Custom Bed/Bench Build

[jpk503]

In preparation for a surf trip to Baja, I started to plan how to best camperize the interior. I had a stock interior with a full back bench and 3/4 bench in the middle. Both benches laid flat but it was a bit lumpy and didn't allow for much room for storage or hanging out during the rainy season. My requirements were pretty simple. I wanted a "lounge" space for the frequent rain camping we do here in Oregon while having an accessible bed. Lastly, I wanted better storage, similar to a Westy interior but without all the bells and whistles that'd I'd never use inside the van; stove, sink, fridge, etc.

The UK rock and roll bed fit my needs but I couldn't find a UK dealer willing to ship here and at ~$1,000 + shipping to the US, it's a steep price. A local van shop quoted me $3,000 for a custom bed. Instead I found a post of a DIY rock 'n roll bed on the Samba and changed the dimensions to fit the deli. I can't seem to find the link at the moment but will keep searching...

I did it all for $300 US.
- $100 for metal
- $150 for fabric
- $50 for hinges, spray paint, misc.

This doesn't include the welding I bought but can use for other projects.

Here's some basic steps. There was a bit of trial and error with this but ultimately it ended up great and I'm happy to provide some more details for anyone looking to build the same.

I started by ripping out the carpet and adding insulation and a thin plywood floor. I painted the plywood with truck bed liner and it's held up relatively well. Figured I could get some thin vinyl flooring to cover it if it doesn't hold up.

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I spent about $100 on 1' steel square tubing and $250 for 110v welder. I had the steel yard do all the cuts so they were even and about 40 of them in total. Since everything was being welded together with corner joint welds, it saved me a ton of time not having to cut each piece.

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What's nice about this design is that it's pretty basic and modular. You can piece it together in sets before attaching everything.

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Here the frame is completed and all 3 parts are welded together via hinges.

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Here's how the frame folds into place. Just lift in the middle and go from bed to bench in no time.

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[jpk503]

On to the upholstery. This can be as complex or as simply as you want. Luckily the mother-in-law is an amazing seamstress and she jumped in.

I found some old Pendleton wool we decided would be fun to use.

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I bought some 4" foam that matched the dims of the 3 panels. We decided to use the wool for the 2 back piece and vinyl for the bottom since the dog likes to sit up there. I attached the foam to the wood and added some batting to round it out and add cushion. Lastly, just pulled the fabric over the foam and wood and stapled in. Each panel is attached to the frame with screws.

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All laid out, it rests just over 6' long.

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[jpk503]

And the final view in the van. Sorry it's dark here now so I'll try to get a few more pics up shortly of the final project.

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[team_ream]

HI! Wondering if you have any more photos of this setup in bench and bed config installed in the van. It is more or less exactly what I want to do with mine. Thanks!

[winelover]

Nice Job! Yes, more pics please! Love the wood...

[mbrown99]

Yeah, if you have any info on the dimensions so I could try and reproduce that would be great!