Grid Beam? WTF?

As much as I admire some of awesome carpentry skills used in camper van conversions, most use 2x4s and plywood to build boxes or cabinets, beds using 3/4"plywood permanently screwed to the sides of the van. Most of these seem to me to be taking a heavy vehicle and making it a lot heavier which leads to worse performance and gas milage. My whole theory of building a camper van is based on a (2"X 2"s) grid beam "cube" that is tightly fitted  inside the vehicle. This grid beam cube creates an frame to attach (and remove) camp furniture without modifying the vehicle you choose to use. The grid beams allow you to attach your stuff in hundreds of different positions.
Here are some pictures of grid beams:

Here are some pictures of cubes:

Ken Issacs, Architect relaxing at home in Chicago

From the book, Nomadic Furniture

You Tube has some good links to Grid Beam building techniques.


The camping furniture I prefer is light weight tubing and fabric like the Cabela's camp kitchen.

This could be easily modified to fit and then bolted to the grid beam. I find this preferable to the conventional 3/4" plywood and 2x4"s that are over engineered and heavy and permanent. There are tons of light weight aluminum and fabric examples to choose from.

Light weight is important for moving vehicles. Heavy doesn't  matter in static structures.Plus, you can unbolt and  rearrange, remove and set up out side the van if you want. I you wanted to drive grandma and grandpa to the airport just unbolt the kitchen and bed and reattach the seats!