Campervan layout plans?

[J.R.Solutions_82]

I have a LWB M3 and am in the planning stages of turning it into a campervan. I am doing lots of research into what layout would suit mine and my partners needs best and so was thinking that maybe we should have a catalog of layouts that people have already tried? good idea maybe

[markcranfield]

I will be at the same stage in a few weeks. I think that would be a great idea!

[barabas]

Good idea, most layouts have different pros and cons. The most important thing thoiugh is that you can open the fridge with the bed down!

[AK]

There is loads of good layouts on the self build motorcaravan forum, however it all depends what you want. I probably have one of the rarest layouts, as it suited my needs, due to needing 2 beds and an internal garage type area for the bikes. I'm sure if you have a good look through this site your find loads of great ideas

[weseeyou]

we have a coachbuilt Mk5 LWB and the layout is not typical but over the past 2x years I have found that the layout suits us.

I have drawn up dozens of different layout plans but find we always come back to the same plan.

I would suggest you think about how you intend to use the campervan. That should help you with the layout.

Most modern campervans these days have a superduper kitchen unit and cooker with a beautiful toilet and sometimes shower . They invariably have a 'rock n roll' bed .However if you think that you are most likely to stay on campsites with electric hookup (EH) you will probably never use a shower in the van ! Most campsites have free hot showers night and day .

I did a study of how we used our van over a years camping and it was a real eye opener.
Sleeping 8-9 hours (longer on weekends or if raining outside )
sitting eating 1.5 hours
sitting reading, surfing, watching TV DVD etc evenings 2-3 hours
cooking washing up etc 2.0 hours
shower wash dress etc 1.5 hours
out of the van 5-6 hours a day
misc fetching water emptying toilet cassette and waste water etc 1/2 hour

Those figures show that we spend an average 18-19 hours in the campervan (even more when it is raining outside) .On that basis it would seem pointless to spend a fortune on a grand sink and cooker unit and shower and give all of the primary space to these facilities and having uncomfortable seating and a fold up bed/s.

I would suggest that the seating and beds should take priority in space and cost . You need to be really really comfortable both when sleeping and sitting when spending between 14 to 16 hours a day either sitting or sleeping in the van.

I ripped out the Transit seats and put in 2x armchair comfortable reclining revolving seats with armrests. When we are camping we turn the seats to face the rear of the van so we can sit for extended periods in complete comfort whilst reading sufing and watching TV DVD etc (.Until you've driven with double armrests you don't know what comfort is believe me. )

Then I put in 2x full size single beds/day seats either side of the van immediately behind the cab area. These provide 2x immediately accessible beds without having to faff around with cushions and slats and bits of wood at night time . By placing a table in between it can be converted to a double bed.

The cooker, sink, fridge unit etc is at the back of the van with a toilet cubicle opposite. As we are always near to toilets we never use the Thetford portaloo for No2's so we could probably make do with just a portable toilet and a curtain for night time . We are thinking of removing the toilet walls and doors and just using a pull across curtain which will give much more space in the rear of the van opposite the cooker when cooking.

We are lucky enough to have windows for natural light and views all round the van but with the seats and bed up the front we could make do with just the windscreen and cab side windows if we needed stealth for wilding

I hope this might be of interest to anyone thinking of building their own campervan because once its all built in its too expensive to change it so you need to get it right at the beginning. My recommendation for those never using a campervan before would be to hire or borrow a campervan for a weekend and see how you feel about the layout after the weekend.

[Guts]

Great advice weseeyou, in my first mk5 conversion I had the full kit and caboodle with sink, cooker and loads of storage along one complete side but considering how often these things were used, it just wasn't worth it. In my last mk5 I focussed on comfort with plenty seating, table and a large sleeping area and it was great. We cooked meals and washed dishes etc. on the table using portable kit which meant we could leave it in the garage when not needed but more importantly, it also meant we weren't retricted to staying close to the van for meals as we could cook outisde when the weather was nice and even take it somewhere more scenic than the carpark to really enjoy those meals. I've not started yet but it's something similar I have in mind for my mk7.

[weseeyou]

I guess we all get taken in by the manufacturers hype and pretty pictures of kitchen units ,worktops and glass and stainless sinks etc . They do look good don't they.

We were very lucky because at 18 stone with a bad back my bed had to be the highest priority so we chose the van around the beds and seating fortunately. It was only later that I realized how lucky we had been in choosing comfort over looks.

I still like to play at designing the 'perfect layout' occasionally . The van usually ends up being over 8 metres long

[weseeyou]

here you go .... 100's of layouts
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=campervan+layouts&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=65lHUYzkF4bvOpLogNgO&sqi=2&ved=0CC8QsAQ&biw=1227&bih=574#imgrc=IZ3WXh_jPBnVOM%3A%3BwIxZuDXYW-D2DM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.motorholme.co.uk%252Fimages%252Fmil-layout.gif%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.motorholme.co.uk%252Fmotorhomes%252Fwales6.htm%3B350%3B120

[cjm2009]

we have a coachbuilt Mk5 LWB and the layout is not typical but over the past 2x years I have found that the layout suits us.

I have drawn up dozens of different layout plans but find we always come back to the same plan.

I would suggest you think about how you intend to use the campervan. That should help you with the layout.

Most modern campervans these days have a superduper kitchen unit and cooker with a beautiful toilet and sometimes shower . They invariably have a 'rock n roll' bed .However if you think that you are most likely to stay on campsites with electric hookup (EH) you will probably never use a shower in the van ! Most campsites have free hot showers night and day .

I did a study of how we used our van over a years camping and it was a real eye opener.
Sleeping 8-9 hours (longer on weekends or if raining outside )
sitting eating 1.5 hours
sitting reading, surfing, watching TV DVD etc evenings 2-3 hours
cooking washing up etc 2.0 hours
shower wash dress etc 1.5 hours
out of the van 5-6 hours a day
misc fetching water emptying toilet cassette and waste water etc 1/2 hour

Those figures show that we spend an average 18-19 hours in the campervan (even more when it is raining outside) .On that basis it would seem pointless to spend a fortune on a grand sink and cooker unit and shower and give all of the primary space to these facilities and having uncomfortable seating and a fold up bed/s.

I would suggest that the seating and beds should take priority in space and cost . You need to be really really comfortable both when sleeping and sitting when spending between 14 to 16 hours a day either sitting or sleeping in the van.

I ripped out the Transit seats and put in 2x armchair comfortable reclining revolving seats with armrests. When we are camping we turn the seats to face the rear of the van so we can sit for extended periods in complete comfort whilst reading sufing and watching TV DVD etc (.Until you've driven with double armrests you don't know what comfort is believe me. )

Then I put in 2x full size single beds/day seats either side of the van immediately behind the cab area. These provide 2x immediately accessible beds without having to faff around with cushions and slats and bits of wood at night time . By placing a table in between it can be converted to a double bed.

The cooker, sink, fridge unit etc is at the back of the van with a toilet cubicle opposite. As we are always near to toilets we never use the Thetford portaloo for No2's so we could probably make do with just a portable toilet and a curtain for night time . We are thinking of removing the toilet walls and doors and just using a pull across curtain which will give much more space in the rear of the van opposite the cooker when cooking.

We are lucky enough to have windows for natural light and views all round the van but with the seats and bed up the front we could make do with just the windscreen and cab side windows if we needed stealth for wilding

I hope this might be of interest to anyone thinking of building their own campervan because once its all built in its too expensive to change it so you need to get it right at the beginning. My recommendation for those never using a campervan before would be to hire or borrow a campervan for a weekend and see how you feel about the layout after the weekend.

Basically, everything this guy said.

In my sprinter I specified a shower / toilet, truma water heating, the works. But even using the smallest footprint shower tray we could possibly find, the 'bathroom' still dominated the living area.

If you feel the need for a toilet, spend £65 on a porta-potti. You can also get some very clever solar showers on the net for about £30.

The layout in my transit suits us down to the ground. I can't take any credit for it, a specialist firm did the work for the first owner. but it's a very clever use of space with minimal equipment and it's great to spend time in!

[tonylem]

Weseeyou is spot on, don't be taken in by pictures of flash looking kitchens with loads of worktop and stainless. Looks fantastic, but not very practical.
As has been said, a campervan is a very personal thing, so think about what you want, rather than what everyone else does. If you have never used a camper or motorhome before, it may be an idea to hire one for a few days to get an idea of what you like and don't like when living with one for a few days and nights.
I know camper hire it not cheap, but you will be investing an awful lot of time and expense in your conversion, so need to get it right, as changing things when it's done can be a big problem.

The better the conversion works for you, the more enjoyment you will get from it and the more you will likely use it.

[weseeyou]

The better the conversion works for you, the more enjoyment you will get from it and the more you will likely use it.

never a truer word said tony .
We love sitting in ours at dusk ,looking out over a reservoir or estuary, eating our evening meal in complete comfort. Its like our home-from-home

[weseeyou]

The layout in my transit suits us down to the ground. I can't take any credit for it, a specialist firm did the work for the first owner. but it's a very clever use of space with minimal equipment and it's great to spend time in!

very nice simple layout with lots of space.
I love the cupboards ...lots of storage great and the seating and table work really well if you can fit it in your layout .
I once saw a campervan with arm chairs and pot plants in it ! ... mind you she did live off-grid in the van

[tonylem]

We love sitting in ours at dusk ,looking out over a reservoir or estuary, eating our evening meal in complete comfort. Its like our home-from-home

That's what it's all about

[J.R.Solutions_82]

This is a basic idea of what we are thinking of, we need a 6ft bed as my partner is 6 ft so sleeping sideways across the van wont work - pity...
We are planning on having a wood burner, and have no worrys with insurance as my policy covers me, we are going to fit a oven, hobs and possibly a grill. also we want a tall cubard in the back corner, also thinking that a small sink with a flap over lid to create more worktop. We want to be able to go away places and still be able to make a decent meal, beans aint gonna cut it lol. also gonna figure out a way of building in some forward facing rear seats for 1-2 passengers and making the front double seat swivle around to face the rear...
We plan on using this van alot, weekends away - going to festivals - and a trip abroad to the Pyrenee's with a caravan on tow behind to accomadate extra passengers who will be joining us on the trip so we are going to be asking alot of it. And to top it off everything that we install on the inside has to be removable to make an empty van for when we need to collect wood or transport car parts, Its alot to think about but we figure that the more time we spend thinking it all through then the better the end result will be. This transit has got to be a Swiss army knive as we cannot justify owning more than the 3 vehicals that we already have.....
Ah yes as for a toilet then we have a new fangled design that looks very very much like a shovel....and a shower? well maybe I could rig up some sort of off the rear door outside shower - we do not plan on spending alot of time at 'camp sites' - we live in wales and there are alot of beaches that are more than clean and definatley refreshing enough for us

[J.R.Solutions_82]

we have a coachbuilt Mk5 LWB and the layout is not typical but over the past 2x years I have found that the layout suits us.

I have drawn up dozens of different layout plans but find we always come back to the same plan.

I would suggest you think about how you intend to use the campervan. That should help you with the layout.

Most modern campervans these days have a superduper kitchen unit and cooker with a beautiful toilet and sometimes shower . They invariably have a 'rock n roll' bed .However if you think that you are most likely to stay on campsites with electric hookup (EH) you will probably never use a shower in the van ! Most campsites have free hot showers night and day .

I did a study of how we used our van over a years camping and it was a real eye opener.
Sleeping 8-9 hours (longer on weekends or if raining outside )
sitting eating 1.5 hours
sitting reading, surfing, watching TV DVD etc evenings 2-3 hours
cooking washing up etc 2.0 hours
shower wash dress etc 1.5 hours
out of the van 5-6 hours a day
misc fetching water emptying toilet cassette and waste water etc 1/2 hour

Those figures show that we spend an average 18-19 hours in the campervan (even more when it is raining outside) .On that basis it would seem pointless to spend a fortune on a grand sink and cooker unit and shower and give all of the primary space to these facilities and having uncomfortable seating and a fold up bed/s.

I would suggest that the seating and beds should take priority in space and cost . You need to be really really comfortable both when sleeping and sitting when spending between 14 to 16 hours a day either sitting or sleeping in the van.

I ripped out the Transit seats and put in 2x armchair comfortable reclining revolving seats with armrests. When we are camping we turn the seats to face the rear of the van so we can sit for extended periods in complete comfort whilst reading sufing and watching TV DVD etc (.Until you've driven with double armrests you don't know what comfort is believe me. )

Then I put in 2x full size single beds/day seats either side of the van immediately behind the cab area. These provide 2x immediately accessible beds without having to faff around with cushions and slats and bits of wood at night time . By placing a table in between it can be converted to a double bed.

The cooker, sink, fridge unit etc is at the back of the van with a toilet cubicle opposite. As we are always near to toilets we never use the Thetford portaloo for No2's so we could probably make do with just a portable toilet and a curtain for night time . We are thinking of removing the toilet walls and doors and just using a pull across curtain which will give much more space in the rear of the van opposite the cooker when cooking.

We are lucky enough to have windows for natural light and views all round the van but with the seats and bed up the front we could make do with just the windscreen and cab side windows if we needed stealth for wilding

I hope this might be of interest to anyone thinking of building their own campervan because once its all built in its too expensive to change it so you need to get it right at the beginning. My recommendation for those never using a campervan before would be to hire or borrow a campervan for a weekend and see how you feel about the layout after the weekend.

How do you find having windows all around as we have windows at the front (obviously) and also for 2/3rds down the sides but will have none at the rear, which is why we plan on having the bed at the rear as we figure it will be warmer, darker and better insulated from outside noise...??