DIY Bed Platform (80/20 Aluminum) | Ford Transit CamperVan

DIY Bed Platform (80/20 Aluminum) | Ford Transit CamperVan

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Here is how to make a super strong bed platform in a camper van using 80/20 aluminum extrusions. With standard tools and hardware, you can easily and precisely replicate this design for your Ford Transit. The bed platform can be made/assembled by one person, removed/reinstalled as required, and is flush with the van walls. The t-slots in the 80/20 extrusions allow to easily add/remove/reconfigure accessories in the garage under the bed (hooks, shelves, etc.)… we really like this design, and we think you’ll like it too! Let’s get to work!

The frames are assembled at this point, but the platform will be added later.
We thought we’d share anyway and update as we progress ๐Ÿ™‚

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click a product link and buy anything from the merchant (Amazon, eBay, etc.) we will receive a commission fee. The price you pay remains the same, affiliate link or not.

Portrait-FarOutRide-Van

Heads up! We use North, South, East, West in the following article. Here is our reference system:

1. Bed Platform Design Features


Material

80/20 Aluminum Extrusions
(1515-Lite Series)

Aluminum makes a strong foundation, and the t-slots in the 80/20 allow to configure/reconfigure the garage under the bed with season/mission changes. All hardware is standard; no custom parts are required.

Height

36″ clearance with the floor
(assuming 1.625″ thick floor)

This gives enough clearance for the mountain bikes, which will be on a bike tray.

Embedded

Flush and into the van’s wall

The vertical and North-South frames are embedded into the van’s wall (flush), facilitating the installation of the finishing wall. They can also potentially be used as structural support for something else in the future…

(We used Rapid3D Ford Transit Scan & model for the CAD design)

2. Aluminum vs Wood


We fabricated the bed platform’s structure out of wood in FarOutVan#1 (faroutride.com/platform-bed-installation), but this time, we are using 80/20 aluminum extrusions (15-Lite Series):

Note that the comparisons below are for the structure only because the top sheet of plywood used is identical in both cases (3/8″ thick).


2.1. Weight


80/20 Aluminum
(FarOutVan #2)
Wood
(FarOutVan #1)
Weight
(frames only)
45 lbs52 lbs

So, you’ve been told that 80/20 aluminum is lightweight. 80/20 T-slot profiles are designed to be versatile, modular, strong, and easy to use. Yes. But lightweight? Not exactly…

You see, the resistance to bending depends on how the cross-sectional material is distributed relative to the bending axis. To increase the stiffness, you want as much material AWAY from the bending axis (center of the beam). In 80/20, a lot of the material is located NEAR the bending axis (near the center of the profile) in order to make the T-slots and, therefore, the cross-section isn’t optimized for weight/stiffness as opposed to common structural beams:

80-20-vs-Common-Beams-Cross-Section

Aluminum square tubing would be much lighter and cheaper to build with. But then, it would have to be welded together, which is fine for pro builders but probably out of reach for most DIYers. And the modularity and ease of assembly of the 80/20 is lost… It’s always about compromises!


2.2. Cost


80/20 Aluminum
(FarOutVan #2)
Wood
(FarOutVan #1)
Cost
(frames only)
$585 USD~$200 USD

80/20 is FAR from being cheap. Take a look at the previous photos again (cross sections of common beams vs 80/20): 80/20 requires more material than other common beams, and costs more to manufacture. But mostly, 80/20 is more of a niche market and the markup on the price is definitely greater.

On a budget? Consider replicating the design from FarOutVan #1 instead:


2.3. Strength


80/20 wins this time!

Because aluminum is stiffer, we can use a bit less material. The East-West wood beams in FarOutVan #1 are 2 inches high, as opposed to 1.5-inch aluminum beams in FarOutVan #2. That leaves (a bit) more space for our gear!


2.4. Fabrication


Another win for 80/20 aluminum!

A major advantage of 80/20 is that the extrusions are perfectly straight. As long as your cuts are accurate and square, you can precut everything, and the final result should be exactly as you intended. Because of that, the assembly process is super satisfying!

On the other hand, wood is a natural product subject to variations. Lumber is never perfectly straight, which must be considered when building anything out of wood.

A note on hardware: make sure to buy Stainless Steel hardware (screws and t-nuts) to prevent corrosion. And use loctite on permanent fasteners!


2.5. Modularity


With the t-slots in the 80/20 extrusions, we can attach accessories (storage, hooks, etc.) to the East-West frames and partially reconfigure our garage as the seasons change or our needs evolve. That’s another reason we went with 80/20 this time! We will add more details about that when we get there.


2.6. BEMM compliance


And now, let’s address the elephant in the room.

Is our design compliant with the BEMM? Well, maybe not. Per BEMM section “5.3 Racking Systems”:

Upper fixing location are not structural and take a 30kg maximum load only. Frames should be rigid, self-supporting and bolted through the floor, use reinforcements on the underfloor.

Our frames are not self-supported and not drilled through the floor. Despite that, are we confident in our design? Yes. The key here is that the weight is distributed to several attachment points once the structure is fully assembled (aluminum frames and top plywood sheet). And, anecdotally, the wooden structure in FarOutVan #1 is actually fully supported by the walls (the legs are not touching the floor), so we know it has worked for us.

It seems that every YouTuber feels the need to do pull-ups after installing a single frame onto their van, to show how strong it is. The overall strength is what matters and is determined by the entire assembly, not by every single part. So unless you intend to make a pull-up bar, doing pull-ups on a single frame isn’t relevant ๐Ÿ˜‰

2.7. Thermal Conductivity


The thermal conductivity of a material is a measure of its ability to conduct (transfer) heat (ref: Thermal conductivity on Wikipedia). A higher coefficient means a given material transfers heat more easily. Here are the coefficients for materials relevant to our current topic:

MATERIALTHERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COEFFICIENT
(W/mK)
Air0.026
Wood0.20
Nylon0.25
TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane)0.28
Steel45
Aluminum205

In simple terms:

Aluminum is a fantastic thermal conductor!

That’s bad news for us, because it means that aluminum connected to the van’s body creates a thermal bridge. In other words, it creates a path of least resistance for heat transfer inside/outside the van!

Most notably, in cold climates, the temperature of the aluminum could drop below the dew point and create condensation. Prolonged exposure to condensation potentially means corrosion (on steel hardware) or mold (especially if in contact with organic material such as wood).

So, what are we doing to fight thermal bridges in our 80/20 bed design?
Here are our thoughts:

In FarOutVan #1, we actually never finished our rear doors… which is an extreme case of thermal bridging! The doors have been on bare metal all along, even during Winter Vanlife at -30C! It contributed to losing some heat, for sure. But because we use dry heat and have good venting habits (see our Winter Vanlife Guide), we never had condensation on the bare metal. So, we don’t feel the need to take extreme measures to fight the bed’s thermal bridging; we are adding thermal breaks in a reasonable manner:

Thermal break #1
Between the van’s body and corner brackets.

We inserted nylon washers as a thermal break between the corner brackets / rivet nuts and between the screw heads / corner brackets:

Thermal break #2
Between the North-South and East-West frames.

We 3D printed TPU spacers as a thermal break between the East-West and North-South frames (Rubber Sheet could be used instead):

Some people also break the bridges between the fasteners (we heard of Nylon bolts being used by some…). But in our case, we’ll leave it at that!

LEARN MORE:


3. Fabrication & Installation


Time


6 hours

Cost


$765 USD

  • $585 structure
  • $180 plywood

Weight


90 lbs

  • 45 lbs structure
  • 45 lbs plywood

Material


ITEMQTYDESCRIPTIONBUY
4’x8′ x 3/8″ (9mm) Plywood Sheet2Bed platform top surface.
97″ x 1515-Lite Aluminum Extrusion2North-South frames.Amazon
60″ x 1515-Lite Aluminum Extrusion1Vertical supports (60″ = 4 vertical support).Amazon
72″ x 1515-Lite Aluminum Extrusion4East-West frames.Amazon
3-Hole Inside Corner Bracket4To attach the North-South frames to the van.Amazon
2-Hole Inside Corner Bracket22To attach the frames together and to the van.Amazon
5/16-18 x 5/8″ Button Head Socket Cap Screw*
(Use 3/4″ length when using nylon washers as thermal break)
40To attach the corner brackets to the frames.Amazon
5/16-18 x 3/4″ Button Head Socket Cap Screw20To attach the corner brackets to the van
and the vertical legs to the North-South frames.
Amazon
5/16-18 Slide-in T-Nut (offset thread)32To attach the corner brackets to the frames.Amazon
5/16-18 Self-Aligning Roll-in T-Nut with Ball Spring8To attach the corner brackets to the legs.Amazon
5/16-18 Rivet Nuts16To attach the corner brackets to the van.Amazon
3M Protective Film1To protect the van.Amazon
Enamel Spray Paint1Corrosion prevention.Amazon
5/16″ Nylon Washers46Thermal break for screws (North-South frames).Amazon
1/16″ Rubber Sheet1Thermal break between East-West and North-South frames.Amazon

Alternatively, you can buy full-length profiles, pre-cut profiles, and hardware directly from 8020.net (the original with the widest selection and highest quality), faz-store.net, or t-nutz.com (cheaper and mostly equivalent to 80/20).

Tools


ItemDescriptionLink
Mitter SawTo cut 80/20 aluminum frames.Amazon
Blade for aluminumTo cut 80/20 aluminum frames.Amazon
Power DrillVarious.Amazon
5/16-18 Drill TapTo add threads for end fasteners.Amazon
1/8″ and 9/32″ Drill BitTo add end fastener access holes.Amazon
Step Drill BitTo drill hole for rivet nuts (7/16″).Amazon
Center PunchTo prevent the drill be from roaming on the surface.Amazon
Deburring ToolTo clean edges after drilling.Amazon
ClampTo hold 80/20 when tapping.Amazon
WD-40Lubricant for tapping aluminum.Amazon
Tape MeasureAmazon
Speed SquareAmazon
Mechanical PencilAmazon
Rivet Nut ToolTo install rivet nuts.Amazon

80/20 Frames Fabrication


3.1. Cut 80/20 Extrusions


Cut the North-SouthEast-West, and vertical frames as shown on your Fabrication Sheet. Accurate and square cuts are crucial! Here is how we proceeded to get repetitive results without fancy equipment:

Using a tape measure and a fine mechanical pen, mark the desired length on the 80/20 extrusion. Then, use a speed square to expand the line across:

Clamp the 80/20 extrusion and use a miter saw with an aluminum cutting blade. Go slower than you would with wood. Don’t rush it, and let the blade do the work:

Wood creates a mess, but aluminum is on a whole other level! Shop vac mandatory!

Our design requires a few angled cuts, it’s really easy to achieve with a miter saw:

3.2. Prepare 80/20 Extrusions for End Fasteners (optional)


Note: This step is optional because we chose to attach the vertical legs to the North-South frames with end fasteners, but corner brackets could be used instead.

Clamp the vertical leg:

Use a 5/16-18″ Tap & Drill Bit to add threads to the top of the vertical leg. Use lubricant, go slow, and back off often to clean the aluminum shavings with a brush:

On the North-South frame, mark where the vertical legs meet (per Fabrication Sheet):

Use a speed square to extend the line:

We made a custom 3D-printed jig to help with punching the hole center. That’s optional; it helps with precision and repeatability (you can totally do that by hand without a jig):

Punching the hole’s center prevents the drill bit from roaming on the surface when drilling:

Start by piloting the hole with a 1/8″ drill bit, then use a 9/32″ drill bit (a drill press works great here, but a power drill is fine too. You can also get this drill jig, which works even better for repeatability):

At this point, we’ve got these frames fabricated and ready to assemble: North-South frames, East-West frames, and vertical legs:

Bed Platform Fabrication and Installation (80-20 Aluminum) for DIY Van Conversion-11-()

80/20 Frames Installation


3.3. Install the vertical legs


We designed and 3D printed this Drill Jig, to precisely align the legs with the existing holes in the van (could be useful to attach panels or such in the future), and to locate the legs flush with the van’s surface:

Index the drill jig into the two existing holes, then use a center punch to mark the center of the holes:

Start by piloting the holes with a 1/8″ drill bit, then use a step drill bit to open the holes to their final diameter of 7/16” (using a normal drill bit will deform the thin sheet metal):

Note: be careful not to bottom-out when drilling the holes for the front legs (there is another sheet metal below).

Deburr, smooth, and paint the edges. Install a 5/16-18 rivet nut in each hole:

Note: stack washers under the rivet nut, as required, to prevent bottoming out during the installation (for front legs only). This ensures the tool’s shaft doesn’t protrude past the rivet nut.

Install 3M protective film between the rivet nuts, where the surface mate with the vertical legs:

Install the vertical legs to the van using corner brackets, ball-spring-t-nuts (I always use these on vertical frames, because they stay in place), 5/16-18 x 5/8″ screws (in leg), and 5/16-18 x 3/4″ screws (in van):

Note: You can trim the corner brackets so that they are flush with the surface (this could be useful if you install walls in the future!).

Here is our setup to prevent loosing a finger when trimming the corner brackets (use an aluminum cutting blade):

Note: At this point, the legs are super wobbly and you may have doubts… don’t worry, it’s the entire final assembly that provides all the strength!

3.4. Install the North-South Frames


Install the North-South frame to the vertical legs with 5/16-18 x 3/4″ screws (slide the screws into the t-slot by the extremity, then tighten through the access hole previously drilled):

Note: We use end fasteners, but corner brackets could be used instead.

Preload the East-West 2-hole corner brackets (7) and the 3-hole corner brackets (2). Use 5/16-18 x 5/8″ screws and t-nuts:

Repeat for the other side, and take a minute to admire your work!

3.5. Install the front & rear east-west frames


Install the East-West frames (x2) at the front and rear only, with 5/16-18 x 5/8″ screws and t-nuts:

3.6. Find the assembly’s best fit


Before drilling the holes for the North-South frames’ brackets, we need to find the best fit for the bed assembly. Check and adjust as follows:

There should be a gap of approximately 1/8″ at each extremity of the North-South frames (front and back), and the frames should be (almost) flush with the wall’s surface (front only):

The North-South frames are not flush at the back; you can adjust them to get the same gap on the driver vs passenger side:

To prevent the assembly from moving when adjusting for best-fit, push the 3-hole corner bracket against the van’s surface and tighten the screw into the aluminum extrusion.

3.7. Drill & Install the north-south frame’s brackets


Use a 21/64″ (or nearest) drill bit to mark the bracket’s hole center precisely:

Remove the bracket. Pilot with 1/8″ drill bit, then open to 7/16″ with a step drill bit. Debur, smooth, and paint the edges. Install a 5/16-18 rivet nuts:

Install all brackets (x4) with 5/16-18 x 3/4″ screws:

You can trim the front brackets to make them flush (they’re easy and fast to remove/reinstall, thanks to the rivet nuts!):

3.8. Install the remaining east-west frames (x2)


Install the remaining East-West frames (x2) with 5/16-18 x 5/8″ screws and t-nuts:

3.9. You know you want to…


So do it!

Bed Platform


The frames are assembled at this point, but the platform will be added later.
We thought we’d share anyway and update as we progress ๐Ÿ™‚

The idea is to have the platform flush with the face of the most-forward East-West frame, and extend the back of the platform in order to get 75in length (which coincidentally is the length of the mattress we will use):


On Second Thought…


We initially installed the East-West and North-South frames with end fasteners instead of corner brackets. The reasons we wanted to use end fasteners are:

  • Cheaper
    • With end fasteners: 8 screws total.
    • With corner brackets: 22 corner brackets, 44 screws, 44 t-nuts.
  • “Cleaner” install.

Using end fasteners, we had to pre-assemble the frames outside the van, and getting the assembly inside was harder than we expected. We definitely made a few scratches in the process… In addition, removing the bed meant we had to remove the entire assembly in one piece (which we’ll eventually do to install a window, floor, insulation, etc.):

It worked, but still, we decided to start over with corner brackets instead, and we’re happy we did ๐Ÿ™‚

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About-Us-Narrow

Hello! Weโ€™re Isabelle and Antoine 🙂 In 2017, we sold our house (and everything in it), quit our engineering careers, and moved into our self-built campervan. Every day is an opportunity for a new adventure... Weโ€™re chasing our dreams, and hopefully it inspires others to do the same!

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15 thoughts on “DIY Bed Platform (80/20 Aluminum) | Ford Transit CamperVan”

  1. Hi there! First off, very much appreciate your website! Itโ€™s been super helpful in our Transit build, so far and we regularly use you as a source of truth. We are wanting to go the 80/20 route for our bed frame but curious about how you guys are planning on paneling the walls around the frame? It looks like you havenโ€™t got there yet, so apologies for getting ahead, but weโ€™re wanting to get an idea of what that paneling would look like if we went this route!

    Reply
    • Indeed we are not there yet, so we don’t know exactly, sorry!
      We are thinking of covering the vertical frames (which are recessed into the wall), but somehow retain access to them to attach stuff (removable panels over the frames??).
      Sorry it’s all in the air! We will provide the details when we get there ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
  2. Hi guys! I am looking at the fabrication sheet and had a question. For the vertical legs (number 3), what is the .25 referring to?

    Reply
    • Hi!
      It’s indicating to cut the end of the extrusion with a 32 degree angle, but leave 0.25in of “straight” edge (do not cut at angle over 0.25in). It’s just there to prevent having a sharp edge at this location (caused by the angle)!
      Hope this makes sense!

      Reply
  3. Hey! Thanks so much for the detailed instructions. My wife and I just copied your design and it came out great! I’ll be sure to tag y’all when I post it on instagram. Just out of curiosity, are there any concerns about galvanic corrosion? I know it doesn’t happen overnight, but do you think I should try to use some rubber washers or something to separate the metals?

    Also, the 3D printed stuff worked great!

    Reply
  4. Interesting that you’re going with 80/20 this time! Seems like a cool material.

    It seems that a lot of people these days are going with “sideways” beds by installing these flares or capsules, making the van wider in the rear. The Transit actually looks like it flares out a bit at window height, compared to the floor. Is that still not wide enough for a 75 inch mattress? Could you explain your thought process of why you weren’t going with a sideways bed/flares/capsules but went length wise again?

    Thanks! Very excited for every new post ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
    • Hey!
      To us 80/20 make sense for the bed frame ๐Ÿ™‚
      But I don’t think we’ll use that for the cabinets; it’s not cheap and on the heavy side.

      The Flarespace are nice, but it’s nearly $2000 to add 21″ of space…
      By having the bed North-South, that’s leave a lot of space for storage on the side of the bed (https://faroutride.com/bedroom-storage/).

      In the end it’s personal preference ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
      • Ha you do have a lot of gear in your garage!

        Regarding weight, I think the 10 series is a lot lighter? Makes sense to use 15 for the bed platform since it has to support your weight and go across the full width of the van. But cabinetry doesn’t have to do either of those, so 10 should easily be sturdy enough. Just in case you haven’t looked into it.

        It’s a little cheaper if you optimize the connectors as much as possible (e.g. inside connectors, less screws) but yea it is pricey..

        Reply
        • It depends how much insulation, wall thickness you add, etc. Do you have your van already? Can you measure in your van?
          Lot’s of people doing east/west (without flare) end up changing for North/South.

          Reply
          • I am actually going to go with North to south after much thought! Im 5’9″ and i feel like I would have to sleep a bit diagonal after insulation. I just picked up the 2020 Transit 350 and will be adding insulation similar to yours. Also having the extra garage space is nice. It does cut a bit in the living space though.

  5. Wow guys, you do such a great job in conveying your message to fellow vanlifers. Thank you for your hard work, skill and tips in helping those who can use the help : )

    Reply
  6. Wow!!! Exactly what I’d like to do in my 148 Transit. I’m looking to purchase the 80/20 Fabrication sheet to get it correct. I don’t have an extended length 148 though. Is it possible to get or let me know the measurement differences? Thanks for all the help you’ve both provided with my build!

    Reply
  7. Hi Antoine
    Great article as always. I do have a couple of questions about the bed platform and sleeping orientation.
    1) I see you choose North/South. How tall are you two? Do you have any concerns about taking up floor space in the North/South orientation?
    We have a temporary bed platform ( with no interior walls yet and are sleeping East /West. Its snug but very do-able. We are both about 5’10” in height. We, like you, will use it in the cold for skiing. We also have 2 bunk windows to install. We have the Broad Arrow double glazed Lexan windows to put in. The insulation will be thin as we will pocket out the sidewall to accommodate our sleeping orientation. I think this will work 90% of the time, but at -20*C it might be cool. I’m considering an option to temporarily, while skiing on cold days, to add some length by going over the kitchen counters with support and a pad to rotate to N/S.
    Also, I see you allowed 36″ for your bike tray. We have 29ers. Do you have 26″ wheels?
    I like the 80/20 material. Did you consider Uni-Strut. It’s steel of course, but would achieve the same thing at a lower cost, but would add some weight.
    Does your garage get cold with your heater under the passenger seat? With our truck mounted camper with bed over the cab, the underside of the mattress would get moist. We propped it up and put a fan under it daily to ensure that we got no mold growth. Is that a concern for you?
    I installed our heater ahead of the drivers side wheel well so I can split the duct to blow warm air into the garage to keep condensation to a minimum, as well as forward to the passenger compartment. The 2k Eberspaecher was not available last year when put ours in and went with the 4k unit which will provide plenty of heat to split the duct.
    We really like it and as long as we run it on HIGH once in a while it does not seem to have any carbon build up.
    I’m following your build closely
    Keep up the great work
    Peter

    Reply

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