Kombi sleeping platform - DIY

[cleave14]

I’ve finally finished laminating the last bits of ply to extend the rear platform into a bed/ loading area. I use the van for work and camping so wanted the fit out to be versatile and the platform load bearing though I do think I over engineered this a bit. The drawer is fantastic.

 

[JPL]

That’s super impressive if you made it yourself - I have just converted the panel to a kombi and the kids want to go camping

 

[cleave14]

Cheers Mate, it took quite a lot of head scratching to work out the design. The making part was fun but very time consuming Laminating all that poplar ply

 

[boxelder]

Wow, top work.
@stevemorg1 - would that draw fir bikes?

 

[stevemorg1]

Looks great for carrying the bikes - similar to the Amdro bed I was looking but with the sliding base which I really like - can't see the bikes fitting under when the bed is out though

 

[boxelder]

Looks great for carrying the bikes - similar to the Amdro bed I was looking but with the sliding base which I really like - can't see the bikes fitting under when the bed is out though

I used to fret about the bike(s) when sleeping and shoehorn them inside the van. Now I have an Atera rack, with locks and then used chains/cables to further secure them. Backing it up into bushes/walls makes it even harder for the wee feckers. If anyone has the nerve to go for that while I'm in the van, they deserve the bikes.
p.s. you can fit 2 bikes down the side of a 120cm bed.

 

[cleave14]

We can get two adult bikes and a kids bike in the back with the platform taken out, but if it’s just one bike I stick it on the platform. The drawer really is so I’m not rooting around for my tools when I’m on site

 

[stevemorg1]

it's a nice looking set up!

 

[Oggywales]

Looks ace, well done

looking to do somthing like that for the rear of my panel van to I can pull the draw out and cook under the tailgate rather than fitting a kitchen in the van

 

[DarranJ]

I’ve finally finished laminating the last bits of ply to extend the rear platform into a bed/ loading area. I use the van for work and camping so wanted the fit out to be versatile and the platform load bearing though I do think I over engineered this a bit. The drawer is fantastic.

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What draw slide mechanism have you used. They look really heavy duty

 

[cleave14]

Looks ace, well done

looking to do somthing like that for the rear of my panel van to I can pull the draw out and cook under the tailgate rather than fitting a kitchen in the van

Cheers!

 

[cleave14]

What draw slide mechanism have you used. They look really heavy duty

They’re from GSF slides. They have a lock in/lock out mechanism which I think is needed in a van, though I popped the spring out on one side so I didn’t have to lift the latch on both. They take 250kg, so yes heavy duty, though they have other higher load bearing slides. There’s also one which locks half way out, but they’re more pricey.

 

[Oggywales]

Can I ask how you laminated the ply abs what ply did you use?

 

[cleave14]

Can I ask how you laminated the ply abs what ply did you use?

I used 18mm poplar ply. I think 15mm would have been fine. It does add up in weight. Laminated with Formica. We have a vacuum bag press at work. If you’re in the West Country Saxon laminates can laminathe whole sheets for you. To be honest, if I did it again, I’d go down that route and send it off to be cnc cut.

I initially lined the drawer with chequer plate rubber. Bad move. Commercial rubber doesn’t seem to stop off gasing. Luckily, it came up and I put in domestic rubber...

 

[Farnorthsurfer]

Lovely job, I decided not to laminate as I didn’t have enough bricks to glue it all down

 

[Whitty]

That looks like a really flexible solution. Just built a bed platform for our 1st trip away in the Kombi and it worked great. Problem is when I want to throw the bike in the back without removing wheels I can’t do with the bed frame in meaning I have to take it out. So your solution of the removable top could be the answer.

Can see that you’ve fixed the side panels to the floor anchor points but wondering if you have them fixed to the side of the van as well ? Also how did you cut the profile on the rear to match the bulk head as it looks really neat.

 

[cleave14]

That looks like a really flexible solution. Just built a bed platform for our 1st trip away in the Kombi and it worked great. Problem is when I want to throw the bike in the back without removing wheels I can’t do with the bed frame in meaning I have to take it out. So your solution of the removable top could be the answer.

Can see that you’ve fixed the side panels to the floor anchor points but wondering if you have them fixed to the side of the van as well ? Also how did you cut the profile on the rear to match the bulk head as it looks really neat.

I did fix the to the side of the van as well. There’s a batten underneath and I fixed a couple of rivnuts to each side of the van panel and fixed in to those.

For the pieces that I cut to fit any profiles, I made a template in 6mm mdf and routed the ply with a template profile cutter. A scribing tool is pretty handy for making the templates.

Hope that helps.

 

[Whitty]

Thanks for the feedback, if you have any more pics of the fittings it would be appreciated. Also did you make the cross members on the bed panel out of the same ply or other .?

 

[Airfix61]

Top class work, and innovative. Particularly like the hardwood bull nose end cap. It's the detail that counts.

 

[cleave14]

Top class work, and innovative. Particularly like the hardwood bull nose end cap. It's the detail that counts.

Cheers! Maple should withstand a few knocks