How to choose the right bed for your campervan (Whats the difference between a fixed bed & a rock and roll bed?)

Hello and welcome back to another instalment of our blog. This week we are talking about campervan beds, probably one pf this most important investments for your van – especially if like me, you’re a light sleeper.

How you enjoy camping will dictate your bed choice

One of the most important design decisions in any campervan conversion is choosing the right sleeping arrangement, everyone wants to go away and enjoy a good night’s sleep.

The whole point of a campervan is that you get a much more comfortable camping experience. Sleep is probably one of the hardest things to get right, so choosing a good mattress or convertible seat dictates much of how you kit out your van.

In the workshop, we find that this choice often shapes the entire layout of the campervan. Why? Because beds are big, especially if you need them for 2+ people.

The most common campervan beds are either described as “fixed” or “rock and roll”

A fixed bed is exactly what you’d imagine – a permanent bed that doesn’t fold away, move or convert into seating. Typically it has a proper, traditional styler mattress like you’d have at home.

A rock and roll bed is quite the opposite. It’s a space-saving set up that combines both seating when upright, and a bed when flat. It’s named after the “rock” and “roll” motion used to unfold it from the frame.

Campervan beds pros and cons:

Fixed beds and R&R beds each offer different advantages, and the best option depends on how you plan to travel, how many passengers you wish to carry and how much indoor space you need on a day to day basis.

Fixed beds = convenience

Let’s start with fixed beds. Fixed beds are a very comfortable choice, particularly in larger vans such as VW Crafters, Citroën Relays, and other long wheelbase models. They’re basically a real bed, which for a lot of people is a deal breaker. You can have a really good quality mattress and sleep as comfortably as if you were at home.

A fixed bed’s other biggest advantage is convenience. When you have a fixed bed, there’s no need to rearrange gear, seating bedding or furniture at the start/end of your day.  For customers who travel regularly or enjoy longer trips, it’s lovely to be able to fall into bed without any van rearranging or adjustments. If you know, you know.

Fixed beds in small vans

We have built a few van conversions in smaller vehicles where the customer has opted for a fixed bed width ways with storage space underneath. This is more popular for our petite customers who can still stretch out and relax without compromising. We wouldn’t advise this option for tall people…

Another benefit of fixed beds is the storage space they create underneath. It’s great for your creature comforts – extra camping gear, bikes, coats, boots etc. They can also provide decent housing of all of your van’s electrical components so they’re out of sight. 

Basically, fixed beds suit customers who want comfort and a more home-like feel inside their campervan. The down-side is your bed can’t be moved out of the way to accommodate more stuff, people or pets (but that might be a good thing for you, it’s all down to personal preference).

We work with a really great bed manufacturer of bespoke mattresses, and these come in a range of options to suit everyone:

• custom height, depth, width
• mattresses can be manufactured to fit the contours of your van
• firm, medium or soft mattresses
• memory foam for a softer sleep
• cooling tops
• and more, just give us a call to talk more about it

Rock and roll beds = two rooms in one

R&R beds offer exceptional day/night flexibility. That’s because (you guessed it) they are a seat and a bed all in one.

These beds typically convert from seating areas or dining spaces and are most commonly found in smaller vans. During the day, the van feels open and spacious, with room to relax, eat, and socialise. At night, the seating transforms into a sleeping area, these are upholstered in house to complement the interior of the campervan.

Rock and roll beds can have memory foam toppers, and sheets to feel exactly like a real bed. The seating itself is quite firm with 90mm foam inside – this is 100% deliberate. Firm foam in upholstery will maintain the shape of the seats for longer. Noone wants their seats to loose shape or flatten over time.

R&R bed measurements

R&R Beds come in a large range of sizes. They are all M1 Crash Tested with full certification and lifetime guarantee on the frames.

The sizing options for rock and roll beds are as follows:

• 1066mm (small 2 seater), this option is popular for travelling with children and offers enough space to fit a good sized standard kitchen.

• 1120mm, this size is a popular choice and comes with two legal seatbelts. 

• 1200mm, this is perfect to accommodate two adults and comes as a large two seater or a small seater, ideal to fit in that extra passenger without compromising on kitchen sizing.

• 1300mm, this is a small three seater offering the additional passenger seating and definitely a comfortable option for a good night’s sleep.

Full width seats

These extend across the entire width of the campervan.  There is no option to have a full campervan kitchen in place for this, but lots of our customers opts for a small kitchen “pod”. These can be situated behind the drivers seat. This could also be used as storage or for cooking appliances etc.

R&R beds on rails

Lots of campervan owners prefer a rock and roll bed on rails. They’re especially good if you have young children and would like them directly behind the front cab. This arrangement also offers a large boot space for all of your camping gear.

Day time “living space”

R&R beds are a good choice for anyone who wants to prioritise daytime living space or use their van for multiple purposes. After all, beds do take up a lot of room. They work well for weekend adventurers, festival-goers, or those who want their camper to double as a daily vehicle for chilling out with friends.

How to choose the right bed for your campervan

When a new customer comes into our workshop the conversation is usually about how to make the right choice. After all, for most of us the things we choose for our vans are permanent so you have to feel certain.

How you want to use your van/your personality, your activity choice on the road are all factors to consider to help choose.

We often ask questions like

• “how will your van be used?”
• “how far do you typically travel?”
• “are you super organised or do you hate faff?”
• “how important is XYZ?”

Ultimately, there is no right or wrong choice – only the one that best suits you. There are always clever ways to problem solve and adapt to van life.

If you’re feeling unsure or flooded by too many choices, our team are always happy to help you explore the possibilities.

We have an open workshop policy and you are always welcome to visit. Come and meet the team and see what goes on in the workshop.

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