Camper Van Bed Kit: Check What Will Fit Before Ordering

A camper van bed kit can give you a repeatable way to build the largest piece of furniture in a conversion. The measurements that decide whether it works are the ones left over after fitting it: headroom above the mattress, room to make the bed and space to get a bag out from underneath. Take those measurements before comparing finish options or placing an order.

Draw the bed in the finished van

Measure from the expected top of your finished floor. A platform height quoted from bare metal will make less sense once the floor and wall lining are in. Mark the top of the mattress on the wall with tape and check the available height from there. If you intend to sit in bed to read or dress, try it at the marked height using a firm mock-up in the parked van. Include pillows if one end is near a sloping wall.

Measure width at mattress level and again at platform level. In a tapered body, the space available at one height can be different a few centimetres higher. Check both ends of the bed, especially if the lining around the rear pillars projects further into the van. For a transverse bed, compare the actual sleeping width against the people who will use it.

Compare what actually comes with the kit

Ask for a parts list. A listing may show a complete bed and mattress even when the price covers only the panels. Establish whether the deck, slats, brackets, fasteners, mattress and finishing work are included. Check whether the supplied instructions are specific to your vehicle and which checks the supplier expects you to make before fitting. If the bed will be assembled inside the van, measure the largest panel against the door opening and the turning space between installed cabinets.

A split deck can be handy if you need access to a pump or water container underneath. Ask which panels can lift with the mattress in place. If the access panel needs the entire mattress removed, reserve that access for occasional servicing and give everyday gear a separate route.

Mock up a normal loading day

Put your longest real item through the rear doors and slide it to its proposed position. Then try taking out the thing you normally need first, such as a walking bag, with the rest of the kit in place. A wide compartment with a narrow opening can be awkward when you’re using it in the rain. Measure clearance below bed braces and across door latches as well as at the front of the opening.

Make the final fit brief small enough to use

Send the supplier the van year, body size, lining and floor build-up, mattress dimensions, and three photos showing the bed area, rear opening and wheel arches. Mark any equipment that needs access after fitting. Confirm the specified fixing method and have any uncertain anchoring detail reviewed before work starts. If you are still weighing up a platform and a convertible bed, read our campervan bed design guide, then compare the available NEVAN conversion kits with the same measurements in hand.