8. Convertible Passenger Seat Bed
One of the most interesting spaces to work with in a van conversion is the space behind the driver's seat. The possibilities for this space are endless. The most common uses are: a bench or couch, a lounge, to add another passenger seat, or even a shower or formal bathroom. All of these options offer great value but which one you choose depends on your priorities.
With my van build being for adventure and road trip purposes primarily, I value the option of being able to bring an extra guest so the additional seat appeals to me. I also however like the convertible bench lounge that can become a single bed if needed. For me this can have a lot of value if I am bringing a lot of gear and unable to fold down my rear murphy bed. This could be common if I end up traveling with my paramotor inside the van such as on longer road trips. The additional bed also increase the sleeping capacity of my van build to 3 people comfortably.
After contemplating my priorities and doing some research, I found a couple examples of seats that convert into single beds. Some deeper dives led me to a custom seat manufacturer that I found through Alibaba. This wasn’t my first choice of places to look, and I was a bit cautious of course, but after some lengthy and detailed communication, I was convinced I had found my plan.
The vendor I worked with offered many different seat options with full customization. I chose a trifold style seat which allows it to convert from a passenger seat, into a day lounge facing rear, a day lounge facing forward, or a single bed which can also be used as a couch or bench. I got to pick out the colors and stitching patterns and decide whether I wanted one armrest, two, or none at all. I opted for a Black seat with double stitching, a diamond stitch pattern on the backrest, and left and right side armrests. The chair took about five weeks to arrive and was exactly as I had hoped!
Installing My Third Seat Convertible Bed Lounge
To install my lounge chair I needed to create a base. The manufacturer had some mounting options but I wasn’t sure if they would work for my needs so I opted out of those in favor of custom fabrication on my end. To start, I set the chair into the space and took some measurements. I evaluated the floor and the structural members underneath the floor. I checked and rechecked several times until I had a pretty good idea of where and how I could mount the chair. With the location decided, it was time to fabricate the base.
For the base, I teamed up with my friend Josh who is a fabricator. We decided to make a steel box structure out of square tubing and cover it with thick sheet metal to create a strong, elevated platform for the chair to bolt too that can mount through the floor of the van. During the fabrication process we decided we could leave the front side open allowing the space under the chair to be accessed from the front without lifting the main cushion. (When converting the seat into a lounge or bed, the main cushion folds up and out of the way allowing access to the space under seat. Leaving the front of the mount open allows access to the space without having to fold the seat). After the base was fabricated, I painted it Black, and covered the side walls of it with automotive carpet to help with noise and a better aesthetic.
I secured the seat to the newly fabricated base, and confirmed the desired location in the van again. Once satisfied, I mounted it through the floor of the van with Grade 8 bolts and hardware.
How Its Worked Out
Outside of the fabrication, the overall install was really simple. The quality of the seat is great, and its features are exactly what I was hoping for.
Passenger Seat - As a passenger seat it opens up more possibilities for travel buddies. Its also a very convenient place for me to work from my laptop, read, or even dine without having to swivel the front seats around like I do for longer outings. This setup gives me a quicker, stealthier option. The seat is fully adjustable and can be leaned back or forward to tailor the comfort to passenger, and has an adjustable slider forward and back with a lengthy amount of travel to increase leg room.
Day Lounge - When the seat is converted into a day lounge, it offers a comfortable place to relax, read, or take in some entertainment such as a movie, or music. I also enjoy the lounge configuration for use with my portable massager.
Bed/ Couch - The seat is wide, so when converted to a bed it offers a comfortable amount of space that has worked out actually a lot better than I had even anticipated. As it is a convertible seat first, however, one can only expect a certain level of comfort from it in the bed configuration. The padding is rigid and firm, and of course there are multiple seams. The easy solution here is to add a mattress pad. I tried a couple options all of which increased the comfort a lot but the downside of course is having more items to pack along and take up space especially when the bed is in the seat configuration.
After trying out some different options I found the best setup to be this 4 inch thick foldable mattress pad, and an egg crate memory foam mattress topper. This combination is by far the most comfortable. Each pad can be used independent if needed to conserve space while still offering some comfort upgrades. The 4 inch mattress pad takes up the most space of course when stowed, but is also very useful as a backrest if using the chair as a couch. The width of the chair is great for the bed configuration, but can be awkward as a couch, and the 4 inch mattress pad helps fill the space while providing a comfortable back rest. I love the versatility of this setup as I can remove the pads and leave them behind for adventures where the chair will not be converted to a bed and enjoy the extra space. For times when they are needed, they are rarely stored so the comfort they offer far out weighs the possible storage space limitation. When switching between the bed and the chair, I simply roll up the egg crate topper (usually with my Rumpl blanket still in place), and pull the mattress pad up into a trifold toward the rear of the van and behind the backrest of the seat. When converted back into the seat, it all just stows there nicely out of the way. To make the bed, I convert the chair back into the bed, lay the mattress pad flat, and roll the egg crate topper back out across it. To switch between the chair or the completely made bed takes about 30 seconds each way.
When embarking on the adventure of converting a van into a cozy and functional campervan, one of the most crucial elements to consider is is to create a space that adapts to your needs. This multifunctional solution for my third seat/ second bed, not only maximizes the limited space within my van but also ensures comfort and versatility for both day and night use.
