Our Ford Transit DIY camper van conversion is build mostly around the mountain bikes and the platform bed is no exception. We wanted a permanent raised bed above the “garage” (over the bikes and other stuff); no need to fold/unfold the bed at night & it creates a lot of storage room under the bed.
To provide enough clearance for the mountain bikes, there is 40″ height between the floor and the lower frame of the bed. (38″ or 39″ inches is probably enough. Check with your own mountain bikes!)
The platform bed is 76″ long x 72″ wide. We have an Ikea matress that is 75″ long x 54″ wide x 4″ thick; the unused portion of the platform will be use for storage cabinet.
We were quite aggressive with the width of the platform: it is wider than the floor and the frames above, so we’re up for some challenges when we will build the walls! But this way, the living space is maximized.
To maximize the living space between the bed and the driver & passenger seats, we installed the platform bed the most rearward as possible. It leaves 80″ of usable space for the kitchen and the “living room”.
TIME SPENT ON THE JOB: 16-20 hours
TOTAL COST : 220-300$ USD
MATERIAL:
- 1x 1″ thick, 5’x5′ russian birch (40$)
- 1x 5/8″ thick, 4’x8′ russian birch (48$)
- 2x 3/8″ thick, 4’x8′ russian birch (70$)
- ~60x 1/4 fender washer (Buy from Amazon)
- ~10x 1/4-20, .280 Steel Cross Nut Prebulbed (Buy from Amazon)
- many 1/4-20 bolts, various lengths (Buy from Amazon)
- M8 bolts for existing threaded holes in Transit (10$)
- many #4 wood screw 1″ length (5$)
- Titebond III Wood Glue (7$ as of July 2016, Buy from Amazon)
TOOLS:
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Disclaimer
We’re not woodworkers. We’re not well equipped in tools. So this is not a “How-To”. This is just how we did it with our limited knowledge & limited access to appropriate tools. There are probably standards, but we’re probably not following them . That being said, we’re very satisfied with the final result and we are proud of what we accomplished!
First of all, this is what we have in mind
Alright now, let’s install a bed in our van!
Legs
The platform bed legs are made of 1″ thick russian birch plywood. The legs are really stiff; there is no flex at all (¾” thick Russian birch would probably have been enough). Each leg is attached to the van frame by two fasteners that are screwed into Cross Nut (Buy from Amazon) (see our post about Cross Nut here).
Squeaks Eliminator 2000
To ensure there will be no squeak at all, wood must never be in contact with metal. We therefore left a gap between the legs and the van walls; the gap is created by the Crossnut flange and two fender washers (Buy from Amazon).
Horizontal Frames
Each pair of legs are connected by an horizontal frame. Horizontal frames will increase “lateral” stiffness (left to right) and provide “vertical” stiffness to support our weight; having stiff frame allowed us to reduce the platform thickness (we used 3/8″ thick Russian birch plywood) and shave some weight.
The horizontal frames are a composition of a 5/8″ x 4″ frame and a 5/8″ x 2″ frame. We found this arrangement to provide plenty of stiffness for our need; there is barely no deflection when we hop on the bed.
There is an additional frame in the back of the van. There is not much loads here so we started with one 5/8″ thick x 2″ height, but to get the stiffness we wanted it finally ended with three 5/8″ thick x 2″ height glued together.
Squeaks Eliminator 3000
Relative movement between components produces squeaks. Even where you think there is no movement…
Therefore, we screwed & glued every wood frame together (the platform is not glued to the frames because we want it to be removable). The glue provides the bonding, the screws hold everything together while the glue cures (the screws could be avoided if we had fancy woodworking tools!).
We use #4 screws (1″ length) (Buy from Amazon) and Titebond III Waterproof Wood Glue (Buy from Amazon):
The Platform
We used two 3/8″ thick, 4′ wide x 8′ long, Russian birch plywood sheets. We trimmed the sheets to get the bed width and length we wanted (72″ x 75″) and fastened them using 1/4″ flat head bolts, nuts and fender washers that we countersunk.
ON SECOND THOUGHT…
We now have used the platform bed throughout the summer and it is working as intended: it is very stiff and does not squeak. Yay!
The 4″ thick ikea mattress is very comfortable too (if you like firm mattresses) … very neat for a 150$ mattress!
At the time of writing these lines, we still have to finish the wood with Danish Oil or Varnish to add some protection. We will also eventually add a decorative frame at the back & front of the bed.
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ABOUT US
Hello! We’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. We’ve been on the road since then and every day is an opportunity for a new adventure; we’re chasing our dreams and hopefully it inspires others to do the same!
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CHEERS!
Hi! How wide did you cut your legs? 4 inches? Thanks!
Yeah I think that was 3 or 4″!
Hi Antoine!!! My build is coming along great thanks to Isabelle and yourself! Can’t thank you enough. Question on the thickness of the Baltic. My local lumber yard doesn’t have 3/8″ or 5/8″ – 4×8. They do however have plenty of 1/2″… (realizing it’s only an 1/8″ either way) do you think there is any scenario where this wouldn’t be a suitable replacement?
As always, many thanks and a Happy New Year to you and yours!
Best
Should be alright, easier to work with than 3/8 actually. We used 3/8 to save some weight, but it’s harder to make joints with it.
Hi!
How much headroom do you have from top of mattress to roof?
Thanks!
Well done on the build!
Jess
We have a little more than 34″ from the platform to the roof. We recently changed our mattress for a bigger one, and it is now too tight 🙁 So if you can lower your platform, do it!
What tool did you use to countersink those plywood sheets for the washer/bolt?
Is that a router of some sort, or a different technique?
Thanks!
We used countersink drill bits: amzn.to/378BkiG
What kind of mattress do you reccomend?
With current Baltic Birch prices/general lumber prices so high (I was quoted $105 for 1/2″ (12mm) 4’x8′ sheet), do you have any alternative recommendations for wood? Thanks!
Have you had any problems with mold on the back of the mattress ?I’ve heard this is a common issue with beds directly on services with no ventilation.
I am also curious about this. Our bed is the same design and we are still doing our van conversion, but are concerned with mold underneath the mattress. At the same time, we’re not keen on drilling a bunch of holes into our plywood platform!
We never had issues with the plywood platform. Most likely because we always keep the van warm and DRY with the Webasto (a non-vented heater such as a Mr. Buddy would DEFINITELY create mold issues). Also, the space under the bed is open and accessible from our living space; temperature is indeed colder than the rest of the van, but not as much as in other vans with closed design.
Hello,
Wondering how long you cut your horizontal frames (the 5/8″ x 4″ and a 5/8″ x 2″ frame) to in order to ensure the proper gap between each support/leg and the van walls? Also, do the two fender washers fill the remaining gap between the van walls and the supports/legs such that torquing the bolts causes the legs to come into contact with the fender washers?
Thanks!
Love your articles!
I recomand to drill a lot of holes in the bad platform to let matress breath. It does a great job and benefit your sleep comfort!