Double Eagle sleepers & air ride

[Mike E]

A while back someone asked if "Double Eagle" sleepers had air ride or were solidly mounted to the frame. Since I will need a sleeper with shoulder belts for my kids and I want air ride, I emailed them to ask these questions. Here is their response:


Hello and thank you for your inquiry.
In reference to your question about air ride. Yes we put the sleepers on air ride. It is a special model made for us by Link Manufacturing who is better known as Cab Mate. We then do some modifications to it ourselves. In reference to sofa beds and seating. Not a problem, we have many things available in both seats and sofa beds. In reference to custom building. We do not standardize nor do we have pre-designed sleepers, we build per order on all of them and will design and build whatever you would like. The sleepers on our web site are sleepers we have built but are on the website just for example. Please call us at 800-227-4121 at your earliest convenience and we will put together a quote for you.
Thanks again,
Mark Woodworth
Sales Mgr.


Their website is http://www.doubleeagleind.com/index.html

Mike

[onezman]

Mike,

I don't know much about D.E. sleepers. I've never heard anything bad about them, but $44K seems a bit pricy to me for a 120 inch sleeper.

Since their sleepers are air ride, there has to be a wide rubber boot separating the sleeper from the back of the cab. The sleeper and cab would have to work independently of each other on their respective air bags I would think.

Larry

Larry,
I just found this board and would like to address your questions about Double Eagle sleapers.
I have driven two KW W900's with custom sleepers, so I know a little about the subject.
The air ride units are not isolated from the cab and there is no boot. They remove the air ride sub-structure from the cabb Then build and install a new sub-structure to run the length of the cab plus the new sleeper. The new sleeper is mounted to the sub-structure and attached to the cab by a small(less than 2 inches) boot to accomidate minor flex.
This set-up rides like a dream.
As to the question on price, it's all in how you look at it. The second custom sleeper I had, an ICT Sundowner 132", cost $51,000. It was speced with a shower, toilette, full size, double door fridge, two burner range, double stainless kitchen sink, 30 gallon fresh water supply, 20 gallon waste water holding, RV type dinnette, full size bed, 12kW generator with sepperate heat and air units for the sleeper.

Being able to cook my meals in the truck, I was able to save close to $150 a week in food alone. Over the course of the two years I drove that truck, that amounted to $15,600.
Idle time was reduced from 45%, in my previous unit, to under 3% for a fuel savings of over $5,300.
At the time of sale, figuring for normal depreciation of the power unit, we made back 92% of the initial cost of the sleeper.
Food savings plus fuel savings plus 92% ROI equals $67,820 in my pocket after the sale. Roughly $16,000 profit after I lived in it for two years.

Keep in mind, when calculating value, that these sleepers are designed to travel 100K plus(double that amount for a team operation) miles every year they are in service and provide a comfortable living environment while doing it.

James,

Thanks for the information. I see lots of those big sleepers on furniture moving power units. I never looked at how the sleeper was actually installed though. Sounds like they don't cut any corners when they install them.

I have seen pictures of interiors of some of them. Just like an RV inside. As nice as anyone wants to make them.

Your points concerning added and retained value are also well taken.

onezman