*NOW BOOKED FOR 2024* Transitmania 15 @ Santa Pod 19th to 21st July 2024 *ALL DETAILS HERE*


Transverse Bed

Post here camper and camper conversion related stuff!

Moderator: Luke

Transverse Bed

Postby parko58 » Thu Sep 27, 2018 3:44 pm

Hi New poster after a bit of advice.
I have the option to buy a decent priced low (60k) milage 2014/5 Transit L3H3 for conversion to a camper.
I would like to have a raised bed, transverse over a garage at the back. However I see that DVLA regs state that there should be a bed 6' or 180cm to qualify as a camper. I appreciate that they are unlikely to turn up with a tape measure but, as the internal payload width is recorded as 1784 how is this overcome?
I would be grateful for comments from members that have successfully managed to achieve this.
Many thanks
parko58
Newbie
 
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2018 4:03 pm

Re: Transverse Bed

Postby loot » Thu Sep 27, 2018 4:03 pm

Few options.
1. State this to them and see if they accept it as it is near as damn it. Honesty is the best policy and all that.
2. Arange it as a standard camper setup so you can change it then you can do what you like.
3. Put your number plate on the same van which is a camper and send that off to dvla to get it changed as a camper.
4. Cut 2 holes in the side for your feet. :lol:
56 350 2.2 130ps mk7 with 2 side doors 8)
65 290 2.2 125ps custom with 2 side doors 8)
07 350 170ps
Ids v86 licence + v86.04 update + xprog here
Ids map here
User avatar
loot
Site Moderator
 
Posts: 33464
Joined: Sat May 05, 2012 6:06 pm
Location: North Wales

Re: Transverse Bed

Postby dumper » Thu Sep 27, 2018 4:34 pm

MK 8 L4 H3 Motorsport campervan
Past camper vans
1974 mk1 v4 with 2.0 pinto fitted
1986 mk3 2.5 di swb
1990 190 lwb 2.5 di
1998 100 lwb 2.5 di
2006 350 jumbo 135 tdci
dumper
Transit Extremist
Transit Extremist
 
Posts: 5438
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2008 2:56 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Re: Transverse Bed

Postby hectors-tranny » Thu Sep 27, 2018 5:05 pm

parko58 wrote:Hi New poster after a bit of advice.
I have the option to buy a decent priced low (60k) milage 2014/5 Transit L3H3 for conversion to a camper.
I would like to have a raised bed, transverse over a garage at the back. However I see that DVLA regs state that there should be a bed 6' or 180cm to qualify as a camper. I appreciate that they are unlikely to turn up with a tape measure but, as the internal payload width is recorded as 1784 how is this overcome?
I would be grateful for comments from members that have successfully managed to achieve this.
Many thanks


Got some info on this for you Parko... I've recently converted a Mk8, and was concerned about the same issue. So I phoned the DVLA and they told me categorically that they do not impose a minimum 6 foot limit of beds. This concerned me as it's all over the internet, so I phoned them again a couple of months later and spoke to someone else. They said the same thing - doesn't matter about size of bed. Anyway, whether you believe those people or not, it is all over the internet, and it is always a possibility that insurers might use conversion specs to wriggle out of a claim. So what to do?...

In the end I set the height of my transverse bed so the top of the cushion aligns with the bottom of the rear window recesses. This enabled our bed to be over 6 foot in length. See pics.

Hope that helps - HT.

MDM_9658.jpg


MDM_9754.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
hectors-tranny
Transit Aficionado
Transit Aficionado
 
Posts: 235
Joined: Tue May 10, 2016 7:35 pm

Re: Transverse Bed

Postby parko58 » Sat Sep 29, 2018 3:13 pm

Thanks all for the replies. Surely we shouldn't doubt the word of a civil servant :lol: Agree with you though about insurers probably less trustworthy than civil servants!
Having had a trawl round the message boards and with these answers I feel fairly positive that it can be done. If all else fails maybe the Flarespace option (if the lotto comes in) http://www.flarespace.com/#/home
Seeing the van tomorrow and if I go ahead will keep you posted.
Thanks again
parko58
Newbie
 
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2018 4:03 pm

Re: Transverse Bed

Postby Louey » Wed Oct 03, 2018 3:55 pm

My bed isn't quite six foot and I didn't tell that to the DVLA - the bed when out looks like a big enough bed and I think that suited the DVLA okay. You should be okay with the transverse setup.
Louey
User avatar
Louey
Transit Aficionado
Transit Aficionado
 
Posts: 286
Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2009 8:46 pm
Location: Birmingham

Re: Transverse Bed

Postby dumper » Wed Oct 03, 2018 5:15 pm

It’s one of the daft camper van rules the same as having to have a fixed table or fixed mounting for a removable table every van conversion I’ve done for myself I’ve fitted the table and never used it as a freestanding table is more practical in a panel van conversion I use it outside the van as well
MK 8 L4 H3 Motorsport campervan
Past camper vans
1974 mk1 v4 with 2.0 pinto fitted
1986 mk3 2.5 di swb
1990 190 lwb 2.5 di
1998 100 lwb 2.5 di
2006 350 jumbo 135 tdci
dumper
Transit Extremist
Transit Extremist
 
Posts: 5438
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2008 2:56 pm
Location: Lincolnshire

Re: Transverse Bed

Postby hectors-tranny » Thu Oct 04, 2018 11:43 am

dumper wrote:It’s one of the daft camper van rules the same as having to have a fixed table or fixed mounting for a removable table every van conversion I’ve done for myself I’ve fitted the table and never used it as a freestanding table is more practical in a panel van conversion I use it outside the van as well


^ What Dumper said.
hectors-tranny
Transit Aficionado
Transit Aficionado
 
Posts: 235
Joined: Tue May 10, 2016 7:35 pm

Re: Transverse Bed

Postby straydog » Fri Oct 05, 2018 9:53 am

I have a Mk7 Jumbo with a transverse bed.
Just told dvla it was 6ft long (Which it is ;) )
Accepted my application for motorhome without problems.
Checkout my Youtube if you want to see the bed set up (9.05 min into vid)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awh4mzWpcn0&t=301s

CVD :-)
User avatar
straydog
Transit Aficionado
Transit Aficionado
 
Posts: 182
Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2016 9:06 am
Location: Most of Europe

Re: Transverse Bed

Postby parko58 » Mon Oct 08, 2018 7:07 am

Thanks Straydog, van and bed looks great. I have taken the plunge and bought the van and having taken the plywood off the side we actual measured the width at 1950 mm (outer wall to outer wall) so that gives us a bit of wiggle room. From that point of view very happy. However all the other decisions and my lack technical knowledge will make this a challenging build. The forum can expect a lot of questions!
parko58
Newbie
 
Posts: 7
Joined: Mon Sep 24, 2018 4:03 pm


Return to Camper vans and conversions



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users

This site contains affiliate links for which we may be compensated.