Sleeping arangements

ChrisGa23 · Jun 9, 2009

Just wondering what the cargo van guys do about bedding in the van. I have an air mattress in mine now but it takes up alot of space in the van and I want to build a bulkhead and set up a sleeping set up like sprinters have but that also will take up to much room. The van is a standard size cargo van so cargo space is limited to 2 pallets. Might just keep the air mattress but im trying to find a good portable fold up bed. But if im loaded to the max and have to stay the night somewhere I could sleep in the seats just recline them back or get a hotel or something for a night or 2. Trying to get things lined up my hazmat papers should be here any day now then im off hitting the highway.

fatboy1 · Jun 9, 2009

well my father in law, he went and bought one of those bunk beds that has a full on bottom and twin on top at a yard sale. he took twin off the frame,fixed it where it would fold down from drivers side of van, has chains,and some legs on it,folds up when full and has to sleep in front like you but when empty he has a twin bed,i think he has a twin fom type mattress on it,hope this helps

Turtle · Jun 9, 2009

I once had a short wheelbase Ford E-350 that when loaded with 2 pallets there was no room to sleep. Far too many Friday night pickups for Monday delivery. I used to use one of those blow-up Double-Height Twin mattresses from Walmart, and used a rechargeable Coleman mattress pump to pump it up every day. Then slept on an open sleeping bag. It was comfortable and worked great, unless I had a skid in there.

That's why I now have a Sprinter with a permanent bunk and can sleep while loaded.

guido4475 · Jun 10, 2009

I've got a e-350 extended.Cargo area is 8 ft, and the rest is a 30"sleeper completely sealed air tight from the cargo area,fully carpeted.and insulated.I just wanted to make sure I had a place to sleep with freight in the van.I used to sleep in the seat in my daycab straight a long time ago, but no more.And I dont like going down the road smelling stinky freight, either.

MrSheltie · Jun 10, 2009

A modified pipe rack, using a few steel angles and some fiberglass or plastic panels, makes a great sleeper on the roof of your van.

I made one out of a minitruck cap using a plywood base.
Just bolted the thing right to the plywood and the cap locked up nice and tight to the bottom. Some sealer before it was bolted in place and the carpeting never got wet no matter how heavy the downpour.

You could liberally use some foam insulation inside the thing and if you had a few inches on the walls and roof, your body heat would be enough even in 20 degree weather. Colder than that, an extra battery and one of the simple electric heaters for a semi cab would allow you to snag 5 sleepy hours and not freeze to death.
It would look no worse than having ladders and a toolbox up there, which they are seen with all the time.

You enter from a ladder on the back doors. Unless it is pouring out, this setup really does work well.
Whatever you do, do not think a cheap old aluminum cap will be worth the money you save. They leak. They all leak. Fiberglass is the way to go!

We had to weigh it and with the mattress/blankets/sleeping bag/motorcycle battery/laptop/TV/pillows/water, the whole setup added 320 pounds to the van.
WalMart sells a long, shallow plastic bin with a cover and it was paramount in this systems success.

I think the total cost was under 500 and it can go from van to van.
We took four pulleys with steel clothesline, tied them to an oak tree in the yard and it can be dropped on the van precisely in a matter of minutes.

I have an extra rack for the roof I might be talked into selling.

I am shocked more people do not do this with space being so valuable in a cargo van.

(BTW, MPG in a 350 Ford with a 351/C6 auto suffered less than 1 MPG with a 68 MPH ceiling.)

miker · Jun 10, 2009

MrSheltie said:
A modified pipe rack, using a few steel angles and some fiberglass or plastic panels, makes a great sleeper on the roof of your van.

I made one out of a minitruck cap using a plywood base.
Just bolted the thing right to the plywood and the cap locked up nice and tight to the bottom. Some sealer before it was bolted in place and the carpeting never got wet no matter how heavy the downpour.

You could liberally use some foam insulation inside the thing and if you had a few inches on the walls and roof, your body heat would be enough even in 20 degree weather. Colder than that, an extra battery and one of the simple electric heaters for a semi cab would allow you to snag 5 sleepy hours and not freeze to death.
It would look no worse than having ladders and a toolbox up there, which they are seen with all the time.

You enter from a ladder on the back doors. Unless it is pouring out, this setup really does work well.
Whatever you do, do not think a cheap old aluminum cap will be worth the money you save. They leak. They all leak. Fiberglass is the way to go!

We had to weigh it and with the mattress/blankets/sleeping bag/motorcycle battery/laptop/TV/pillows/water, the whole setup added 320 pounds to the van.
WalMart sells a long, shallow plastic bin with a cover and it was paramount in this systems success.

I think the total cost was under 500 and it can go from van to van.
We took four pulleys with steel clothesline, tied them to an oak tree in the yard and it can be dropped on the van precisely in a matter of minutes.

I have an extra rack for the roof I might be talked into selling.

I am shocked more people do not do this with space being so valuable in a cargo van.

(BTW, MPG in a 350 Ford with a 351/C6 auto suffered less than 1 MPG with a 68 MPH ceiling.)

I sure would like to see a picture of this.

LDB · Jun 10, 2009

Do a search for threads by dieseldoctor. You have to go back two or three years to find them. He has an incredible setup in his van. The bed lowers from the ceiling so unless the freight is super tall you sleep above it. He has tons of other cool features on his van as well.

ebsprintin · Jun 10, 2009

Camp cot, therm-a-rest pad, and sleeping bag. If load gets big, the cot breaks down, and its on the floor for the night.

eb

davekc · Jun 10, 2009

LDB said:
Do a search for threads by dieseldoctor. You have to go back two or three years to find them. He has an incredible setup in his van. The bed lowers from the ceiling so unless the freight is super tall you sleep above it. He has tons of other cool features on his van as well.

I wonder if he is still expediting? I haven't talked to him in a year. I agree, he had some great ideas and applications in that van he had.

greg334 · Jun 10, 2009

http://www.expeditersonline.com/forum/truck-talk/21232-dream-van.html

This is one of the threads that he had, I can't find the other and I think a lot of the pics are lost in EO's past. I Think this is the first one, I thought there were two seeing that this is a 2004 thread..

xiggi · Jun 10, 2009

I was sitting at a TA in Indiana a couple weeks ago. This guy showed me the back of his van, he had installed an electric fireplace for his wife. He had a generator and they used it for heat in the winter.

Moot · Jun 10, 2009

miker said:
I sure would like to see a picture of this.

I would too!

Here's a rooftop sleeper you can access from the cab.

oncedrove · Jun 10, 2009

LDB said:
Do a search for threads by dieseldoctor. You have to go back two or three years to find them. He has an incredible setup in his van. The bed lowers from the ceiling so unless the freight is super tall you sleep above it. He has tons of other cool features on his van as well.

All the pictures are gone after the new set up.

ChrisGa23 · Jun 11, 2009

yep.....was looking forward to seeing the set up

Jack_Berry · Jun 14, 2009

ford extended van with empty and loaded sleeping positions

empty
i can walk thru here

the bed goes here

loaded
this is as far as i go

i have to include that the plastic pipe bunk frame is the invention of the old professor and can be found in a thread called plastic pipe bunk

theoldprof · Jun 14, 2009

Jack_Berry, I'm glad the plastic pipe idea worked out. I never built one out of plastic pipe, but after building my heavy plywood bunk I realised plastic pipe woud be a whole lot lighter.

theoldprof · Jun 14, 2009

MrSheltie. If I understand you correctly, you took a mini truck camper shell, installed a floor in it and hoisted it onto your van roof and bolted it down. Is that correct? Do you have any pics? Sounds interesting.