How to Add an Extra Sleeping Space in RV? Here are 10 Ways

The average RV has sleeping arrangements for two to six people. What happens if you want to fit even more people into the vehicle? What are your options if you want to create an extra sleeping space in RV?

We’ll share a few tips no matter what type of vehicle you have and who you need to create a bed for.

How to add an extra space for sleeping in an RV?


01. Hammocks

Hammocks are an excellent way to create extra sleeping space. Your guests may or may not be able to hang out from a support strut in the vehicle, but they can sleep in a hammock swinging from a tree at the campsite you park at.

The benefits of hammocks include being lightweight, easy to store, and fun. You could even grab a family-sized hammock to sleep parents and children together.

A few versions have built-in mosquito netting, so it is a comfortable alternative to a tent.

02. Collapsible Bunk Beds

Collapsible bunk beds fit in the space taken up by one cot, but it lets two people sleep there. When it is collapsed down, it can serve as a couch. It may or may not fit under the dining area table, though this limits your ability to sit there while traveling.

Know that these are only designed to support children.

03. Cab Bed

There are RVs that come with a bed built into the space over the driver’s cab. For the rest of us, you could consider buying a cab bed. This product turns the space over the driver’s cab into a bed.

Expect it to sleep one small adult or one to two small children.

04. Car Mattresses

A car mattress is a new product that fits into the back passenger seat of your car to create a sleeping space. It has extra supports where the seat drops off to create something as stable as an air mattress on a flat surface.

This could turn the back seat of your car into a sleeping area, if your guests are driving their own vehicle. Depending on the version, it could also turn the floor where there is a step down into a de facto bed.

05. Air Mattresses

Air mattresses are versatile, light weight, and turn any surface into a sleeping area. Benefits of air mattresses include the ability to enhance the existing RV mattress or turn a cargo space into a sleeping area, assuming there is enough ventilation.

This is the best option if your guests want to sleep in a metal truck bed.

06. Pillows Plus the Car Seats

If the driver and passenger seats recline back enough to be comfortable, your company could sleep in the two seats in the front of the RV. Use pillows to support your back and neck, and it can be a comfortable arrangement.

Another option is turning the driver and passenger seats toward each other and building a de facto sleeping platform between them.

Break out the sleeping bag to serve as a blanket. If all else fails, they can sleep in the sleeping bag on the floor between the seats or the aisle of the RV.

Note that if your child has a car seat, you could let them sleep in that, too. After all, they probably already nap in it.

07. A Murphy Bed

Murphy beds refer to the beds that stow against the wall when not in use. They were a fixture of older New York City apartments. They are more often found in camper vans than RVs.

However, some RVs already have one built into the vehicle as a space for additional sleepers. You might be able to build one.

The greatest benefits of the Murphy bed are the customization options and how much floor space the free up.

08. The Dining Booth Bed

This is another feature regularly found in RVs – the dining booth that turns into a bed. In these cases, the table can be lowered or collapsed onto the floor.

The dining booth cushions become the basis for a bed. That bed is always as large as a twin bed and may be as large as a queen sized bed.

One benefit of this approach is that it can support a heavy adult, whereas some of the options on our list may not support a 400 pound man or two medium sized adults.

The other benefit of the dining booth bed is that it doesn’t require agility to use. Someone collapses down the dining table and lays out the cushions. Then sit down, lie down, and go to sleep. That’s a far better choice for Mom or Grandma than trying to climb into a sleeping area over the cab.

If the table top in your RV isn’t made to be lowered, you can replace it with one that does. Then switch out the pillows and pads to ones that fit the space and can double as the basis for a mattress.

What about the sofa? 

The sofa in many RVs is made to serve as an extra sleeping area. You may have to remove the cushions for someone to be able to sleep on it just as you would for the dining table bed.

You can always add blankets and pillows and ask a child or small adult to sleep there. Depending on the arrangement, you might be able to use a car bed to turn the sofa into a more comfortable sleeping area.

In fact, if you can’t find the extra beds your RV was supposed to have, it may be the sofa in the living room, especially if it is next to the dining table.

09. Cots

The cots in this case are the same ones you could use to sleep outside or inside a tent. They’re lightweight. They’re versatile.

The downside is the floor space they take up. You might be able to fit a cot in at the foot of the master bed or set it beside the lowered dining room table/bed. Depending on the model of the RV, it might fit behind the seats in the cab.

Do not use a cot as a de facto bunk bed unless it specifically states it can do that. If your cab is wide enough, you could probably fit a cot between the driver and passenger side seats.

10. The Portable Crib

This is obviously a solution limited to young children, but its importance can’t be overlooked. A portable crib can contain a young child. It may be located at the foot of another bed or tucked into the aisle of the vehicle.

This arrangement means you have one less person to have to find a sleeping place for. The portable crib can be collapsed and stored when not in use, and you can set it up outside if necessary.

Or it could sit in the corner of the master bedroom so that parents are close to the child but don’t have to worry about a toddler wandering around the RV in the middle of the night.

Conclusion

If you need extra sleeping space in your RV, we’ve shared almost a dozen options. We’ve tried to provide tips that help you whether you need to find space for four kids to sleep to that guest you didn’t originally plan on bringing along.

John S.
 

Hello guys! I'm a 37-years-old author, traveler, writer, blogger, and a camper. I enjoy life as much as I can and love to visit beautiful places in my RV. That's why while traveling I have decided to dedicate some time to share my experiences with everyone that might be interested in traveling, camping, and RVs.

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