Anyone fitted out caravan?

[Andy_T]

Hello,

I've been asked to modify our caravan and build a permanent three high bunk bed for the kids. I've looked under the seats and the woodwork looks very basic. Has anyone who's done anything simular got any advice or words of cautions before I take this on?

regards Andrew

 

[MikeH]

Can't give any knowledgeable specific advice but having been a caravanner for a number of years and done some work on the van I would say they are built with weight in mind. As a result they tend to be quite flimsy so if you are not attaching to a specific load bearing point the bunks may well be more than the walls can hold.

You could build a frame that bears the weight to the floor but I would then distribute that with floor plates. However bear in mind the extra weight you are adding to the van itself, which would have to come off of your User Payload (the weight of stuff you can load into the van).

 

[FatFreddysCat]

We've fitted out trailers for exchibitions before now. As someone says keeping the weight down is very important. We used 12mm poplar plywood for most of the stuff we did had it veneered by somebody in Leeds. All the stuff we made was able to stand up on it's own as there's often very little to anchor onto other than flimsy aluminium ribs in the walls.