For comfortable nights we need a comfortable bed. This post on our van conversion is all about the bedroom in the van. Even before the construction, we have to decide if we want to make an otherwise usable bed area or not. Here, our test runs with other campervans come in handy. Accordingly, we decide for a fixed bed construction, because we don’t like to switch back and forth between e.g., the dining area and the bed and afterwards have to rebuild the bed.

The construction

In order to determine the effective height of the bed in advance, the next step is to decide on the construction of the bed: Slatted frame and thick mattress or foam mats on a continuous wooden board?
For us, the comfort of the bed is clearly decisive, so we decide to use the mattress from our apartment in the van, including the slatted frame. This guarantees us restful nights wherever our van goes.
We realize from the beginning that this decision will also affect the weight. With any van conversion, the weight of the conversion has to be factored into every single decision. 3.5t total weight is quickly reached. The second decisive point for the height of the bed are the two height dimensions of under and above the bed. On the one hand we want as much storage space as possible under the bed, on the other hand we want to be able to sit comfortably on the bed and not always hit our head.

With the defined height of the bed, we can gradually calculate back the individual construction components. So, we cut the thick wooden beams to the required length and can start the installation. The construction of the bed is rather simple. Three longitudinal beams and five cross beams form the supporting bed frame. On top of it comes a thin Papel wooden plate to protect the grate and the mattress.

It is important to remember that the underside of the mattress must be adequately ventilated. Otherwise, moisture can accumulate very quickly, which can lead to various unsightly problems with the interior finish.

For the dimensioning of the wooden beams, a friend helped us. At first, we felt that the beams were rather large in size. Now almost a year of use we are very happy with the massive construction. Nothing wobbles or sags, everything is still exactly where it should be.
A lighter alternative to wood would be a metal construction, this could also be made a lot slimmer. However, neither of us has any experience in working with metal and it is also difficult to estimate the dimensions, let alone calculate them.

In addition to anchoring the bed structure into the prepared substructure on the sides, we support the bed with wooden beams directly to the floor. And also fasten them into the prepared substructure under the floor. Thus, the construction should be sufficiently robust to support the bed surface reliably for a long time.

We made the entire bed construction with the Wolfcraft Undercover Jig Set TX pocket drill. We are really thrilled with the tool and can recommend it without reservation.

With the bed we have the first fixed point in our van. We will align the other interior fittings with it. Accordingly, we will install the next fixtures directly adjacent to the bed from the back to the front. Details about the next steps can be found in the next blog post.