What do you do in the back?

[willgr]

I’m in search of inspiration for my family dayvan / overnighter… but then I thought I’d love to see all the different layouts and gear people have in the back. So, are you proud of your racking? Got a really clever camper layout? Classy cupboards? Cool couch? Swanky shelving?

Post some photos and show us what you’ve done!

 

[Jimmmmy]

Nope, nothing special just a bog standard campervan but might help a bit.

 

[TallPaul_S]

I’m in search of inspiration for my family dayvan / overnighter… but then I thought I’d love to see all the different layouts and gear people have in the back. So, are you proud of your racking? Got a really clever camper layout? Classy cupboards? Cool couch? Swanky shelving?

Post some photos and show us what you’ve done!

Going by your profile pic, are you going to want to carry bikes in the van?

I'm mid way through designing & building the back of mine, it's a Caravelle so everything attaches to the factory seat rails and is fully removable to return to standard.

I've removed the bench seat to be left with 2x single captains chairs in the rear, which gives me a 4 seater for normal every day use.

I've then built a bike drawer which can take 2x mountain bikes, one of which can be basically the longest MTB available. And the 2x seats in the rear are still fully usable with the bikes in.





The next stage (which I should have completed in the next 2 weeks) is a kitchen pod behind the drivers seat, with a sink and tap, 50l fridge, 2 burner (portable) gas stove, and 16l bottles for fresh and grey water. Oh and a 40mm solid walnut worktop, and pull out table.




Then, the third stage will be to build an extendable, foldable frame that will go over the 2x on seats when folded flat, and be stored behind them when they're in use, which will be a 6ft long, single bed.

That's the main bits - my brief was that I needed 4x seats, to be sacked to carry 2x bikes, a full kitchen, and be able to sleep inside the van (just me) along with the bikes. Literally no off the shelf solution caters for all this inside a SWB T6!! No pop top, as it's a caravelle they're a pain to fit. Maybe later. That would allow 2x people to sleep in the van.

I'll be fitting window bags to the rear windows, along with curtains to the rear, side and a cab divider curtain. And later I may build some more storage on the right side, with water storage for bike washing.

The van came with a leisure battery, eberspacher heater, awning, and swivel passenger seat when I bought it.

 

[willgr]

Going by your profile pic, are you going to want to carry bikes in the van?

I'm mid way through designing & building the back of mine, it's a Caravelle so everything attaches to the factory seat rails and is fully removable to return to standard.

I've removed the bench seat to be left with 2x single captains chairs in the rear, which gives me a 4 seater for normal every day use.

I've then built a bike drawer which can take 2x mountain bikes, one of which can be basically the longest MTB available. And the 2x seats in the rear are still fully usable with the bikes in.
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View attachment 236346


The next stage (which I should have completed in the next 2 weeks) is a kitchen pod behind the drivers seat, with a sink and tap, 50l fridge, 2 burner (portable) gas stove, and 16l bottles for fresh and grey water. Oh and a 40mm solid walnut worktop, and pull out table.
View attachment 236347
View attachment 236348
View attachment 236353

Then, the third stage will be to build an extendable, foldable frame that will go over the 2x on seats when folded flat, and be stored behind them when they're in use, which will be a 6ft long, single bed.

That's the main bits - my brief was that I needed 4x seats, to be sacked to carry 2x bikes, a full kitchen, and be able to sleep inside the van (just me) along with the bikes. Literally no off the shelf solution caters for all this inside a SWB T6!! No pop top, as it's a caravelle they're a pain to fit. Maybe later. That would allow 2x people to sleep in the van.

I'll be fitting window bags to the rear windows, along with curtains to the rear, side and a cab divider curtain. And later I may build some more storage on the right side, with water storage for bike washing.

The van came with a leisure battery, eberspacher heater, awning, and swivel passenger seat when I bought it.

Amazing! We do have very similar needs it seems! I have an LWB Transporter that’s had the Caravelle rails fitted. I too just have the two captain seats in the rear, but s as it’s not a factory Caravelle, the pop-top was easy to install.
I’d like to be able to:
- Carry up to 4 road bikes inside the van, with all 4 seats useable.
- Carry the dog securely (in a crate)
- Be able to sleep two adults in the van (kids in the pop top)
- Have a tailgate kitchen (induction hob + sink)… won’t want to cook inside the van

Like you say, I haven’t found anything off-the-shelf that can do it all.

 

[TallPaul_S]

Amazing! We do have very similar needs it seems! I have an LWB Transporter that’s had the Caravelle rails fitted. I too just have the two captain seats in the rear, but s as it’s not a factory Caravelle, the pop-top was easy to install.
I’d like to be able to:
- Carry up to 4 road bikes inside the van, with all 4 seats useable.
- Carry the dog securely (in a crate)
- Be able to sleep two adults in the van (kids in the pop top)
- Have a tailgate kitchen (induction hob + sink)… won’t want to cook inside the van

Like you say, I haven’t found anything off-the-shelf that can do it all.

Bah, doing that with road bikes is easy!!

I'm 6ft 3in tall and my main bike is 1700mm long with the front wheel off (it's a 1350mm wheelbase bike) which leaves about 600mm space left in a SWB.

Do you need to sleep 2 inside along with 4x road bikes? Or is the requirement to carry 4x bikes and sleep inside a separate thing? Road bikes will go in sideways with the front wheel off so if you top and tail them and turn the bars slightly you'd get 4x in about 80cm of length, which still gives you 1.9m if you folded the rear seats, so possible to sleep inside...

The bikes would probably go on top of a boot kitchen too.

I didn't want a boot kitchen as even with the tailgate I feel they're not great for UK weather. When it's raining sideways, or you're getting eaten alive by midges, I'll be glad of my inside kitchen!

 

[JB_T5.1]

Van Furniture U Shaped interior with 40" screen and protector.

 

[TallPaul_S]

This post is what I would have in mind, in particular the 2nd picture.

Yes. It is but a bit of a faff. Excuse the clutter. Its all trial and error. If you remove the front wheel and want to pack the bikes close together you need to raise the front otherwise the bars get in the way of the other wheel. Depends how precious you are of your bikes. Mine are seperated but close enough not to rub.
Anyway, it works for me and gives you an idea and mines a SWB.

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You could have the 4x bikes sideways on top of a boot kitchen, then either the bed in front of them, or use the top of the boot kitchen as part of your bed if you don't need to sleep with the bikes.