Are you interested in doing van life as a family? Living or traveling in a camper van with kids is a fast track to spending more quality time together, exploring the great outdoors, and building strong bonds. Plus, it provides a ton of educational opportunities for your kids to learn about the world around them, experience new things, and challenge themselves in different ways. However, you may be wondering what camper van layouts work best for families and how you (and all of your stuff) can all harmoniously fit in a van.
Traveling in a van with kids can be one of the most enriching experiences for the whole family but you might be wondering how to make it work. Sometimes you’ll have challenges just like every family, but all the van life families I’ve met say they’ll never regret doing van life together. One commonality I’ve heard among these families is the importance of designing your build in a way that’s specific to your family’s needs.
In this post, I’m going to share the most important things to consider when designing your family’s dream van plus some of the best family camper van setups I’ve seen for families of three, four, and five (or more).At Bearfoot Theory, we’re passionate about empowering you with the information (and inspiration) you need to feel confident as you embark on an adventure – and family van life sounds like one of the greatest adventures of all!
Here are the most important things to consider for your family camper van, as well as the best camper van layouts for families!
Things to Consider for Your Family Camper Van
How many people does your van need to accommodate?
The number of people that will be sleeping in the van is the most important factor whendeciding the best family camper van layout. Regardless of whether you’ll be living in it full-time, part-time, or just on vacations, you’ll need enough beds for all the adults and kids. Since this will become your home on the road, it’s essential that everyone feels comfortable in their sleeping space. Cramming together in one bed might not be the best choice for the long term, so you’ll want to consider what everyone needs to feel comfortable in your family van.
The other area this matters is seat belts. You can’t just build a dinette, slap some seat belts in, and call it good. You need to make sure that any seat belts you install will actually do their job in the case of an accident. When you plan for your conversion, make sure you leave room for safety-approved seating. Check out our post on the best vans for van life to learn the pros and cons of the most popular camper van models to find which will be best for your family.
How old are your kids?
The age of your child(ren) is important because it will determine what type of bed(s) you need, the level of privacy, and the potential safety mechanisms you might need in place. With living quarters so tight, privacy doesn’t come easily in a van which might be a concern for both parents and children. There are some creative ways to get privacy and I’ll share an example down below of one simple privacy solution. You should also consider how long you want to keep the van. A camper van family floorplan that works with a toddler might not work once the kid gets a bit older.
Check Out Our Van Life 101 Guide
What sort of activities does your family enjoy?
A big perk of van life with kids is all the opportunities to get outside together! If you like to kayak, climb, hike, surf, backpack, photograph, do yoga – you’ll need to plan storage space for all the gear when you’re designing your van layout. Individual interests are equally important as group activities so that everyone gets to do the things they enjoy. Most van life families I’ve met on the road spend almost all of their time outdoors except when bad weather rolls through. So, if everyone in your family is into being outside, they’ll probably love van life.
Is sleeping outside an option?
Rooftop tents are a popular way to add an extra bed but this is only suitable if you know you’ll always be parked in a place that allows camping (campgrounds, public lands, etc.) If you anticipate needing to stealth camp, even for a night or two here and there, a rooftop tent isn’t an option as the main bed. But, it’s a great addition to have for a guest!
Communication is key
Whether you’re already a seasoned road tripper or you’re just beginning your family road trip journey, good communication is the foundation of a successful, happy trip. Having open conversations with everyone you’ll be traveling with is a vital step in setting the family up for success. Talk to your partner if you have one, bring in your kids if they’re old enough, chat with your friends if they’ll be coming along – whoever will be on board, talk to them about their personal needs, wants, concerns, and questions. This is especially important if you’ll be traveling with older kids that want more independence. I wrote a blog post about how to live in your van with a significant other but all of these tips also apply to traveling families.
Van Floor Plans for a Family of 3
@storytelleroverland
Storyteller Overland‘s ready-to-go 4×4 adventure vans are set up to seat 4 and comfortably sleep a family of 3. The main bed in the back sleeps two and can be easily folded away for more space during the day. And the double bench seat in the lounge area (complete with two seatbelts) folds down into a convertible sofa bed as well to comfortably sleep a 3rd person.
@rebornbyadventure
The Moon family has a convertible bench/bed for their toddler with a simple fabric enclosure. The fabric walls easily hook in place at night and come down during the day. This is a great solution for privacy, plus it might help your little one go to sleep if you’re still awake with the lights on. In addition to the driver and passenger seats up front, they have a jump seat behind the passenger seat with a seatbelt that holds Zoey’s car seat.
@thetravelbobbers
This family of three adventures out of their self-built VW Crafter. They built a sleeping den beneath their bed for their young daughter and it’s one of the cutest camper van setups for families that we’ve ever seen. The little one loves having her own space to play in and sleep. As for seating, their van has a middle seat up front for three seats with seatbelts total.
Van Floor Plans for a Family of 4
@outsidevan
If you want bunk beds but you also want more space – check this out. This design by Outside Van called Off Grid features removable beds and two additional passenger seats with seat belts. It’s a pretty genius idea! Sleep up to four people when necessary or remove a bed or two (or three) and store more gear. They even managed to fit a full bathroom with a shower in this van. This is a great option for a versatile family camper van setup.
@thefites
The Fite family installed a murphy bed and ladder for their young child so she’s able to go up and down at her leisure. Along their travels, they had another baby and modified the van to accommodate their newborn by building a wall and infant-sized murphy bed. The top photo shows their van set up for a family of 3 and the bottom photo shows their setup for a family of 4.
@jubel_explorer
This family of four travels the UK in a converted Sprinter campervan with two adorable bunks in the back for the little ones. It’s one of the most unique family camper van layouts we’ve seen and we can imagine the kids love having their own cozy bunks to sleep in. In addition to the driver and passenger seats up front, this van has a row of three forward-facing seats with seatbelts.
@norva.vehiculeaventure
Murphy beds are common in camper vans for families. Many van lifers prefer them because you can stow the bed up against the wall during the day and you can change the configuration depending on how many people you’re traveling with. In the image below, you’ll notice the beds are staggered which ensures that everyone has ample headspace.
@fernnhouse
This traveling family of four has murphy beds for their two toddlers. This design doesn’t have staggered beds, so the headspace is a little tight on the lower bed. But overall, murphy beds are a practical use of space and can be customized to your needs. Traveling with an infant? Consider installing a net or rollbar to keep them safe in their nest at night.
@mm_vanexplore
In addition to a full-size bed for mom and dad in the back, this van has two hanging bunk beds for the kids towards the front end of the van. When not in use, the hanging beds hinge up for more headspace down below. As for seating, there are two additional forward-facing seats with seatbelts behind the cab.
@rambleandrevive
This family Sprinter van has two bunk beds with a ladder for their two kids, ages 2 and 4. What’s great about this family van layout is that everyone gets their own bed without sacrificing headspace. Plus, there are two additional forward-facing seats with seatbelts behind the cab so everyone can ride safely.
Van Floor Plans for a Family of 4 or More
@beboldlittleones
The Sanchez family sleeps their family of 6 in this Sprinter van. Cozying up three in a bed might not be comfortable for a full-time van life family, but it is possible. This double platform bed is a popular choice for a family van setup. It utilizes vertical space well but has a bonus of increased storage under the bottom bed. Plus, you can customize the platforms for more or less headspace and storage. Their van has six seats — two rows of three seats — and one row of seating doubles as the family’s couch.
@lifeofkuhl
The Kuhl family traveled full-time in their camper van with their adolescent and young teenage kids. This design is one of the most impressive uses of space I’ve seen in a family camper van! The parents slept in a platform bed, their teen daughter slept in a dinette that opens into a twin-size bed, and their two adolescent sons slept in bunks in the co*ckpit.The top bunk is suspended by ratchet straps and rests atop the seats. When not in use, it hooks into the headliner. The bottom bunk is about 6 inches longer than the top and is made simply of foam and plywood. It folds into itself to be easily stowed under the platform bed when not in use. Their kids seemed to love their beds (and van life!)
@4x4xfour
The Calloway family camper van is set up to sleep 4-5 people. The adjustable upper bunk is operated by a power jack system. The dinette table drops down to make a queen-size bed. Not pictured here, there’s a bench in the van that sleeps another person! This open floor plan is a great option because of its smart use of vertical space.
@thevanistafive
This family of 5 had one requirement for their van build: they wanted the kid’s rear seats to turn into beds and they wanted to have a dinette area.The single seat (behind the driver) turns into a single bed while the two seats in the back fold flat to make a king-ish size bed sleeping surface with the side benches. There is also a queen size bed that drops down from the ceiling! Finally, the dinette is created by pushing the two seats back on a L-track system and a table can be mounted in the center. We think this design is pretty genius!
Rooftop Tents and Pop-top Vans for Families
Rooftop tents for camper vans are great for road trips. They’re easy to set up, and most importantly, they don’t take up any space inside the van. As I mentioned earlier, if you plan to travel full-time and anticipate needing to stealth camp in towns, a rooftop tent should not be used as the main bed. But, it’s a great option for visiting guests or those nights you’d like to sleep under the stars.
Pop-top camper vans are a classic choice for families traveling with kids. Pop-tops, like those installed by Sportsmobile or Journey Vans below, have two beds: a platform inside the van and a loft up top. So, this is ideal for 1-4 people. Another perk of the pop-top family van is that they are typically installed on low-roof vans, so you can fit into parking garages.
