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Motorhome owner creates French bed extender

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If your motorhome or caravan has a French bed, you might be more than familiar with the feeling of having your legs and feet dangling in mid-air (or perhaps you’re the lucky one who gets to sleep on the other side in a full stretch!)

Having struggled with uncomfortable sleep in her own Autocruise Startrail, which has a French bed, Cambridgeshire-based motorhome owner turned inventor, Linda Turner, came up with the idea for the UK-patented Straight2Sleep bed extender.

Simply slide under the mattress to create a flat surface which then supports a mattress infill, thus extending the width of the bed. Not only does it mean a better night’s sleep all round, but it also means you’ll be able to use standard-size bedding.

A bed extender for a motorhome

Linda says,

 

When I bought the motorhome, I didn’t think the cut-off would be a problem. However, even though I am only 5ft 2in, I did struggle with the French bed.

So, during lockdown, with plenty of spare time on my hands, I decided to see if I could solve the problem. I came up with the idea, then thought, if I am struggling with the cut-off bed then maybe others were, too? As a businesswoman, I thought there may be an opportunity here to market a product which solves the problem. 

I had a prototype made, which worked great and solved the problem! I was so thrilled I decided to apply for a UK patent which was granted in July last year. I also applied for, and was granted, trademark protection for Straight2Sleep® a few months later.

Though French beds have fallen slightly out of favour in brand-new motorhomes, with many manufacturers opting for singles and island beds instead, if you’re opting for a secondhand model, it’s a layout – and issue – you’re likely to come across.

Linda adds,

 

I believe the French bed layout in a motorhome or caravan provides a more open and spacious feel overall, allowing more freedom to move around the entire vehicle. I know in recent years this layout has declined in popularity, because of the cut-off bed, in favour of a separate bedroom with an island bed.

However, in my opinion, this layout feels more cramped, as you are being confined to a smaller space during the day, with less access to windows, thus restricting your views of the scenery outside. However, if people know that the Straight2Sleep bed extender is available to solve the problem that deters them, then they might be more likely to opt for this more spacious option.

Said to be compatible with most motorhome and caravan French beds, Straight2Sleep is available in either an aluminium version (£390) or polyethylene plastic (£342), weighing 7.2kg and 9.3kg respectively, and comes complete with a mattress infill.


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