Slimline kitchen / 130 rib bed / no sink or hob recommendations please

[RhubarbCrumble]

We recently bought a LWB panel van and have had the full stage one conversion completed (poptop / insulation and carpet lining / windows / flooring / electrics / heater / solar panel). We've got no intention of cooking the van so we **thought** we were going to opt for a fridgepod and full width rib bed. We've been away this weekend and slept in the pop top and lived out of boxes etc downstairs. It's made me wonder if actually a slimline kitchen and a 130cm rib bed might be more suitable for us so we've got some storage for stuff that can permanently 'live' in the van. We'll be away in the van for a number of weeks this summer and I think boxes will drive me crazy. I quite like the look of the Devanco unit VW T6 Slimline 130 Kitchen Units LWB - Davanco Designs - just wondered if anyone could review / recommend this or something similar (or different!). I'd like as much storage as possible without reverting to a narrow bed..... thanks

 

[Lostineurope2]

We recently bought a LWB panel van and have had the full stage one conversion completed (poptop / insulation and carpet lining / windows / flooring / electrics / heater / solar panel). We've got no intention of cooking the van so we **thought** we were going to opt for a fridgepod and full width rib bed. We've been away this weekend and slept in the pop top and lived out of boxes etc downstairs. It's made me wonder if actually a slimline kitchen and a 130cm rib bed might be more suitable for us so we've got some storage for stuff that can permanently 'live' in the van. We'll be away in the van for a number of weeks this summer and I think boxes will drive me crazy. I quite like the look of the Devanco unit VW T6 Slimline 130 Kitchen Units LWB - Davanco Designs - just wondered if anyone could review / recommend this or something similar (or different!). I'd like as much storage as possible without reverting to a narrow bed..... thanks

 

[Lostineurope2]

Post in thread 'Slimline kitchen to fit alongside 130cm bed?'
Slimline kitchen to fit alongside 130cm bed?

 

[davecdjt]

If you can sleep comfortably in the pop top, then there are a number of ways you could do downstairs. Do you need the extra travel seats that a rib bed would provide? Could you go with an interior by The Ply Guys as we have done in our SWB Kombi conversion. They have kitchen pods and pull out storage that give you lots of storage options.

 

[RhubarbCrumble]

Yes - we do need the additional seats that the rib bed will provide

 

[davecdjt]

Yes - we do need the additional seats that the rib bed will provide

Try sitting on a rib seat in a van if you haven’t already. They are quite high and can leave your legs swinging rather than feet on the floor. If your legs are long enough to touch the floor you may be too tall to sit up straight on it. We decided we couldn’t get comfortable seated on a rib bed and looked at other options before ultimately deciding we’d didn’t need the travel seats and so went with the ply guys.

 

[Bobby Turkalino]

My van was already converted when I bought it and had a 130 rib bed and slimline kitchen. Used it for 4 years and had a refresh with more storage and a smaller rib bed. It's totally transformed the van for us as we no longer have the fridge jutting out behind the drivers seat. It gives us more floor space and better units which are lighter and this along with the increased floor space makes the van a much nicer place to be in. Am 6ft 2 and have just done 5 nights away and the narrower bed was fine.

 

[RhubarbCrumble]

My van was already converted when I bought it and had a 130 rib bed and slimline kitchen. Used it for 4 years and had a refresh with more storage and a smaller rib bed. It's totally transformed the van for us as we no longer have the fridge jutting out behind the drivers seat. It gives us more floor space and better units which are lighter and this along with the increased floor space makes the van a much nicer place to be in. Am 6ft 2 and have just done 5 nights away and the narrower bed was fine.

That is definitely food for thought. We coped ok with the width of the pop top perhaps we’d be better opting for more storage like you suggest. I suppose there is only ever likely to be two of us sleeping in the van so if it’s very hot we could have one up and one down!

 

[RhubarbCrumble]

I’ve only changed my mind about the layout 2375 times so far ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Bobby Turkalino]

That is definitely food for thought. We coped ok with the width of the pop top perhaps we’d be better opting for more storage like you suggest. I suppose there is only ever likely to be two of us sleeping in the van so if it’s very hot we could have one up and one down!

Initially I thought the Rib 130 bed was great but we tried the pop top bed and the width was not a problem. The fridge jutting out compromised the useable floor area especially in the evenings. We also now have a dog to come on trips, she had decided to sleep under the seat base that folds to make the foot of the bed.

As its a small vehicle, I think maximising storage is important.