Converting the VW T2 'Bulli'
Every number you need before the first cut: load area dimensions, weights and axle loads — plus the calculation nobody else makes: what actually remains for the conversion after the legally required remaining payload.
For the conversion
860 kg
Payload minus the legally required remaining payload with 2 seats.
Usable interior width
152 cm
After 25 mm of insulation and panelling per side.
Height above the floor
135 cm
After a 50 mm floor build-up.
Weights and axle loads
The legally required remaining payload is (seats − 1) × 75 kg + 10 kg × (seats + vehicle length in metres), under DIN EN 1646-2 and Regulation (EU) 1230/2012.
Dimensions
The load area width applies at its widest point. Between the wheel arches it is considerably narrower — anyone planning a crosswise bed there usually builds it over the arches.
What fits inside
Sleeping crosswise works up to roughly 147 cm in height — calculated with 5 cm added for pillows and movement.
Lengthwise, length is not the hurdle: 260 cm of usable length is enough for any height. What matters here is what is left over — at 1.85 m tall that is 75 cm behind the bed for kitchen, bathroom and storage.
There is no standing height here: 135 cm remain above the finished floor. This is a vehicle for sitting, kneeling and a pop-top roof.
What matters with this vehicle
Between the kerb weight (1,300 kg) and the gross vehicle weight (2,300 kg) there are 1,000 kg. With two seats you must keep 140 kg of that free for people and luggage — leaving 860 kg for insulation, furniture, equipment and water. With four seats it is only 690 kg.
The permitted axle loads add up to 2,310 kg, which is 10 kg more than the gross vehicle weight. So you cannot use both axles to the full — the gross weight is reached first.
The smaller reserve is on the front axle: empty it sits at 550 kg, 1,010 kg are permitted. That leaves 460 kg — and those go faster than the 1,000 kg of total payload suggest, because heavy furniture rarely sits in the middle.
The shell alone costs weight: roof, side walls and rear doors add up to around 15.4 m². With 19 mm Armaflex that is about 18 kg, before a single piece of furniture is in the vehicle.
From data sheet to floor plan
In the app you draw bed, kitchen and bathroom to scale into exactly this vehicle — including wheel arches, sliding door and roof taper. Weight, axle loads and centre of gravity are calculated while you plan.
Open the app in your browserCarry on with these numbers
All calculators are free and need no account — the VW T2 'Bulli' is already stored there as a vehicle.
Frequently asked questions
How much payload does the VW T2 'Bulli' have?
Between the kerb weight (1,300 kg) and the gross vehicle weight (2,300 kg) there are 1,000 kg. Part of that has to stay free for people and luggage, as the standard requires.
How much weight is left for the conversion?
With two seats 860 kg, with four only 690 kg — the payload minus the legally required remaining payload under DIN EN 1646-2.
Does a crosswise bed fit in the VW T2 'Bulli'?
No. Crosswise it only works up to roughly 147 cm in height — for most people that leaves the lengthwise bed.
Can you stand up in the VW T2 'Bulli'?
No. Above the finished floor only 135 cm remain — enough for sitting and kneeling, not for standing.
Further reading
The values come from the vehicle catalogue in the VanLogic app: manufacturer data sheets and the ADAC vehicle catalogue, merged for the common model years of a series. Kerb weights vary by several dozen kilos depending on equipment, and uprating changes both gross weight and axle loads. What counts is your registration document.