Race Car loft bed?

[sscherin]

My 3 year old son is jealous of his sisters bunk bed..

He already has one of those little tikes twin size Race car beds I don't really want to give up on just yet. The kid is really into cars and tools.
Looks like this


So I hatched a plan to make his car bed into a loft bed..

How you ask? Why build a 4 post auto lift of course!
Something like this we can slide the car bed onto.. add blocking on the deck ramps to keep the bed in place..



Had anyone seen anything like that before?
The top of the bed wouldn't be more than 4 feet tall.. Call it a mini loft..

Just thinking on the fly here..

Looks like I would need to build 4 C channel posts..
I'd make them about the size of PVC fence posts so I can use the PVC post caps

The side to side cross rails wold hook in with Rocker Heavy Duty Wrought Steel Bed Rail Fasteners.. I used them on my daughters bunk bed and they are rock solid..
Those rails would bet 1x6 poplar.

1x4 or 1x6 front to back rails would tie the cross rails together.. bolted with cross dowels
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=367
Those rails would be capped with a 1x6 or 1x8 board laid flat to act as the ramp the car bed sits on..

Ladder.. umm ok the drop ramps at the rear could be built with rungs to act as the ladder.

I'm open to other design ideas or safety related changes.

[pelligrini]

That sounds like it would be a fun project.

You could always just put the car on those gigantic wheels I see from time to time now.

[vaking]

I understand this is a woodworking forum but I think you are entering a slippery slope. Your daughters have a bunk bed which is a practical way to save space. Your son has a nice and fun bed already. His bed is more fun that girls' bed and he has no need for bunk bed but he is jealous since bunk bed is a novelty he does not have. Now you want to create a project because he is jealous? What is next? There will always be people that have better bikes or cars or clothes. Will you be creating projects every time he sees a novelty? I think you will do better for your son by not doing this project.

[Shep]

Sounds like fun to me.

[gsmittle]

I think it's a pretty cool project, especially if you can make the lift functional.

The daughters might want a new bed, too, after this. OTOH, the main pleasure I get out of WW is making stuff for family.

g.

[Pappy]

Personally I think that is one of the coolest, most unique project ideas for a boy I have seen in a long time!

Do keep in mind that the user is 3 and design with safety in mind. Easy to navigate steps to the bed, maybe some safety railing around the upper part of the lift,...

[billwmeyer]

I think that is great! He should love it! I really don't like the wire or rope at the top though. It looks like it could be dangerous. I have really been reluctant to have something like that around kids since a friends son accidently hung himself playing with a rope in a tree.

Bill