Catalina top bunk removal

[SammC]

Hi everyone, we just got a 2021 Catalina Summit 261BHS. From when we started looking at new campers we had the idea to take out the top bunk to not make the sleeping area for our daughter so closed in by taking out the top bunk. The hope and plan is to take the whole bunk out to save for resale/trade in but after starting it’s starting to look like it might not be possible.

If I’m looking straight ahead at the bed I only found screws on the right side and the top short wall. Don’t see any into what would be the side and rear wall of the camper. So how in the world is it attached to those 2 walls? Is it not going to be possible to take it out without some cutting and destruction?

[The Racer]

We took a top bunk out of a Sandpiper 5th Wheel. It had screws in the back and the two end walls. It was an aluminum frame. We did save that and the OSB board that was there to support the mattress. Ours was very easy to do.

[Tom 2424]

Similar process in our Rockwood Mini-Lite. We pulled the top bunk out for the same reason.

Remove the mattress, then take off the plywood from the top and bottom of the base. In our case, the top is screwed on, the bottom was glued so it had to be pried off.

You can then see the aluminum frame and the screws around the perimeter that hold it in place. To lessen the chance of scraping the walls, I cut the frame into sections with an oscillating tool, and removed it in several pieces.

A very straightforward job, but it will be almost impossible to save for re-sale...

[SammC]

Thanks for the information that y’all provided. I’ve just about got it done. I left all the 2x2 boards in place along the outside and am making a two foot by four foot shelf across the back. I did find that the support of the bottom bunk was a little lacking so I beefed that up with a couple extra 2x2s and a couple extra screws.

The boards I’m leaving in place I’m going to dress up with a padded bunting of some sort in the near future just so it has a more finished look than just unfinished wood

[SammC]

I’ve got it all done to my (and my wife’s) satisfaction. I saved everything I took out to reattach if I decide to sell it. I added some finished pictures. Bins on the shelf give my daughter some storage for her things. Covered the boards I left in place with what the craft store called ‘cosplay’ foam, pillow padding, and covered with a closely matching color of fabric

[Tom 2424]

Very nice! We had been considering putting up some perimeter shelving after removing our top bunk, and it's nice to see how good that will look.

[SammC]

Be prepared to leave the boards along the walls as most were screwed through the outer and bathroom walls. It will give you a decent base to build the shelves

[Tom 2424]

I had to remove the aluminum framing from the walls since it was all welded together. I kept the screws, and will use them to anchor some ledger boards to hold up the shelves, just like what you have there. (Currently, I have a bunch of small holes around the perimeter, but am happy to say that I did not damage the wall covering.

[MonkeyEsquire]

Awesome. Thinking about that in 184bhs