Quick answer
Plan a van build in this order: measure the actual cargo area, list how you’ll live in it (sleeping, cooking, working, storage, water, power), choose a bed position, then fit everything else around it on a to-scale floor plan. Track weight against your payload, leave service access to pumps and wiring, and plan safety items (CO and smoke alarms, ventilation, propane) from the start. RME’s Van Blueprints draws the floor plan to the inch, and Explore has real builds with specs and lessons.
Key points
- Measure your own van; published cargo dimensions don’t account for wheel wells, ribs or insulation.
- Decide the bed first: fixed, convertible or lifted over a garage. It shapes everything else.
- Plan the weight of every part, with water tanks counted full, against your payload.
- Mock up the floor plan before cutting, and leave service access to pumps and wiring.
- Put a working CO alarm and smoke alarm in the plan; U.S. fire officials say every RV should have both.
What order should I plan a van build in?
- Measure the cargo length, width at floor and at shoulder height, interior height, and wheel-well size.
- List how you live: how many sleep, whether you work inside, cook inside, need a shower, carry bikes or boards.
- Choose the bed, because it is the biggest object. Crosswise saves length, lengthwise is easier to get out of, lifted makes a garage.
- Place the heavy and wet things: water tanks, battery bank, fridge. Low and between the axles where you can.
- Fit the rest: galley, seating, storage and walkways.
- Plan systems: electrical runs, ventilation, water lines and where you’ll reach each one for repairs.
What layout mistakes do people regret?
- No service access to the water pump, fuse box or battery terminals.
- Underestimating weight, especially water at about 8.3 pounds per gallon.
- A walkway too narrow to pass when two people are inside.
- Too little ventilation over the cooktop and bed.
- Storage that only opens when the bed is made up, or only when it isn’t.
Builders on RME list lessons one per line, for example “Mock up the floor plan before cutting. Leave service access around the water pump.”
Which safety items belong in the layout?
The U.S. Fire Administration says “All RVs should have working CO and smoke alarms installed inside” and to test them monthly; it also advises checking propane lines and pointing generator exhaust away from the vehicle (USFA (opens in a new tab)). The Consumer Product Safety Commission warns never to use fuel-burning portable heaters or lanterns while sleeping in vehicles (CPSC (opens in a new tab)).
Plan where alarms mount, where propane is stored and vented, and where a fire extinguisher hangs, before the walls go in. Have electrical and gas work checked by someone qualified.
How does Van Blueprints help plan a layout?
- Top-down floor plans for Sprinters, Transits, ProMasters, skoolies, box trucks and trailers, or a custom rig with your measured cargo length, width and interior height.
- Each part has a height and a distance off the floor, so a bed can sit over the wheel wells and a garage under it.
- Tap any measurement and type 24, 2′ 3½″ or 60 cm; maths like 24 + 1 1/2 works too.
- Give parts a weight (count tanks full) and the plan shows build weight against your rig’s payload.
- Export SVG or PNG with dimensions, plus a CSV parts list with sizes and weights.
Vehicle builds and Van Blueprints are included with a free RME account. The app shows current plan details. Available on the App Store for iPhone and on Google Play for Android.
See Van builds for real builds with specs, materials and lessons.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best van layout?
The one that fits how you live. Start with how many people sleep inside, whether you work or cook inside, and what gear you carry, then choose the bed position and fit the rest around it.
How much does water weigh in a van build?
About 8.3 pounds per gallon, so a 20-gallon tank adds roughly 166 pounds when full. Count tanks full when you plan weight.
Is there a free van layout planner?
RME’s Van Blueprints draws top-down floor plans to the inch with part heights, weights and exports. Vehicle builds and Van Blueprints are included with a free RME account. The app shows current plan details.
Do I need a CO alarm in my van?
The U.S. Fire Administration says all RVs should have working CO and smoke alarms inside, tested monthly. If you have any fuel-burning appliance, plan one in.
Sources
Sources and further reading are listed below. Research dates and any illustrative assumptions are identified in the article. Tell us at support@roammeetexplore.com if something has changed.
Disclosure: RME publishes this page. We make RME. Other apps, events and tours mentioned are run by their respective organizations. Check their current details before making plans.