The original Albin Vega V berth can be a little cozy for two people so in this guide I will show you how to convert the two single berths in the main cabin into one large bed! The first step is to remove the original wood trim at the edge of the sofa cushions. In the photo below you can see I have already removed the original trim and replaced it with a thicker piece of trim. The original trim is approx 10mm x 30mm, I have replaced it with a piece 30mm x 40mm. The length of the port and starboard berths are slightly different so measure both sides separately. To attach the new trim I drilled through the original plywood and used bolts with metal backing plates and nuts.
To match the color of the new trim I used “Benar UVR”, it needed approximately 6 coats of Benar to get a shiny deep dark brown color similar to the original. It’s important to give the wood a light sand between coats so there are no rough edges to scratch your legs on.
For the centerpiece, I used 15mm treated plywood. It is important to offset the trim height equal to that of the thickness of the plywood otherwise you will get a lumpy bed. If you are going to use 15mm plywood for the base of the bed then the trim should be 15mm lower than the original sofa. The photo below is of the centerpiece resting on the new trim to create a flat surface.
I cut the centerpiece into two sections to allow them to be stored beneath the original sofas when not in use. To create the cushion section of the bed we bought foam equal in height to that of the sofa cushions. When the cushions aren’t being used to create the bed they can be used in the cockpit or stored under the sofa.
