If you need some help with getting started on your campervan layout, we’ve detailed the most obvious layouts that we found when reaching to the depths of the internet, on our last build.
Here are some examples of Van layouts that might help you before you take pencil to paper.
The Bed-Centred Layout
Having a fixed bed is most popular among couples or solo travellers who prioritise comfort and convenience. The bed is permanently fixed in the back of the van, meaning you don’t have to make it into something else each day. Don’t forget to think about cabinets and storage units on either side of the bed, and sometimes underneath it. And also, consider how much space you are limiting for other things in the van by having a bed there all the time.
The Galley Kitchen Layout
For those who love cooking and meal preparation, the Galley Kitchen Layout might be a prioritisation for you. You can usually fit a fully equipped kitchen including a sink, stove, refrigerator, and have ample counter space along the whole side of a campervan, if you want to. The bed is often located along the opposite side of the van, in a pop-up or fold-down configuration, leaving plenty of room to whip up your favourite meals with ease.
The U-Shaped Layout
The U-Shaped Layout creates a spacious and open living area, with a large amount of seating space, usually at the back of the van. The sofa’s turn into a bed at nighttime. This design is great for having desk space to work on and inviting friends over for food. Think hard about if you are going to be willing to break down the bed every day if this is your preferred layout.
The Rear Kitchen Layout
The Rear Kitchen Layout is perfect for those who want to maximise space for lounging and relaxing in their van, and getting the indoor outdoor feel whilst cooking in the van. The kitchen is located at the rear of the van, leaving loads of space for a comfortable seating area/ a bed at the front. This layout allows for a homey and balanced space, and ensures no frying pan fat gets on the duvet.
Sideways Bathroom
Putting a compact bathroom down the length of your van, perhaps with the kitchen on the opposite side could be a neat design layout. You will be sacrificing the illusion of space for a full height, privacy first, bathroom.
The Garage bed
The split level bed layout is a favoured design that allows you to have a garage in the back and usable space in the interior above it. The bed is typically raised above a lower level storage area, which can be used for a variety of your storage needs. This layout is good for people who want to have a dedicated storage space for stuff, but don’t need it to be full height.
The Bunk Bed Layout
Families and groups travelling together might need the Bunk Bed Layout. Featuring a set of bunk beds that will sit along one side of the van this layout provides ample room for multiple travellers. These are usually fixed and the space comes at the cost of things like sofa areas.
The Open Plan Layout
The Open Plan Layout prioritises a spacious and open area without any specific sections. Featuring a bed that can be folded away during the day (and usually rolled back out along the floor) kitchens that come out of cupboards and toilets hidden in covert spaces. This layout is perfect for those who value flexibility and open space in their van, or need to use it for transporting things when it’s not being lived in.
The Pop-Top
This layout features a unique and practical pop-top roof that allows for added headroom and a cosy sleeping area in the roof. The bed takes up the majority of the interior space, in the roof, meaning you don’t have to clear away any of the dishes to get your bed out. Usually, pop tops are on the smaller vans, but not necessarily.
Some food for thought there.
What we did
We’re lucky, we have a LWB crafter, so plenty of space to play around with. However, we had a big list of must haves and not all of them fit, so we had to get creative.
Our layout is based on the garage fixed bed layout, but with only a semi fixed bed. And it’s way more multi-functional.
Our custom layout involves a big L shaped sofa from the back of the cab to the middle of the van. Both of us can sit with our feet up, and lounge in multiple configurations on this. It’s actually 2.4m long, which is bigger than most sofas in homes.
We have a bathroom in a box, built around a shower tray. It’s dry, in the sense there is no plumbing (we use water from the kitchen) and is completely watertight. We recognised that although we wanted a bathroom area, it’s a space that isn’t used all that often and therefore fine to be something that’s mostly hidden.
The top of the bathroom box is part of our worktop. We sit here sometimes, or use it as a stand up desk, or chopping up food etc.
Our actual kitchen worktop is 190cm long and includes a large stainless steel sink. Running along the door side of the van. There is plenty of storage underneath it, and a small area of storage up top.
Towards the back of the van, the back doors are boarded off. We cut a mattress to create a fixed square at the back which we use as additional seating/ daybed. The bottom of the mattress goes on top of the toilet box at night time to complete our full length bed. To the right is our bedside table/ wardrobe area.
We have over cab storage and shelving.
There’s a garage in the back, under the fixed part of the bed.
Hopefully the pictures make more sense.