Many moons ago I had a JRC bedchair where the inner extendable leg's would come all the way out if you held down the adjustment button, for all I know you can do the same thing today with my Trakker ELS?
This got me thinking, if you can have a design that allows the inner leg's to drop out and then be replaced why not sell a bed that has say two inner leg options, standard and long? The only thing you would need to do bankside is swap or put in your leg length of choice, it would take seconds to do this. Spare legs kept in a separate bag a bit like bivvy pegs.
This got me thinking, if you can have a design that allows the inner leg's to drop out and then be replaced why not sell a bed that has say two inner leg options, standard and long? The only thing you would need to do bankside is swap or put in your leg length of choice, it would take seconds to do this. Spare legs kept in a separate bag a bit like bivvy pegs.
In reply to Post #1
Great idea. Probably wouldn't give the manufacturers as much profit as selling two different versions. So not going to happen. You may be able to find an engineering firm who could make them for you.
Great idea. Probably wouldn't give the manufacturers as much profit as selling two different versions. So not going to happen. You may be able to find an engineering firm who could make them for you.
In reply to Post #1
Sounds like a good idea, there must be a market for it
Does nash do a chair called daddy long legs
Sounds like a good idea, there must be a market for it
Does nash do a chair called daddy long legs
In reply to Post #2
I'd happily pay say £30 for an additional set of long legs. Most are no doubt happy with the standard but a quick search on here shows there's a market for it.
Easy to make from the manufacturers point of view, same as they currently make just not cut so short.
I'd happily pay say £30 for an additional set of long legs. Most are no doubt happy with the standard but a quick search on here shows there's a market for it.
Easy to make from the manufacturers point of view, same as they currently make just not cut so short.
I have mentioned this a couple of times a good few years ago.
My idea is to just buy a length of aluminum tubing or solid rod off eBay which matches the original legs and cut to the required lengths. I think my bedchairs at the time was 21mm and there is plenty of that on eBay as there is of most diameters. It's cheap as well.
My idea was for those swims where the bank slopes that much, with the little short legs on your bed, too short to level the bed, just fit the longer ones where needed, maybe only needed 4 longer legs for a 6 legged bed.
The stumbling block was, I could not find the mud feet at the time which would fit the tubing I needed so I was going to make my own out of aluminum plate or pivoting blocks of wood but never got round to it
Another concern was, as you cannot fit a bigger diameter leg, there could be a possibility of it bending and snapping at the point where it fits into the framework of the bed if you have a leg with about 12" or more exposed. Maybe this is why they make beds with such short stupid legs. Maybe thicker walled tubing may be stronger or just solid rod which would just bend rather than bend and snap.
My idea is to just buy a length of aluminum tubing or solid rod off eBay which matches the original legs and cut to the required lengths. I think my bedchairs at the time was 21mm and there is plenty of that on eBay as there is of most diameters. It's cheap as well.
My idea was for those swims where the bank slopes that much, with the little short legs on your bed, too short to level the bed, just fit the longer ones where needed, maybe only needed 4 longer legs for a 6 legged bed.
The stumbling block was, I could not find the mud feet at the time which would fit the tubing I needed so I was going to make my own out of aluminum plate or pivoting blocks of wood but never got round to it
Another concern was, as you cannot fit a bigger diameter leg, there could be a possibility of it bending and snapping at the point where it fits into the framework of the bed if you have a leg with about 12" or more exposed. Maybe this is why they make beds with such short stupid legs. Maybe thicker walled tubing may be stronger or just solid rod which would just bend rather than bend and snap.
In reply to Post #5
I've done this with a couple of day chairs for river fishing - my current JRC Stealth XLite now has silly long front leg extensions to accomodate steep banks. Just buy some ali tube (2m length is usual min order for circa £20) with a decent wall thickness (1.5-2mm) and to the diameter of your existing legs, then cut to size with a hacksaw. The existing feet can usually be unscrewed or punched out if riveted on - can then be fitted to the new legs with a countersunk screw or similar. I am a DIY div but this is easy with a decent drill /drill bits etc!
I've done this with a couple of day chairs for river fishing - my current JRC Stealth XLite now has silly long front leg extensions to accomodate steep banks. Just buy some ali tube (2m length is usual min order for circa £20) with a decent wall thickness (1.5-2mm) and to the diameter of your existing legs, then cut to size with a hacksaw. The existing feet can usually be unscrewed or punched out if riveted on - can then be fitted to the new legs with a countersunk screw or similar. I am a DIY div but this is easy with a decent drill /drill bits etc!
In reply to Post #5
"Another concern was, as you cannot fit a bigger diameter leg, there could be a possibility of it bending and snapping at the point where it fits into the framework of the bed if you have a leg with about 12" or more exposed. Maybe this is why they make beds with such short stupid legs. Maybe thicker walled tubing may be stronger or just solid rod which would just bend rather than bend and snap."
Solid bar of that length would be var nigh impossible to bend unless in a vice and with an extension tube/cheater bar used to increase leverage unless it was made from toffee. The bracket fixing the leg to the frame would collapse first.
Pack the inside of thin wall tubing with a tight fitting length of dowel .
O.P. Buy cheap used match fishing seatbox legs from Ebay after confirming the diameter and cut them to required length. They come with mudfeet.
"Another concern was, as you cannot fit a bigger diameter leg, there could be a possibility of it bending and snapping at the point where it fits into the framework of the bed if you have a leg with about 12" or more exposed. Maybe this is why they make beds with such short stupid legs. Maybe thicker walled tubing may be stronger or just solid rod which would just bend rather than bend and snap."
Solid bar of that length would be var nigh impossible to bend unless in a vice and with an extension tube/cheater bar used to increase leverage unless it was made from toffee. The bracket fixing the leg to the frame would collapse first.
Pack the inside of thin wall tubing with a tight fitting length of dowel .
O.P. Buy cheap used match fishing seatbox legs from Ebay after confirming the diameter and cut them to required length. They come with mudfeet.
In reply to Post #7
If you replaced all the legs for longer ones, you still won't have any more adjustment to get it level. If the swim is sloping towards the lake, you'd have to use the longer legs at the front of the swim and the shorter legs at the back. The main issue is that beds just don't seem to come with long enough legs in the first place anymore. As long as the outer is a decent length, you should have enough adjustment.
If you replaced all the legs for longer ones, you still won't have any more adjustment to get it level. If the swim is sloping towards the lake, you'd have to use the longer legs at the front of the swim and the shorter legs at the back. The main issue is that beds just don't seem to come with long enough legs in the first place anymore. As long as the outer is a decent length, you should have enough adjustment.
In reply to Post #8
Not necessarily true. It depends just how long you make the legs . Longer legs WILL give you more adjustment as long as they aren't so long that they are unable to retract fully into the frame of the bed or chair.
Not necessarily true. It depends just how long you make the legs . Longer legs WILL give you more adjustment as long as they aren't so long that they are unable to retract fully into the frame of the bed or chair.
for 3 seasons I struggled with the long sloping banks of the Trent
in the end I simply got 3 x 4 inch high blocks of wood stood the bedchair foot on them and screwed some 3/4 inch square borders around they work perfectly I did think with the angle they work at the foot may slip out but it does not as the 3/4 border it cant !
also even though the blocks are at the angle of the slope the bed has never slipped and I have always had enough adjustment to get my bed level
in the end I simply got 3 x 4 inch high blocks of wood stood the bedchair foot on them and screwed some 3/4 inch square borders around they work perfectly I did think with the angle they work at the foot may slip out but it does not as the 3/4 border it cant !
also even though the blocks are at the angle of the slope the bed has never slipped and I have always had enough adjustment to get my bed level
In reply to Post #10
I'm with Gerry, blocks in extreme personal circumstances.
These retractable inners seem very thin walled and lightweight.
And they are at a bit of an angle which looks worse the longer you extend. I wouldn't fancy them not bending if they were extra long.
I'm with Gerry, blocks in extreme personal circumstances.
These retractable inners seem very thin walled and lightweight.
And they are at a bit of an angle which looks worse the longer you extend. I wouldn't fancy them not bending if they were extra long.
In reply to Post #9
My day chair legs don't retract fully - they project at least 200mm when fully retracted but extend to 400mm exposed length and can take my 15 stone no probs. Obvs this is not such an issue with a chair as I can still carry it when folded but bedchairs are limited by their overall size and specific folding footprint.
I think you could easily make spares for bedchairs - 1.5mm wall 21mm dia ali tube is stronger than you think and will not bend if half the overall length sits within the leg spigot - you only need to create 2-3x for a really sloping bank so could be easily stowed with the folded bedchair and used when required . . .buy a tatty old bedchair off flee bay and nick the mud feet
My day chair legs don't retract fully - they project at least 200mm when fully retracted but extend to 400mm exposed length and can take my 15 stone no probs. Obvs this is not such an issue with a chair as I can still carry it when folded but bedchairs are limited by their overall size and specific folding footprint.
I think you could easily make spares for bedchairs - 1.5mm wall 21mm dia ali tube is stronger than you think and will not bend if half the overall length sits within the leg spigot - you only need to create 2-3x for a really sloping bank so could be easily stowed with the folded bedchair and used when required . . .buy a tatty old bedchair off flee bay and nick the mud feet
In reply to Post #12
Oh I agree, you can make replacement ls easily and they won't bend under normal use. Tube is very strong. I'd definitely do that rather than messing around with blocks of wood or anything like that
Oh I agree, you can make replacement ls easily and they won't bend under normal use. Tube is very strong. I'd definitely do that rather than messing around with blocks of wood or anything like that
In reply to Post #13
I have already been down the longer leg route and made 2 different leg lengths
and found you need a minimum of 4inches longer than the standard leg and then of course its impossible to fold the bed up
and it was a lot of messing around the blocks on the other hand is no messing around what so ever
I have already been down the longer leg route and made 2 different leg lengths
and found you need a minimum of 4inches longer than the standard leg and then of course its impossible to fold the bed up
and it was a lot of messing around the blocks on the other hand is no messing around what so ever
I've used blocks before now and pinned the blocks with bivvy pegs to makesure they done slip...worked a treat