Van Layouts: What to Put Where

When it comes to designing a van conversion, it can feel like there's not enough room to have everything you want. That's where working with a professional van conversion company like Pine Campers will help you to ensure that everything you want is added while also making the most of the space.

Converting a van into a liveable space does of course mean compromising on the amount of things that you have. You can have a fitted shower, a fitted kitchen, a fitted seating area and double flat-bed but you also have to be prepared to have these elements sized down to fit into the space.

Of course, the van that you choose to convert has a big impact on what you add and how big each element is. Make sure to check out the post Choosing Your Van Base to find out the vans that Chris would recommend if you're building your own - chosen for their space, durability and ease to drive.

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Fitted vs Moveable

If you're looking for a layout that includes all of the luxuries of home on the road, you're going to want it all to fit in while giving you enough space to actually move. This is where you don't want 100% fitted or 100% moveable... you want a bit of a mix.

That's where working with Pine Campers is such a great experience, you choose what you want and Chris puts it all in with ingenious storage and space-saving hacks.

First of all let's cover a 100% fixed interior. For example, in bespoke commission Birch the clients wanted a shower but also a seating area and a fully workable kitchen with lots of prep space.

On the face of it this might seem like an impossible ask for such a small space - but Chris has ticked all of the boxes. The shower unit is complete with tiling, an LED overhead light, adjustable pressure shower head and pocket door. There's even wardrobe storage space next to the unit. Beside the storage space is a cosy seating area that can also be used for a dining space.

The kitchen was fitted with a fold-down flap at the end of the counter giving more prep space than would have been feasible with the two-stove gas hob and circular sink with tap. There's also counter space between the sink and the stove with lots of adaptors on the splashback - so space for gadgets etc.

When it comes to finding the right choice for the interior of your van, it's best to work with a professional like Chris here at Pine Campers, who can design the van to match what you need from it.

If you're looking for a more moveable option it's best to decide whether you want to have parts that fold flat and can be fitted away - or if you want to go for an option such as an attachable awning.

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What Should Go Where

When it comes to deciding what to put where, you're working with a relatively limited number of layout options. The bed will always be at the back of the van because that gives you the opportunity to have more easily-accessible storage; but generally speaking the rest is yours to play with.

Below are some examples of previous Pine Campers builds for you to get an idea of layout options.

SUNNY

As in Sunny, you can have a layout that gives you a more flexible living space with a moveable table and a kitchen that spreads over the side doorway to give you more counter space.

However as you can see in this layout you're giving a priority to living space.

ATLAS

If you go with the layout for Atlas (pictured below) you'll have all of the mod-cons you need but relatively little sitting space.

This is a van that uses the space to give a luxurious experience, so you can have go on the road, stay anywhere and without any inconvenience.

BIRCH

Birch combines the living space of Sunny with the luxurious elements of Atlas without compromising on either. Birch has a thinner shower unit than Atlas but a bigger seating area. It has a collapsable leaf on the counter to give more counter space than is available in Sunny but has the same layout for the kitchen with the addition of a sink as in Atlas.

Birch is the best example of a van that includes everything but still has space to move around in if you're not wanting to be outside.

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Remember that it's always best to work with a professional if you have no experience with converting vans.