Bunks are where the magic happens on a big lap, or where it falls apart at 2am when a kid rolls off the top, gets cold, or can’t get comfortable. The bunk itself came with your van. What you put in it, and how you set it up, makes the difference between kids who sleep through and kids who wake the whole park.
This guide covers bedding that actually fits caravan bunks, the products worth buying, and set-up tricks that keep kids warm, safe, and sleeping. Bunk mattresses are thin, spaces are tight, and standard bedroom bedding doesn’t fit. Here’s what works.
Understanding Caravan Bunk Sizes
Before you buy a single sheet, measure your bunks. Caravan bunks are almost never a standard mattress size. Most fall between a single (92cm x 188cm) and something smaller, with lengths often cut to 175cm or 180cm to fit the van layout.
Common bunk sizes you’ll run into:
| Bunk Type | Typical Size | Best Sheet Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Standard caravan bunk | 76cm x 180cm | King single (trimmed) or custom |
| Wider family van bunk | 86cm x 188cm | King single fitted sheet |
| Toddler/lower bunk | 70cm x 150cm | Cot or custom sheet |
Measure the length, width, AND depth of the mattress. Bunk mattresses are often only 5cm to 10cm thick, so standard fitted sheets with deep pockets bunch up and slip off. You want shallow-fit sheets.
Upgrading The Bunk Mattress
The mattress your van came with is the single biggest reason kids sleep badly on a big lap. Factory bunk mattresses are usually 5cm of cheap foam over a hard base. Adults might tolerate that on a spare bed for a weekend. Kids sleeping in it for two years won’t.
You have two options: replace the mattress, or add a topper. For most families, a topper is the smarter move. It’s cheaper, keeps the weight down, and you can still fold the original away if the bunk doubles as storage.
~$60
Add a waterproof mattress protector under the sheet on every kids’ bunk, even for older children. Spilled drinks, car sickness, and the occasional accident are far easier to deal with when the mattress itself stays dry.
The Best Bedding For Bunks
Regular doonas and top sheets are a nightmare in bunks. They slide off, tangle, and end up on the floor. The gear that works in a caravan bunk is different from what works at home.
Sleeping bags and bunk liners
The best set-up for younger kids is a fitted sheet plus a kid-sized sleeping bag. No top sheet, no doona to kick off. The child gets in, zips up, and stays covered all night. It also makes bed-making a two-second job, which matters when you’re packing up to move on.
Doonas that stay put
If your kids are past the sleeping bag stage and want a doona, buy a lightweight single doona and use a fitted doona clip or a zip-around cover that attaches to the fitted sheet. Some families sew press-studs onto the doona cover and the fitted sheet so the bedding can’t slide off the bunk.
Pillows
Skip the full-size adult pillow. It takes up half the bunk and pushes kids’ heads into the ceiling of the upper bunk. A junior or travel-size pillow is the right fit. Memory foam travel pillows hold their shape and don’t flatten out after a few months on the road.
- Shallow-fit fitted sheet: jersey cotton stretches to fit non-standard bunk sizes.
- Waterproof protector: one per bunk, non-negotiable.
- Sleeping bag or clipped doona: bedding that can’t slide onto the floor.
- Junior pillow: full-size pillows are too bulky for bunks.
- Two of everything: laundry days on the road are unpredictable.
Bunk Safety Set-Ups
Upper bunks are usually 1.2 to 1.5 metres off the floor. A kid rolling out mid-sleep, or missing the last rung of the ladder in the dark, is a real risk. Get the safety set-up right before you leave home.
Children under nine should not sleep on the top bunk. This is the Australian standard recommendation for bunk beds, and it applies just as much in a caravan. Put younger kids on the lower bunk.
Bunk rails and safety netting
Most caravan bunks come with a rail or a mesh barrier along the open side. Check it’s secure and sits high enough. If your van only has a low rail, add a caravan bunk safety net that clips across the full length of the bunk. These stop kids and their bedding from rolling out.
Reading lights and night lights
A small USB-powered LED light strip along each bunk gives kids their own light for reading and settling. A dim night light at the base of the ladder means no one is climbing down in the pitch black. Battery or USB motion-sensor lights work well and use almost no power.
Warm-white LED strips (around 3000K) are far better for winding down than the harsh blue-white ones. Kids settle faster and it doesn’t wreck everyone’s night vision when you’re checking on them.
Storage And Bunk Organisation
Bunk space is tight and kids accumulate stuff fast. Give each child a hanging organiser so their bunk becomes their own little zone. Fabric hanging shoe organisers, hung from the bunk rail, hold books, torches, water bottles, soft toys, and tablets.
~$20
A small bottle of water in each bunk pocket saves the midnight trek. So does a torch. Giving kids ownership over their little space cuts down the “I need…” requests once lights are out.
Keeping Kids Warm (Or Cool)
Bunks sit against the outer wall of the van, so they cop the cold in winter and the heat in summer. Temperature management matters more in a bunk than in the main bed.
Cold nights
In the desert and the alps, van interiors drop close to outside temperatures overnight. A wool underlay under the fitted sheet adds warmth from below, where kids lose most of their heat. Pair it with a season-appropriate sleeping bag and a beanie for the really cold nights. Free-camping through central Australia in winter, you’ll want more insulation than you’d expect.
Hot nights
Top bunks turn into ovens in the tropics because heat rises. A 12V bunk fan clipped to the rail moves air across sleeping kids and makes a huge difference when you’re free-camping without mains power for the air-con. Swap to cotton or bamboo sheets in summer and ditch the sleeping bag for a light sheet.
- Measure your bunks before buying anything. They’re rarely a standard mattress size.
- A 5cm memory foam topper fixes the hard factory mattress for around $60.
- Sleeping bags beat doonas for younger kids: they can’t slide onto the floor and bed-making takes seconds.
- Use jersey cotton king single fitted sheets, a waterproof protector, and junior pillows.
- Keep kids under nine off the top bunk, and add rails or safety netting.
- Manage temperature with wool underlays in winter and 12V bunk fans in summer.
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