In short
A good layout balances bed, kitchen, storage, and circulation for your defined use. At Belcampers we draw the plan on your exact van before building furniture or cutting panels.
Before you start
- Confirm interior height, width between wheel arches, and wheel positions.
- Choose bed type: transverse, longitudinal, or lift bed.
- Mark side doors, rear doors, and existing windows.
- Plan the technical bay: batteries, water, heating.
Functional zones
We split the interior into day zone (seating, table), night zone (bed), technical zone (systems), and storage. In mid-size vans a common mistake is placing the kitchen in the aisle and blocking bed access. Alexis prioritises flow: enter, cook, sit, sleep without awkward crossings. The technical bay usually sits under a seat, by the bulkhead, or in a ventilated cabinet—never where maintenance is impossible. Every centimetre matters, but circulation beats the pretty photo.
Bed and seats
A fixed bed is comfortable; a lift bed frees daytime space. Homologated seats constrain the design: a converted car is not the same as a cargo van. We calculate mattress length, headroom, and access from side or rear doors. Travelling as a couple with a large dog changes the layout. In the workshop we test cardboard templates before building plywood or aluminium furniture. That way you feel real volumes with the door closed.
Kitchen, water, and storage
The compact kitchen sits near entry or ventilation, with measured space for sink and fridge. We reserve tank volumes according to the water guide. Cabinets are not just aesthetics: we consider weight, anchoring on curves, and fuse access. A badly placed drawer can force panel removal later. Layout is therefore locked together with electrical and plumbing plans—not as an isolated sketch.
From sketch to workshop
We start with hand sketches or CAD depending on project complexity. You see plan and elevation views, including roof hatches or roof penetrations when needed. If something does not fit, we move it before buying materials. Belcampers does not sell standalone plans: layout is part of the workshop quote. Once you approve, we generate cut lists and assembly order so each phase matches the previous one.
Common mistakes
- Designing furniture before knowing battery and tank locations.
- Ignoring insulation and panel thickness in measurements.
- Copying an L2H1 layout onto a van with different height or length.
When to bring it to the workshop
Have the van but no layout? Send measurements and we will propose a distribution from our Girona workshop.
FAQ
Do you provide 3D plans?
For full projects we can show clear plan and elevation views; what matters is understanding volumes and access before building.
Can I change layout mid-build?
Better before systems are closed. Late changes add labour and may affect homologación if you move seats or windows.
Sources & references
- Manual de Reformas de Vehículos (MITMA)
- Belcampers build catalogue — internal workshop documentation