Transverse fixed bed
A 7m low-profile with space, payload and a garage to suit family use
Beds that lay across the motorhome
The oldest of all fixed bed layouts, but today perhaps one of the least popular, except in larger van conversions (Fiat Ducato and similar) where it is a best seller on the Continent and has also racked up good sales over here. You’ll find this format in van conversions from almost all of the major European brands – not just campervan specialists like Dreamer, Globecar and Westfalia but also names better known for their coachbuilts, including Hobby, Hymer, Knaus, Pilote and Rapido.
Transverse beds are also seen in a number of continental compact low-profiles, where this design lends itself to the shorter body lengths involved. Often these models are narrower than the coachbuilt norm of 2.30m/2.35m, with their slimline width (typically 2.10m) making them a practical but roomier alternative to campervans.
The layout is as much about the storage below
the bed as the bed itself. These models will often boast some of the most spacious garage storage. Check weight limits in the garage, though (dictated by chassis extensions and rear axle limits), if you want to carry lots of stuff, or something like a small motorbike. It’s not unusual for coachbuilts’ garages to be limited to 150kg.
Bed length, too, is a factor: where lengthways beds can sometimes be short, these widthways berths – occupying the full breadth of the vehicle – are habitually more than two metres long in coachbuilts. But don’t forget that the person sleeping against the wall will have to clamber over their partner for a night-time loo visit.
Beds in high-top van conversions are shorter (because the vehicles are narrower), but still usually achieve lengths of at least 1.83m (6ft). Van conversions, however, have the advantage of
rear doors that open wide to receive your holiday gear in their underbed load areas. Beds usually split and fold, too (or sometimes rise all-of-apiece electrically), thus allowing the loading of taller items, such as bikes. If this aspect is important then check out how each manufacturer has developed the storage area, as they differ in practicality. Note that some models on Ford, Mercedes or VW have external pods or bed extension mechanisms on the sides to create a longer bed in these narrow vans.
If you’re in the market for something that’s compact with maximum stowage for bicycles or sports gear, or if you want a van conversion with the comfort of a fixed bed, this could be the layout. If you want a family ’van with masses of storage, you’ll also find some overcab coachbuilts that offer maximum load-carrying potential.
You might have thought that the transverse rear fixed bed had fallen out of favour in coachbuilts but Chausson has added one to its 2021-season line-up in the form of the new 644. It’s a sub-7m motorhome that feels spacious but with a useful saving in overall length compared with, say, garage models with twin beds above.
With its Smart Lounge, you won’t be surprised to find side-facing sofas up front, which help with that open feel inside. Unusually, though, the settees can be converted into five travel seats, rather than the usual four. And, with a drop-down bed over the lounge as well as the rear bedroom, the 644 could work as a family motorhome. An optional fifth berth is available, too.
Available on Ford Transit or Fiat Ducato and in three trim levels, it’s the entry-level First Line that we’re focusing on here. Despite the keen price, it comes with cab air-con, two airbags, swivel cab seats with twin armrests, cruise control, a DAB radio, panoramic skylight, diesel-fired blown-air heating and a flyscreen on the habitation door.
The central kitchen includes a 134-litre fridge/
freezer, while the washroom includes a separate shower. It’s the rear bedroom that will be the reason to buy, though, along with the garage space below. There are wardrobes under the end of the bed on each side and, in between, there’s access to the garage from the living area. A window is fitted at the offside but the nearside bedroom wall is unglazed so you can sit up comfortably in bed. The mattress measurements are 2.05m by 1.38m – great if you’re tall.