In this video, I’ll be showing the cheap, easy-to-use custom 3-section sliding removable bench/bed that I’ve built for my Nissan NV200, as I convert it into a camper van.
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0:00 - Bed overview
1:52 - Why is it a 3 section bed?
3:17 - Fixings on the bed
3:45 - Sanding the bed
4:03 - Adding feet to the bed
4:33 - Installing the bed in the van
4:51 - How is the bed secured in the van?
5:42 - How the bed pulls out
6:36 - Storage under the bed
7:26 - Mattresses
9:48 - How long does it take to set up the bed?
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The bed is made entirely out of lengths of 38x63mm timber, which cost about £2.50 each. They came in 2.4m lengths, so that makes it a very cheap bed to build, considering I only used about 8 pieces of wood for the bed.
I started the bed with the frame. It is held together with wood glue & screws & has proved to be very sturdy. I wanted to get a 6 foot long bed in, so that meant using all available space. Putting an angle in the bed frame near the back door, which mirrored the angle of the van, enabled me to achieve this.
Because this would be a 3-section pullout bed, I didn't want wide slats which might create big gaps when pulled out, so I opted to use thin ones. I cut the wood to give me 9 slats per piece.
I mentioned that this bed was a 3-section pullout bed but why I would need that? The answer is that I wanted to ensure that I could fit my 9'5" long surfboard through the centre of the van. A 2 section expandable bed would have blocked the gap between the front seats.
Once pulled out, the bed spans the entire width of the van making it a king size van bed.
The handles underneath are to help expanding the bed - they give a good point to pull from & look smart too. To install the metal eyes around the bed I drilled pilot holes before adding epoxy to give a really strong hold.
I mentioned the metal eyes that are epoxied in at the front & back, & are used to fix the bed to the van using turnbuckles. By the rear doors, the bed is tensioned down to one of the load rings, whilst at the front, the turnbuckle is attached to a metal ring which is screwed directly into a thread on the passenger seat.
For storage, I’ve built a drawer that slides under the bed, behind the front passenger seat. It is very spacious & maximises the use of the area under that part of the bed fully. I created a peg which slots through a hole in a leg of the bed & into the side of the drawer so it doesn't slide open. I also put handles on the front & back of the drawer from pieces of rope & these help make it more portable. The drawer itself is made from some high quality 18mm plywood that I had leftover & is coated with a varnish to protect it from dirt.
No bed is complete without decent mattresses. Here is the first mattress - made from 50cm wide & 200cm long foam. The corner is cut to match the contour of the van, & ensures the mattress can sit parallel with the van wall. The second mattress is also 50cm wide, but is cut a bit shorter. This is so, when using the bench, it doesn’t bend on the angle by the rear doors & can be used as a back rest. The final mattress is cut thinner, to fill the remaining gap on the bed, but also has a corner cut off to match the other edge of the van.
To secure these mattresses in place while driving around, I use 2 bungees pulled over the mattresses & connected to the bed via metal eyes. Because the middle mattress is cut shorter, as previously mentioned, it leaves a gap but this is solved by a very small 4th section of foam which fills this void.
The mattresses are all made of 4 inch thick sheets of extra firm foam & you can’t feel the slats beneath them at all! They were easy to cut with a sharp knife & I sewed the covers together from 2 double duvet sets.
It’s super exciting to see the bed installed & secure, with the drawer & mattresses back in their places too, plus there’s still plenty of space for storage underneath the bed.
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#Vanlife #NissanNV200 #LensOfJames
DISCLAIMER: In this video, I am in no way stating that this is the proper way to undertake the conversion of a van, however after research & experience using the van, I believe this to be the way that is best suited to my van & the way I intend to use it.