I have been trying to figure out a simple bed design for my van as I am no carpenter and this video helped a lot. Thanks for taking the time to put it together.
Hey Derek, thanks for checking it out. Hopefully we'll get it completed sooner rather than later now just in time for a little normality returning to the world so we can get out there and use it. 🙂
Building the bed frame is the first thing on my renovation list for the van I just bought. And my first purchase will be a proper KREG jig - thanks for the tip! 😊
Yeah, that Kreg jig is night and day better from the cheap version I originally purchased. The cheap one wasn't fit for purpose, just looking at the drill bits it comes with now tells me that as they aren't stepped bits. If you've never used one before though how would you know!? Best of luck with your own build and if you're documenting it on Instagram throw us a follow or a message so we can check out your progress! 🙂👏
@@PilgrimPods Thank you! I've not long started an Insta account for her, actually - she's @sassythesprinter :) I'll be sure to watch your vids for more hints and tips as I go along - great channel! 👍🏻
Yeah, so many people have said a fixed bed was important to them so we've followed their advice. At home we never seem to spend any time in the living room, preferring to sit and watch tv on the bed instead so we should be just fine in the van. 😊👍
@@robaichjones1691 believe me, a permanent bed is the best option. It’s there if and when you need it. You can use it straight away without having to move things around to get the bed made. It’s a pain in the bum! 🤣
Great video as always 👍🏻. My kregg jig was my best friend on our build, can't leave the router out as well 😂. So we'll made van and video 👍🏻 thanks man sending love and cwtches 💙✌️
Thanks mate. 🙂🍻 You're the reason I bought a Kreg jig as after the frustrations of using the cheap knock off version a while ago. Glad I did as the joint even without glue feels super solid and as we're not little people we need a strong bed! I need to buy a router now, thanks... 😆 All the best to you both mate!
Ah... squeaking honestly never occurred to us so thanks for the knowledge bomb. 🙂 And also, thanks for swinging by our little channel; love your name by the way! 😍👍
Great video mate. Just one thought, you could have just screwed the outside edges of the slats and either placed and screwed a thin plank over the middle to hold it down and stop it moving upwards but allow horizontal movement or screw the outside and just loosely fasten the middle with long holes horizontal like a half inch or inch and big washers to allow for movement. Just a thought to save buying and also stronger than plastic of there is any unwanted movement in a direction you don't want be a bit more secure. Good video mate and like the clamps aswell thought about this myself when I build my one out next year.. Cheers just subscribed look forward to watching your other videos 👍🏴
Cheers Arno, hope yours is coming along nicely. You must be well ahead of ours with yours now and like us I bet you can't wait to get out there in it and see some of the world. 🙂🍻
Cheers Dan, it does feel both solid and functional. We did consider building a floating bed using Skorva beams from Ikea but we're glad we opted to go the route we have. All the best for own build mate. 🙂🍻
@@PilgrimPods Ah, I'd not heard of using the Skorva beams for a van bed before. Just researched it and seems like it might be just the ticket for our van. Thanks for the tip and the video. Super helpful 👍
Thanks, arguably we could have used slightly thinner wood but my wife and I aren't small people and wanted to make sure the bed would live up to the task of supporting us and a dog! 🙂
Cheers Max, I have to say I'm really pleased with how it turned out. And as you well know having the same van, how we use the space available to us really needs to be thought about if we're to make the most of it and this bed of ours fits nice and snug towards the back doors. We have ourselves a decent amount of space to play with up front for the kitchenette now without compromising on our bed size; I'll no doubt be checking your own video out again for some inspiration. 😀🙌
Hi. Well tought with the bed flexibility, I also saw how many screwed the bedslats on to the frame, and as you I thought about that flexibility. I use 4 Skorva support beams from Ikea. The mountingplates where a bit of stress to got them, it took me over 2 month to be in possession of the mountingplates. Greetings.
The Skorva beams are a great idea and something we considered but for our own peace of mind we opted to build a wooden frame with supports underneath just incase... 😄
Glad you found the video to be of use. It's a super solid bed (possibly over engineered but we're a big couple) and once it has a thick mattress on it it'll be great!
Hey Tine, nice to hear from you. We probably would have used Skorva beams if not for the fact our bed is lower than the usual horizontal fixing point people normally use to attach them so we would have had to rig up some frame for them. The same issue would have also been at the back by the doors. We would have had to build a frame to support the Skorva there too so it just made sense to make the whole frame out of wood and save a bit of money (though I don't think weight). Only downside to our route is the supporting legs underneath but I don't imagine they'll get too much in the way and the two in the middle will form part of the boxing in for the fridge we'll be doing shortly. Hope you're well. 🙂👍
@@PilgrimPods I'm putting supporting legs under me Skorva beams. I just don't quite trust rivnuts alone to hold me bulk. One thing I do like is that I can potentially disassemble the bed quite quickly and have almost a full van for transporting stuff which is something I'm sure I'll never actually do.
@@tine8849 easily removing the Skorva beams is a big plus for utility and one of the reasons we considered them. We've moved a lot of things over the years and having a van makes life so much easier!
Hey Shey, still happy with the decision to approach the bed and slats as we have. Hopefully we'll be able to say the same thing after 12 months of getting some proper use out of it. 😊👍
We enjoyed how you made your bed. Where did you get the mattress from, and do you have any measurements of the bed? Thank you for the content it's incredible.
Nice solid bed, good build mate! I'm about to buy a pocket hole jig and your one looks very good. Have you got a link to where I can get one? Hopefully once we're out of lockdown you will be able to have some quality time away..fingers crossed! Mick
Thanks Michael. Check out the video description for a link to the Kreg one I opted to buy. I believe it's the cheapest one they do and whilst it is more expensive it just works and is fit for purpose whereas the cheap one I bought beforehand wasn't. Just check out the reviews for both! We can't wait to get out in the van once things settle down. All the best mate. 🙂🍻
@@PilgrimPods thanks mate....your about a month in front of me. ..I'm just about to start on the cladding. Then the bed....if you have a bed, its usable, in my opinion! Can't wait to get away..probably Dorset, as only 3 hours and beautiful! Look forward to your next vid. Thanks for posting them.
how did you attach the bed frame to the wall? is there a wooden frame under your insulation? i am struggling to work out how to fix my bed frame to to the sides of the van.
I've absolutely loved watching your videos over the last few days prior to my van build start. Can I ask the size of drill bit you used for the plastic slat holders (would save me time) 🤣
Cheers Kevin yeah, we think it will work out just right for us. Our only concern is it being too narrow which will mean starting again on a LWB or XLWB model. 🙂👍
Your could always go a little higher up where it gets a bit wider I’m going cut into our walls of our van to gain a little more room we’ve lived with it for two years we the stretch room
@@minisurfboardscouksorry I wasn't clear, I meant the width of the bed. If a double isn't wide enough we couldn't fit a queen in our van. Lengthwise, with the mattress fitted our sleeping position should be at around the widest point of the van so hopefully we'll be just fine in that direction. The insulation at the head is 25mm thick and at the foot there isn't anything as we've fitted that window so we'll have the maximum amount of length to stretch out that the van has to offer. 🙂
Thanks for your efforts. Very instructive. May i ask if you still have access to change rear bulbs or would you have to just screw off the corner bit of the bed frame for access?
Hey Bobby, thanks for checking it out. After unfastening the the remaining screws on the plastic trim it will slide out and there's just about enough room to access the rear light cluster. Luckily the height of the bed frame the fridge has dictated has worked out perfectly for access to the rear lights, mattress height to the window and access to the rear door handle. I'd like to say it was well planned on my part but it wasn't. 😀
Hey Craig. Nice vid, as always. I am head scratching on how to fix bed slats too at the moment. (will have a pull out mechanism). Arent these end cap you used meant for. a. metal frame? How are they holding on in your drilled holes? Did you glue them? I saw another model that would have to be secured to the side of the bed support beams and was wondering if this would be a better approach or not. Cheers
I'm pretty sure for most applications I've seen these clip into metal frames but I just got a scrap piece of wood and played about with my drill bits trying to make a hole just snug enough for the slat holder to sit in but still be easily removed. No glue was used, they just press into the holes I've made. They're tight but still allow enough play for the slats to flex. I'm currently finishing the walls of the camper and have removed the slats to make my life easier working in the bed area. There's definitely cheaper ways to secure the slats such as screws but I'm happy with the route I've taken and if I were to build another campervan would tackle it exactly the same way. 🙂👍
@@PilgrimPods It will save me a lot of time (and money) to know this approach work really good. I will also have to remove the bed on occasion especially now, during the build, indeed. Many thanks. Keep the good work and the hair grow 😉😜👍
Cheers Neil. We opted to go with a Vitrifrigo C51i in the end. It was a toss up between that and the popular Dometic CRX50. We looked at reviews and folks experience of both on forums and from what we could glean the Vitrifigo edged it. There's a comparison performance review undertaken by Magnum Motorhomes that sealed it for us though. If you do a Google search you should be able to find their review, it's very informative. 🙂👍
Another great video, look forward to the next one. I am hoping to get started soon on my Citroen relay. I need to get it welded and get it through the m.o t first.
Hi. Great video and a job well done. How did you get the bed slat holder to stay in the timber? It looks like it only goes part way through the timber.
Hey Kerri, thanks for checking the video out. 🙂 It was just a case of marking out where the 'plugs' for the slat holders were positioned and drill out a hole in the frame of the bed just a little deeper than the 'plug' to accept it. I had a play about with a few drill bits to find one that gave a nice snug fit. Hope that helps. 🍻
Could you have used a screw or two in one end of the slats and let the other end move? That would have saved the cost of all those black pieces AND half the home ones you had RKT I drill.
Hey there Hal, yeah we considered what would be the easiest and cheapest way to secure the slats and we definitely considered your suggestion. Though unlikely with the weight of the mattress on top we were concerned a really bumpy road might be enough to move them about enough so they fall through the gap potentially damaging the fridge beneath so for that reason alone we opted to buy some cheap slat holders. Dare I say as well that in doing so it just looks 'a proper job'. They have the added bonus that if I do need to remove them for maintenance beneath, they just unplug from the bed frame and lift away with no need to grab a screwdriver. If ever I were to build another camper I would definitely do the same thing again. Thanks for checking the video out mate and for the feedback. 🙂👍
What do you guys put in this fridge? We have a simple cold box for the butter and milk, everything else we pick up while travelling. That means no second battery system, no solar and maybe in the 8 years we have had it we have thrown away 1/2 pint of milk and an ounce of butter. Your van must be very wide if you are 6'2" and fit. By the way dogs sleep on the floor!!!
Opted to buy a decent bespoke mattress cut to shape and size, worked out at probably an extra £100 on the cost of a decent double mattress. Was happy spending the extra money to get a really comfortable night's sleep. When I was 20 I could sleep on a concrete floor now in my forties I need a little more comfort in my life! 😄
Hi mate, the two uprights at the front had nothing on the wall to screw into but the ones at the rear were screwed through the battening on the wall straight into the metal. The bed frame was glued and screwed to the floor wherever possible - it's absolutely solid. There will be a kitchenette in front of it on both sides and they will both be screwed through the battens into the metal of the van's walls. Hope that helps. 🙂👍
Hey Mike, this is pretty much my only concern and once wired up will be closely monitored. Worst case scenario I'll insulate above it with some 25mm PIR board. There's more than enough room to insulate and still provide adequate breathing space for the compressor to dissipate the excess heat. Thanks for checking the video out mate. 🙂👍
Really informative. Can I just ask what you are actually screwing the frame to? Is it the batten or the actual metal of the van? Also how do you screw the batten to the metal of the van? Do you live it up smwoth the original holes and pick screws that are the same size?
The theory behind insulation is absolutely sound but in a van like ours with so many windows I have my own reservations about how effective a job it will truly be able to achieve. For what it costs and how little time it takes to do it was a step I was never going to skip over though. I guess in the goal to be comfortable, every little helps! Thanks for checking the video out Diane and sharing your own experience. 🙂👍
Size of the wood used is unnecessary weight added to the vehicle. Take a leaf out of caravan manufacturing and you will save lots of extra weight and therefore fuel when driving round.
Hey David, completely get where you're coming from but it was a conscious decision to use slightly thicker wood as we're not little people and we wanted to make it really robust. When the finished camper is weighed, if we need to shed weight it will be the first area we look at. Let's be honest with ourselves though, the professionals certainly don't do everything right when it comes to campers and caravans! 😁
Cheers Keith, yeah I intend to move away from the music I'm currently using and also lower its level in future videos. Thanks for checking it out mate. 🙂🍻
@@PilgrimPods Ah, just found this comment. My only questions are: Why did you do it in the first place? How did you not notice how utterly awful it was? Why did no one else not notice how utterly awful it was? Peace
@Keith Allan Thank you. Thank god someone else had the sense to say something. It seems taste died when covid entered the arena! Or was that an earlier event?
SORRY! This bed platform system is total crap and has been proven in tens of thousands of commercial applications to be the system to most likely fail/break of all systems presently known to exist?
Your inexplicable lack of a square notwithstanding, your work is good. But can you please explain what your logic is in adding that awful discordant generic noise between your detailed comments? It's not only totally unnecessary, it is truly awful and horribly intrusive. You even UP THE VOLUME!! FFS WHY?????? Please stop imitating the very worst of amateur production styles. This video is totally unwatchable due to this awful noise. NO, it is not music. No one in their right mind would ever claim it is. That vile, grating racket is demonstrably just nasty electronic cacophony randomly assembled to placate online IP issues, and could only ever appeal to tone deaf morons, and those who's only desire is to torture the listener. Enough already
If the music in any of our videos isn't to your taste to the extent you consider it torture please feel free to go elsewhere. 😉👍 As someone once said... 'It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.' Me? I say thanks for feeding the algorithm and don't let the door hit you on the way out. 😘
Pilgrim Pods Sadly you missed the point of my comment completely. But thank you for sharing one of my favourite quotes (which I memorised in 1985), even if it is one of the most dishonest speeches ever made, especially since it was delivered by an American president at the Sorbonne in Paris - just as Milner’s round table in the USA and UK were planning to start the Great War which killed hundreds of thousands of French people, and those of many other countries. Oh, and due to the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871, the USA is not a republic, so it’s doubly ironic. But I’m sure the passing of the Third Force Act the same year had nothing to do with that…! It’s wonderful to meet someone who’s interested in history. However, in respect to the original subject being discussed, I prefer the immortal lines of Clint Eastwood’s Harry Callahan character who sagely observed: “A man’s gotta know his limitations…” I know I’m not a good video editor, therefore I don’t post videos that have had horrible pointless musac added. I’m also a lazy researcher, that’s why I’m an analyst. 🧐😎😜
Just made the bed in my van based on this video! Super easy to follow and straightforward thanks!
I have been trying to figure out a simple bed design for my van as I am no carpenter and this video helped a lot. Thanks for taking the time to put it together.
John wick owns a campervan? 🤭 Cracking job mate. Love the dog
Great build. Thanks for taking the time to make the video. Looking forward to watching the remainder of the build.
Hey Derek, thanks for checking it out. Hopefully we'll get it completed sooner rather than later now just in time for a little normality returning to the world so we can get out there and use it. 🙂
Building the bed frame is the first thing on my renovation list for the van I just bought. And my first purchase will be a proper KREG jig - thanks for the tip! 😊
Yeah, that Kreg jig is night and day better from the cheap version I originally purchased. The cheap one wasn't fit for purpose, just looking at the drill bits it comes with now tells me that as they aren't stepped bits. If you've never used one before though how would you know!? Best of luck with your own build and if you're documenting it on Instagram throw us a follow or a message so we can check out your progress! 🙂👏
@@PilgrimPods Thank you! I've not long started an Insta account for her, actually - she's @sassythesprinter :)
I'll be sure to watch your vids for more hints and tips as I go along - great channel! 👍🏻
Nice bed! A permanent bed is really making a huge difference. I’ve done it in my caravan and it makes things so much easier!
Yeah, so many people have said a fixed bed was important to them so we've followed their advice. At home we never seem to spend any time in the living room, preferring to sit and watch tv on the bed instead so we should be just fine in the van. 😊👍
Why is permanent bed best do you think? I was thinking of a sliding bed in mine
@@robaichjones1691 believe me, a permanent bed is the best option. It’s there if and when you need it. You can use it straight away without having to move things around to get the bed made. It’s a pain in the bum! 🤣
Wow your ceiling is really cool!
Thanks! 😊
Great Video thanks,
I'm trying to build my bed atm and feeling overwhelmed. This has really helped thanks.
Glad you found it of use Tom. Arguably it's a bit over engineered but my wife and I aren't small people and we wanted something solid! 😄
Love your van build videos keep them coming
Hey Anthony, thanks for taking the time to check them out mate. 🙂👍
Very good informative video mate 👍
Great video as always 👍🏻. My kregg jig was my best friend on our build, can't leave the router out as well 😂. So we'll made van and video 👍🏻 thanks man sending love and cwtches 💙✌️
Thanks mate. 🙂🍻 You're the reason I bought a Kreg jig as after the frustrations of using the cheap knock off version a while ago. Glad I did as the joint even without glue feels super solid and as we're not little people we need a strong bed! I need to buy a router now, thanks... 😆 All the best to you both mate!
Good to see you used the slats. also by using the plastic caps you shouldn't get the slats squeaking , with wood on wood. I know from experience.
Ah... squeaking honestly never occurred to us so thanks for the knowledge bomb. 🙂 And also, thanks for swinging by our little channel; love your name by the way! 😍👍
Great video mate.
Just one thought, you could have just screwed the outside edges of the slats and either placed and screwed a thin plank over the middle to hold it down and stop it moving upwards but allow horizontal movement or screw the outside and just loosely fasten the middle with long holes horizontal like a half inch or inch and big washers to allow for movement. Just a thought to save buying and also stronger than plastic of there is any unwanted movement in a direction you don't want be a bit more secure.
Good video mate and like the clamps aswell thought about this myself when I build my one out next year..
Cheers just subscribed look forward to watching your other videos 👍🏴
Thanks for the advice and for deciding to stick around for a bit! 🙂
Great video will use this a guide to when I ever get around to doing my own van cheers.
Thanks for watching it mate and all the best for when you crack on with your own! 🙂👍
Great Video on the Bed Frame ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cheers Jono! 🍻
Brilliant solution for your bed! 😎👍✅
Hey again Andrew, and thanks. We thought about building a floating bed but with our needs and requirements we think this will suit us much better. 🙂👍
@@PilgrimPods best thing is that it’s uncomplicated, sturdy yet lightweight and simple to construct. Job done ✅
@@T8RTU job done! 🙂🙌
Brilliant video as always ! Your van is coming along nicely!
Cheers Arno, hope yours is coming along nicely. You must be well ahead of ours with yours now and like us I bet you can't wait to get out there in it and see some of the world. 🙂🍻
Great video- given us great insight for our build. Thanks again
Glad to help
Thanks very much. Looks brilliant. I’ll be copying your design. Thanks for all the time going into your videos.
Cheers Dan, it does feel both solid and functional. We did consider building a floating bed using Skorva beams from Ikea but we're glad we opted to go the route we have. All the best for own build mate. 🙂🍻
@@PilgrimPods Ah, I'd not heard of using the Skorva beams for a van bed before. Just researched it and seems like it might be just the ticket for our van. Thanks for the tip and the video. Super helpful 👍
Well done. Learned alot from this video.
Glad you found it of use. 🙂
Really looking good and well planned.
Thanks, arguably we could have used slightly thinner wood but my wife and I aren't small people and wanted to make sure the bed would live up to the task of supporting us and a dog! 🙂
Well done! Very solid bed!👍
Cheers Max, I have to say I'm really pleased with how it turned out. And as you well know having the same van, how we use the space available to us really needs to be thought about if we're to make the most of it and this bed of ours fits nice and snug towards the back doors. We have ourselves a decent amount of space to play with up front for the kitchenette now without compromising on our bed size; I'll no doubt be checking your own video out again for some inspiration. 😀🙌
@@PilgrimPods Yeah cutting corners off the mattress is so worth it! 😅Videos are a little delayed but would be much appreciated 😊
looks great guys
Cheers Lee, thanks again for swinging by. 🙂👍
Well done and thanks for sharing very useful 👍
Thanks for checking the video out Alan. 🙂👍
Hi. Well tought with the bed flexibility, I also saw how many screwed the bedslats on to the frame, and as you I thought about that flexibility. I use 4 Skorva support beams from Ikea. The mountingplates where a bit of stress to got them, it took me over 2 month to be in possession of the mountingplates. Greetings.
The Skorva beams are a great idea and something we considered but for our own peace of mind we opted to build a wooden frame with supports underneath just incase... 😄
Excellent build! That's what I intend. Love to hear how you like it? 2x3s and 2x2s were how I was planning to do mine. Thanks!
Glad you found the video to be of use. It's a super solid bed (possibly over engineered but we're a big couple) and once it has a thick mattress on it it'll be great!
Lovely job. I went with the Skorva Beams for me bed, not sure they were worth it to be honest but it seemed like a good idea at the time.
Hey Tine, nice to hear from you. We probably would have used Skorva beams if not for the fact our bed is lower than the usual horizontal fixing point people normally use to attach them so we would have had to rig up some frame for them. The same issue would have also been at the back by the doors. We would have had to build a frame to support the Skorva there too so it just made sense to make the whole frame out of wood and save a bit of money (though I don't think weight). Only downside to our route is the supporting legs underneath but I don't imagine they'll get too much in the way and the two in the middle will form part of the boxing in for the fridge we'll be doing shortly. Hope you're well. 🙂👍
@@PilgrimPods I'm putting supporting legs under me Skorva beams. I just don't quite trust rivnuts alone to hold me bulk. One thing I do like is that I can potentially disassemble the bed quite quickly and have almost a full van for transporting stuff which is something I'm sure I'll never actually do.
@@tine8849 easily removing the Skorva beams is a big plus for utility and one of the reasons we considered them. We've moved a lot of things over the years and having a van makes life so much easier!
I love your vidio. How are you finding the Slats. Great job as ever. I hope you are enjoying your labour's 😊
Hey Shey, still happy with the decision to approach the bed and slats as we have. Hopefully we'll be able to say the same thing after 12 months of getting some proper use out of it. 😊👍
@@PilgrimPods Thanks for sending a message. I hope that you enjoy your amazing build, your the best 👍😊.
Great video, but I really do not understand why you did not make the bed foldable (pull out) . It is very easy and it saves a lot of space.
good job
Thanks for checking it out Michael. 🙂👍
Be interested to know sizes of wood etc, as trying to workout how to measure up
We enjoyed how you made your bed. Where did you get the mattress from, and do you have any measurements of the bed?
Thank you for the content it's incredible.
Custom made by a company in Tamworth called Made 2 Measure Mattresses. Didn't cost much more than for a regular decent quality mattress.
Nice solid bed, good build mate! I'm about to buy a pocket hole jig and your one looks very good. Have you got a link to where I can get one? Hopefully once we're out of lockdown you will be able to have some quality time away..fingers crossed! Mick
Thanks Michael. Check out the video description for a link to the Kreg one I opted to buy. I believe it's the cheapest one they do and whilst it is more expensive it just works and is fit for purpose whereas the cheap one I bought beforehand wasn't. Just check out the reviews for both! We can't wait to get out in the van once things settle down. All the best mate. 🙂🍻
@@PilgrimPods thanks mate....your about a month in front of me. ..I'm just about to start on the cladding. Then the bed....if you have a bed, its usable, in my opinion! Can't wait to get away..probably Dorset, as only 3 hours and beautiful! Look forward to your next vid. Thanks for posting them.
how did you attach the bed frame to the wall? is there a wooden frame under your insulation? i am struggling to work out how to fix my bed frame to to the sides of the van.
I've absolutely loved watching your videos over the last few days prior to my van build start. Can I ask the size of drill bit you used for the plastic slat holders (would save me time) 🤣
Thanks David, I can't recall the drill bit size sorry. Was a snug fit I remember that much! 🙂
Great video looks very Tidy
Cheers Kevin yeah, we think it will work out just right for us. Our only concern is it being too narrow which will mean starting again on a LWB or XLWB model. 🙂👍
Your could always go a little higher up where it gets a bit wider I’m going cut into our walls of our van to gain a little more room we’ve lived with it for two years we the stretch room
@@minisurfboardscouksorry I wasn't clear, I meant the width of the bed. If a double isn't wide enough we couldn't fit a queen in our van. Lengthwise, with the mattress fitted our sleeping position should be at around the widest point of the van so hopefully we'll be just fine in that direction. The insulation at the head is 25mm thick and at the foot there isn't anything as we've fitted that window so we'll have the maximum amount of length to stretch out that the van has to offer. 🙂
Thanks for your efforts. Very instructive. May i ask if you still have access to change rear bulbs or would you have to just screw off the corner bit of the bed frame for access?
Hey Bobby, thanks for checking it out. After unfastening the the remaining screws on the plastic trim it will slide out and there's just about enough room to access the rear light cluster. Luckily the height of the bed frame the fridge has dictated has worked out perfectly for access to the rear lights, mattress height to the window and access to the rear door handle. I'd like to say it was well planned on my part but it wasn't. 😀
Would it be easier to build a frame or buy a folding bed?
Hey Craig. Nice vid, as always. I am head scratching on how to fix bed slats too at the moment. (will have a pull out mechanism). Arent these end cap you used meant for. a. metal frame? How are they holding on in your drilled holes? Did you glue them? I saw another model that would have to be secured to the side of the bed support beams and was wondering if this would be a better approach or not. Cheers
I'm pretty sure for most applications I've seen these clip into metal frames but I just got a scrap piece of wood and played about with my drill bits trying to make a hole just snug enough for the slat holder to sit in but still be easily removed. No glue was used, they just press into the holes I've made. They're tight but still allow enough play for the slats to flex. I'm currently finishing the walls of the camper and have removed the slats to make my life easier working in the bed area. There's definitely cheaper ways to secure the slats such as screws but I'm happy with the route I've taken and if I were to build another campervan would tackle it exactly the same way. 🙂👍
@@PilgrimPods It will save me a lot of time (and money) to know this approach work really good. I will also have to remove the bed on occasion especially now, during the build, indeed. Many thanks. Keep the good work and the hair grow 😉😜👍
Looking good. Can I ask what make and model fridge have you gone for...?
Cheers Neil. We opted to go with a Vitrifrigo C51i in the end. It was a toss up between that and the popular Dometic CRX50. We looked at reviews and folks experience of both on forums and from what we could glean the Vitrifigo edged it. There's a comparison performance review undertaken by Magnum Motorhomes that sealed it for us though. If you do a Google search you should be able to find their review, it's very informative. 🙂👍
@@PilgrimPods Found it and it certainly cools quickly. Glad its the exact same size as the CRX as thats the size of hole Ive built 😁
@@neilbarnett3537 glad I could help mate. Not knocking the Dometic at all, just giving the reasons why I've gone with the Vitrifigo
Another great video, look forward to the next one. I am hoping to get started soon on my Citroen relay. I
need to get it welded and get it through the m.o t first.
@@franciswilson2072 good luck with the MOT!
Hi. Great video and a job well done. How did you get the bed slat holder to stay in the timber? It looks like it only goes part way through the timber.
Hey Kerri, thanks for checking the video out. 🙂 It was just a case of marking out where the 'plugs' for the slat holders were positioned and drill out a hole in the frame of the bed just a little deeper than the 'plug' to accept it. I had a play about with a few drill bits to find one that gave a nice snug fit. Hope that helps. 🍻
@@PilgrimPods ok. I'll give it a go. Thanks
Could you have used a screw or two in one end of the slats and let the other end move? That would have saved the cost of all those black pieces AND half the home ones you had RKT I drill.
Hey there Hal, yeah we considered what would be the easiest and cheapest way to secure the slats and we definitely considered your suggestion. Though unlikely with the weight of the mattress on top we were concerned a really bumpy road might be enough to move them about enough so they fall through the gap potentially damaging the fridge beneath so for that reason alone we opted to buy some cheap slat holders. Dare I say as well that in doing so it just looks 'a proper job'. They have the added bonus that if I do need to remove them for maintenance beneath, they just unplug from the bed frame and lift away with no need to grab a screwdriver. If ever I were to build another camper I would definitely do the same thing again. Thanks for checking the video out mate and for the feedback. 🙂👍
What do you guys put in this fridge? We have a simple cold box for the butter and milk, everything else we pick up while travelling. That means no second battery system, no solar and maybe in the 8 years we have had it we have thrown away 1/2 pint of milk and an ounce of butter.
Your van must be very wide if you are 6'2" and fit. By the way dogs sleep on the floor!!!
Brilliant
Thanks!
what did you do with the bed in the corners ?? did you cut down the mattress ???
Opted to buy a decent bespoke mattress cut to shape and size, worked out at probably an extra £100 on the cost of a decent double mattress. Was happy spending the extra money to get a really comfortable night's sleep. When I was 20 I could sleep on a concrete floor now in my forties I need a little more comfort in my life! 😄
Hi can i ask the wooden uprights for the bed did you screw them into the metalwork of the van or into the plywood lining thanks.
Hi mate, the two uprights at the front had nothing on the wall to screw into but the ones at the rear were screwed through the battening on the wall straight into the metal. The bed frame was glued and screwed to the floor wherever possible - it's absolutely solid. There will be a kitchenette in front of it on both sides and they will both be screwed through the battens into the metal of the van's walls. Hope that helps. 🙂👍
What about the heat from the fridge compressor? I'd be afraid it would be awful hot on the mattress.
Hey Mike, this is pretty much my only concern and once wired up will be closely monitored. Worst case scenario I'll insulate above it with some 25mm PIR board. There's more than enough room to insulate and still provide adequate breathing space for the compressor to dissipate the excess heat. Thanks for checking the video out mate. 🙂👍
Really informative. Can I just ask what you are actually screwing the frame to? Is it the batten or the actual metal of the van? Also how do you screw the batten to the metal of the van? Do you live it up smwoth the original holes and pick screws that are the same size?
Mainly screwed into the earlier battening which in turn is glued and screwed to the metalwork.
👍
Very useful video but your sound levels are all over the place.
Yeah, sorry about that. Thanks for checking it out.
The insulation will not keep your van cool or warm. I insulated the crap out of my and it’s still a hot box. Insulation is a lie and doesn’t matter.
The theory behind insulation is absolutely sound but in a van like ours with so many windows I have my own reservations about how effective a job it will truly be able to achieve. For what it costs and how little time it takes to do it was a step I was never going to skip over though. I guess in the goal to be comfortable, every little helps! Thanks for checking the video out Diane and sharing your own experience. 🙂👍
Size of the wood used is unnecessary weight added to the vehicle. Take a leaf out of caravan manufacturing and you will save lots of extra weight and therefore fuel when driving round.
Hey David, completely get where you're coming from but it was a conscious decision to use slightly thicker wood as we're not little people and we wanted to make it really robust. When the finished camper is weighed, if we need to shed weight it will be the first area we look at. Let's be honest with ourselves though, the professionals certainly don't do everything right when it comes to campers and caravans! 😁
Great job.....but please don't put that irritating music on, you don't need it.
Cheers Keith, yeah I intend to move away from the music I'm currently using and also lower its level in future videos. Thanks for checking it out mate. 🙂🍻
@@PilgrimPods Ah, just found this comment. My only questions are:
Why did you do it in the first place?
How did you not notice how utterly awful it was?
Why did no one else not notice how utterly awful it was?
Peace
@Keith Allan Thank you. Thank god someone else had the sense to say something. It seems taste died when covid entered the arena! Or was that an earlier event?
SORRY!
This bed platform system is total crap and has been proven in tens of thousands of commercial applications to be the system to most likely fail/break of all systems presently known to exist?
Your inexplicable lack of a square notwithstanding, your work is good. But can you please explain what your logic is in adding that awful discordant generic noise between your detailed comments? It's not only totally unnecessary, it is truly awful and horribly intrusive. You even UP THE VOLUME!! FFS WHY??????
Please stop imitating the very worst of amateur production styles. This video is totally unwatchable due to this awful noise. NO, it is not music. No one in their right mind would ever claim it is. That vile, grating racket is demonstrably just nasty electronic cacophony randomly assembled to placate online IP issues, and could only ever appeal to tone deaf morons, and those who's only desire is to torture the listener.
Enough already
If the music in any of our videos isn't to your taste to the extent you consider it torture please feel free to go elsewhere. 😉👍
As someone once said... 'It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.'
Me? I say thanks for feeding the algorithm and don't let the door hit you on the way out. 😘
Pilgrim Pods Sadly you missed the point of my comment completely. But thank you for sharing one of my favourite quotes (which I memorised in 1985), even if it is one of the most dishonest speeches ever made, especially since it was delivered by an American president at the Sorbonne in Paris - just as Milner’s round table in the USA and UK were planning to start the Great War which killed hundreds of thousands of French people, and those of many other countries.
Oh, and due to the District of Columbia Organic Act of 1871, the USA is not a republic, so it’s doubly ironic. But I’m sure the passing of the Third Force Act the same year had nothing to do with that…!
It’s wonderful to meet someone who’s interested in history. However, in respect to the original subject being discussed, I prefer the immortal lines of Clint Eastwood’s Harry Callahan character who sagely observed: “A man’s gotta know his limitations…”
I know I’m not a good video editor, therefore I don’t post videos that have had horrible pointless musac added. I’m also a lazy researcher, that’s why I’m an analyst.
🧐😎😜
I find a small 224v fridge is far better power saving wise than the 3-way compressor fridge