I’ve put a few useful links in the description for the Ikea parts. Lots of comments on fb about getting the brackets free from the Ikea parts section so don’t be a mug like me and pay for them hit up Ikea spare parts. Also you can use the Ikea bed lats for a cheaper base option. Don’t forget to subscribe to follow the build and join us on some adventures. 🤜🤛
I used the Ikea bedrails in my van and built a small foot slide in the side of the van for my feet the height of the window cutouts (50” x 20” x 12” approx). Works great, basically a drawer with 12” HD drawer slides on the bottom, 1” slope on top and couple of slide bolts to lock it into van when closed. I used the van skin cut out for the outside skin (no paint work needed apart from skin edges) and the rest of the box was from honey-comb laminated fibreglass board. Light weight and extremely strong. Drawer panels were all laminated together by some great German adhesive. It has been a game changer having the slide and way more aero-dynamic than bump outs; stole the idea sort of from Westfalia Hedren pop out.
Great job. Love that you’re going on an adventure with your young family, make some awesome memories. Be careful letting your kid hold a tape measure, the edges are so sharp especially when they retract so quickly…… I’ve found that out the hard way 🫣
Finally, I've found a video that clearly documents how to fit the skorva beams at a height to afford space for bikes underneath. Awesome, thanks a lot 👍🏼 Can I ask what axle support you are using for the rear bike axle? Cheers pal.
@@abucklife thx. I actually think your van is bigger than mine 😆 mine is a Fiat Ducato H2L2 but it's much more roomy than my VW Turan that I've used so far. Just doing a very simple bedframe for now so that I can use it. Full conversion will follow later this or next year.
if you need your space to be a bit more modular - etrack can be mounted and they have options for 2x4 holders .. so you could remove the 2x4s and use the etrack for cargo hold locations
If instead of brackets you use the IKEA METOD rails you can even make a sliding retractable bed that will save space in day mode and be longer in bed mode.
@@abucklife Since you don't actually fit in that bed, it is a very good solution for you. You will need two 2m METOD rails, one more SKORVA beam and two more pieces of plywood to mount the extended part of the rails. You have already wasted two sheets of plywood for the bed and since you have already drilled holes on them you can't use them on that hack but the good thing is that for a sliding bed that will be up to 2m long, you only need one sheet of plywood. The bed will be approximately 1.2m long when closed and will be able to expand up to 2m long.
This is an amazing solution for vehicle-based beds. I think other metal bed frame types could work as well. Thank you so much for sharing! This provides lots of food for thought.
Finished my own campervan 3 month ago. It’s nice, no doubt about it. But I wished I’d seen this video before. Should have saved me lots of construction work and gained space by using less bulkier products.
I do hope you'll feel comfortable in/on that bed as the VW Crafter (as the Mercedes Sprinter) isn’t really that wide. I used to have a Ducato Campervan (which was/is actually a bit wider than a Crafter/Sprinter) with a lateral bed in the back and it sometimes did feel a bit awkward without some wiggle room for head and/or feet - more so if you tend to sleep on your belly and especially on the back door side of the bed as the vehicles tend to slightly narrower there than on the side pointig to the front. In the end it will, of course, depend on how tall you actually are.
The plan is to add some side pods at a later date. Also the kids and Ginny will probably sleep up there while they are little. I will be on the rock and roll at the front 😅
@@abucklife It's good to learn that you thought of that. These side pods seem to be not uncommon with these specific vehicles, so I guess that will be no real problem later. With the Ducato they weren't exactly necessary, but we certainly had to reduce the isolation thickness at the head and foot end of the lateral bed for an inch or two of added width...
@@moreorlesslikeso yer we are doing that for now. To give a bit more space. We couldn’t afford the them at the moment so thought we would use the van and see how we go.
I saw in another one of your videos that you added a profiled “side board” to the inner side of the bed. How did you fix that? What did you screw/bolt it on to?
Yer so I realised when I was building the shower room I needed that on for spacing. So I just pocket hole screwed that from the Ikea bed side 18mm ply onto the bed board. So all screws were hidden. I also screwed it into the shower room wall and kitchen cabinet so it’s super secure.
Thanks Steve. My plan is to keep it as light as possible so if I can avoid additional layers of material that would be unseen or not essential I am. In the uk we have 3.5t weight limit but we can up plate if needed.
Hi to both of you and I hope all goes well with the new born. I am loving your videos on the build. One question with the bed. Roughly what is the length of the bed after your insulation etc for lying on please. Many thanks and please keep up the great work. Gary
Thanks for this video, about to go and buy the timber and follow your guidance! Is the length of your two 18mm sides the width of a standard double mattress? I see you attached the ikea clips back from the edge on the drivers side, did you then cut the 12mm ply to come to the very edge of the 18mm side supports? Thanks for your advice and help!
Yer I think about 133cm. Yes the 12mm ply finishes on the edge of the 18mm. In the bathroom video I then screw on a front which screws to the 18mm pieces.
@abucklife thanks mate. May I ask one more question, how much room did you leave from the bottom edge of the 18mm side supports up to where you bolted through the 18mm with your hex bolts to the side of the van? Thanks again.
Where I have scribed that part of the bed into the van is to maximise length. I am going to 3mm ply it and suede line it. It only goes tight up in the middle section. If I need to make a bit more room I will take it off the centre line where the boards meet to pull them away from the walls slightly.
@@Metal05 sounds like a plan. What I’m finding and wish I had done myself but it’s just not financially possible would be to have all components here before we started the conversion. That would really help.
Hopefully you can see it now. Technical challenges in uploading pictures. The slide has 2 heavy duty 12” slides on their side (on bottom) which can support 1/2 the weight as opposed to when they are normally mounted on side.
Yes but the options for the lwb are a bit rubbish. We also have the rock and roll bed at the front which is super long with the captains chair swivel 7ft. I’m going to see how we go and may add later on.
Your Lwb too? Yer I keep looking at them but I want some small ones for the back panel so I don’t have to cut and weld but I also want them to have a return on the inner lip and they do not exist. We should get some made.
@@abucklife they look better on a MWB with full windows, there’s no gaps then and look neater. I’m doing a refit during winter so I might add them, then I can sleep in both directions.
i bought several of them and the rails to support them, they only had one bracket so they mailed me the others for free but I am not going to use them I am using the long rails that are made for them
Great video. These Ikea bed frames seem to be great and are so popular. At the end of the video you are lying on the bed. If I missed you telling us, then apologies. I was hoping you would say your height. Obviously you were slightly challenged for room to lie flat and straight. Without knowing your height it's hard to work out if this bed system will work for me. I appreciate this is personal information etc. so it may be you'd rather not say .. or you did and I missed it. Thanks for the video either way. Looks great.
Thanks. I’m 182cm of that helps. We may stick a side pod on but we also have a long rock and roll at the front that uses the front seat as a swivel to give me a 195cm bed. Ginny and the kids will probably use the back bed for years to come.
That’s actually a really good point. I guess for me it just means that you can undo it easily without having to get to the nut on the other side especially if it’s got a panel on or insulated. Many ways to go about it.
Cool but…. I would be worried about safety in case of crash especially with children in the car. The brackets are cheap and are not attached to the rails or the bed board to the rails.
Thanks. Yer I have thought about this a lot. In a later episode I add a board to the front which will stop forward movement. I have also attached the rails for the electrical purposes. It’s definitely on my mind as I want it to be as safe for my family as possible.
Yer it’s a tough one to have a fixed bed or not to have. We opted for one so we could pull up and the kids could sleep straight away if needed. But originally before we were having another kid we planned to have a pull out one to free up a bit more space. The only other benefit of a fixed bed is the garage for bikes underneath.
I’ve put a few useful links in the description for the Ikea parts. Lots of comments on fb about getting the brackets free from the Ikea parts section so don’t be a mug like me and pay for them hit up Ikea spare parts. Also you can use the Ikea bed lats for a cheaper base option. Don’t forget to subscribe to follow the build and join us on some adventures. 🤜🤛
Thanks for showing how to attach things in wall holes. That's something I've been wondering when thinking about starting a camper van conversion.
@@magi1969 no worries. I’ve used them for everything. From walls to cabinets. 👍
I used the Ikea bedrails in my van and built a small foot slide in the side of the van for my feet the height of the window cutouts (50” x 20” x 12” approx). Works great, basically a drawer with 12” HD drawer slides on the bottom, 1” slope on top and couple of slide bolts to lock it into van when closed. I used the van skin cut out for the outside skin (no paint work needed apart from skin edges) and the rest of the box was from honey-comb laminated fibreglass board. Light weight and extremely strong. Drawer panels were all laminated together by some great German adhesive. It has been a game changer having the slide and way more aero-dynamic than bump outs; stole the idea sort of from Westfalia Hedren pop out.
@@kensoutham6828 I would love something like that. Amazing idea. I’m surprised there is not one on the market to buy 🤜🤛
@@kensoutham6828 I’d love to see a photo of it.
@@abucklife Would be happy to send you some photos, although not sure how I can do it on UA-cam. No way that I know to post a picture in the comments.
@@kensoutham6828 awesome. If you follow me on instagram you can dm @abucklifeofficial or my personal one @mattbucky
@@kensoutham6828 Sounds like an interesting idea but hard to visualize. How can I get some photos of your set-up? Are you on Instagram?
Great job. Love that you’re going on an adventure with your young family, make some awesome memories. Be careful letting your kid hold a tape measure, the edges are so sharp especially when they retract so quickly…… I’ve found that out the hard way 🫣
Thanks. We can’t wait to get away. I need to get him a toy one.
Very cool bed rails, love the endless ideas on UA-cam
Thank you 🙏🙏🙏🤜🤛
Did that 4 years ago in my van, but welded the brackets directly onto the car frame. Makes it much more sturdy in the long run.
Yer that makes a lot of sense. Great suggestion. I have no idea how to weld 🤯
@@abucklife I didn't either,- until I did it.
😅
Finally, I've found a video that clearly documents how to fit the skorva beams at a height to afford space for bikes underneath. Awesome, thanks a lot 👍🏼
Can I ask what axle support you are using for the rear bike axle? Cheers pal.
Thanks pal. I haven’t got any yet. For the moment a block of wood but I do need to find something.
Awesome. Just bought an old mini bus that I'm gonna turn into a campervan. This was super helpful.
Awesome. I love old mini bus conversions they look so roomy. Good luck with you build keep me posted on the progress. 🤜🤛
@@abucklife thx. I actually think your van is bigger than mine 😆 mine is a Fiat Ducato H2L2 but it's much more roomy than my VW Turan that I've used so far. Just doing a very simple bedframe for now so that I can use it. Full conversion will follow later this or next year.
Great. That’s the way to do it. Just get it usable. 👍👍
if you need your space to be a bit more modular - etrack can be mounted and they have options for 2x4 holders .. so you could remove the 2x4s and use the etrack for cargo hold locations
Yer I’m thinking of putting some in to hold the bike tray in for easy removal.
If instead of brackets you use the IKEA METOD rails you can even make a sliding retractable bed that will save space in day mode and be longer in bed mode.
Great hack 🤜🤛
@@abucklife Since you don't actually fit in that bed, it is a very good solution for you.
You will need two 2m METOD rails, one more SKORVA beam and two more pieces of plywood to mount the extended part of the rails. You have already wasted two sheets of plywood for the bed and since you have already drilled holes on them you can't use them on that hack but the good thing is that for a sliding bed that will be up to 2m long, you only need one sheet of plywood.
The bed will be approximately 1.2m long when closed and will be able to expand up to 2m long.
It’s a great idea but our shower room is in now. I will probably fit side pods next year.
@@spiroszaharakis2648
Got a video of something like you're describing?
Sounds really good idea. How would the mattress work , maybe you use 2 pieces ? @spiroszaharakis2648
Great video, thank you-what mattress did you use (in terms of make of foam and thickness)?
We are just ordering it now. I think 12 air foam but we are yet to pull the trigger. Thank you 🤜🤛
This is an amazing solution for vehicle-based beds. I think other metal bed frame types could work as well. Thank you so much for sharing! This provides lots of food for thought.
No problem. Super pleased you found it helpful.
Hi Matt. I am so enjoying your videos. Congratulations on the forth coming event. I look forward to your next videos very much.
Thank you❤️. A big adventure in the van and another little one!
@@purplevalleywoolshop8786 that’s so kind of you to say. It means a lot ❤️🙏
I might have missed it, but what thickness ply did you use on the top that you drilled the holes in? 18mm as well?
12mm and lightweight stuff but you could use normal. 18mm is too thick. 👍👍 good luck with your build.
Thank you sir!
Been following along, appreciate the insight!
Your welcome. Any questions just ask.
So presumably you don't have to screw the ply down as it stays put because of it matching the profile of the van keeps it in place ?
Yep I may put some adding between if it rattles but with the Matress on it’s not going anywhere.
The sprung ikea bed slats are £35 for a standard double , they are excellent and add a bit of extra flex
We debated using these but went with the lightweight ply instead. A good option though.
Finished my own campervan 3 month ago. It’s nice, no doubt about it. But I wished I’d seen this video before. Should have saved me lots of construction work and gained space by using less bulkier products.
@@basdebruin2355 it’s an achievement I now realise finishing a van well done 🤜🤛 thanks pal. I should have got the video out sooner for you 😅
I do hope you'll feel comfortable in/on that bed as the VW Crafter (as the Mercedes Sprinter) isn’t really that wide. I used to have a Ducato Campervan (which was/is actually a bit wider than a Crafter/Sprinter) with a lateral bed in the back and it sometimes did feel a bit awkward without some wiggle room for head and/or feet - more so if you tend to sleep on your belly and especially on the back door side of the bed as the vehicles tend to slightly narrower there than on the side pointig to the front. In the end it will, of course, depend on how tall you actually are.
The plan is to add some side pods at a later date. Also the kids and Ginny will probably sleep up there while they are little. I will be on the rock and roll at the front 😅
@@abucklife It's good to learn that you thought of that. These side pods seem to be not uncommon with these specific vehicles, so I guess that will be no real problem later. With the Ducato they weren't exactly necessary, but we certainly had to reduce the isolation thickness at the head and foot end of the lateral bed for an inch or two of added width...
@@moreorlesslikeso yer we are doing that for now. To give a bit more space. We couldn’t afford the them at the moment so thought we would use the van and see how we go.
I saw in another one of your videos that you added a profiled “side board” to the inner side of the bed. How did you fix that? What did you screw/bolt it on to?
Yer so I realised when I was building the shower room I needed that on for spacing. So I just pocket hole screwed that from the Ikea bed side 18mm ply onto the bed board. So all screws were hidden. I also screwed it into the shower room wall and kitchen cabinet so it’s super secure.
Nice work, but why didn’t you insulate and ply board the van out and then build the fitments in afterwards?
Thanks Steve. My plan is to keep it as light as possible so if I can avoid additional layers of material that would be unseen or not essential I am. In the uk we have 3.5t weight limit but we can up plate if needed.
Just subbed, excited to see your van build progress.
Thanks pal 🙏🙏🤜🤛
By the way you just need to put the part number in the spare parts section of ikea and you can order like 20 of them for free
Cool. It wouldn’t let me order any but if you can that’s ace.
I ordered 8 (2 for spares) and they only took a few days to get here from Europe :-)
Now I feel victimised 😂😂 why wouldn’t it let me order some for free!
and what would that part number be?
@@donstoob I don’t know pal but I will try to find out for you. 👍👍
I would have put a lot more tolerance in for the height of the bike tbh. In fact, why not just allow a full built bike garage?
Space is a premium and head room in bed is also important.
Hi to both of you and I hope all goes well with the new born. I am loving your videos on the build. One question with the bed. Roughly what is the length of the bed after your insulation etc for lying on please. Many thanks and please keep up the great work. Gary
I will measure it now for you. Stood here looking at it. About 180cm. With 15mm insulation in the walls. We are considering side pods but undecided.
Game changer adding side pods to your van. Makes you not have to sleep at an angle across bed and you can then insulate inside the pods
We have just been having this debate AGAIN about adding side pods. 😅 we can always retro fit them.
Thanks for this video, about to go and buy the timber and follow your guidance! Is the length of your two 18mm sides the width of a standard double mattress? I see you attached the ikea clips back from the edge on the drivers side, did you then cut the 12mm ply to come to the very edge of the 18mm side supports? Thanks for your advice and help!
Yer I think about 133cm. Yes the 12mm ply finishes on the edge of the 18mm. In the bathroom video I then screw on a front which screws to the 18mm pieces.
@abucklife thanks mate. May I ask one more question, how much room did you leave from the bottom edge of the 18mm side supports up to where you bolted through the 18mm with your hex bolts to the side of the van? Thanks again.
About a 100mm. In line with the natural shape of the vans internal panel. You just want enough so it’s nice and strong.
Let me know how you get on.
Nice job! I've got those bed rails but not quite that far in my build to have installed them yet! I'm glad they work so well!
Thank you 🙏🙏🙏 they are brilliant bits of kit.
@@1lukigurl good luck with you van build and UA-cam journey.
@@abucklife You too! You’re rocking it!
@@1lukigurl 🤜❤️🤛
Hi how thick should the plywood be
I used 18mm and it’s solid 👍
@abucklife perfect thank you for replying
@@BMCD2024 anytime 🤜🤛
@ watch it all the way through all the info is in there 👍👍
a long sleeper would be perfect for your height.
Great idea. I plan to put some side pods in next year but for now with the rock and roll bed we have plenty of room for us all.
regarding your problem at 7:45 you could've used drive-in nuts which sit flush with the outside of the wooden board. great video though 👍🏼
@@divingtim that’s great to know. Thank you 🙏🙏🙏
Why not make way more holes for weight?
I might put some more in but got to consider strength to. 👍
You are cutting the bed board into the side of the van, what are you doing with the walls once they are panelled?
Where I have scribed that part of the bed into the van is to maximise length. I am going to 3mm ply it and suede line it. It only goes tight up in the middle section. If I need to make a bit more room I will take it off the centre line where the boards meet to pull them away from the walls slightly.
@@abucklife thanks, as I’m converting my van soon.
Good luck with your build. I’m no expert but any questions you have feel free to get in touch.
@@abucklife thank you. We have a mwb tge, looking at sleeping for 4, roof pop top, 2 on double bed, small kitchen, table, and two seats.
@@Metal05 sounds like a plan. What I’m finding and wish I had done myself but it’s just not financially possible would be to have all components here before we started the conversion. That would really help.
Hopefully you can see it now. Technical challenges in uploading pictures. The slide has 2 heavy duty 12” slides on their side (on bottom) which can support 1/2 the weight as opposed to when they are normally mounted on side.
I still cant find your instagram pal. Can you email me them mattabucklife@gmail.com
where did you source the hex rivnuts?
@@HenryOCarmichaelSmith ACCU.co.uk stainless steel ones I got. 👍 how’s your van build going?
Good scribing Mr B,nearly spot on first time🙂
Thanks mr b. I hope you’re keeping well travelling the world.
Thank you for the hack. I will be upgrading soon hahahaha.
You welcome. 🙏
How many men power hours you think that you project will take ?
Ooooo I was trying to work this out the electrics has added I bet 40 on its own. I bet it will be a a couple hundred.
Thankyou very clever !!🎉🎉
Glad it was helpful!
Very useful thank you
Your welcome. 🤜🤛
Nice Job, was the bed 18mm Ply? Thanks
Thanks pal. 12mm light weight poplar ply
👍👍
Thought about side pods?
Yes but the options for the lwb are a bit rubbish. We also have the rock and roll bed at the front which is super long with the captains chair swivel 7ft. I’m going to see how we go and may add later on.
@@abucklife I’m thinking about putting the mine over the winter.
Your Lwb too? Yer I keep looking at them but I want some small ones for the back panel so I don’t have to cut and weld but I also want them to have a return on the inner lip and they do not exist. We should get some made.
@@abucklife they look better on a MWB with full windows, there’s no gaps then and look neater. I’m doing a refit during winter so I might add them, then I can sleep in both directions.
Good plan.
Top job so fare like 10/10 👍.
We are making progress. 🙏
i bought several of them and the rails to support them, they only had one bracket so they mailed me the others for free but I am not going to use them I am using the long rails that are made for them
Yer those long rails look spot on too 👍
Thanks for your god job
@@PedroGarcia-kd9cq thanks for watching. 🤜❤️🤛
Great video. These Ikea bed frames seem to be great and are so popular. At the end of the video you are lying on the bed. If I missed you telling us, then apologies. I was hoping you would say your height. Obviously you were slightly challenged for room to lie flat and straight. Without knowing your height it's hard to work out if this bed system will work for me. I appreciate this is personal information etc. so it may be you'd rather not say .. or you did and I missed it. Thanks for the video either way. Looks great.
Thanks. I’m 182cm of that helps. We may stick a side pod on but we also have a long rock and roll at the front that uses the front seat as a swivel to give me a 195cm bed. Ginny and the kids will probably use the back bed for years to come.
@@abucklife Brilliant thank you. Wishing you and your growing family good health and all the best with the build and looking forward to the videos.
@@MossStirling-s1e thank you pal. All the best on your build. Keep me posted. Have you got the van yet?
@@abucklife Yes 2020 Crafter mid/high .. now stripped out and cleaned. Windows fitting very soon first then clean filings and begin the slog. 😶👍
Awesome. Sounds like you have got a good plan. I’m fitting two windows tomorrow after you have done one they are not as scary.
Never understood why people use riv nuts when you can get behind the panel with a good old fashioned washer and nut. 🤷🏻♂️
That’s actually a really good point. I guess for me it just means that you can undo it easily without having to get to the nut on the other side especially if it’s got a panel on or insulated. Many ways to go about it.
Press the insert nuts in 2 steps, much much easyer
Then it’s not an arm workout. 😂 but thank you good to know. 🤜🤛
Looks mint so far also how do you mount the camera for the top down timelapse
Thanks pal. Go pro magnet mount 👌
If you said it, I missed it. How tall are you?
182cm
👍👍
Cool but…. I would be worried about safety in case of crash especially with children in the car. The brackets are cheap and are not attached to the rails or the bed board to the rails.
Thanks. Yer I have thought about this a lot. In a later episode I add a board to the front which will stop forward movement. I have also attached the rails for the electrical purposes. It’s definitely on my mind as I want it to be as safe for my family as possible.
what van is that?
@@sallybowles2781 VW crafter LWB
In hindsight, easy to assume you could Mount the brackets to the board, before mounting the board to the wall.
Would have made the suede lining a bit easier. 👍
We have known about this for several years. Well done anyway.
Thank you 🙏
Talk about making a meal of it ! Jeez ... amazing you hung some brackets and cut some holes !! 😂
I love how this got you triggered enough to comment.
1 bed half the space of a van gone yay
Yer it’s a tough one to have a fixed bed or not to have. We opted for one so we could pull up and the kids could sleep straight away if needed. But originally before we were having another kid we planned to have a pull out one to free up a bit more space. The only other benefit of a fixed bed is the garage for bikes underneath.
I think you need a wider van, lol
😂
This is exactly what I am doing 😅
It’s definitely a cheap and good way of doing it. 👍👍
not a HACK it's a design. smfh
@@linebrunelle1004 ok 👍