I think I picked up quite a bit of storage with the bed replacing the sofa. I say I think because we never got to pack it for a trip with the sofa. Having the 12" clear space at the compartment door is very nice. The seat belts are still in the way, and I suppose at some point I will remove them. Certainly they are not functional.
We are heading down to the Smokeys or somewhere. Here is what I was able to put in that compartment.
2 milk crates
Weber Go Anywhere LP grill
Automotive 40A battery charger
Tool box
2 directors chairs
2 ten-packs Lynx levelers
It's not packed to the gills but it's fairly full with those bulky items. There is still room for compact things around and on top of the big stuff. I was very pleased with what I was able to get in there.