation.

Rob

Not only GD, but this exact problem was demonstrated, by me, to the head guy at Lippert's couch factory when we had our tour there almost two years ago.

[JBill9694]

You are not the first to have this problem, Dennis66 . Not sure if this link will work or not. If not try searching for the thread title. Lot's of good information on what others have done.

https://gdrvowners.com/forum/interio...level-sofa-bed

[Canyonlight]

Anybody have a cheep fix for the sofa bed slope? I adjusted the feet to get it level but the head slops down like 3" were planning on using a 10" air mattress but will need some sort of wedge to keep it level

Oh my goodness ! Still happening after Rob Cate&Rob and I along with a few others talked about this in 2015,,,,YIKES ! Below is a cut and paste on what I did and shared elsewhere in the forum universe in 2015: Not sure if the method would still apply to your situation but if it does, it is a pretty easy fix and works well.

'Finally got our rear couch/bed legs cut off and adjusted consistent with the threads attached by Ken and Rob to this thread. I did not see where anyone had done a further mod to level the rear section so I did that as well. The 1" pieces I cut off the legs were used as 3/4" spacers (turned sideways) in the rear frame section to level the rear section as well. In addition, on our bed, the front two sections dipped a bit where they meet so when I re-bolted the rear section of the legs, I dropped them 1/2" to level the first two sections. Put a straight 2"/4" over entire bed and now all sections are level.

A bonus to spacing the rear section 3/4" higher was that the rear couch section has more slant to it nearly touching the wall when being used as a couch........more comfortable to sit in !



Forgot to add that the picture with level was taken before I leveled the rear section......if you look closely you can see the 3/4' dip at the rear next to the wall that no longer exists with adding the spacers noted above.'

Attached Thumbnails
Dan

[Dennis66]

my legs have adjustments and can get level to the middle its when you lower the last cushion at the wall it slops down where you head is thats my problem and looking at your picture I see a gap there as well

[Canyonlight]

my legs have adjustments and can get level to the middle its when you lower the last cushion at the wall it slops down where you head is thats my problem and looking at your picture I see a gap there as well

The 3/4" spacers took care of that as noted in the first 2 pictures and the narrative. Adding those spacers raised the wall end of the bed cushion that raises up and back to the wall and down to sleep on.

That picture with the level was taken before I added the spacers which leveled out this cushion as well.....my apologies. I thought I had pictures after adding the spacers but I cannot locate them now. I will have to take some in the spring when we take our 303 out of indoor storage and share those and clarify the narrative.

The bed is completely level all around front to back......wall to island and head (s) to toe(s) !

Dan

[howson]

The 3/4" spacers took care of that as noted in the first 2 pictures and the narrative. Adding those spacers raised the wall end of the bed cushion that raises up and back to the wall and down to sleep on.

That picture with the level was taken before I added the spacers which leveled out this cushion as well.....my apologies. I thought I had pictures after adding the spacers but I cannot locate them now. I will have to take some in the spring when we take our 303 out of indoor storage and share those and clarify the narrative.

The bed is completely level all around front to back......wall to island and head (s) to toe(s) !

Dan

Next get together you're fixing mine, Dan. I tried (really)--but I'm not very good at Jenga, apparently.

[Canyonlight]

Next get together you're fixing mine, Dan. I tried (really)--but I'm not very good at Jenga, apparently.

Howard - I will be more than happy to do so. My concern would be not living up to you very high (did I say very high) standards of which we all appreciate and benefit from greatly. We mere mortals cannot hold a candle to your outstanding thought processes and execution.

Dan

[Dennis66]

Did you put the spacers under the hinge of the back fold down? if so does it have enough support being it the hinges will carry all the weight up front due to the side supports slope down. Sounds like a great idea if thats how you did it, Ill have mine home this weekend. Geeze just two weeks old and already fixing stuff..... lol

[Canyonlight]

Did you put the spacers under the hinge of the back fold down? if so does it have enough support being it the hinges will carry all the weight up front due to the side supports slope down. Sounds like a great idea if thats how you did it, Ill have mine home this weekend. Geeze just two weeks old and already fixing stuff..... lol

Yes - you can kinda see it my pictures where the 4 tube pieces are placed under the hinges to raise that end of the cushion. We have had 3 people often sitting on our couch and our daughter and SIL have slept there many nights. No issues and last time I looked all as it was when installed.

You could always consider spacing as you desire with a longer tube or longer tube sections if any concerns. I can understand your thought process on this particularly with possible rough housing from kids, pets, or folks of a larger frame. Our family and friends are most all on the smaller, shorter, lighter, and some of us......balder side of things !

Yea, this fixing and improving thing can go on for a while.......especially hanging around Howard howson and Rob Cate&Rob ......and this is a good thing except for the bank account. My CFO gets a little out of sorts at times.......ask Jim TucsonJim ......so does his CFO 1

Dan

[Dennis66]

Hey thanks for the tip I'm just a typical anal mechanical engineer, just ask my wife I engineer the heck out of everything. Once again as a engineer there will be little load at the top being most body weight is at the main support rail. I actually have some 1" aluminum extruded tubing that will work for that. Question on the legs did you have the adjustable legs? if so did you still need to cut them down? I adjusted mine all the way down but does appear to have a small hump at the second section.