Anybody got a second catch on the bed end?

[achjimmy]

Playing around with the bed end at a dealers a while ago, I thought it strange that the back bed only had one catch to hold it up. There's a bit of tension there once packed away and I understand the hard lid seals the end but it seems a poor design to me. Anyway i'd forgot about it but reading the magazine article on the 16:49-3 that did the Gibb river road and beside smashing the water pipes (same as cruza did) they complained about the single bed catch. It would be dead easy to install a second catch, Ive asked my dealer about it and don't really care either way as I will do it myself but wondered has anybody else done there's? I would presume it will make it a little more difficult to start as you have to reach both catches together or hope the pressure behind one releases it 1st.

 

[Matty4]

I haven't done it, but whilst away last year we lost (due to the corrugations on the Savannah Way) the little grub screw that holds the bed end catch together. It was like that for about a week until I got to Darwin to buy some spares. It took 2 of us to close it without the catch.

I have seriously thought about fitting the second one but then I doubt I'll be taking into the places I took it last year again.

 

[cruza driver]

I've never really thought about fitting a 2nd latch, but in saying that I think no matter what dust will get in the rear lid purely because of the design of the lid and seal. There is also a bit of flex in the hardlid so I was thinking this may inhibit the sealing abilities of the rear lid anyway.

We have a foam matress on the rear bed and the pressure on the doesnt semm excessive maybe the weight of an innerspring mattress may be a different story?
Food for thought though :thumb:

 

[Matty4]

We have an innerspring mattress on both bed ends and it does take a bit of push and shove at times to get the rear bed in snugly, especially if it hasn't folded and settled quite right on the inside first. There have been times when I've had to get my wife or daughter to adjust the mattress slightly to allow me to latch it closed. I daresay the foam one wouldn't place as much pressure on the catch.

 

[achjimmy]

I always thought it was the bed end itselfs causing the pressure? With the soft end you were always checking to make sure the top and sides "tucked" in is the hard lid bed ends the same?

 

[Bushman]

My rear bed base catches on the little "L" shape bracket thingy that the latch locks in behind, keep forgetting to try adjust to adjust it.

I have more trouble getting the front bed to sit flat back against the body before close lid, most times I have to go in a wiggle the mattress around (innerspring)

 

[Micky]

We have fitted a second latch - primarily because the original single factory fitted latch would 'pop' open during travel. Fitted the second latch and also as added security the bungy type strap as shown in the attached photo. Bed end is now nice and secure!! Cheers