VW T6 Kombi Removable Bed & Shelf System — No Drilling

The Problem

The owner needed a low-cost, removable bed and shelf system for a VW T6 Kombi SWB that required no permanent fixings or drilled holes in the van body. The structure also had to fit tightly around the curved wheel arches and tapered sidewalls while maximising usable interior width.

Solution

1. Use a tick stick or the van's existing rubber floor mat to trace the wheel arch curves and tapered sidewalls onto cardboard or lining wallpaper, creating accurate floor templates. Build one side box template first, then mirror it for the opposite side.

   • This is the most time-consuming step, but getting it right is what makes the final fit tight.

2. Cut two side box units and a centre bed board from 18mm plywood using a track saw with a straight-edge for long cuts and a jigsaw with a fresh blade for curves. Sand all cut edges smooth with an electric sander.

   • A cordless circular saw is a capable alternative to a track saw for the straight cuts.

3. Assemble the side box carcasses using a pocket screw jig for strong, hidden joinery, adding internal horizontal and triangular bracing pieces to prevent fore-and-aft racking. Optionally glue the joints for additional rigidity.

   • Box height should match the Kombi rear seat height so the bed platform sits level.

4. Check that the vertical curved supports on the side boxes do not contact the wheel arches, especially after adding any sound-deadening material to the arches. Trim the curves back as needed to eliminate rubbing and noise.

5. Apply two coats of black decking paint or stain to all exposed plywood surfaces before carpeting. This is more durable than leaving raw wood and gives a cleaner look in any uncarpeted areas used for wet or muddy gear.

6. Carpet the top panels and all visible surfaces using contact or spray adhesive, allowing around two aerosol cans for the job.

   • Rear quarter panels can optionally be replaced with thinner 4–6mm ply and carpeted for a factory finish.

7. Locate the van's existing floor anchor points (the factory tie-down/lashing eyes set into the floor rails), then fit the side boxes and centre board over them, retaining the original tie-down hardware on top of the wood. Because the ply base raises the hardware by its own thickness (18mm), you must replace the original anchor bolts with longer bolts of the same thread, diameter and grade so that thread engagement into the captive floor nut is fully restored. The factory eyes are a load-bearing, safety-critical fixing, so do not guess: measure the original bolt's thread and length, then source replacements of matching diameter and pitch in high-tensile steel (grade 8.8 or better), longer by the 18mm ply thickness plus full original engagement, and torque them to the manufacturer's figure. Confirm the correct thread size, bolt grade and torque value with a VW dealer or the official workshop manual before fitting (verify before ordering). This locks the entire structure to the floor without drilling any new holes.

8. Rest the removable centre bed panel on 7cm-wide shelves recessed into the inner faces of both side box uprights. If the side boxes are not perfectly parallel, taper both edges of the centre panel to create a wedge fit.

   • Panel width will vary by build. The figure is not fixed because the SWB Kombi sidewalls taper inwards towards the roof and the side boxes are built to wrap around the wheel arches, so the gap between the two boxes depends on how far each box has to stand off the van wall. Measure the actual gap on your own van at shelf height: a wider standing-off (more clearance around bulky arch trim or sound-deadening) gives a narrower centre panel of around 80cm, while boxes that sit tighter to the walls leave a gap closer to 106cm.

9. Fit elastic cargo nets inside the open sides of the boxes to retain loose items during transit, and add tie-down eyelets inside the boxes for securing gear. Optionally mount a board to the rear bulkhead for hanging helmets or hats, and fit a rear window blind for stealth camping.