When you’re taking a look at the various campervans on the market, something that you may find the ‘van you’re looking at comes with is a rock ‘n’ roll bed. But what exactly is a rock ‘n’ roll bed and what are the pros and cons of such an arrangement?
A rock ‘n’ roll bed is made up by rocking the bench seat forwards and then lowering the back to make it up, and then rolling it back into its usual position during the day – hence the name.
This type of bed is generally found in what is known as the ‘classic VW-style’ campervan layout. This arrangement sees the bench seat extend across the back of the campervan, while the kitchen and storage go down one side. The first company to make use of this arrangement was Volkswagen, hence the naming, but you’re actually going to find both the layout and the rock ‘n’ roll beds in a wide range of base vehicles, including the Ford Transit Custom and Renault Trafic.
Knowing how to make camper van beds more comfortable is a crucial element of having a refreshing night’s sleep. As a result, we would recommend thinking about getting the best mattress topper for a VW campervan if your ‘van has a rock ‘n’ roll bed and you’re finding it a bit uncomfortable. This is because they do not provide the smooth surface that you would get from a roof bed, for instance, with the mattress topper subsequently offering that bit of extra support to help you get a better night’s sleep.
The big advantage of such a setup is the practicality it provides – the classic VW-style layout it is generally seen in works very well if you want to use your campervan as an everyday vehicle, for instance.
However, a rock ‘n’ roll bed can actually require quite a strong tug to get into position, so we would suggest they could be a less suitable sleeping set up for the more frail ‘van owner. Watch out for your fingers when you’re rocking and rolling it too!
Something else we’d highlight is models with a rock ‘n’ roll bed and such a layout generally do not have washrooms, so you’re instead relying on the best portable toilet for a campervan.
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