[Tijoe]

You're ahead of me build wise as my van is still on order but one strategy I plan to research more is to buy one of these harbor freight loading ramps, split it into three sections by removing the hinges, and then spacing each of the resulting 15" wide ladder frames with 1/2" birch ply over top to create a ~60" wide queen bed. They would likely need to get cut down a bit lengthwise and then supported with aluminum angle or channel ledgers fastened to the walls of the van.

1500 lb. Capacity 45 in. x 69 in. Tri-Fold Aluminum Loading Ramp

Amazing deals on this 1500Lb Aluminum Tri-Fold Loading Ramp at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Wow. Price has gone up. I paid $79 each for the 2 I purchased 1.5 years ago. (After a 20% off coupon.) I left one up at the cabin, and the other I started using as a ramp, and never got around to using it as a bed frame.

 

[Tijoe]

I always search for coupons with harbor freight and I couldn't believe it when I saw that $79 one come up. I have some time so I'll watch for a deal on it and buy a couple.

I've become and acquaintance to our HF store manager and have chatted with him about the reduction of "free Coupons" and 20% off coupons. He said that 2 things have hit HF really hard. The Trump tariffs , and Covid 19. Double whammy for them. 20% off coupons are still available, typically in magazine inserts, and newspaper circular inserts. The only free-bee I find is the blue LED flashlight. Had close to 20 of them, then gave a bunch of them away to our local homeless shelter. Regarding the ramps, in mid 2020 they went from $99 to $125. Only a 20% increase.

 

[Tijoe]

Back to the original thread. The wood platform bed frame I made sits a couple inches below the bottom of the van's windows. With the matress pad I put on top, the level ends up about an inch above the bottom of the windows. I often travel with my road bike, gravel bike, and mountain bike. None of them fit under the bed frame. These days, since I have the extended body. I fit the 3 bikes standing up leaning against the back of the bed frame and the back doors. I fit all my gear beneath the bed, and access most of the stuff from the front side. If I need more room inside, and have to put in a couple rows of seats,I put on the bike racks and carry/lock the bikes outside.