Rock and Roll is Dead!

At least it is in my campervan 🙂

After using my newly self-built Renault Trafic twice, I realised that the rock and roll bed I bought for it, really wasn’t suitable for the things I had planned.

Why did I choose a rock and roll bed for my camper?

My original thought process, was that having this type of system would give me a comfortable seating area during the day, and a large, comfortable bed at night.

And, that is exactly what I got.

The issue with it, was that when the bed was pulled out and made up, there was absolutely no space for anything else.

For sleeping, it was great. But, if you wanted to do anything but sleep, it was useless.

Why was having a rock and roll bed a problem?

When I’m ‘wild’ camping, I like to settle down and watch some TV in the evening. Maybe make a cup of tea, etc. and use our composting toilet before I settle down for the night.

Unfortunately, having a rock and roll bed in the campervan, makes most of that impossible. There’s literally no floor space left.

Now, I realise that for many people, having a big bed is a top priority, and I completely understand why for some, a rock and roll bed is the ideal solution. But for me, it most definitely was not.

My solution

I decided that for me, I was willing to have a shorter bed, but a larger amount of floor space in my van.

I preferred to have the ability to make a cup of tea, heat up a snack, or use the toilet WHILE the bed was made up. So I changed the layout of the van.

Firstly, I completely removed the rock and roll bed. Then, I set about building a 4′ (120cms) wide bed across the rear of my van.

The only unfortunate thing about this set-up, is that the Renault Trafic II is only 5’6″ wide, and I’m 5’11” tall. Luckily, I sleep on my side and never straight out, so those lost few inches didn’t really make a difference to my comfort levels.

If you’re considering the layout of your van, or if you’re looking for your next project, maybe this one might be right for you too?

The cost of making the change.

Well, I originally paid £200 for the used rock and roll bed, so there’s my first cost. But, fitting the new one was surprisingly cheap.

I built the frame from 63x38mm CLS. Which was only £3.50 per 2400mm piece. I used 4 of them – total, £14.

The fixings I already had, so no cost there.

My wife and I had recently bought a new mattress for our bed in the house, so I had our old, 10″ foam one stored in our spare bedroom. It was perfect for the camper! Again, no cost.

Final thoughts

The most important thing to say, is that my requirements won’t necessarily be the same as yours. A rock and roll bed set up might be perfect for you.

This is one of those times when I would suggest hiring a camper with the layout you think you’ll like, and try it out for a few nights. Even though for me, making the change wasn’t an expensive thing to do, it still cost me the price of the original rock and roll bed.

I could have used that money to hire a camper for a couple of days and realised the problems, before they happened in my van.

I’m really happy with the changes I made. I can continue to use the camper the same way in the evening, that I do during the day. The only difference is that I sit either on the bed, or on the edge of it, rather than a seat unit. That, doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, I find it more relaxing to lounge on the bed anyway 🙂

And, there’s plenty of room to use the toilet as well!