2019 Mantis Bedroom Makeover!

Okay, maybe the title is a little dramatic. One thing we love about our TAXA habitat is the cleaver design aspects. One thing we like even better: when we have an idea for a modification to help our Mantis better fit our lifestyle, it can be done.

So, after a year of frequent use, we made two observations. First, we had never converted the bed into a couch (2019 model). Second, we had a hard time accessing the under-bed storage due to observation number one.
Inspired by a social media post by fellow TAXA campers, we decided remove the boards and cushions in order to replace it with a liftable bed system, a mattress frame, and a full sized mattress.

So, after a year of frequent use, we made two observations. First, we had never converted the bed into a couch (2019 model). Second, we had a hard time accessing the under-bed storage due to observation number one.
​
Inspired by a social media post by fellow TAXA campers, we decided remove the boards and cushions in order to replace it with a liftable bed system, a mattress frame, and a full sized mattress.

The wood was necessary to build a couple boxes on the drivers side to attach the bed lift. We also needed one board on the passengers side to properly space out the bed lift to fit the frame. This was certainly a measure twice, or even thrice, and cut, drill, and install once. After installing the bed lift onto the box, the lift was mounted to the bed frame. Finally the bed slats were rolled out, mattress brought in, and the bed made. We likely invested  2-3 hours of time into this makeover, and probably half of the time was measuring and thinking. 
The project, at a total cost of just over $500, has successfully achieved the goals we set out to accomplish. It gave us access to more than twice the storage under the bed.

We bought a full size Zinus Deepak wood slat bed frame, Nod by Tuft and Needle mattress, Tuft and Needle Foam Pillows (that pushed our $500 budget, but a nice purchase), and three foot bed lifts with shocks.

The new bed is very comfortable. We probably increased the thickness of the bed about six inches, still giving us enough room to lounge. This was a critical part of our shopping and planning. We found a bed frame that would add less than two inches of thickness, and a highly rated eight inch mattress, thinner than a standard mattress. Lastly, we could still put it back to stock easily and leave little trace of the project if need needed.      

​The best part of the project? Waking well-rested to start the day with a great cup of coffee in the outdoors.

The mountain of boxes were a lot of fun, too!