Van Bulkhead: Should You Keep It or Remove It?

Whether to keep or remove the van bulkhead, the panel that separates the driving cab from the living area, is one of the most decisive choices in any conversion. There is no universal right answer: it depends on how you use the van, how sensitive you are to cold, how many people travel with you and the shape of your vehicle. This guide sets out the real trade-offs, from light and perceived space to thermal insulation and interior layout, so you can decide with confidence.

What does the original bulkhead do?

The original bulkhead is the metal wall that separates the driving cab (front seats, windscreen, front side windows) from the usable space at the rear. On medium-wheelbase, high-roof vans such as the Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer, Renault Master and Mercedes Sprinter, it often includes a standard opening of around 90 × 40 cm, which some owners enlarge or remove entirely.

The bulkhead plays two structural roles:

• Thermal insulation: it forms a physical barrier between the poorly insulated front (windscreen and windows) and the rear, where you live.
• Layout: its rear face is often used to mount a worktop, a sink or vertical storage.

Your decision comes down to weighing these two functions against the freedom of a single open space.

Keeping the bulkhead: the advantages

Noticeably better insulation

This is the most important point for anyone using their van in cold weather. The driving cab is extremely hard to insulate: a windscreen is still a windscreen, and the front side windows are not designed to block heat transfer. With the bulkhead in place and properly insulated, typically with a closed-cell product such as Armaflex on its panels, you create a buffer zone. Heat transfer between front and rear is greatly reduced and your heater works far more efficiently. Without a bulkhead, even with insulated blinds over the windscreen, you will never reach the same level of insulation. It is a simple physical reality: a closed, insulated volume holds heat, while an open volume with a large glazed area loses it.

A ready-made worktop

The rear face of the bulkhead is an ideal surface for a kitchenette: sink, hob, worktop and vertical storage. Because no through-access is needed there (apart from the 90 × 40 cm opening), you reclaim valuable usable space. This is typically where the sink, utensils and dry-goods storage live. In a medium van where every centimetre counts, that surface can be the difference between a functional kitchen and a compromise.

Keeping the bulkhead: the drawbacks

Reduced light

The bulkhead blocks the natural light that comes in through the windscreen and front windows. The standard 90 × 40 cm opening lets some daylight through, but the tunnel effect is still noticeable, especially if you spend daytime hours inside. Some converters remove even that opening, closing the bulkhead completely, which leaves the living area lit only by the side windows and roof lights.

A smaller-feeling living space

Beyond light, it is the sense of space that changes. A closed bulkhead visually shortens the living volume: the eye only sees the rear area, whereas the windscreen could add several metres of visual depth. For anyone who spends a lot of time indoors, that difference can matter.

Removing the bulkhead: the advantages

A larger living space

On a medium-wheelbase van, removing the bulkhead transforms the sense of interior volume. The windscreen becomes a large visual opening to the outside, and the living area extends all the way to the front. Practically, it also lets you fit swivel seats: turned to face the rear, the front seats create a genuine lounge for four people, not four sleeping berths, but four who can gather in the vehicle for a meal or a break.

Easier movement front to back

Without a bulkhead, you move freely from one zone to the other without ducking through a narrow opening. That everyday comfort is welcome, particularly for couples with children or for anyone who stops often for short breaks without getting out of the vehicle.

Removing the bulkhead: the drawback not to ignore

Heat transfer becomes significant

A windscreen and front side windows are simply not designed to be insulated. Even with foams, thermal blinds or cab covers, you will never match the insulation of a closed bulkhead treated with closed-cell insulation. The result: in winter, the cab cools quickly and drags the rest of your living space down with it. Your heater runs harder, you use more energy, and the gap between outside and inside temperatures plateaus sooner. If you plan to use your van in cold conditions (mountains, out of season), this is a central factor. Compensate as much as possible with insulation on all your panels and effective thermal blinds over the windscreen.

How to decide for your situation

Keep the bulkhead if:

• You use your van in winter or in the mountains
• You want a full kitchenette with a sink and vertical storage
• You travel as a couple and do not need a lounge for four
• Thermal insulation is a priority

Remove the bulkhead if:

• You want to maximise the feeling of living space, especially on a medium-wheelbase van
• You are fitting swivel seats for a sociable lounge
• You travel mainly in milder seasons
• Light and a sense of space are your priorities
• You are prepared to compensate for the lost insulation with a more powerful heater and good thermal blinds

The middle-ground solutions

Some converters opt for a compromise:

• Keep part of the bulkhead on the kitchenette side only, and open up the other half
• Fit a removable partition (a thick thermal curtain or a demountable panel) to gain insulation in winter and space in summer
• Boost cab insulation with a set of thermal cab covers and multi-layer windscreen blinds

None of these matches a fixed, insulated bulkhead, but they allow a seasonal trade-off.

Frequently asked questions

Should I remove the bulkhead in my converted van?

It depends on your priorities. If thermal insulation and the ability to fit a kitchenette come first, keep it. If living space, light and sociability for four come first, remove it. There is no universal right answer.

What is the standard opening size in a van bulkhead?

On most medium-wheelbase, high-roof vans (Ducato, Boxer, Master, Sprinter), the original opening is around 90 × 40 cm. Some converters keep it, others enlarge it or remove it completely.

Can you insulate the cab of a van without a bulkhead?

You can limit losses with thermal blinds over the windscreen and front side windows, insulating seat covers and thick floor mats. But the result will never equal a closed bulkhead treated with closed-cell insulation. The windscreen remains an uninsulated glazed surface by design.

How do you fit a sink on a van bulkhead?

The rear face of the bulkhead is a solid surface for mounting a kitchen unit that includes a sink, hob, storage and worktop. You usually keep the 90 × 40 cm opening for access and build the unit around it.

Swivel seats: do you have to remove the bulkhead?

To use swivel seats fully (rotating 180° to face the rear), it is generally necessary to remove the bulkhead. Some vans allow partial rotation despite the bulkhead, but comfort and safety in use are reduced.

So, which is right for you?

The van bulkhead is a trade-off between insulation and layout on one side and space and light on the other. Neither option is inherently better; it all depends on how you intend to use the van. Before you cut anything out or close it up for good, ask yourself three questions: will I use my van in cold weather? Does my interior layout need the worktop the bulkhead provides? Is the feeling of living space an essential criterion for me? Answer those honestly, and the right choice will be clear.