TheSamba.com :: View topic

Thu Feb 15, 2007 11:41 pm

Okay, for you parents out there who may be interested, I recently purchased and installed one of these front cots for my kids. It really is a slick set-up, and very well built. Some of you with good fabbing/welding skills could build one relatively quickly, though for me this was the ticket. Once installed, it literally sets up in seconds and holds both my three and five year old boys (about 85 pounds total while they're stationary--yeah right) without any sign of failing. With another boy due anyday now, we realized that having an extra bed that folds away in a moment and stores easily was necessary. Thus, we tried it out. In case you were curious, it is well worth it. You can see pictures by following this link: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gary2a/rack/frontbed/frontbed.htm.

Lundy

Fri Feb 16, 2007 6:19 am

Hmm

Pretty cool. Just like the Buses. No kids for me yet. But who knows what the future will bring.

Fri Feb 16, 2007 7:41 am

Did you just buy some brackets out of a bay window are did you make them? Do yo have any close up pics of the brackets installed?

Fri Feb 16, 2007 8:47 am

My daughter is just now turning two, and we needed something a little safer than the cot. I bought something called the Peapod, which is a little mini tent that pops out and has an air mattress that goes inside. I turn the front seats so they both face each other and then put a plank between the two seats and the Peapod on top of the plank. Works great. She should be able to use it for another year at least and she thinks it's great fun.

Fri Feb 16, 2007 9:18 am

I've got a Vanagon GL that looks about like yours and I was intending to see if a '70s vintage cot would fit. As someone else asked, do you have pics of the brackets? I'm wondering if they're the same as the bay window bus brackets, and curious whether the rod length is about the same.

My daughter loved sleeping on the cot in our '73 when she was small enough... she's only about 55 lbs now at 11 years so I might be able to rig something she can use.

For those of you w/o kids this is still a handy place to park stuff when you're camping. When we were driving the duffles of clothes, the musical instruments, and various other stuff would ride behind the rear bench. When setting up camp the "utilitarian" things would go on the front floor, instruments went on the front bucket seats, and clothes, blankets, pillows, and the like went on the cot.

Paul

EDIT: Here's a TheSamba ad showing the bay window brackets for comparison or those who don't know what they looked like. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=398854
FWIW: this isn't my ad and I have no personal or financial interest in the sale.

Fri Feb 16, 2007 10:58 am

Hello all. Westfalia did make a cab area child cot for vanagons as an extra we have one. it was available in Germany for the westfalia jokers (outside of germany i have no idea). The westfalia part number is 216 010 237 001. We also have the original instructions from westfalia for the joker showing where and how to fit, dated August 10/84. It uses the same telescopic poles & fixings as a friends late baywindow westfalia berlin. If i can scan the instructions onto an email would one of you be able to post them on here? im not to good with computers.

Paul

Fri Feb 16, 2007 11:47 am

moogster wrote: Hello all. Westfalia did make a cab area child cot for vanagons as an extra we have one. it was available in Germany for the westfalia jokers (outside of germany i have no idea). The westfalia part number is 216 010 237 001. We also have the original instructions from westfalia for the joker showing where and how to fit, dated August 10/84. It uses the same telescopic poles & fixings as a friends late baywindow westfalia berlin. If i can scan the instructions onto an email would one of you be able to post them on here? im not to good with computers.

Paul

I got ya covered, send me a pm

Fri Feb 16, 2007 12:19 pm

How do you use the front curtains in an early model westy (snaps around the windshield) with that cot in place?

-Damon

Fri Feb 16, 2007 7:03 pm

If I recall correctly, you can snap the curtains into place and then put the cot up. It makes it a private little cave that the kids love!

Fri Feb 16, 2007 7:08 pm

These are the pictures sent to me from the guy who builds them. They are the close ups of the brackets. As for the front window curtain that snaps into place, it works the same. There is no interference at all. The brackets are mounted permanently and the hooked ends on the poles drop into place.

I don't think the bay window version would work for the Vanagon due to interior dimensions. There are really tight tolerances for making everything fit properly and I think the differences between vehicle models are too great.

As for strength, I wouldn't hesitate to say it would hold at least a hundred pounds. It is much sturdier than what the bay window set-up appears to be from the pictures in the earlier post. Just thought I would pass along another practical, well designed and built idea for our vans.

http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gary2a/rack/frontbed/pics/frontbedpics.htm

Lundy

Fri Feb 16, 2007 11:03 pm

From the manufacturer's website:

Quote: For installation in a westfalia, you will need to relocate one of the curtain button snaps an inch rearward.

Looks like a great design. I like the fact that you can leave the head rests on the front seats and they provide some (although minimal) protection from rolling off the cot. On my '73 I had to remove the headrests because the rear of the cot was over the front seats.

Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:43 am

I have mailed the westfalia joker cab cot instructions to lovedavdubs :) so they will be on here soon. They are in German but The diagrams are clear & easy to follow. Hope they are some use to you all.

Paul & Gill

Sat Feb 17, 2007 6:49 am

Here we go. Thanks Moogster :wink:

Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:16 am

The 85 project has 1 factory installed, just like the bay. Surprised me big time.

Sat Feb 17, 2007 8:42 am

[quote="Lundy"

I don't think the bay window version would work for the Vanagon due to interior dimensions. There are really tight tolerances for making everything fit properly and I think the differences between vehicle models are too great.

As for strength, I wouldn't hesitate to say it would hold at least a hundred pounds. It is much sturdier than what the bay window set-up appears to be from the pictures in the earlier post. Just thought I would pass along another practical, well designed and built idea for our vans.

http://www.telusplanet.net/public/gary2a/rack/frontbed/pics/frontbedpics.htm

Lundy[/quote]
I wouldn't think bay window stuff would work in a Vanagon. Hell a vanagon is 4-5" wider inside at least. (outside, too!)
That Gary guy makes other racks and stuff. Nice stuff.
Al

Thu Aug 14, 2014 7:07 am

Gonna resurrect this old thread...

Don't the bus depot do one for a lot less now?

We've got a 9 month old Lab cross who will need a place to sleep on our upcoming westiventure.. thoughts anyone?

http://www.busdepot.com/7001

Thu Aug 14, 2014 7:50 am

You can make one for about $50.

Brian

Thu Aug 14, 2014 7:53 am

Thats very nice, but I'll probably spend the extra $20 and have one sent to me. I have a tendency to **** up that kind of job.

Thu Aug 14, 2014 8:14 am

WestiVan wrote: Gonna resurrect this old thread...

Don't the bus depot do one for a lot less now?

We've got a 9 month old Lab cross who will need a place to sleep on our upcoming westiventure.. thoughts anyone?

http://www.busdepot.com/7001

Here you go.. Scroll down you'll see how I did mine, and there's a few ingenious alternative too.
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=555679&highlight=cip1+cot

Thu Jan 05, 2017 3:31 pm

My son and I just finished installing the child cot into the Vanagon. :)
My son used to sleep in the child cot of our 71 Bay window. Now that he has his own Vanagon, and camps in it frequently with his friends, we installed a cot from http://selectvwparts.com/cab-storage-child-cot-for-t25-p-88.html

Strong enough to hold him! He is now 20 years old, 6'0, 150lbs.

It stores easily behind the upstairs mattress.