why do folks here call a westy bed a Z bed??

[kookrod]

Back in the day there was a company called Z products. This company made aftermarket products for VW. One of their biggest selling items was a product called a “Z bed kit. This kit enabled the purchaser to covert the rear bench seat on any VW passenger bus (non westy) into a foldout bed. They were very popular in the 70’s and early 80’s Z products eventually went out of business and the true Z products Z bed became hard to find. Now if you are lucky enough pick up a bus that already has one. Or find one in a junk yard or off of a bus that is being parted out you will have a true score indeed.

Now in the present day I notice that any westy camper bed is referred to as a Z bed. Is this due to the fact that most people do not know the difference? Or maybe that the original Z products Z bed was such a slick upgrade for a 7 passenger bus that it’s name became the standard for this style of fold out bed, no matter who made it?

Let’s discuss.

[Karzapart55]

Kauz Zee bed openzee up und yoo catch zome zeees

[EZ Gruv]

OK, take a letter Z ...grab each end and pull... --- , now it's a bed!
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[young5o]

zzzzz I honestly don't know.....

[busman78]

Hard to say. I carried a "Z" bed mechanism around to VW shows for six years trying to sell it, lookers did not have a clue as to what it was. Even when explaining it I could tell by the blank glassed over eyes they could not comprehend. Finally a man walked up, knew what it was and needed it, he got the "Z" and I got the bread.

Suspect a majority out there in VW bay land have never seen one, to long ago plus a lot of rear seats got scrapped over the years and that mechanism went with the seat.

[Birdibus]

A kit that would convert an OG rear seat to a bed would be nice thing to have, indeed! Now, where did my rear seat go? Can't find it anywhere! We took it out when we replaced it with a funky wooden Z bed, oh!, or is that not what it's called?
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[kookrod]

[Bookwus]

Hiya Kook,

Truth be told, Z Products is still around, although in a somewhat dormant mode.

I wanted to have the Z-Bed mechanism for my 1970 7 Passenger and, seeing as how they were located just down the freeway from me, I paid a call on them. Orders for the mechanism (and other Z Products items) had fallen off and the owner, Tim, had decided to suspend production. Now, all the tooling and most of the materials are still there and Z Products can produce new Z-Bed mechanisms. They just have to have 50 people committed to order and place a deposit so they can get everything up and running.

I tried selling this idea a couple of years ago, but I only came away with two people besides myself who were willing to put up the deposit.

By the way, for what it might be worth, while I was talking to him, Tim did point out the distinction between his Z-Bed and the folding assemblies found in Westys. He was of the opinion that the Z-Bed was a superior unit and worked much better than the other. And his company's product name just sort of attached itself much like Jello and gelatin.

And that's the way it is...........
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[Kirk]

Perhaps its akin to the reason you call every "cotton swab" a "QTip".
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[Karl]

Ask this person why: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=386937

[carlivar]

[vwpieces]

I agree totally. Since I have the REAL Z-bed in my 68 deluxe & was in my former 70 deluxe, I have always called anything else a Westy bed.

I will admit that the seat frame of the original passenger seat can be uncomfortable without an air mattress. I do not have the pads sold by Z Products. Air mattress works well & can easily be deflated not taking up much room. I use a full size air mattress & it fits well even with the spare tire & plastic cover in place, where it belongs... NOT on the nose.

I like the room of a passenger bus without the middle seat. My rear seat easily folds down for hauling large items & still a functional seat with seat belts. All that westy crap is too heavy to haul around all the time & is not practical for what I use my bus for. I travel to VW shows & sleep in the bus but not a hard core camper at all. I will take the weekender package that Z Products made & the low maintenance hard top over a westy any day. My bus is used as a parts hauler & having a bed in the back is a huge bonus on road trips.
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[xfrench]

Thanks for the great thread.
Does any of you have pics of what the Z-Bed pieces are (as opposed to R&R Hinges)?
I just got a 76 Transporter, and would like to camp occaisionally in it without pulling the original back bench seat and building my own scrappy platform (which is an option I guess).
I had heard there it was possible to convert the ench without finding a camper bed, and now I am excited. I'm hoping I can learn to tell the difference in case someone offers to sell me something funky...
Thanks,
x

[deschutestrout]

"True" Z bed brackets can be hard to come by...they are out there, but ya gotsta be in the right place at the right time. You may want to keep your eyes open for a full width Riviera bed....that's what I ended up putting in my transporter and it is a very comfy sleep! And...it saves you from having to fabricate something yourself. Yes, a bed in a transporter is a very good modification in my opinion. If I do find an actual set of Z bed brackets, I may consider putting my stock seat back in...but until then...ZZZzzzzzzzz.
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'78 Westy "The Big Turd"

[Liveonjg]

For what it's worth, I think the Brits call it a Rock'n'Roll bed. Far more inviting if you ask me.
-John
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[bill may]

i bought the Z products kit at Bakersfield this last weekend. i knew what i was looking at. only thing missing was the Z products decal. i sold it to a fellow sv2s member in Orange County.
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[gmag69]

[Bonzigh70]

Heres pics for the one Bill May just got
http://www.sv2s.com/Images/Eventpics/2007pics/bakersfield2007/images/bakersfield07_9_43_jpg.jpg
http://www.sv2s.com/Images/Eventpics/2007pics/bakersfield2007/images/bakersfield07_9_44_jpg.jpg
http://www.sv2s.com/Images/Eventpics/2007pics/bakersfield2007/images/bakersfield07_9_45_jpg.jpg
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