How To Make Hanging Cots and Bunks for Kids Beds in Camper Van Over Front Seats

May 5, 2023
5 min read

I've designed some cots that hang over the front seats of the van. They were designed primarily for kids but they can easily hold 200 lbs and span the width of the van.

Two children lie on bunk beds inside a van, one in purple pants below and one in red shorts above, resting peacefully.

The cot could be built as a folding or non-folding cot. For simplicities sake I went with non-folding first just to get something that is functional. I designed a folding frame that collapses into a stick (still the full length of the cot, but easier to store.

Camper van interior with bunk bed, front seats, curtains, and storage shelves in a tidy gray-and-red setup.

DESIGN INSPIRATION

Cabbunk Camper Van Hammock Bunk Bed System for Kids

Camper van interior with Cabunk bunk bed over front seats, black and wood trim, parked outdoors in a calm setting.

Travel Cot VanKid

Blue baby travel cot set up across the front seats of a car, with empty gray cabin and dashboard visible.

Breizh-trotter Children's bed for van

NON-FOLDING COT BUILD

When I started designing, I assumed that the fabric would need to be super tight to create a flat surface. First, that is virtually impossible. Second, cots are actually more comfortable when the fabric is a bit loose and can sag such that it confirms to your body shape, like a hammock. I've used cots that are stretched very tight, and they are initially comfortable, but feel hard after a while and become uncomfortable during the night. Cots that are a little loose and you can sink into are more comfortable, but there's a limit there too.

Materials

Frame - This structural framing tube is plenty strong for a kids cot. It is 1.08in OD zinc plated steel tube and has a 1/16in wall. There are many different connectors available.

Product page for clamp-on framing rail 2534T2, showing a silver steel tube, length options, ADD button, and spec table.

Corner Brackets

For a non folding cot, these corner brackets can be used. They are nice because they have a generous radius, which is friendlier when moving these around inside a van.

Black 90-degree pipe elbow fitting with two white PVC pipes on a plain white background.

McMaster-Carr clamp-on framing fitting technical drawing with dimensions for 1.08in rail OD, elbow-shaped black part.

Fabric

I used a heavy duty mesh because it's what I had. You can use any strong fabric. The mesh is comfortable, because the fabric can stretch and conform locally.

Frame Design

I designed the frame in Onshape CAD to make sure that the dimensions were correct before cutting the pipe.

Blue and gray rectangular pipe frame on a white background, shown diagonally with curved corner joints.

Technical diagram of a rectangular pipe frame with elbow joints, labeled 63.000 and 63.220 outer dimensions and Ø1.080.

These are the pipe lengths that I cut.

Technical drawing of a rectangular frame with dimensions 59.000 by 22.000 and Ø1.080, black lines on white background.

The frame consists of 4 pieces of tube and 4 corner brackets. The overall dimensions that I wanted was 63in by 26in. Each corner bracket takes up about 2in of length, so the tube pieces were cut like this:

2X 59in long

2X 22in long

Five silver metal rods laid diagonally on a light wood floor, with a clean, minimal indoor look.

To attach the side and end tubes, I used these corner brackets. They were convenient to use, and the rounded edges make them user-friendly inside the van. No sharp corners to grab or scratch things.

Black metal brackets and bolts laid out on a wood floor beside silver pipes and a plastic bag of parts.

The corner brackets bolt together with 2 screws and captive nuts.

Hand holding a black plastic elbow pipe fitting with bolts, with a child’s hand in the background on a wood floor.

Metal tubes and black elbow connectors laid on a wood floor, with two pipes partly joined; DIY assembly parts, no people.

Hands assembling a silver metal frame on a wood floor, fitting black corner joints together during a DIY setup.

Disassembled silver metal frame and black joints laid on a wood floor, with two small clamps and loose tubing.

The frame is completely assembled and laid out on the fabric to take measurements and cut to fit the frame.

Empty rectangular metal frame on a beige mesh surface, with black corner joints and a blue tape strip at the right edge.

Enough fabric was used to completely wrap around the frame, creating 2 layers. The intention with the dual layers is that a piece of foam can be placed between the layers for insulation.

Blue and wood rulers measure the corner of a gray rug on a wooden floor, with The Home Depot text visible on the ruler

Grey woven mat with a wooden ruler at top right, showing a horizontal seam and wood floor below.

Aluminum frame laid on gray mesh fabric on a wood floor, with blue and orange rulers measuring its size.

Large gray fabric panel laid on a wooden floor beside a sewing machine in a sewing workspace.

Fiberglass rods were used to spread the load of the lacing. The easiest source for fiberglass rods that are long enough were kid's bike flags.

Large gray fabric panel with orange BELL corner patches laid on a wood floor beside a sewing machine and tools.

The fiberglass rods were cut to the length of the frame. This was conveniently right at the base of the flag.

Orange flag attached to a gray mesh frame laid on a wood floor, with silver poles and black joints.

Orange Belli sail attached to a silver frame on a gray mat over wood flooring.

Pass the fiberglass rod into the hem.

Hand pulling a white cord beside a gray fabric panel on a wood floor, likely adjusting a tent or tarp.

Lace the ends of the fabric together. Punch holes in the fabric next to the fiberglass rod such that the paracord can thread through around the fiberglass rod. I started lacing from the inside out since it seemed easier.

Gray mesh window blind laid on a wood floor with cord, ruler, and tools, suggesting a DIY repair or assembly.

Sew Velcro onto the ends. I wanted the ends to be easy to open and close to make it easy to remove the material from the cot frame, and easy to slip some foam in between.

Gray mesh fabric panel with white cords and brown Velcro strips laid on a wood floor, close-up of a sewn edge.

Hand wearing a black smartwatch lifts the corner of a gray mesh cushion on a wooden floor.

Loops of paracord at the corners to attach the hanging straps.

Hand tying a white cord on the corner of a gray mesh cushion on a wooden floor.

Hanging the cots in the van cab.

The passenger's seat folds down flat, or it could lean back. The driver's seat is leaned back. I used basic but heavy-duty tie-down straps with strong steel buckles (don't use cast buckle straps, because the buckle could break). I removed some of the hooks from the straps where they attach to the cots, and left the hooks at the top so they can easily be hung and removed. Setting up and taking down is far faster than setting up a tent.

Camper van interior with bunk bed, red straps and black curtains; steering wheel and gear visible, cozy makeshift sleeping space.

The kids love it and like sleeping in them. They say it's comfortable and they sleep well. Even an adult can sleep on the lower one and it's pretty comfortable. Far more comfortable than sleeping in the front seats.

Two children sleep on bunk beds inside a truck cab, with red straps, gray interior, and a steering wheel visible.

Sleeping on cots is colder than a mattress, because the cot provides 0 insulation, and even a sleeping bag will compress underneath, voiding the insulative value of the sleeping bag underneath. That's why I made these double layer. A foam pad can be slipped between the layers for insulation that doesn't get compressed and won't slide around.

FOLDING COTS BUILD

Folding Cot Materials

These brackets can be used for a folding cot. The ends could hinge on one side and snap into place on the other.

Black painted steel clamp-on adjustable-angle wye connector on product listing with ADD button and specs.

The end pieces could also hinge in the center. Bolt or weld this hinge to the outside of the end bars. When open, the hinge overcenters and the bars stay opened.

Technical drawing of a gray strap hinge with dimensions labeled, plus a small 3D inset; McMaster-Carr part 1528A23.

Frame Design

I designed the frame in Onshape CAD to see how it would work and and adjust the dimensions before attempting to build it.

3D render of a silver metal rectangular frame with joints and a hinge, isolated on a white background

CAD rendering of gray metal frame tubes with blue, orange, and yellow joints on a white background

3D render of two long gray metal rails with colored end caps, shown diagonally on a white background.

CAD rendering of two parallel gray cylindrical rods with colored end fittings and links on a white background

CAD rendering of four gray cylindrical rods with blue, yellow, orange, and gray joints on a white background.

CARBON FIBER TUBES FOR LIGHTER WEIGHT

Although the cots are not very heavy and can be easily moved around together, any significant decrease in the weight would improve the maneuverability and set up inside the tight spaces of the van. Carbon fiber is the obvious lightest candidate for replacing the steel tubes. However, a steel tube of the same dimensions as a carbon fiber tube will be stronger than the carbon fiber tube. The advantage of carbon fiber is the ability to increase the diameter or wall thickness to increase the amount of material in a structurally beneficial way to make the part stronger while still lower weight than steel.

The long side tubes can't be simply replaced with a carbon fiber tube of the same OD and wall thickness, because they will flex more and can't support as much load. The carbon tubes would need a larger wall thickness. A short piece of steel tube could be used as a coupler between the end fitting and the ID of a larger-diameter carbon fiber tube.

The shorter end tubes don't see a lot of load, so these can be replaced with a tube of similar dimensions to the steel tubes.

The steel tubes

1.08in (27.43mm) OD
0.065in (1.65mm) Wall thickness
0.95in (24.13mm) ID
Weight per foot = 0.71lbs per foot
Long tube = 59in = 3.49 lbs
Short tube = 22in = 1.30 lbs

Carbon Fiber Tubes for ends

27mm (1.063in) OD
1mm (0.039in) Wall thickness
25mm ID
Weight per foot = 0.09 lbs
Short tube = 22in = 0.165 lbs
Weight savings vs steel = (1.3*2)-(0.165*2) = 2.27 lbs per cot = 4.54 lbs for both cots
Cost = $25 per 1m tube = $100 to replace all 4 tubes to save 4.54 lbs of weight. Is that really worth it?

Carbon Fiber Tubes for long sides

1.04in (26.42mm) OD
0.082in (2.08 mm) Wall thickness
0.876 in (22.25 mm) ID
Weight per foot = 0.19 lbs per foot
Long tube = 59in = 0.93 lbs
Weight savings vs steel = (3.49*2)-(0.93*2) = 5.12 lbs per cot = 10.24 lbs for both cots
Cost = $25 per 1ft tube = $500 to replace all 4 tubes to save 10.24 lbs of weight. Is that really worth it?