🚐 Van Life Bedroom Essentials: My Must-Haves & Upgrades Made
This is a checklist of all my Van Life Must Have RV BEDROOM Essentials, Accessories & Optional Upgrades I made to mine!
If you didn’t know, we have two RVs — one is our RV van for traveling, and the other is our stationary travel trailer, which lives full-time at an RV park (it NEVER moves!).
Our van is a 2012–2013 Pleasure Way Excel TS (built on a Ford chassis), and we’ve outfitted it with all the van life essentials to support our travels while working on the road, living in an RV van — along with 5 dogs and 1 cat! 🐾
But trust me, it didn’t happen overnight. It has taken over a year (and several van life adventures) to find, test, install, and upgrade everything to fit our Van Life bedroom needs. This is actually our 3rd van, so believe me when I say: every van and RV is different. What works in ours might not work in yours — but this will definitely give you a great head start.
>> 🚐 TAKE A TOUR of My RV Van and see all the items mentioned below here ⬇️
📝 RV Van Life Bedroom Essentials Checklist
This is MY RV Van Life Bedroom Essentials list, but you’ll want to customize it for your setup, your RV lifestyle, and personal comfort preferences. Whether you’re living full-time or taking weekend trips, here are our favorite RV bedroom upgrades, van life sleeping gear, and must-have accessories that make our small space feel cozy, functional, and homey.
🛏 RV Beds & Mattress Options
One of the biggest challenges in van life is finding the right bed setup. Traditional beds don’t always fit in a camper van, which is why many RVs come with custom-sized mattresses like RV Short Queen, Three-Quarter Size, or convertible bench beds. In our Pleasure Way Excel TS, we love the flexibility — the rear bench can be used as a couch for lounging during the day, or it folds down into a large sleeping space at night.
In our Pleasure Way Excel TS, we have a flexible sleeping setup:
- Sleep directly on the rear couch-style bench seat
- OR lay the couch flat to create:
- Two twin-ish beds
- One large “king-ish” bed with the center cushion divider
We recommend measuring your space and shopping for an RV-specific mattress online. Companies now offer custom cut RV mattresses, so you don’t have to settle for an uncomfortable night’s sleep.
💡 Van Life Tip: Foam toppers or mattress pads can also improve comfort without taking up much space.
🛌 Sheets & Bedding
Finding sheets that fit a non-traditional mattress can be tricky. We found success with a jersey-knit Queen/King fitted sheet set from Walmart. These have just enough stretch to fit various mattress shapes and include pillowcases, too.
The material is lightweight, breathable, soft, and patterned, perfect for both warm and cool weather. Plus, they’re easy to store in small RV laundry setups.
Always check your RV mattress dimensions before buying sheets! Better to be too big than too small.
🧼 Laundry Tip: Stick to patterns so it won’t show stains and won’t matter if everything matches to rotate between sets more easily.
😴 Sleeping Pillows & Specialty Support
We keep four standard-size sleeping pillows in our van — two each for me and my partner — and we rotate pillowcases regularly to keep things fresh.
But our favorite comfort upgrade is our knee pillows, which we snagged from Family Dollar. These are amazing for side sleepers, especially on firmer RV mattresses. We also use a specialty ear pillow ordered online to help relieve pressure during sleep — a game-changer if you’re sensitive or a light sleeper.
One other MUST HAVE pillow and problem solver we picked up online after loosing a pup behind the bed one night (true story) — a van life MUST HAVE essential for us is a LONG Triangle Crevice Pillow (to prevent pets and objects from falling behind the bed) — it reaches all the way from one side of the van to the other.
- 4x Standard Size Sleeping Pillows (with washable pillowcases)
- MUST HAVE: LONG Triangle Crevice Pillow (to prevent pets and objects from falling behind the bed)
- Upgrade: Knee pillows from Family Dollar — game changer for side sleepers!
- Upgrade: Specialty ear pillow (ordered online) for sensitive sleepers
🛏 Pro Tip: The right pillows can improve posture and reduce stiffness from long travel days, making van life more comfortable!
🧸 Extra Throw Pillows
Yes, we may have gone overboard — we carry 5–6 oversized throw pillows in our van! But they’re not just for looks.
We use them for:
- Back support when lounging
- Armrests or lap pillows while working or reading
- Additional sleeping support for our heads or knees
- AND the dogs absolutely love them 🐶
We suggest picking pillows with removable covers so you can toss them in the wash. Bonus if you find super-soft, plush ones that double as snuggle buddies in colder temps!
🧺 BLANKETS & COMFORTERS
Our go-to cozy blankets for van life include:
- Oversized Walmart fleece blankets (affordable and warm)
- Vera Bradley throws – stylish and surprisingly warm
- Big Blanket Co. Throw – this thing is 10 ft x 10 ft and perfect for chilly nights!
- Wintertime Essential: Double-person zero-degree sleeping bag – great for boondocking or freezing conditions.
🔌 BONUS COMFORT UPGRADES
Depending on your power setup (solar, inverter, shore power), consider these additions to level up your bedroom:
- Electric heated blankets (if you have enough power!)
- USB-powered fans or portable heaters for temperature control
- Blackout curtains or RV window shades for better sleep
🐶 Pet-Friendly RV Bedroom Essentials
With 4 dogs and 1 cat, we’ve found a few must-haves for keeping everyone comfy:
- Pet-friendly bedding that’s easy to wash (prints and patterns help stains or spots blend in)
- Extra throw blankets for pets
- Travel beds or pet cushions
>> Check out our Ultimate Guide To RVing With Pets (Cats + Dogs) Everything you need to know!
Final Thoughts
Setting up your RV van bedroom isn’t just about sleep — it’s about comfort, convenience, and creating a cozy space that truly feels like home on the road. Whether you’re just starting out or upgrading your current setup, I hope this list helps inspire your own version of Van Life Bedroom Essentials.
Remember: Every RV and van is different, and your needs will evolve the more you travel. Keep testing, upgrading, and customizing until your space works for YOU!
This is part of my Van Life Essentials series — check out the full checklist…
Get All My Van Life Essentials
Ultimate RV Checklist for Van Life: almost everything we keep in the RV van. All our Must-Have Essentials, Accessories & Optional Upgrades
- 🚐 Van Life Must Have Essentials for Driving Safe + Riding Comfy
- 🚐 Van Life: Must-Have RV Kitchen Essentials, Accessories & Upgrades
- 🚐 Van Life Bedroom Essentials: My Must-Haves & Upgrades Made
- 🚐 Van Life: My Must-Have RV Bathroom Essentials + Upgrades
- 🚐 Van Life Entertainment: Must-Haves for Watching TV in The RV
- 🚐 Van Life Essentials: My Must-Haves for Doing Laundry on the Road
- 🚐 Van Life: Storage Solutions, Ideas + RV Upgrades (Extra Space To Stowaway Non-Essentials)
- 🚐 What’s in My RV Closet? Van Life Wardrobe Essentials + Space-Saving Solutions
- 🚐 Van Life Pet Essentials: Must-Haves for RV Living (traveling with Dogs & Cats)
- 🚐 Van Life Hookup Essentials: Must-Have Electric, Water & Sewer Accessories for RV Living
>> SHOP all our Van Life Essentials in our RV STORE
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>> DOWNLOAD: My RV Essentials Checklist for all of these Must-Haves and More!
Related:
- How I Used To Sleep In My RV (the old model)
- How I Organize My RV Bedroom: Essentials + Ideas for Storage & Organization
