Unique DIY Pullout Van Bench/Bed With Storage In 3 Sections
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- čas přidán 21. 07. 2024
- In this video, I’ll be showing the cheap, easy-to-use custom 3-section sliding removable bench/bed that I’ve built for my Nissan NV200, as I convert it into a camper van.
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0:00 - Bed overview
1:52 - Why is it a 3 section bed?
3:17 - Fixings on the bed
3:45 - Sanding the bed
4:03 - Adding feet to the bed
4:33 - Installing the bed in the van
4:51 - How is the bed secured in the van?
5:42 - How the bed pulls out
6:36 - Storage under the bed
7:26 - Mattresses
9:48 - How long does it take to set up the bed?
---
The bed is made entirely out of lengths of 38x63mm timber, which cost about £2.50 each. They came in 2.4m lengths, so that makes it a very cheap bed to build, considering I only used about 8 pieces of wood for the bed.
I started the bed with the frame. It is held together with wood glue & screws & has proved to be very sturdy. I wanted to get a 6 foot long bed in, so that meant using all available space. Putting an angle in the bed frame near the back door, which mirrored the angle of the van, enabled me to achieve this.
Because this would be a 3-section pullout bed, I didn't want wide slats which might create big gaps when pulled out, so I opted to use thin ones. I cut the wood to give me 9 slats per piece.
I mentioned that this bed was a 3-section pullout bed but why I would need that? The answer is that I wanted to ensure that I could fit my 9'5" long surfboard through the centre of the van. A 2 section expandable bed would have blocked the gap between the front seats.
Once pulled out, the bed spans the entire width of the van making it a king size van bed.
The handles underneath are to help expanding the bed - they give a good point to pull from & look smart too. To install the metal eyes around the bed I drilled pilot holes before adding epoxy to give a really strong hold.
I mentioned the metal eyes that are epoxied in at the front & back, & are used to fix the bed to the van using turnbuckles. By the rear doors, the bed is tensioned down to one of the load rings, whilst at the front, the turnbuckle is attached to a metal ring which is screwed directly into a thread on the passenger seat.
For storage, I’ve built a drawer that slides under the bed, behind the front passenger seat. It is very spacious & maximises the use of the area under that part of the bed fully. I created a peg which slots through a hole in a leg of the bed & into the side of the drawer so it doesn't slide open. I also put handles on the front & back of the drawer from pieces of rope & these help make it more portable. The drawer itself is made from some high quality 18mm plywood that I had leftover & is coated with a varnish to protect it from dirt.
No bed is complete without decent mattresses. Here is the first mattress - made from 50cm wide & 200cm long foam. The corner is cut to match the contour of the van, & ensures the mattress can sit parallel with the van wall. The second mattress is also 50cm wide, but is cut a bit shorter. This is so, when using the bench, it doesn’t bend on the angle by the rear doors & can be used as a back rest. The final mattress is cut thinner, to fill the remaining gap on the bed, but also has a corner cut off to match the other edge of the van.
To secure these mattresses in place while driving around, I use 2 bungees pulled over the mattresses & connected to the bed via metal eyes. Because the middle mattress is cut shorter, as previously mentioned, it leaves a gap but this is solved by a very small 4th section of foam which fills this void.
The mattresses are all made of 4 inch thick sheets of extra firm foam & you can’t feel the slats beneath them at all! They were easy to cut with a sharp knife & I sewed the covers together from 2 double duvet sets.
It’s super exciting to see the bed installed & secure, with the drawer & mattresses back in their places too, plus there’s still plenty of space for storage underneath the bed.
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#Vanlife #NissanNV200 #LensOfJames
DISCLAIMER: In this video, I am in no way stating that this is the proper way to undertake the conversion of a van, however after research & experience using the van, I believe this to be the way that is best suited to my van & the way I intend to use it. - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Love this, it's the first one that I've seen that actually looks wide enough for two people to sleep comfortably, thanks! I'm just about to start my NV200 camper conversion, glad I found your videos.
Thats for what i was searching for, was thinking about a 3 Piece slideout bed so i have More space in Daily use, But Full width when sleeping. Thanks for sharing
Another great feature of this bed with a large number of smaller slats is its very ample airflow under the mattress. This keeps moisture and mold from eventually accumulating under the mattress, as commonly occurs in flat/unventilated mattress bed pans. The human body creates a lot of moisture, especially when confined in a small space like that. So this design nails it on many different levels.
You did a great job designing this. I have seen a 3 piece before over a year ago, and I designed one for me, but had to go another route to do a quick temporary build. My rear heater hoses are in my way and I can't build out my walls until I can afford to remove the heater.
The 3 piece I designed was sitting behind the driver's seat, as a daytime bench that was about 38 inches wide. It pulled out into a twin bed in the space where you enter from the passenger rear side door. Wasted space at night, but necessary in the day time for getting in and out of the van and for front seat access. I was going to store my batteries under the bench.
I think I have designed several bed ideas and ended up using a simple one across the back attached to the walls above the wheel wells until I do build. Subscribed to a fellow van life channel.
Thank you for the part about the matress ! Nobody talks about it and it was one of our fear going into a pullout bed :)
Wow.....that is such a cool build!!!! Thanks, now I know exactly how I am going to build!!!
so glad i just found this channel. Not settled on a Nissan N200 but definitely looking to put in this style of bed in
Well that's one for my list, nice one 👍
Need more of this stuff.
Informative....too the point and without the annoying hectic tunes. Keep it up fella
THANKS FOR SHARING THIS! Looks like a great design
Love this bespoke solution. Thanks for sharing 😊
Wow awesome work, thanks for sharing!
Great job and relaxing video
Thank you for sharing your design.
I Love the 3 section pull out.... seems to make it alot more stable then the others ive seen. I also Love the 4 support legs in the center of the bed fram. Thank you..I will be using this idea for my Camper van!!! Much appreciated
Thanks Pamela, glad you like it. Best of luck with your camper bed! 😀
Absolutely awesome
Hi, I used the turnbuckle to load-ring idea and it works great. I was thinking about using turnbuckles between the door and seatbase for security.
GREAT VIDEO!!! Never new the nissan NV200 could be such a great utility vehicle and more. Nice to see someone spread ideas and share what you can do with a NV200 vehicle!
Thanks, I've been so impressed with the van - really nice to drive too!
We definitely enjoyed the content 🥂
Really good build , thanks for sharing.
Excellent job👌 genius idea with those stabilising hooks 💕 thanks 😊 👍🏿
Little tip, why not add a couple of small wheels to that draw!! As this will help support the weight at the front wene full with stuff and extended out 😘
Great idea and work 👍👍
This is a truly BUDGET conversion which I want.
So many conversions are made by seemingly professional carpenters
with a budget of $50,000.
I felt the same when I started out! I'll be working out how much it cost overall and doing a cost video soon!
Outstanding James 🙌👏👏👏 .. all beaches shut up here so can’t even get in for a paddle never mind get a camp in 🤦♂️ .. you & yours stay safe & sane bro 🙌💪👏
Sehr sehr schön, vielen Dank für Deine Ideen.
Very ingenious! 😁👍
Thank you for sharing. I love it great job. From San Francisco, California 🇺🇸 🌞😎
Very nice, thank you for the video!
That's a very nice bed 💜
great build!! I would love to see a tutorial on how this was made! I'm trying to build a sofa bed in the slideout of my RV; it's only 65 inches wide so I've got to make it longer than it is wide so that we can sleep perpendicular to the slideout rather than parallel within it; if that makes any sense lol
Hey James! I really love this bench/ bed build. I just have two little questions... What is the width of the bench when it's fully in? And what is the width of the bed when it's fully out?
Greetings from the Netherlands😁
Brilliant. Was looking for a 3 piece slider and was hoping I didn't have to "invent" it myself. This is going to be perfect in the front of our airstream. The main "stationary frame locks down. Have you had any issue with the two sliding frames moving out while driving?
Well done mate
Thank you for figuring out a 3 section slideout bed.
I need to build a 3 section version.
Yes you are the 1st to create this version.
I have never seen a 3 section slide out bed after watching over 300 videos.
Same here!
1:03 any chance you could draw the plans for a queen size pullout for a room not a van? I’m trying to do three sections 60 x 27 to pull out for queen size 60 x 80. I would gladly pay for these plans!
Hey James I love your channel and what you have done to the NV200. I love that you can take the whole lot out and turn it into a van again ! That's what i want to do. Do you have a plan of how you've made the bed? Would love to give it a go. Happy to pay for the plan for that and the other furniture. Well done !!
Same !!!
Hey James, appreciate your videos. Just wondering where you have the front legs sitting? It's hard to see what they're resting on when in place in the van
Great video! Would you please make an introduction clip/video showing how to do ? Thank you!
Great video James, found it really helpful for planning our pull out bed. I like the idea of the eyes in the back of the seats to secure the bed to, what size bolt did you use? Is it an M8 bolt?
Thanks Ewan! Yes it's an M8 thread 👍
Super łóżko👍👏👍👏👍👏
Oh thank u so much much for this video! It's exactly what I needed!!! I have a question, though! How wide did you make the gap between the slats? Planning on building a similar sofa for my living/guest room... It's going to be a bit more simple, I guess. My living room doesn't tend to move around 🤣🤣🤣
Hi, glad the video was useful. I used a 5mm thick piece of wood as a spacer to create the gap between the slats and this has worked really well for my bed. Good luck with your build!
It is very interesting!
@Lens Of James
Did you consider storing your surf board on your ceiling? It could have been hooked on with simple bungee cords and not been in your way. Just a thought. Apart from that thanks for sharing a unique and clearly well thought out bed design. Love your little drawer stopper.
Hi, I thought about it but as the NV200 is only a small van, my board (9'5" long) wouldn't fit unfortunately, so through the middle it is!
I’m so glad I found this! We can only really add a 3 section bed in our van due to the original layout and how the front seats are incorporated into the layout. Do you have any drawings etc to help us do something similar?
Hi James! Very nice build! We are actually building ourselves e 3 piece pull out bed. But we are struggeling with the design a bit, especially the part where the 2 parts slide out. Do you have a design of this, or tutorial on how you made the bed? Thanks 🙏🏼
Great job on the bed James, about to start on mine soon as have just finished insulating (the NV200 has so many awkward corners to fill!) Lockdown has given me much needed time to get stuck in to the build, wish I had found your videos sooner! May I ask if you are going to install any ventilation/fan, as so far I haven't seen you fit one?
Hi David, glad you like the videos! I don't intend put a fan in my van because I'm not sure I'll need it. I usually stay at a campsite and if I did want to cook in the van, then I'd just open the door. At night I leave the windows down a jar to get some fresh air in. Good luck with your build. James
Looks great!...do you have a video on the build of this/..or plans of some sort?
Sorry I don't have any plans
Thank you 🦋🌼
What a great series of videos. I just bought an NV200 this week and am going to do a conversion, though much more basic than yours is. I love the bed though, it seems a lot more functional than the hinged ones, because my van has a bulkhead which I want to leave in, but they are a strange shape in these vans and would impede any kind of hinged bed. So I'm going to build mine like yours!
if you have any plans or measurements for slats etc would love to know as hoping to do the same myself, but only a basic DIYer so would love to know the measurements.
@@celtsister I no longer have the van but even though I still have the bed frame in the garage it really depends on your specific van and what other kit you plan on having in there, if you are keeping bulkhead etc. I actually ended up making just a fixed single bed without a pull-out section, instead it was boxed in and had a few slats on hinges, to access the huge storage area underneath. It was 1870x700x360mm (LxWxH) because I still had the bulkhead in. I had 40mm of slat overhang on the inside length, so the leg width was only 660mm. The bed was higher than normal because I built it to go above the wheel arch storage boxes that I made. Again it will vary for each van and person. Also I put the bed on the right side behind the driver seat for easy van access from UK pavements, but for safety I cut a couple of upside-down V shape weak points in the left and right horizontal straight beams that the slats are attached to, then put legs right underneath them, so it was still strong with my weight on top but would (hopefully) deform if the van got hit from behind. I made my slats using 90x15mm planks but the gaps between were only about 60mm. With cushions made from 90mm foam it was a very hard bed to sleep on. So try to make the slats a bit thinner like in this video then you should get more flex, but I guess each person is different lol.
@@ElliotMelloy thanks for your reply much appreciated Elliot
Sweet !
Great video and also quite similar to a 3-section bed I built for my Renault Master a few years back. As we want to downsize, the NV200 is our favourite car for that. Is 6 ft the maximum you can do on the Nissan? I'm 6.3 ft (193cm) and this is the minimum I need for sleeping comfortable. Thanks a lot, your videos are really helpful!
Thanks! I think some people do manage a bit more than 6ft by adding sliders to the front seat, but as my van is that is the whole length taken up.
That's good video.
You just solved my problem! Great video and idea! Thanks! BTW, is there a stop on the middle pullout?
Yes there's a stop on the middle/second section but not on the end/third one, though it's never fallen out of place.
🔥 Want to see more from my *Nissan NV200 Micro Camper Van Conversion Series* ? Check out the entire build here: czcams.com/play/PLsBWh_QNwDUcgnWcDnJeoHZI_nelRdkUY.html 🔥
This is a fabulous bed build. I have looked through your other videos and if I overlooked it my apologies, but do you have one that goes into a bit more detail on the actual construction of the bed? particularly how you engineered it to have 3 slides? I am just not fully grasping that portion from the video.
Legend!!!
Brilliant
Nice work! Did you have to remove the center console to fit your board? And do you know the max length available for a board when set there?
Thanks Ken! By centre console do you mean a console in between the seats? As my van didn't have anything between the seats - I did remove the metal bulkhead though. My board is 9'5" though there's a few inches spare so maybe up to 9'8".
Hi James, absolutely love the 3 section slat bed. Would you consider making another bed like this for some money?
Hi, thank you! It would be quite difficult for me to do, as I don't have access to a workshop space or the tools I'm afraid.
@@LensOfJames Thats absolutely no problem at all. Looks like such a great bed build that I thought it was worth an ask!
Best in show
Hi James, great build thanks avoiding some of us reinventing the wheel ! I have just got a nice 2015 NV200 Tekna version and have started following your conversion. Having now finished the insulation process, I want to start making the bed frame. Can you give me the width of the first section please and I can go from there. Thanks again
Hi Rich, glad you like the build - got a bit about the bed dimensions here: czcams.com/video/2GU-z2BgkA0/video.html. Good luck with your build!
Love the idea!!!
What matrass to use with it?
Hey very awesome bed design!!! Is the 3rd pull out slat section only attached on one side (just resting on the support legs)?
Thanks, yes the third section just rests on the bed frame. Haven't had any issues with it so far, as the mattresses are always on top to hold it down
the 3 section bed is briliant , youve made a lovely clean job . i'm going to do a nv200 soon but alas my job wont look anything like as good as yours , bit decrepit for kneeling these days. if you make to hebrides give me a shout :) is that not 3x2 inch wood along edge and legs?
Thanks, and yes it's 3x2 for the bed frame and legs!
@@LensOfJames did you say 4.2m lengths cut to 6 equal lengths ? 70cm each? Glued with no more nails? And screwed . Did you make paper template for the roof sections to? Thanks for posting
goos stuff fella
Genius
Can you provide the length of the slats once you cut them as well as the legs?
Hey James! I built a 3 section bed inspired in your idea for my transit custom which is in early days of conversion. Thanks for the inspiration!
One question I have is related to the third section of the bed. Is there any trick to fix it and avoid it to go up and down or you just let it loose?
Hi Eric, glad the video's useful! I had that worry but thought I'd build the bed and figure it out later. With the mattresses on top of the bed I've never had a problem with the third section tipping up or falling out. Best of luck with your build!
I'm probably going to do something very similar. As I really want to keep my board under the bed, rather than on the roof at night. Does your board still fit when the bed is pulled out?
Hi, the board doesn't fit underneath the bed unfortunately because it's 9'5" and only fits in the van by going between the 2 front seats. I strap it to the roof at night and haven't had any problems.
Very nice design. I was looking at turning a trifold queen mattress into a small daybed/guest bed situation for my office. This will be a great starting point and will take up much less space than other guest bed options
What height is ur bed in inches? Your bed is neatly done. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, it's approx 12 inches high
Nice bed build, thanks for sharing! Question, where do you leave your surfboard when you've pulled out the bed to sleep? Or do you not bring the board on trips?
Thanks, I don't always bring the board but I strap it to the roof bars or slide it under the van
perfect
I have been looking for a bed just like this for my van! Do you make these to sell? I want to buy one like this but no one sells them
amazing build! how did you determine the number of slats?
Thanks! You can have as many slats as you like but I wanted to make sure they're thick enough to be strong but not too thick so the gap between the slats is huge, making the bed uncomfortable
6foot is 182cm, is the bed actually that long? If i look at the measurements of the van the van has almost 2 meters of room? really like the construction and minimalism of the van though!!
Hi Herre, thanks and yes the bed is exactly 6ft. The inside length of an NV200 is 204cm, so the remaining 22cm are taken up with a gap by the rear doors (so the doors don't hit the bed) and a gap behind the front seats (to allow room for a curtain between the front cab and the back area).
Hi fellow nv200 enthousiast, have you tried building this? If yes is it doable for a guy who knows how to use tools but don’t have experience in wood working ?
Thanks !
James, what are those laceless brown chukka boot called?
They're pair of cheap dealer boots, a bit like blundstones
Super super super super dall'Italia
Wow! Fantastic fantastic fantastic. Thank you so much for showing this. How did the bed not conflict with having 3 different sections? Meaning, how did you get the 3rd section to slide in with the other two sections? I've been trying to figure it out, and cannot lol. It seems that the 3rd sections bottom lip would hit with the second section Bottom lip
Hi Christian, thanks! That was the dilemma I had so I didn't put a bottom lip on the third section and it slides out easily now.
@@LensOfJames interesting! I probably watched your video for like 2 hours trying to figure it out haha. I thought all three sections were connected somehow. The Third section is sturdy without having that lip to connect the 3rd section?
Ideally I would have had the third section connected somehow but it works really well without any bottom lip. The slats are also long enough so that they never really get too close to the edge of the bed and disconnect. The third section definitely isn't as sturdy as the second section, but it does the job perfectly.
@@LensOfJames your the man James, I will be building this tomorrow. Thank you for responding, I know it's a pain to answer questions!
Didn't even notice this 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
Hello! Incredible work. I'm going to attempt to build this for my truck, could you send the blue print? I'd modify it for my E350 but any measurements would help greatly. Thank you!
I don't have any plans for it, sorry
Great design! Do you remember how long this took you to build?
Thanks, glad you think so! I did it in two stages - the frames and legs (not including the draw) and then the slats. I think it was about 2 days work all in all.
@@LensOfJames thanks for replying so quick :) It's a great build. A lot more sturdy and professional looking than some of the youtube van furniture builds out there!
Do you think this could be done with removable legs? Maybe a bracket they slid into? I have little storage room, so it needs to be as flat as possible when not in use ( most of the year)
I don't see why not, just worth making sure it's secure when driving. The bracket sounds like a good idea!
Hello sir! Do you have any template of measurements for this 3 section pull out bed. Thanks👍
Hi, I don't have a template or plan I'm afraid. I do talk about it a bit in this video though, if that helps: czcams.com/video/2GU-z2BgkA0/video.html
Hi James, Is there a Building Plan available?
Hi, unfortunately there isn't, I just made it as I went
Ah, a Bed & Board van!
Is there a diagram for this with all the measurements!!?? This is the best design i have seen, i would happily pay $20 for a pdf instructions and exact measurements. It would be perfect because all nv200's seem to be the exact same size for all years
No diagram or plans I'm afraid, it was all in my head and scribbled down.
did you cut the 38x63 lumber in half when you made the bed top
I cut it into 4 to make the slats, so they are about 30x16mm each
Show use how you made the bad please
Рукастый иностранный товарищ, лайк
Hi do you think you can make a set of plans for how you made the bed please ? I will pay for a set of bed plans
Hi, I don't have plans I'm afraid
Genial
What are the full measurements of the foam for the bed
Hi, there are 3 pieces of foam at 180x50cm, though they were sold at 200x50cm and I cut them down a little to fit the van
@@LensOfJames where did you get the foam from?
Hello, can you tell me please how high is the bed?
From out and inside please🤗
Hi, the bed rests on the wheel arch, which is approx 25cm high and from the ground outside up to the floor of the van is approx 46cm.
@@LensOfJames Mille grazie.... thank you👍
@@LensOfJames so 46cm without mattress?
How high is the mattress?
No, approx 25cm high from the van floor without a mattress - mattress adds another 10cm
@@LensOfJames ah, ok, now I understand....
🤦♂️ thank you and greets from Germany
What's the size fully out?
Hi, the van bed is 150cm when fully pulled out. More info on it in the bed section here: czcams.com/video/2GU-z2BgkA0/video.html. Cheers, James
You built the bed in three pieces so you could put the surfboard inside. But when the bed’s open, you keep the surfboard outside? So having a surfboard inside is not about your board being stolen? It’s about not driving with the board on top for safety reasons?
Hi Jay, I don't have anywhere to store my surfboard at home so it lives in the van. No problem driving around with it on the roof, but it's useful to be able to put it safely inside when needed.
Ahh... so the surfboard doesn't stay in overnight? I was wondering how it would fit as the middle section doesn't look v wide. I have a 9' board which I would like to keep in overnight, but think the width of it would make it v hard to fit under a bed - the bed would probably need to be v high even with the board at an angle?
How long is this bed?
About 2m long
So close to being a two peice, it's questionably over engineered but intreeging ✌️
great design sould be much much better video if youd showed us how you made this
Thanks, I wish I had filmed it too, but I did very early in my van conversion. Maybe I'll rebuild it one day!
@@LensOfJames no possiblity you could draw out a design or something or at least a list of tools because its pretty indecipherable for a carpentry noob
could you tell the dimensions of the bed 🙂
It's 183cm long, 56 cm wide when closed and 150cm wide when fully pulled out
@@LensOfJames how much wood i should buy about? (meters?) i have nv 200 also, and this look compact, btw how tall are you?
@@LensOfJames how it can be 150cm if wheel arch to wheel arch is 143,5cm 😅
Width of the van at its widest part is 150cm (side door to side door), measure from a narrower part and it'll be less 🤷🏻♂️ (2:19 czcams.com/video/CJe8pgAKwxw/video.htmlsi=33beBFQdgv-7JrWI)
I wouldn't want to take the fun out of your build for you 👍
how tall you are? i wondering if i sit two of mattresses, i don't want hit my head to the roof 😅 i'm 180cm
You would likely be too tall to sit up in a Nissan NV200 unless you lower the bed below the wheel arches. I'm 5'6 (152cm) and there's a couple of inches above my head when I sit up, and that's with one 4 inch mattress beneath me. Hope that helps
1 year later
£2.40 each for the beams becomes £5.70.
Crikey
I know right, crazy times!
Just buy a basic sofa bed from IKEA. Done.