Hi all! My next plan is to install a bed in my van. Anyone have some solid video links or website articles that can help a newbie out with each step in the process?
I do have L track but it looks like I may have to drill a couple new holes towards the back door end to place the bed in the correct position.
Really need help with choosing hardware.
Every video I saw online showed people building a bed supported by vertical wooden posts drilled into the wall. But I wanted to build a shelf bed like I had seen in photos. The frame of my van had holes I was able to use, so i used a 2x6 for a ledger board, and bolted it in to the holes in the metal frame. Then I lay three 2x4’s on top like joists (notched them in to the legerboards). And then I put some thin bed slats over those three joists and put a mattress on it. It works great and I love the empty space below. I used bolts and nuts, because I was able to reach the inside of the metal frame, but you could probably use self-tapping metal screws if they were really strong? Or drill your own holes and then use bolts and nuts.
I basically followed the same process as @Grayson_Morris - Laid a piece of construction paper down then and then poked out the holes with a pencil. Used that as a stencil to drill the holes out. (Hit 9 out of 10 perfectly and I would not waste time with the rivnuts, cross nuts, whatever they are. I think they are overrated.) Nuts and bolts were fine albiet a pain in the rear to get to the back put the not on without small hands. We then used three 2x3’s as studs to build the floating platform. Then 1x4’s for the slats. I think it is 13 1x4’s 2.5 inches apart for a full bed and a few more if the are 1x3’s and 2 inches apart. We lost a little space as our walls from are flush with the studs. I’m ~5’ 9" on the shorter side and can still stretch out with a pillow but that is the absolute limit. Slats are important over a flat surface, don’t over look them.
Ours did bend a little originally. Since then we added 2 peices of 1x6 hardwood boards on the oursides to finish the look of the bed as to not have the 2x3’s showing. That added a considerable about of strength.
On another note, I have seen a lot of people cover the back lower half of each side with 3/4 ply and attach it to the top there.
So I have the original hexagonal holes in the van’s side rails…are these adequate for placing bolts?
We had both hexagonal and round holes. We used the round ones only. If you are only using the hexagonal holes to support outwards you would be fine. If you got all the bolts at the bottom of all the hexagonal holes you they would then be okay out and down. If you do have the circular holes and it’s only one of the 5 or 6 bolts you put in there you would still be fine as everything else would be held up by the round holes.
Regardless I would put washers on both sides and for the nut make sure you get a lock nut or add a lock washer so they don’t vibrate back out. Another tip here (as I was told), if the studs for the bed are wood, make them a tiny bit longer than needed and hammer them into place. The rails on the van walls putting pressure back onto them will help hold them in place and take a bit of force off the bolts.
Greetings!
I prefer everything to be mounted from the floor up, and side wall mounting only used to prevent tipping.
Cheers!