Try to make sure that you draw your plans to scale to avoid any unwanted issues. Wondering how to get Internet on the road? Using the formula explained here, I calculated I’d need about 80 amp hours (ah) per day including contingency. While there are all sorts of designs you can follow for your campervan bed, the biggest factor is whether you want a bed that is fixed (aka always in “bed mode”), or if you’d prefer a bed that converts to a couch or seating area. A post shared by Life Inside a Van 🚐 | Vanlife (@lifeinsideavan). Where will you turn on the lights as soon as you enter your van? And if you’re set on a composting toilet (we are obsessed with ours! The user is cautioned to seek competent engineering assistance when carrying out any installations. Give the couch a simple ‘rock n roll’ (or lift and pull), and this will now transform into a full-sized bed for sleeping. Unless you have a very sizeable budget and are buying new, you may have to be flexible with the vehicle you purchase. Smaller Vans with High Roof – Compact 4 berth layout (eg SWB / Med Roof Transit, SWB High Roof Vauxhall Movano/Renault Master). If you answered “yes”, you’ll have to determine what type of shower you’d like…. But the drawback is you’ll have to search for a place that’s appropriate for showering. In fact, you may want to even consider blocking a few out to give you more privacy and insulation. After reading through these tips and steps, you’ll be well on your way to getting your build started. Please leave it below in the comments section. If the longest time will be one week, your layout may look very different from someone who plans to live in their build for at least one year…. To preserve space, you will find that some campervans come with kitchen units attached directly behind the cab. The … This decision really comes down to your budget, personal preference and the amount of space you have to work with. (Click each link above to jump to the specific section, or keep scrolling.). ), budget will 100% shape your design. If you start with the correct measurements to begin with, you’ll have less reworking to do. For the more technically savvy out there, you can always use CAD (computer-aided design) software. This is an example of some of the inspiration we saved as we were in the brainstorm process. Where will you charge your phone at night? Once you have your van, use some blue painter’s tape (you’ll be using lots of this during your build!) 4. 7 guests is our current record on a cold, wet Welsh Easter weekend. We know how scary it can feel to cut a hole in the side of your vehicle. Be prepared that you’ll have to pay for showers at the above establishments most of the time. Planning the layout of your new home is one of the most exciting parts of building a camper van conversion. RV camper has each of the fundamental appliances a house can provide. If you would like to directly support VanLife Adventure, please consider a one-off donation. This layout should make the most of the available space whilst remaining comfortable and practical. Do you need full standing room? Yes, it is possible to build a shower inside a van, and yes, it is possible to have – gasp! ), this would be our recommendation. This will be incredibly helpful as you start to plan your build. Choosing the right layout for your camper is quite a personal thing, what might be perfect for one person isn't necessarily going to work for someone else. Had we already designed our exact build, we would have been very disappointed because two feet can make a lot of difference in a van layout. While inspiration is great, it can sometimes be paralyzing too. You get to enjoy the views that outdoor showers offer! This is where we eat and work from inside our van. Designing a campervan is quite easy after you have a notion of how you need your camping van to be. We’ve gathered a handful of different campervan layout ideas for all sizes of vehicles and a variety of budgets to inspire you on your quest! We’ve detailed exactly how much our van build cost (to the penny!). Yes, really! A fixed bed means that it will always be in “bed mode”, while a convertible bed can switch between couch mode and bed. Up next: Check out our Vanlife Homepage for all things #vanlife from building your own campervan to how to plan an epic road trip! Additionally, if you plan to do solar, you’ll have to install your panels according to the placement of your fan. If you use it for #2, it requires chemicals, can smell bad, and needs to be emptied as soon as possible. Alternatively, you could have an outdoor shower, which takes up virtually no room. The seat on the left is dual purpose. Someone living and working in their van full-time is going to have different needs than someone who just takes it on weekend adventures. This should give you an idea of how much to expect for each portion of your layout. and get all your answers in writing. A dedicated shower room inside your van will give you privacy to shower anywhere, but it will take up valuable space. Cabinet and Layout Dimensions. It works well if you have tons of items to store and you need that extra space. Now that we’ve walked you through all those big questions and things to consider when thinking about your van layout, let’s end with a little inspiration! There are tons of options here, and quite frankly, choosing what type of toilet to install is a very personal decision…. We went with the latter, which meant we sacrificed about 2 feet of length. Plus, the “solids” container can go 60-80 uses before needing to be emptied, making it a really good and practical toilet solution. One such application that is very popular with campervan planning is called Sketchup. I think there is potential for this software system, but as at the time we tried it (March 2020), it was just too clunky and slow for us to fully recommend. Lots of seats in this van. This could be faster, if you're clear about what you want, and the finished camper van may suit your needs much better than a mass-produced model. Get ready for more vanlife content coming your way soon! A fixed bed will take up a large portion of your layout and wouldn’t leave you with much space for sitting. Once we have the vehicle purchased and keys in hand, that’s when we do the real designing. Design your layout with the right focus on various features. Will the sink go to the left or right of the stovetop? We didn’t have a make or model in mind, so creating our layout first wouldn’t have made sense. How much space do you need (short, medium, or long van?) While we firmly believe that building a campervan is possible on just about any budget (our first build was less than $3,000 for the vehicle and everything inside! Think about the longest time you’ll spend in your van at any given point. Directly behind the driver and passenger seats: This will create a barrier between the cab and the back of the van, but it can be a good use of space in a smaller vehicle. Not only is this a super helpful project, but it's a lot of fun too! If so, you’re going to require a very different layout than someone who has none of the above. Okay, you have a van. Here are some examples of common camper van floor plans: Think about larger appliances and item storage you may need to build around. Make it inviting, but also think about what extra functions you can add to it. They each have several pros and cons, which we’ll go over in detail below, but your bed design is going to have a huge impact on your overall campervan layout, so this is a big decision. See more ideas about van, van life, van conversion floor. Choose a van layout that is similar to what you think you’ll want, and see how it functions in day-to-day life. Psst! That’s the hard part. As we are living in a world of the digital age, there are a few more advanced options you can use when it comes to planning the interior layout of your campervan. Van with large seating area. It will give you a realistic look at how your campervan will look once completed. If you’re a hot sleeper (hey, me too! Psst! But, you will really need to watch your water consumption and you will need to be on top of emptying and filling your water tanks. We’ve got a whole article dedicated to helping your design your campervan bed with lots of tips and layout inspiration, so pop over and check it out! While this certainly isn’t necessary, if you’re brand spankin’ new to vanlife and aren’t exactly sure what components you want in your van, it may be a good idea to rent a campervan for a weekend trip and test drive the design. campervan layouts, and we’ve learned a ton in the process. See more ideas about campervan, camper, camper van. Plus, all sorts of honest advice, insider tips and our personal experiences (scattered throughout the article)! Then you must figure out how to fit everything in less than 80 square feet. As the name suggests, here you have a lengthwise bed, and this will function as a couch during the day. We’ve gotchu covered with this guide to campervan WiFi! 5. (Or at least that’s what we told ourselves…). Questions to ask yourself before designing your van conversion layout. How large is your vehicle? Trust us; we’ve had one van with a ceiling fan and one without. That’s 30″ more than the Transit EB. 3D camper van design app that allow you to draw your camper van interior ideas along with camper van floor plans. The diagram above outlines in the most simplistic terms, my camper van electrical design. You can always choose not to install a shower of any kind. The downside for it is that you do end up covering a lot of space with your bed, especially when your van is in the day mode. Another excellent benefit of this setup is that as this is at the very back of the van. Personally, we installed our fan above our bed so we could create airflow at night. Many full-time vanlifers have remote jobs they can take with them on the road. On the opposite hand, some people prefer to close off the cab completely and build right up to the seats, creating more vertical storage opportunities. The most important decision you’ll make in the van conversion process is choosing the right camper van layout. Look at those big grins! If you’ll be installing windows, consider where in the vehicle you’ll place these new windows. Some vanlifers with pets choose to install two fans for extra airflow to keep their fur baby comfortable. We rented this campervan in New Zealand, and while we loved many aspects of it, we came up with several things we’d change in our next campervan build. My VanLife Adventure – Travel Journal (g... VanLife Adventure LTD, Registered in England & Wales at 71-75, Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ. There’s only 1″ difference in the vans floor length. If you require even more room, you can install cabinets and shelving attached to the walls high up above the bed. Be sure to not only tape out the footprint on the van floor, but mark how high it will be as well. But when we began searching, the only vehicles available in our area and within our budget were a 3500 or a 2500 with a short wheelbase. Do you want to be able to cook? download and print some floor plans from Ford Transit, Econovan, Toyota Hiace, Nissan Urvan, VW Transport, T4, Fiat Ducato or Merceds Sprinter. We like to do a very basic layout design to begin with. It will help you really understand your priorities and will prevent you from falling in love with a design that just won’t work for you. There are endless amount of design options to construct your camper van, and, trust us, we have built most of them. It is an excellent compromise because you have lots of ways to organise and access your stuff. Many vanlifers get a gym membership to a popular chain in their area. Next up is the Airstream Atlas, another excellent selection for a camper van … Since space inside your van is limited, the best thing that you can do is to opt for items that will offer multiple functions (a table that is a work area as well as a place to eat). So sorry, the dishwasher will have to stay at home! Just like every other aspect of your van build, there is a lot to consider about installing a shower. Especially when it comes to sleeping comfortably at night! Check out our Campervan Board on Pinterest for some inspo! Eventually, you’ll want to think about what type of outlet you will need in each location: 12V or 120V? How many people will you need seating for? A sliding “deck” out the back? You want to avoid having all the heavy items on one side of the campervan as this can affect the handling of the vehicle, and in rare cases, become quite dangerous. Instead, think about what appliances you plan to include as well as where in the van you’ll place the kitchen. When it comes to planning the layout of your campervan, this should not be rushed. Pretend to chop veggies on your cardboard countertop to see if it’s the right height. When its time to sleep, lower the table into the bed position, put the cushions in place,  and now you have a place that will sleep two people comfortably. This is what we did with our first campervan build, and while there were a few times we got a bit stinkier than we would have liked, it really wasn’t too big of a deal to us. But we promise, installing windows yourself isn’t that difficult! Well, we’ve designed two (very different!) Once you have an idea of what your priorities are, it’s time to start putting your design skills to the test. A step up from taping out your build, use cardboard to make 3D models of your kitchen and bed. 1. In our experience, it comes down to this: You should choose a CONVERTIBLE BED if you: plan to carry lots of outdoor equipment with you on the road. See more ideas about camper van, diy camper, van. Get comfortable with the space and make adjustments as necessary. Campervan Storage Ideas: Creative Solutions for Your Van Build, Campervan Bed Ideas: Best Designs for Your Van Bed. And there are quite literally endless possibilities for designing your layout. Planet Fitness is a good choice for many parts of the US as it is very common and memberships are cheap! Out the back of the van: If you have very limited space or a standard roof that doesn't allow you to stand fully inside your van, placing the kitchen out of the rear door can be a good idea. If anything, we can always open our sliding door, but we haven’t needed to do that (yet!). Prioritize. We know some people have had luck with this, but we were impatient, so we decided to go a different route. The benefits of having a custom van instead of a classical RV is enjoying the outdoors and having to cope with unavoidable problems like water lines, water pump, toilet or tire issues. We were in the midst of dreaming big about our plans for this blank canvas…, To be honest, this is kind of like the whole chicken or egg debate…. Designing your layout then choosing your vehicle works well for some, while obtaining the vehicle then designing the layout based on exact dimensions is best for others. Two Wandering Soles Copyright © 2021. After going through this section, you should have a really good idea of how to design your campervan layout. Insider Tip: Grid paper will be much more accurate as you start to get more detailed with your design than standard lined paper. These campervan bed designs show creative and practical ideas for your van build. 3. But first, we will start with the very basic; One of the simplest options is the drawing your plans with a pencil, ruler and graph paper. we’d recommend waiting until you have the van before spending a lot of time designing your layout. Van Floor Plans for a Family of 4 or More @lifeofkuhl. Once you know the placement of your kitchen, you can start to piece it all together. Selecting a new or used campervan with the right layout that works for your lifestyle should be one of the first things you think about when purchasing an RV or conversion van for travel.. For those of us who live for our next motorhome trip, creating your own personalized layout may be … campervan layouts, campervan inspiration, campervan build, van build, vanlife, Step 2, Questions to ask yourself before designing your van conversion layout, What measurements to take before starting your design, A FREE template to help you plan your layout, Most important pieces of your layout to think about, which vehicle you choose for your conversion, campervan insulation and how to install it, guide to designing your campervan kitchen, guide to choosing the best toilet for your campervan. If your van is large enough in the event you are in possession of a high-top van you might have the ability to make a small enclosed shower area. If you have a smaller model, we’d recommend going with a convertible bed to make the most of your space. You have a futon style bed inside at the rear of the van, and this flips out into a couch. Would you like to submit your contact details? But keep in mind that you will need to plan adequately and make sure that you take only the items you require. We figure out what features are a priority for us in our campervan, and this helps dictate the general size of vehicle we’ll be looking for. 7. Take notes (and lots of pictures!) The toilet you choose is going to impact your layout, so it’s good to start thinking about this early on in your brainstorming process. Most people choose to install it either above their bed or above their kitchen. This is “bed mode”, but during the day, this space turn into bench seats and a sturdy table for working, eating and hanging out. Don’t forget to think about electricity! A FREE template to help you plan your layout. before you cut. ), You’ll feel like you have an actual shower experience, which isn’t really the case if you’re showering out the back of your van, No need for a time-consuming set up like you will with some of the other options, Takes up lots of room in your campervan layout, Installing an actual shower will be more expensive and time-consuming than the other options, ...plan to do a lot of urban camping (you can shower comfortably while parked on a city street), ...are comfortable driving and parking a larger vehicle: It will be difficult to fit an actual shower into your footprint unless you have an extended vehicle, ...are traveling with family: If you have little ones, it might be easier to keep everyone clean with an actual shower, ...like showering every day (or almost every day! Similarly, with our first campervan build, we were just looking for vehicles under $3,000. The answer to this question can dictate your layout a bit because you’ll need to adjust your dimensions based on if you will be standing or sitting inside your van. Give the couch a simple ‘rock n roll’ (or lift and pull), and this will now transform into a full-sized bed for sleeping. Planning Your Campervan Conversion Layout, Thankfully, there are thousands of self-build campervans out there, so finding tons of inspiration for your build is just a, One of the simplest options is the drawing your plans with a pencil, ruler and, For the more technically savvy out there, you can always use CAD, Mind you, Sketchup does have a little bit of a learning curve at the beginning, so we do recommend watching a few. floor plans - Southern Spirit Campervans- van builds & online shop Luckily, we’ve designed a free template just for you!
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