AutoSleeper Palermo issues

Anyone who owns or has owned a Palermo will know that it generally does well in that which it had been designed to do. However one particular shortcoming lies in the design of the bed. I am sure that in its first few weeks of life, it ranks among the very best, with its sprung timber supended bed. After a short while this begins to curve down in the centre, causing the occupants to roll into the middle. I tried many ways to overcome this including plywood sheets. I recently came across someone with a central strip of timber, supported by two stays but I truly think I have the answer, which involves a matching section of metal box section (matching the bedframe sides) with a substantial extended square hook welded on the ends that extends the box section in order to miss the two gas struts. This is simply hooked over the top and bottom sides of the frame and supports the wooden cross timbers. To prevent wear on the timber, I have stuck some thin self adhesive cork padding (available in any DIY shop). The bed is now perfectly flat, strong and after a year it is still working as it should. If anyone wants more details I can send a photograph or measurements.
The only other alteration concerns the table, which fills most of the 'living' area, limiting the number of people we could entertain. We bought a cheap plastic topped table and screwed the kitchen extension (by the door) to it, trimming off the surplus plastic. Painted the legs to match the van and replaced the kitchen extension with a wooden cutting out board. This has provided us with just enough table for two people, a cutting out board and more central space.
I would love to hear your ideas so that I may further explore the possibilities of my van.

Hello I have just bought a Palermo 04 plate it is a great camper, but i have noticed the bed does sag slightly as you discribed. would you put on some pics and dimensions of the support bar you made. Thank you
Graham

Hi Graham

The Palermo is a nice motorhome, would have been a consideration for us as I especially like the fixed bed and layout but they are just a little too big for us (so MrsCC says anyway)

Let's hope Rosalan has the "notify me when a reply is posted" box ticked, as I don't think he's been on the forum for a while!

Anyway.. Hope you enjoy your travels in your Palermo


CC

Your suggestion for bed base reinforcement is a very good idea that can be copied to suit bed boxes on quite a few other models.

On some of the older vans the cushions had a ply base, which also sat on a ply bed box top such as the Executive, some Talismen, Excelsiors etc which gave a nice firm bed over the years. The trend in recent years has been towards the box section frame with little support between the ends and sides.

Within a week of getting our van new I had put similar sized box section braces across the width of the offside bench seat in our van to give the bed better support
(Mike - if you read this not sure if I told you about this mod when we were comparing notes a couple of years ago)

Regarding the table. You would be amazed at how many AS owners take out the standard table an put in one of a manageable size or revert to the top/pole and tripod style used for so many years in the monocoques. On many of the vans the available carrying weight is not brilliant compared with other makes of van and our new forum member Mike and I bought our vans (same model) at the same time and via another forum found we had the same loading allowance problems although neither of us knew each other or our circumstances or what we carried. Loaded for just a weekend (2 people in a 4 berth bear in mind) we had less than 20kg to play with.
Replacing these these huge tables can help this problem and also make life easier in the van

Palermo bed sag.
Hi Graham, I am at present in Southern Spain enjoying my Palermo. So sending pictures is not on for the moment. Basically a rectangular section of mild steel, matching the bed frame, goes down the centre of the bed from head to toe. A flat piece of steel is welded on at either end which hooks over either of the bed. At the foot end it took a little imagination to miss the strut. we painted it to match and it is honestly perfect. It is only clipped on and could be removed.
The Palermo we have found turns in a small space, that other vans cannot do.
If you are still interested I will try and enclose pictures when we get home. Do not bother with plywood, it does not work and get too warm (we tried it).
Be happy!
Alan

Hi Alan thanks for reply, hope you enjoy Spain. I am in Devon at moment at a site just getting used to the van, so far am very impressed and have to agree the ability to turn in a tight space is quite impressive for a vehicle of its size, I do find the onboard water pump quite noisy in operation do you in yours? what sort of MPG do yo get? AND yes if you can up load some pics of your bed mod i would be greatfull.

Regards
Graham

CruizingComet wrote:Hi Graham

The Palermo is a nice motorhome, would have been a consideration for us as I especially like the fixed bed and layout but they are just a little too big for us (so MrsCC says anyway)

Let's hope Rosalan has the "notify me when a reply is posted" box ticked, as I don't think he's been on the forum for a while!

Anyway.. Hope you enjoy your travels in your Palermo


CC

Hi CC yes i do like the perlermo for the fixed rear bed as having a disibility if i get tired i can just rest without the problem of having to make up a bed, find the step a bit high for me but the is there to help

RGDS
Graham

Hi Graham
Fuel consumption.
This year over the last six weeks touring in France and Spain, I knocked up nearly 3000 miles, kept all the receipts. Then I put 60litres in, in Basque country which spoilt my check..... petrol! Had it removed and have now lost the will to check my sums but will settle for about 27 ish to the gallon. In another place discussion about an optimum speed considers 57mph to get best performance; the same speed that economy minded lorries drive at.
I will send photo's of the bed support later.
Cheers
Alan

27 sounds ok as its got the arodynamicc of a house brick, im off to Argyll soon so hope i can acheive simalor figures.

Graham

Hi Graham
I hope this picture works. It shows one end of the underside of my Palermo bed, the othe end is the same hook over. Note the gap on the hook, this is to allow the suspension damper to operate. Any questions, please let me know. Enjoy Scotland.
Alan

Thanks Alan pic is good will get in my shed and make one.

Regards
Graham

As nothing heard from Graham01, am I to assume it did not work for him?
Alan

Hi Alen hope you are well?
Ment to thank you for the pic of your bed mod, it has been made and fitted and works perfect, on another subject i find the habitation heater rather inefficient when working on gas. whan on hook up i use a fan heater. How do you find your heater when on gas?
Thanks Graham

Fine! In my favourite place in life must be the shower room on a cold morning when the heater has been on for a little while. Like showering in a sauna. So no problems there.
When we do have a mains hook-up I too like to use a fan heater, it saves on gas for a start.
I am so glad that the bed works well for you now, for a short while before changing the bed, we thought we had bought an unsuitable unit.
Come January we are off to Malaga and Conil in S. Spain, so we hope it will be warm enough. My wife has some reservations at the moment.
Alan

Yes that is so true the shower room does get like a sauna, may be the answer is to let the shower room heat up then leave the door open a bit?
you must like Spain (it does sound tempting) try to avoid the temptation to put petrol in this time Have a great time anyway.

Graham

Hi Alan

We are new to the forum and have recently purchased a 53 plate Autosleeper Palermo and are experiancing bed roll towards the middle of the bed.
Upon reading your recommendations on rectifying the problem we would be very grateful if you could send pictures and a measurement diagragm of your modification.
Look forward to hearing from you.
Best regards
Dave & Carol

Hi Dave and welcome to the site,

Alan,s advise on the bed saging was invalulable and has cured the problem for me, i have gone one step further and put two support bars in one eather side of the strut.
We love the van, as im disabled the room inside is good and the shower room a good size, it is easy to drive and very manuverable for its size, and a very responsive engine.

Have fun

Graham and Carol

Hi David
If you search a little further back on this thread you will find a picture of the strut mentioned.
Basically using a square section of metal tubing that was the same width as the bed frame, this bar was fitted from head to toe down the centre. A square hook was welded to either end BUT at the toe end the design had to allow for the suspension ram. I fitted some self adhesive cork pieces from Wilkinsons to damp any contact noise or damage.
The bar was finally dropped over the head and toe part of the bed frame and it worked.... it really worked. Sometimes A/S do not see the longer term picture.
Good luck! oh and goodbye as I have now sold my van.
Alan

Hello, any one out there that knows were to get a shower tray for the Palermo.
Our is cracked. PLEASE HELP........ George Myles

Hi George
ref shower tray, I don't think AS carry parts for the Palermo any more, but I do know you can get a repair on the shower tray, there is a small company in Chard Somerset iv used a few times called caravan and motorhome solutions, they do a repair to shower trays sinks etc. Give Andy a ring on 07593 333576 nice friendly guy.

Hope this is of help

Graham 

Hello Graham, thank you soooooo much for your info.
Hope you have a good day, George Myles

your more then welcome George