Tornado shelter bed as shown on Shark Tank

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angie_nrs

angie_nrs

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I saw the episode of Shark Tank that had the tornado shelter in the form of a bed. From what I gathered, the bed needs to be bolted to a concrete slab and will withstand a F-5 tornado. I would think this would be an excellent option for anyone without a basement or underground shelter. I don't need it, but I'm still tempted just b/c I think it's super cool! At the time of airing, they had it priced around $6,000 for the product AND installation. Mark Cuban thought that was way too low, so I wouldn't be surprised if the price has increased since then.

https://allsharktankproducts.com/shark-tank-products-home/storm-shelter-bed-by-life-lift-systems/

The guys who presented this on Shark Tank did a deal with Mark Cuban, so it may become more mainstream as it gains popularity.
 
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jimLE said:
I had to do a search on um..thats. A pretty great idea.but yet.my concern is getting traped in one from debre piled up against the door.
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That's a problem with most shelters. Its best if family and friends outside the area know of your sheltering plans just in case.
 
I was turning the floor of the hall closet,in the rent house i moved from.in which i planed ahead.i was gonna have the needed tools to get me out if needed.like a pocket saw.3LB hammer n ctow bar.claw hammer.etc etc.on account j know that chances are.i wouldn't get help from others in time.even if i did get help in plenty time.the tools on hand woulg allow me to work with who ever it was helping.
 
jimLE said:
I had to do a search on um..thats. A pretty great idea.but yet.my concern is getting traped in one from debre piled up against the door.
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That is a good point. I wonder if they would put the door on so that it opened inward? Sure, it would take up some space and it may prohibit someone in the wheelchair easy entry, but I think the loss of space would be worth being able to get out in the aftermath. I would store walkie talkie's in there as well as take my cell phone and a loud whistle. I would likely only tell my immediate family about it since I think the really neat feature is using it as a safe, hidden in plain sight.
 
I just thought.it might be better if the door slides/rools open n close.that way it'll have a wall on each side of it..a whistle n walkie talkies with extra battries is good.maybe even a bull horn as well.im not sure about using a cell phone in it while the door is closed thoe.on account it might not get cell service that way.but will come in handy once your out of it.but thats a big if as well.on account close by cell phone towers might get taken out as well.
 
If I had all those noise makers in there, I'd better have some ear muffs/plugs in there as well.:eek: And dog treats.....or the pups would probably be loud enough for someone from the moon to hear them. Heaven forbid they miss a meal.:confused:

In an actual tornado event, folks around here would go door to door to make sure everyone was OK. Usually a tornados path of destruction is pretty easy to follow and typically isn't overly widespread, especially in rural areas. So, even though I would want communication, I don't think it would be an absolute must. We have family a couple of hours away who I know would hit the road immediately or call local LEO's if they couldn't get a hold of us.
 
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angie_nrs said:
That is a good point. I wonder if they would put the door on so that it opened inward? Sure, it would take up some space and it may prohibit someone in the wheelchair easy entry, but I think the loss of space would be worth being able to get out in the aftermath. I would store walkie talkie's in there as well as take my cell phone and a loud whistle. I would likely only tell my immediate family about it since I think the really neat feature is using it as a safe, hidden in plain sight.
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The door is more impact resistant if it opens out. The hinge and jam are in the way.
 
Run a power cord into your safe area and put an old cell phone left on a charger so it is always fully charged. Any old cell phone can still call 911 even if it no longer is tied to a plan. If noise makers are part of your plan a few sets of foam earplugs might be a nice thing to stash along with food and water and a bucket.
 
hiwall said:
I just live in a area where there basically are no tornadoes instead.:)
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Me too. Just earthquakes, floods, forest fires, avalanches and rail derailments. Oh yes and one highway in and out, often closed with weather or accidents. -40 winter days.

But no tornadoes, no poisonous snakes ... instead bears, wolves, cougars.

I guess it is all in what you get used to
 
Caribou said:
Run a power cord into your safe area and put an old cell phone left on a charger so it is always fully charged. Any old cell phone can still call 911 even if it no longer is tied to a plan. If noise makers are part of your plan a few sets of foam earplugs might be a nice thing to stash along with food and water and a bucket.
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From their product description:
The partners came up with a way to convert any regular-sized bed into an above-ground shelter that provides protection from severe weather, home invasions, terrorist attacks or any other fearful situation. They called it the Vortex Vault Storm Shelter Bed. The ingenious technology takes advantage of all that wasted space under the bed. Push a button on a remote control, and the storm shelter rises to 57” high in a minute or so, allowing three to seven people (depending on the bed size) to walk right into it or roll right into it for wheelchair users—scamper right into it for Fido or Tabby. Power out? There’s a battery backup. Battery out? There’s a manual crank if worse comes to worst. It’s also outfitted with battery-powered lights and a USB charging plug so you can use your electronics to get information.

It seems they have put some thought into this.

I really don't need this, but I think it is an excellent idea! I'm half tempted to call them about it just out of curiosity. However, for me, my money would likely best be spent elsewhere. If I hit the lottery though (which I play maybe twice per year), I'd definitely get one of these!!!!
 
GrannyG said:
......when we put it in, a lady from the gov't came out and inspected it and put it on record so that if there is a tornado in our area, it will be checked on to make sure no one is trapped inside....
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I'm confused. How did the government know you had a shelter, why did they inspect it and do you REALLY trust the government to check to make sure no one is trapped?
 
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Terri9630 said:
The door is more impact resistant if it opens out. The hinge and jam are in the way.
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I agree. Any exterior force on the door seals the door shut tighter. If the door swings in any exterior force could comprised the door, lock, framing allowing the door to open.

I've seen plans for fallout/tornado shelters doors with the exterior door swing out AND a hydraulic jack method to force the door open from the inside if need be.

Americans? Why do they build their homes with entry doors that swing in? Winter wind pushes against the door possibly allowing cold air to pass around the weather seals. If the door swung out the wind would force the door up against the weather seals!
 
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A time in my life in South Dakota, maybe 1966, we had a snowstorm that was epic. Snow was packed up to the top of roofs. In some places, you could walk onto roofs or to the top of some trees on that packed snow. Doors that were blocked could not be pushed open. Doors could be opened in and snow could be removed to clear a path. For me, in my home, I have two doors on each door opening: a metal security door that opens out and a wooden door that opens in. I know that police pull those security doors off with some force.
 
I have read and visited this post about this bed a few times. I hope it works for those who need and use it. I know that there are areas where soil is not conducible to digging because of the hardness or because of high water tables. I have wanted a root cellar or storm cellar. I wonder if anyone who has been in one (storm cellar) during a storm has been killed by the storm?
 
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Terri9630 said:
When I was a kid my grandparents lived in VT. They had a door in the roof. It looked really funny until you saw the pictures of the snow piled up against the house almost at door level.
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I've seen photos of houses in Vermont with doors on the second floor that opened out into thin air. When the snow got above the ground floor, just switch to the high door.

Now, we get plenty of snow where I live, but even in years where the snow plows ran out of room to push the snow, I've never seen a house get covered over the ground floor. I think I won't move to New England...
 
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