For the wall supports I used 1.25 square tubing with .065 wall thickness. And for the ceiling supports I used 1 inch .065 square tubing.
Before installing the beds and cabinets we needed to create a system in the van so we could connect and hang the beds from the wall and ceiling. I purchased multiple L-track rails from Cargo Equipment Corp. Then I designed and installed additional structural reinforcement on the ceiling and walls for attachment points.
Here is a ceiling support that runs from the front to the back of the van. This notch in the 1 inch tubing was made to fit up against the existing van cross supports on the roof of the van.
I then used 20 gauge 0.048 sheet metal and bent the sheet metal to create a foot that would attach around the van roof supports. This gave me plenty of space to install rivets to secure the ceiling braces to the van body.
These are the finished ceiling supports before final installation. The L-track pieces are secured to the 1 inch tubing with plus nuts and 1/4 x 20 stainless steel bolts.
I also welded pieces of flat bar steel to the 1 inch tubing as anchor points for the firing strips that will hold up the tongue and groove ceiling.
Testing out the bed after installing the ceiling and wall L-track. The design worked great and with all three of us on the bed we didn’t notice any flex in the roof.
Family Van Builds 