A Ram ProMaster With Room for Two Mountain Bikes Under the Bed

Ready.Set.Van builds the rear of its Basecamper around a pair of mountain bikes. The company says the standard garage fits two downhill bikes, with a raised bed above them that stays ready overnight.

Basecamper is a conversion for the 159-inch-wheelbase, high-roof Ram ProMaster 2500. It shows what happens when bike storage is part of the floor plan from day one, with the garage, bed height, and rear-door access designed together.

Start with the bikes, then put a bed above them

Two bikes need more than a broad opening. The handlebars, pedals, and front wheels all determine how the bikes can sit next to each other. The builder’s example tells you what the standard setup is meant to carry. Measure your own bikes, including the arrangement you intend to travel with, before settling on the layout.

Start with the rear door opening and the height of the bikes as they’ll be carried. A pair of wide handlebars can overlap when the bikes stand together. Try the actual arrangement you plan to use, including any mounts or front wheels you’d remove, and see whether the bike farthest from the door can come out on its own.

Above the bikes, the raised platform keeps the bed ready overnight. The trade-off is a higher step into bed and less room to sit up. Before settling on a height, check where you could put your feet as you climb without stepping on anything stored in the aisle.

Use a piece of foam or a spare cushion the thickness of the mattress on a mock platform, then sit up. Leave room for finished ceiling panels or anything that will hang down above the bed. If you like to read there or get dressed on the mattress, try those movements, too.

The rear is a staging area, too

At the rear doors, the builder groups the bike storage with power outlets and an outdoor shower. That gives you a place to rinse off after a ride before crossing the galley in muddy shoes. Check where you can stand to use the shower with the doors open.

The garage outlets include AC, 12-volt, and USB connections. Think about what will actually charge there and whether you can reach the outlets with both bikes loaded. A bike light or a small pump is easier to top up if you don’t have to move a wheel or reach through a rack first.

A rider can use the rear doors to unload the bikes without bringing them through the galley. Give helmets, shoes, and wet layers a place on the garage side of that divide.

Measure the space with the bed made

Include the mattress and bedding when you compare bed height against the garage. Also check how you would get a bike out when the other one is still inside. For other ways to share a van between sleeping and gear, see our guide to camper van bed layouts.

Measure space for the gear that travels with the bikes too. A pump, tool kit, and helmet may fit in the gaps, but you’ll want to reach them while the bikes are still loaded. A garage that’s just big enough for the frames can be more work to use than a layout that leaves room along one side.