14' Series 14.44-4 top bunk support fixings

Cleantones

New Member
Nov 22, 2021
5
1
3
Warrnambool, Victoria Australia
I have been lurking in the forums for a few weeks and have been impressed by the level of collective experience and expertise of the members. I am new to caravanning and have just bought a 2016 14.44-4 that should suit my 2+2 family perfectly.

On closer inspection at home, I have found the new purchase to have a small issue that needs fixing. The top bunk has small plastic brackets on the underside of the bunk that look to have been under stress and are failing. I have tried to upload photos but I am getting a server error message. Could these brackets be all that is holding up the bunk? The bunk shelf itself seems to be framed up, maybe 50mm thick with a thin skin top and bottom. Could the bunk frame itself be fixed to the caravan frame in some way that is not visible?

Any advice on how to fix this would be appreciated. I was thinking maybe a 25mm square length of DAR hardwood along the length of bunk would do the job.
 

Drover

Well-Known Member
Nov 7, 2013
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QLD
Lurkers are welcome when they come out of the shadow .............. a pic would certainly help but I'm sure someone has been down the path and should be on hand with some advice, never had bunks in my 14.44 .............
They wouldn't be the same sort of brackets that can be found under shelves in cupboards ??????
 
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Cleantones

New Member
Nov 22, 2021
5
1
3
Warrnambool, Victoria Australia
Thanks Drover. I have recently noticed the same brackets used for cupboards and shelves. I managed to source some of these brackets from an online spares shop in grey rather then the original brown, so plan to replace the broken brackets at this stage.

I’m still getting the server error for attaching photos.
 
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Grandpa Gunna

Active Member
Dec 29, 2020
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Northern Tablelands NSW
Could the bunk frame itself be fixed to the caravan frame in some way that is not visible?
Having just completed a major bunk alteration to a 17.58.3 the answer is yes.
however I don't know the layout of 14.4.4
I found the obvious screws holding bunk frame etc , however 3 screws from in cabinet/wardrobe to support frame and the major one from inside fridge cabinet to support frame. unable to get to that one, so I had to forcibly get the frame of it then cut flush.
If you can run a thin piece of plastic between frame and wall/cabinets etc and try and find any that may be hidden other than the obvious ones.
In my new layout have used aluminium framing to make bunk base and supports
 
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Hylux

Member
Sep 1, 2017
64
69
18
Newcastle
Have the same and had a look. I cant load photos either. The plastic bracket has a cover you can pop off via the tiny hole. It has 2 x screws into the van wall and 2 x screws into the top bed. They are nothing special and any angled bracket or angled aluminium should do so long as you screw into the frame in the wall. I would use timber Jayco should sell them though
 

Hylux

Member
Sep 1, 2017
64
69
18
Newcastle
20211124_174555.jpg20211124_174505.jpg
Photos of mine
 

Cleantones

New Member
Nov 22, 2021
5
1
3
Warrnambool, Victoria Australia
Thanks for the replies. I managed to get hold of some replacements in grey which suit the wall colour better than the brown. The screws were solid, just the brackets had broken. I figured that there must be hundreds of these vans in use with the plastic brackets, and suspect my top bunk may have had a bit of "overuse" at some stage.

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