Slide the Rear Bench to Free Up Cargo Space in the VW T7 Chesil

Slide the rear bench in the Vanworx Chesil and you change how much room is behind the seat and how much is in front of it. A camping van that carries passengers and luggage during the week gets two different ways to use the same floor.

Vanworx offers the Chesil on several platforms, including the Volkswagen T7. In the T7 conversion, the sliding bench sits next to a fixed side kitchen and below a pop-top roof.

One bench, three different jobs

On the road, the rear bench is the second row. When parked, it helps define the lounge, with both front seats able to turn back toward it. The bench also converts into the lower bed. Vanworx pairs it with a roof bed, and lists seating for five and sleeping space for four for the Chesil layout.

Vanworx lists a 118-centimeter RIB bed for the Chesil, just under 47 inches wide. That’s the downstairs bed made from the bench. The roof bed gives some of the group a separate place to sleep. If you plan to use both beds, set up the lower one first on a walkthrough so you can see what room is left to reach the roof.

Moving the seat shifts the boundary between the cabin and the rear cargo area. Check where the bench locks for driving and what you can reach from each parked position.

Picture a weekend with a cooler and a pair of duffels in the back. A bench position that leaves room to stack them behind the seats on the way to camp may give you a smaller lounge when you arrive. Once you unload, slide the bench to see how much of the cabin you gain and what the table position feels like.

The kitchen stays put

With the kitchen fixed along one side, the same seat movement changes how much room you have to sit, pass through the aisle, or open a cabinet.

Test the galley with the bench forward and back. You’ll learn more by trying to open the fridge or walk past someone at the counter than by comparing two photos of the empty van. Do the same test with the seat folded into a bed. The floor can feel quite different once the mattress is out and bedding is in place.

Vanworx’s walkthrough is useful for comparing those spaces. Pay particular attention to the gap between the rear bench and the galley when the seat is in different positions.

What the sliding layout buys you

A fixed rear bed makes sense when you want to get in and sleep as soon as you park. The Chesil’s lower bed takes a changeover, but it gives the second row a real job during the day. For a van that handles weekday trips as well as camping, that dual use is the design feature to look at first.

Once the bench is back in passenger mode, the bedding needs a place to go. If the van gets used for school runs or errands, check where the pillows and blankets fit without taking a seat or occupying the whole rear cargo area. Try the changeover with the rest of your luggage still inside.

Photo Vanworx.