Van Layouts
The discussions about how to best lay out a van are endless, and the hours we all spend thinking about this when we buy a van might best be expressed in a measurement of time only a geologist would understand. There is a phase of trying to reinvent the wheel- that somehow a layout solution lies in plain sight that decades of dwellers have never seen. The phase where Google seems to grow tired of the endless searches, leading finally to the realisation that perhaps there is no perfect layout, or that perhaps they are all perfect because each van is an expression of the owner and their needs.
That is perhaps the best starting point for the design of the van layout then- what do you really want? Don’t be shy with the brief too- write loads of lists, sketch a lot, and something distills. Interestingly though, despite the seemingly endless possibilities, the finished layout will invariably revolve around one of the first questions you might ask yourself, which is whether to have a fixed bed or not.
That single question determines a lot, and of course each option has its benefits. The pull out bed option allows for a nice are to relax and eat at, and also gives you a generous table from which to work from, but it does mean that the bed has to be made every night. The chore of this does soon distill into quite an efficient choreography after a few nights, and especially with two people, it doesn’t have to seem too much of a deal breaker. We took one of our converted vans over to France for a couple of weeks, and the evening routine of actually making the bed never seemed too onerous, and with our design the bed converts to a full sized double bed, so a fitted sheet easily slides into place. Future iterations of they layout will incorporate a back rest along the rear doors, so there is a really generous L shaped sofa to lounge about in. We really like the L shaped sofa design as it provides for as generous storage area under the width of the van.
The Fixed bed, on the other hand relieves one of the daily bed conversion routine, but in its place the living area becomes a little cramped, and the seating area de facto becomes the swivel seats of the driver and the passenger. We put nice flip up tables for each person, and with this sort of arrangement there is still plenty of space for the really generous kitchen we put in the vans. The great advantage of the fixed bed is it also opens up the storage underneath in the garage, and we can lift the bed quite high on our conversions, so one can even store bikes under the bed on slide out trays, and still there will be space for other essentials. In particular both layouts allow for a pull out barbecue at the rear, which we think is an ideal way to cook those sausages purchased in the market. The fixed bed option is also a layout that in general is put across the van, as it uses the space so efficiently, and it is for this reason that people tend to favour the slightly wider vans which are the French manufacturers like Renault, Peugeot, etc. The other body space of the Mercedes and the Volkswagen tend to be a little narrower, so while this may not be a problem to those not needing a full length bed, it may be a consideration for those taller.
There is a lovely solution out on the market which allows for small flares to be put on each side of the van, effectively increasing its overall width so a full width mattress can be fitted. It also makes these van look ridiculously cool as well. Get in touch if you are interested with this as a solution..
Either layout from us will guarantee that we will provide you with as much storage space as possible, and a comfy night as well. The weather is always quite an important factor with a layout, because if the van is for mostly the summer months, then a fixed bed will suit quite well, as life will invariably spill outdoors, whereas the pull-out bed allows for to settle into a cosy space and play Scrabble…
We always like to help our customers here, and we really like to contribute to your thoughts about what you would like your van to become. Our first van we built we even went as far as building a full-scale model inside, so we could visualise everything before committing to the expense of the materials and time. A converted van is such a personal thing, after all, so time spent designing is seldom wasted.
