A compact camper with a fixed bed

Converting sounds harmless, but it adds up

In many compact campers, the seating area becomes the bed at night. On paper that's clever: the same space, two functions. In practice it means every evening you move cushions, fold down a board, and put things somewhere else — and reverse it every morning.

That's manageable in nice weather at a campsite for two weeks. It's considerably less fun when you arrive tired, when it's raining, when the kids are already asleep, or when you just want a quick afternoon nap. It's exactly why many campers end up being used less than the owner had hoped.

What a fixed bed gives you

A fixed bed stays made up day and night. That delivers more than just convenience:

• You can spontaneously stop and sleep on the road, without spending ten minutes building the bed first.
• During the day the bed becomes a lounging spot for kids or for reading — the seating area simply stays free.
• A mattress that isn't folded every day can be thicker and better. In the Wally-Van, cold foam sits on Froli springs — comparable to a good bed at home.
• Bedding doesn't need to be stored away anywhere.

Transverse bed or lengthwise bed?

Within compact campers with a fixed bed, there are two main layouts. A transverse bed runs across the width of the van, at the back. Underneath it a large garage is created — in the Wally-Van Classic more than twelve shopping crates fit in there. That's the choice if you bring a lot of gear: bikes, SUP boards, a tent, tools.

A lengthwise bed runs in the direction of travel. That gives more bed length and, because the bed is narrower, considerably more living space in the van. That's the choice if you want to be able to live inside and don't need every square centimetre of storage. In the Wally-Van, that's the AIR.

What to look out for

For any camper with a 'fixed bed', check three things: the actual lying length (not the mattress size at its widest point), the height between mattress and roof, and whether the space under the bed stays usable. A fixed bed that blocks the entire rear without an accessible garage costs you more than it delivers.

In the Wally-Van, the bed can also be partly or fully removed. That way you have a made-up bed while travelling, and at home a van that fits a cupboard or a load of garden soil.