If you love camping, and want to find the ideal campervan for your needs, then you might spend a long time having a look online at the different layouts that are available. However, an even better way to make sure you get exactly the layout you want is to design and build a campervan yourself. By doing this, you can ensure that everything is as you want it to be, and it will be ideal for your own personal requirements. This gives you the best possible chance of enjoying your campervan for many years to come, so we have put together some information about different layouts that you could consider in your design plan, along with some positives and negatives about each one.
Bunk-bed campers
If you have kids who will be camping with you, having bunk beds can be a great way to make sure they have somewhere comfortable to sleep, without having to take away too much space on the inside of your van. Having bunk beds also means that the kids will have their own personal space inside the van, which is important when you’re all in a small space at the same time whilst away on a trip. There are many ways that bunk beds can be fitted into the van, and the location of them will depend on the other aspects that are the most important to you at the time of building.
Drop down beds
If you have a smaller van, and want to spend time in it during the day, then drop down beds could be a good choice for you when considering the layout of your van. When the bed is not in use, you will be able to fold it up against a wall, which gives you the whole floor space of the van to use during the day. If you have a small van and need to make the most of this space, this could be a good choice for you. However, if you prefer your bed to be ready for you whenever you want to get into it, it might be better for you to get a fixed bed layout.
Fixed bed layout
If you have the luxury of space in your campervan, a fixed bed layout could be something that you seriously consider. There are lots of benefits to doing this, mainly the fact that you don’t need to worry about setting up your bed at the end of the day. This can be great if you’re tired after an exciting day of exploring, as you know that your bed will always be ready and waiting for you. You could even create an entire bedroom area at the back end of your van if you wish, which can be great to give you a little bit of privacy while you’re away. If you’re always out and about then this might not be the ideal layout for you, however if you like to spend a lot of time in your campervan, and relaxation is the main aim for your breaks, then there is no doubt that this would be a layout worth considering.
End kitchen campervan
Different people have different priorities when they go camping. Some people are happy eating things that they’ve cooked outside on a little gas stove, whereas others like to have the freedom of being able to cook just like they would at home. If you’re one of the people who enjoys to cook while away, then you can be sure that an end kitchen campervan is the perfect choice for you. This gives you quite a lot of space in your kitchen area, and the equipment will be fully fitted, ready to be used whenever you need to cook. This can help a lot when it comes to packing and unpacking your van, too, as you will be able to leave lots of the kitchen equipment in your fitted kitchen, meaning that everything apart from fresh food will be ready to go as soon as you are.
End bathroom campervan
Whether you choose this kind of layout will depend on the kind of place you plan to take your campervan to. If you only take your van to high quality sites that have their own toilet and shower blocks then there might not be any need for an end bathroom campervan, however if the places you like to go to have fewer facilities – if any at all – then an end bathroom could make things much more pleasant for you. An end bathroom will include a chemical toilet and a shower area – either with a curtain pulled around the small bathroom, or even a fully built shower cubicle depending on the space available. Of course, being able to use the shower will rely on staying somewhere that has a water supply, but the toilet at least is handy, as it means that you don’t have to stop to find somewhere to go – even if you’re travelling when nature calls. An end bathroom can take a fair amount of space from the rest of your van, however there are many benefits to having these facilities available, so lots of people do make the decision to include this in their design.
Over cab bunk beds
You will have seen this campervan design many times before, as it is a popular one, and one that lots of people associate with seeing a campervan. There are a number of positive points to having these kinds of beds, including the fact that they’re always set up for you to use, and they can be used as storage while you’re travelling, too. Not only this, but you will also be able to save space, as they are placed above the passenger seats, meaning that all of the space at the rear of the van will still be available to be used. The one issue is that these bunks can sometimes be a little small when it comes to sleeping space, so if you’re a bigger person, you might not want to take this option. However, for smaller sleepers or even children, this option could well be ideal.
General considerations
The information and photos above should have given you a great idea about the kind of layouts that are available to you if you want to either buy or build a campervan for yourself. Camping can be something that can be enjoyable for people of all ages, meaning that it is incredibly important that you can find a van layout that works perfectly for the requirements of everyone who is going to be using it.
The main thing to do when you’re making your choice is to think about how you’re going to be using your van. For example, will it be just you, you and your partner, or your entire family? Do you plan to spend a lot of time in your van, or will you just be using it to sleep in while you’re exploring the local area? By thinking about these things, you can be sure that you are choosing the perfect layout for your van, and this will give you a much better chance of being able to enjoy it in the future.