Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-28-2021, 03:13 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 194
DX3 Jack Knife Sofa Replacement

We finally decided to replace the jack knife sofa/bed in our DX3 because it wasn't real useful as a couch & was even less useful as a bed. Probably only someone under 5 yrs old could have used it to sleep on. The replacement sofa/sleeper will allow me to completely stretch out to take an afternoon snooze & also sleep there comfortably (hopefully). I added some pull out storage compartments under it so I can store more stuff than under the original unit.

It's somewhat longer than the original unit so it cuts into the seating area, so we may have to give up one of our recliners. We'll see how that works on our first 2021 camping trip in April.

While I was working inside I replaced the radio head unit because the touch screen on it became mostly inoperative, plus I never really liked the unit. The new one has a 10" display & I angle it towards the driver, so it's much more useable than the original unit.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	DX3 Sleeper Sofa1.jpg
Views:	101
Size:	303.6 KB
ID:	248580   Click image for larger version

Name:	DX3 Sleeper Sofa2.jpg
Views:	101
Size:	348.8 KB
ID:	248581   Click image for larger version

Name:	DX3 Sleeper Sofa3.jpg
Views:	106
Size:	319.8 KB
ID:	248582   Click image for larger version

Name:	DX3 Sleeper Sofa4.jpg
Views:	148
Size:	297.6 KB
ID:	248583  
Silver Arrow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2021, 05:29 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
FOURWHL's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 2,990
That's pretty slick does it just cantilever out or are there legs supporting it in bed position?
__________________
2016 Dynamax DX3 - Big Blue
FOURWHL is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-28-2021, 07:26 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 194
Sleeper Sofa

It has legs that fold down at each corner. I forgot to do that when I was taking the pictures.
Silver Arrow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2021, 09:23 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
halla's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Akron, OH
Posts: 3,284
That is cool. is the head unit just a flat plate in the dash with the mount attached?
__________________
2023 Dynaquest XL 3700BD
Had...2018 Force HD, 2016 Force, 2014 Thor 33sw
halla is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2021, 09:46 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
FOURWHL's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 2,990
Wait just a minute... I looked at the head unit pic and saw those bubble levels. Did you add those? How do they work being that far forward? That's a pretty fantastic setup if they work good!
__________________
2016 Dynamax DX3 - Big Blue
FOURWHL is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2021, 01:07 PM   #6
TRN
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 156
What brand sofa is that, it looks great!
__________________
2015 DX3 37TRS - Brutus
B'ham - or at a racetrack
TRN is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-01-2021, 08:09 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 194
The head unit is a double din size & the display is referred to as a 'floating' unit because it can be adjusted up/down, in/out & angled up/down. I modified the display mounting bracket so the display is angled towards the driver. It really makes a huge difference looking straight at the display vs at angle.

I purchased the sofa/sleeper at IKEA & made a few modifications to it so it would work better in the RV. I removed the front panel from the sofa, cut it in half & added the wood trim to use as the drawer front panels. I think it blends in nicely. I looked at a number of RV specific sofa sleepers & most weren't long enough to sleep on & really didn't provide a flat sleeping surface. Plus they were somewhat pricey & usually had shipping costs at top of that.

I added the dash mounted levels a few years ago because the 'Auto' leveling system was herky jerky & basically didn't really work that well - i.e. POS. It doesn't matter where the levels are mounted in the coach as long as they are 'level'. I leveled the RV using a traditional level on the floor until it was 'level' & used double stick tape to attached the left/right level to the dash. I designed the fore/aft level so I could adjust it since there wasn't a level/plumb mounting surface on the dash. The dash levels work perfectly & I can get the RV leveled very quickly & easily. After using it a few times you learn which button to give a quick 'jab' to get the RV dialed right in. I did check a couple years after installing them & they're still right on the money.
Silver Arrow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-02-2021, 09:06 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
Invisibleman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 850
I'd really like to know more about the radio head unit.. I've never even heard of such a thing. Is it an entirely new radio? Does the radio that comes with the M2 have optional "heads"? Did you make a mount, or is there an optional mount to extend and angle it? It looks like a great idea. Any specifics you can share on that would be greatly appreciated.
__________________

2021 Force 37TS (Detroit DD8)
2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk
2020 Isata-5 36DS (traded in)
Invisibleman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-02-2021, 09:44 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 850
ATOTO On Amazon
Quote:
Originally Posted by Invisibleman View Post
I'd really like to know more about the radio head unit.. I've never even heard of such a thing. Is it an entirely new radio? Does the radio that comes with the M2 have optional "heads"? Did you make a mount, or is there an optional mount to extend and angle it? It looks like a great idea. Any specifics you can share on that would be greatly appreciated.
ATOTO
Magnatudes is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-02-2021, 10:38 AM   #10
Senior Member
 
MoJoe1003's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 1,208
I like the concept of being able to angle the head unit towards the driver for sure. My only concern is the Navigation system it uses. Is it RV specific, meaning, can you input your RV’s weight, width and height so you get routed on roads that match those specifications? The double din Kenwood that has been standard in the M2’s since 2019 uses the Garmin RV Navigation system. Being routed down a two lane country road with a railroad bridge that only has 12’ of clearance when we need 12’8” has the potential to result in a bad day. Is it rare? Yep, but it only takes once. Bridges that are not rated for the weight of our M2’s can also be an issue.
I was in a small town early last year and missed the turn that Garmin told me to take because I was too busy checking out the cool little downtown area. So, being the bright guy I think I am, I turned at the next street to just go around the block, no problem. Except the road I turned on had small bridge with a huge sign that said “No Vehicles Over 20,000 lbs Allowed”. The Garmin had already warned me before I saw the sign. Needless to say, it was a difficult situation to find a place to turn around at that point.
__________________
Joe & Cynthia
2021 Dynaquest XL 3801 TS Cindy 'B'
2021 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Diesel
“Breathe in, Breathe out, Move on”
MoJoe1003 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-02-2021, 11:08 AM   #11
Commercial Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Bristol, IN
Posts: 18,878
Quote:
Originally Posted by MoJoe1003 View Post
I like the concept of being able to angle the head unit towards the driver for sure. My only concern is the Navigation system it uses. Is it RV specific, meaning, can you input your RV’s weight, width and height so you get routed on roads that match those specifications? The double din Kenwood that has been standard in the M2’s since 2019 uses the Garmin RV Navigation system. Being routed down a two lane country road with a railroad bridge that only has 12’ of clearance when we need 12’8” has the potential to result in a bad day. Is it rare? Yep, but it only takes once. Bridges that are not rated for the weight of our M2’s can also be an issue.
I was in a small town early last year and missed the turn that Garmin told me to take because I was too busy checking out the cool little downtown area. So, being the bright guy I think I am, I turned at the next street to just go around the block, no problem. Except the road I turned on had small bridge with a huge sign that said “No Vehicles Over 20,000 lbs Allowed”. The Garmin had already warned me before I saw the sign. Needless to say, it was a difficult situation to find a place to turn around at that point.
It is not. The double-din floating screens are VERY popular now. We have been looking at them for quite some time, but they do not have dedicated RV Nav yet (with a couple of exceptions).

1. Garmin is making a floating screen version that is super expensive right now. You would be better off using the 8" dedicated NAV that is removable. We have looked at that, but it is a better value if you did it yourself.

2. Kenwood is working on a floating screen version of the radio that we use, but we do not have a release date at this time. If it is available we would likely make it standard.
__________________
If "Search this Forum" does not yield answers, please post questions as a "New Thread" (instead of asking privately) so others can benefit from the answers.

Subscribe for "How To" videos and updates https://www.youtube.com/c/DynamaxRVs/

Sales-Service-Parts https://dynamaxcorp.com/contact-us
bclemens is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-02-2021, 12:12 PM   #12
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 194
The head unit is from ATOTO which I found on Amazon. It doesn't have the pedigree of a Kenwood and is a fraction of the price. I wanted something that could run Google Maps vs dedicated RV nav programs. My DX3 came with Rand-McNally preinstalled & I never found it to be useful - for anything. Every time I would drive near main street where I live, it would blurt out a warning about a over weight condition & I could never figure out how to turn that off. Fortunately the touchscreen quit working so that was a good reason to get rid of that creature.

I installed the floating screen the way it was intended to be mounted & the more I looked at it, the less I liked it, so I took it out & modified the mounting bracket so it would be facing the driver. A vast improvement.

I do all of my pre trip planning using Google Maps at home so it's nice to have that while on the road - everything looks familiar & there are no annual update fees.

The ATOTO is set up for exterior cameras, it just didn't have a way to keep the rear camera on all the time if you wanted to watch what was following you, so I added a small toggle switch below the head unit to trick it into thinking the RV was in Reverse so then the camera stays on. Actually it works better than the original setup.
Silver Arrow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-02-2021, 07:43 PM   #13
Senior Member
 
Invisibleman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 850
Sorry but I am just learning about this head unit thing. I just googled about it and ended up more confused. So, the M2 has a Kenwood radio. Whether or not you opted for the Grarmin nav, which I didn't. So the display, that I would normally call the radio, is a head unit? So not sure what you do with the ATOTO. Just plug it in somewhere (big somewhere) and instead of the normal radio display you now have a tablet like display? How does it connect?
What happens to the original "radio" display?
Do you take the entire Kenwood unit out of the dash.?
I just didn't see answers to these basic questions on the google seach.
Brian did mention in a former post that he was going with a standalone Garmin gps, and mounting the display was in question.
I actually like several gps navs, like RV lifes and a few other truck gps so I had planned to figure out a mount for a small ipad or Win10 devise. Actually there are more ipad options even though that's not my favorite. But I do listen to the radio and sirioux XM and did like your angle display "head". Maybe its moot since I am not going to be using the radio display for nav.
__________________

2021 Force 37TS (Detroit DD8)
2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk
2020 Isata-5 36DS (traded in)
Invisibleman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-03-2021, 07:59 AM   #14
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 194
My DX3 (2014) came with a 'Infotainment' brand radio/head unit, & then the factory probably switched to the Kenwood brand sometime after that. The Infotainment system wasn't really good at anything so I don't miss it. The ATOTO is a brand of radio/head unit. They make a double din version so the base (head unit) went right into the dash in the place of the Infotainment system. With the 'floating' display design, the display is not an integral part of the head unit but rather attached to the base with an adjustable bracket. I think it probably has to be done this way since the 10" display won't fit into the double din opening which normally have 6 or 7" displays. The display isn't designed to be removed from the adjustable bracket, but when no one was looking I did it. The adjustable bracket is fairly adjustable but not to the side which is where I had to make some changes to it.

I like the ATOTO because of it's price (slightly over $200 vs a lot more for a Kenwood), it runs on Android (though a slightly older version) so any Android app (within reason) can be installed from the Google play store. I wanted to use Google Maps to navigate so that was the clincher for me. It also has an optional bluetooth remote that can be attached to the steering wheel for basic radio adjustments. It works nicely.

For me, this is just a radio or media player when I'm driving so I couldn't justify $1000 or more for a Kenwood or equivalent. It has better sound output adjustment than the original system and the large display is really easy to see (probably AARP approved) so I'm very satisfied with it and would buy it again.
Silver Arrow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-03-2021, 08:13 AM   #15
Senior Member
 
Invisibleman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Phoenix
Posts: 850
Thats great info. Really paints a much more clear picture for me. Thanks again.
BTW, I'm figuring you did a lot of research in your sofa search and wondered if you ever came up with a theater seat that had a foldable (up) center console. I've found them with and without console, but not with a fold up one, like on the front seat of a pickup truck (at least on my Silverado). I know you can removed the center console and put the two end units back together, but then you a end up with lot of extra space. And it's nice to have the center console if you are just hanging out, but nice to have the Honey Dew snuggling up now and again. I think impossible, but I was always looking for a full recliner/sofa bed. I don't think there is such a thing. They're available with foot rest but not recliner.
Thanks
Hal
__________________

2021 Force 37TS (Detroit DD8)
2021 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk
2020 Isata-5 36DS (traded in)
Invisibleman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-03-2021, 11:30 PM   #16
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 194
In our DX3 the main TV is located at an angle behind the passenger seat so a theater seat where you're normally looking at the other side of the interior wouldn't do anything for us. The floorplan we have isn't offered anymore. We bought a couple of Ekornes Stressless recliners which we normally use to watch TV & they basically work like the theater seating except we orient them pointing towards the front where the TV is. Every floorplan has pros & cons, and we've mostly figured out how to make ours work effectively for us.
Silver Arrow is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-02-2021, 07:19 PM   #17
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 3
We’re looking into replacing the jack knife sofa in our FR trailer because the present one is uncomfortable and the “leather” is in terrible condition. I like your IKEA replacement. How do you hold it in place while travelling?
Nurse David is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-03-2021, 08:17 AM   #18
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2018
Posts: 194
I installed some blocks of wood on the bottom of the couch frame to lift it up slightly & then installed screws thru the blocks into the floor. Basically the same way the original jack knife sofa was installed. If I remember correctly you could just install screws thru the existing wood blocks on the sofa

On our original sofa the 'leather' was absolutely perfect, however the driver & passenger seats were really terrible & supposedly they used the same material.

IKEA has about 5 or 6 different colors available on this sofa but they're not all the same material. Don't buy one until you look at the colors & material. One nice feature of the sofa is you don't have to install the arm rests on the ends. They just slip on at the end of the assy process. This worked out perfectly for us because space was limited and one end is against a wall where an arm rest wasn't necessary.
Silver Arrow is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
dx3, replacement

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:29 PM.