If the production bed solutions like the Adventure Wagon MOAB or the Flarespace solution work for you then do that as you will save yourself a lot of effort. Unfortunately none of the solutions readily available worked for our needs. We wanted a bed system that would sleep four without someone being jammed up inches from the ceiling, we wanted to sleep sideways to save space, and we wanted it to fit the Trail Kitchen cabinets and Adventure Wagon interior kit. That meant we needed to go fully custom.
At least at the time of our build the Adventure Wagon interior kit did not on its own fit Flarespace pods so we had to modify the interior kit and Flarespace trim rings to get everything to line up. That meant we had to build our Trail Kitchen cabinets to line up as well. That left us with one bed option which was to have Trail Kitchen create a platform that spanned across the driver side and passenger side wheel well cabinets. That allowed the adults to sleep sideways in the Flarespace but to have plenty of headroom and the kids would sleep under the adult bed platform on the floor of the van. Boom….bunk beds in a van.
This floor plan does not interfere with the kitchen area or the seating area so it maximizes space in the van. Also during the day we can store gear in the “garage”, the area under the bed platform where the kids normally sleep. The bed panels from Trail Kitchen were removable by simply unbolting the panels so technically we could remove the bed and use the van as a hauler. One issue we found with this setup was that while unbolting was easy it took some time and you needed to store the panels somewhere.
So we rebuilt the bed panels and put a hinge on one side so they can flip up to convert the van into a hauler, or flip down and enable sleeping for four. Trail Kitchen cut the new panels and installed the hinge and it turned out great. The next problem to solve was to figure out how to secure them in the “up” position. I could have left them leaning against the wall and simply use straps to secure them to the Adventure Wagon L track, but the panels would have rattled and rubbed against the wall. I wanted to see if I could secure the panels when they are standing straight up so it created a cavity behind them where I could store the mattress cushions or other things. That meant finding a way to brace and secure the panels as they floated in air.
After countless hours thinking about it I came up with an idea where I could use basic hardware to create removable rods that mounted to the Adventure Wagon wall L track and then attached to the panels to hold the panels in place standing up. I used an L track bolt attachment, along with an M8 bolt coupling, an M8 threaded rod, some M8 nuts, and an M8 star knob. I made four of these (2 for each of the 2 panels). Then I drilled holes in the panels where the threaded rod would pass thru and the star knob would secure the panels on the other side. When screwed down the panels are totally secure and give me some storage space behind them. For added safety I also use a strap to secure the panels in the up position but frankly that is not needed. To lower the panels you unscrew the star knob, put the panels in the “down” position, and then remove the support rods by unscrewing them from the L track bolt attachment point. To reduce any rattling when the panels are in the down position I put some foam tape on the support rails. I can now switch between the up and down position within minutes.
To accommodate the new design I also had to cut up my mattress into smaller more easily movable pieces. That gave me the opportunity to also get the mattress upholstered to protect the foam and keep it cleaner while also giving the van a more finished look. I went with a retro 70’s plaid that VW and Porsche used which I felt would fit the van. It is a gray, black, white, and blue plaid that I think will wear well. I had Sidco Custom Upholstery in Mountain View do the work and it turned out amazing. Check out how the pattern flows across all sections. I plan on working with Sidco on a few other projects as they are masters in their craft.