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What layouts are you folks with families using for camping? Do you start with a crew van? Add seats? How are your double bunks set up?
Post em up.
Post em up.
Family camping
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267 Posts
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Nice. I'm guessing it was not DIY. Converted passenger van? Fold out double bed? Where is the third bed?
I'm trying to figure out how to legally add seats to a cargo and be able to have it insured. Right now we have all our insurance bundled with AAA at very good (unbeatable?) rates, but was told they won't insure converted vans.
I'm trying to figure out how to legally add seats to a cargo and be able to have it insured. Right now we have all our insurance bundled with AAA at very good (unbeatable?) rates, but was told they won't insure converted vans.
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Nice I would never have thought of a rock and roll bed more often seen on VW euro vans
Cheers James
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It's just a regular sleeper/sofa.
The third bed is a board across the swiveled front seats.
No its not DIY....I'm older now and would rather pay a younger guy to build it.
One way to family camp is use raised 2 or 3 panel bed (upper) over a rock and roll bed (lower)
Weekender 144 | Travois Campervan | Travois USA (travoisvans.com)
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Thanks. That's kind of the set up I envision but have to research more about the legality of adding passenger seats...
@Campervan Man Your bed across the front seats looks awesome. I am in the process of designing a front row bed like this for my teenage son but was planning it with the seats not swiveled. Your implementation seems more roomy for someone that is not a small child. Can you share any other pics without the mattress on top? Curious if it hinges in two for storage and if the legs fold up. Thanks!
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It's just a 2ft x 5ft board that the van conversion shop made and glued on fabric. It was to use on the front seats without being swiveled, but I bought some locking hinges that fit 1x2 legs so I could use with the seats swiveled. The problem is that it's only 5' but with a pillow one can use the door arm rests for additional length. It works for the teenage daughter.
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134 Posts
sleep 5/ seat 5. we camp a lot and i have 3 little kids that can all fit together in one bed. this set up at 2 queensize bed. work for us
Start with a cargo van, and then add passenger row of seating for two or three. This allows custom spacing for a table. Then add a rear bed for kids about 36" off floor, and get a pop-top for adult sleeping. Most room possible.
We have an extra single seat behind a double seat for hauling our two kids plus a friend, or to prevent fights.
![157262]()
We have an extra single seat behind a double seat for hauling our two kids plus a friend, or to prevent fights.
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Get a big tent, make the kids sleep outside. Since I know ours will stay up until 2-3am and their mom will be a willing accomplice, I take my tent and sleep outside.
Started with cargo, installed rear facing seats. Fixed E-W queen bed, bench seat converts to bunkbeds. Sleeps 4, seats 5 with buckles.
Bottom bunk fits our 9 year old comfortably. Top bunk our 11 year old. Plan to do this until kids don't want to sleep with us, then get a small tear drop camper for them.
![157264]()
![157263]()
Bottom bunk fits our 9 year old comfortably. Top bunk our 11 year old. Plan to do this until kids don't want to sleep with us, then get a small tear drop camper for them.
We started crew for airbags and DOT approved seating. It’s a 2021 AWD 148” Long. The build will be a bike hauler that sleeps and seats 4 x (<6’) adult-sized people. We’re seasoned car/backpack campers — the goal wasn’t spacious, it was a secure/obscured place to stow bikes and a comfortable place for the family to sleep, get in out of the elements.
We’re using the Flat Line Van Co bed over a garage containing 4 bikes. There are many great DIY options for far cheaper, but for off the shelf — it’s attractive, fast to install, and secure. (We’re also using their rack, ladder, and bike trays.)
![Vehicle Motor vehicle Automotive tire Hood Automotive lighting]()
Second bed is in prototype stage. Teens spent 2 nights sleeping comfortably, so we’re ready to build something more elegant. Both front seats swivel. When they are swiveled and slid back to the dashboard, the span is 50”x(60-70”).
Our prototype was a folding platform of 2x2s covered with a sheet of 1/4” plywood, each panel 29x45. For the test run, the platform was supported with the cooler + buckets we filled with gear for the trip. Kids slept on their backpacking pads. It’s bigger than our backpacking tents. A learning is if the platform + mattress can get 8” above the seats, the sleepers have 70” to fully extend with heads/feet overhanging armrests.
![Comfort Vehicle Table Window Chest]()
In the more elegant build, we’ll likely use this folding moto-ramp for the platform, trimmed to length. 1/4in plywood slats + a folding mattress. Legs/Base I’m thinking of building easy to throw together/take apart/stow press-fit boxes using framing from McMaster-Carr.
There are inflatable cab beds, but my requirement for the kid bed is it needs to be quick to set-up/take-down because we’ve got places to go
. All of what I’ve described above stows on top of the permanent bed, secured with 700lb ratchet straps.
We’re using the Flat Line Van Co bed over a garage containing 4 bikes. There are many great DIY options for far cheaper, but for off the shelf — it’s attractive, fast to install, and secure. (We’re also using their rack, ladder, and bike trays.)
Second bed is in prototype stage. Teens spent 2 nights sleeping comfortably, so we’re ready to build something more elegant. Both front seats swivel. When they are swiveled and slid back to the dashboard, the span is 50”x(60-70”).
Our prototype was a folding platform of 2x2s covered with a sheet of 1/4” plywood, each panel 29x45. For the test run, the platform was supported with the cooler + buckets we filled with gear for the trip. Kids slept on their backpacking pads. It’s bigger than our backpacking tents. A learning is if the platform + mattress can get 8” above the seats, the sleepers have 70” to fully extend with heads/feet overhanging armrests.
In the more elegant build, we’ll likely use this folding moto-ramp for the platform, trimmed to length. 1/4in plywood slats + a folding mattress. Legs/Base I’m thinking of building easy to throw together/take apart/stow press-fit boxes using framing from McMaster-Carr.
There are inflatable cab beds, but my requirement for the kid bed is it needs to be quick to set-up/take-down because we’ve got places to go
. All of what I’ve described above stows on top of the permanent bed, secured with 700lb ratchet straps.Haven't built it yet, but just ordered a 2022 AWD Crew. We plan to either build a bunk above our feet on our fixed bed (East to West) or do a cubby down in the garage area. We have a little one, but want it to grow so we'd do a twin bed-ish.
Looking forward to this thread and more ideas!
Looking forward to this thread and more ideas!
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