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NASkeet
Samba Member
Joined: April 29, 2006
Posts: 3206
Location: South Benfleet, Essex, UK
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 Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2007 6:17 am Post subject: Retro-fitting a pre-1974 Westfalia, plywood-based, roof bed |
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| busdaddy wrote: |
So the pillow section is not split in the middle and does not fold up, only down?
To get out of the upper bunk you lift the pillow section slightly and move the bent rod device that hangs over the edge of the hole and supports the pillow allowing it to swing down?
Is the stripe down the middle a strap for lifting it back up? |
Yes, you are correct on all counts.
The pillow section tilts up slightly, to allow one to rotate the bent supporting rod out of the way and then the pillow section folds round underneath, through 180º, to fasten to the bed's plywood base-board.
If you do fabricate one of these beds yourself, make sure the gap for the pillow section is large enough, for your children to climb through, based upon present and "likely" future waist measurements and keep in mind the 180 pound (i.e. 81 kg) load limit!!!
Regards.
Nigel A. Skeet |
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NASkeet
Samba Member
Joined: April 29, 2006
Posts: 3206
Location: South Benfleet, Essex, UK
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| Posted: Sat Jun 23, 2007 6:27 am Post subject: Retro-fitting a pre-1974 Westfalia, plywood-based, roof bed |
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| Redd73 wrote: |
one day im just gonna trade my 73 for a 74 or later. right now all my girl and i need is covered by the bed thats currently in the 73.
if someone has a cot and changes it to this bed drop me a pm. id be interested in buying the cot/frame/etc. im trying to get this 73 back as original as possible for a future trade/sale. |
Personally speaking, I prefer to have a 1973 model year, VW Type 2, manufactured prior to 1st January 1973, which in Great Britain, is classified as an "historic vehicle" and hence excempt from payment of annual road tax, which would probably be nearly £200 i.e. circa US$400) per year, in addition to about 70% petrol tax, motoring insurance and insurance tax.
In the not too distant future, we will probably also have to pay Carbon Dioxide emissions tax, plus road pricing by the mile, according to road type and time of day.
In the long term, I would prefer to substitute a longer, rear-hinged, post-1973 elevating roof & associated longer, wider bed, plus the shorter front-mounted roof-rack.
Regards.
Nigel A. Skeet |
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NASkeet
Samba Member
Joined: April 29, 2006
Posts: 3206
Location: South Benfleet, Essex, UK
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| Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2007 5:20 am Post subject: Re: Retro-fitting a pre-1974 Westfalia, plywood-based, roof |
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| NASkeet wrote: |
| If you do fabricate one of these beds yourself, make sure the gap for the pillow section is large enough, for your children to climb through, based upon present and "likely" future waist measurements and keep in mind the 180 pound (i.e. 81 kg) load limit!!! |
What I should also have said, is that the gap for the pillow section, should also large enough, to accommodate the head & upper body of any adults, so that the elevating roof can first be raised.
Of course, if one were to retro-fit gas springs, like those I have on my British specification, 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental, as illustrated below, then even the children using only one hand, could probably raise the elevating roof by themselves, provided they could reach high enough!
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=294831
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=294830
As an aside, another useful upgrade, is a home-made pull-close strap, as illustrated below, which enables one to quietly close the sliding door, when making mid-night sorties to the campsite toilet facilities!
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=295020
Regards.
Nigel A. Skeet |
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NASkeet
Samba Member
Joined: April 29, 2006
Posts: 3206
Location: South Benfleet, Essex, UK
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| Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2007 6:58 am Post subject: Retro-fitting a pre-1974 Westfalia, plywood-based, roof bed |
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A few days ago, whilst visiting my grandparents' home, I did some measurements on my British specification, 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan's elevating-roof bed.
Regarding front-to-rear measurements as length and side-to-side measurements as width, the measured dimensions, to a precision of about ± 1 mm, are as follows:
plywood base-boards' thickness = 15~16 mm
Main plywood base-board – length = 1300 mm, width = 970 mm
Pillow-section plywood base-board – length = 315 mm, width = 890 mm
I envisage that the base-board widths could be marginally increased; the main base-board, by circa 50~60 mm and the pillow-section base-board, by circa 100~110 mm. Some gap between the base-boards and the surrounding roof aperture, must be maintained, owing to clearance of the roof-bed and elevating-roof fittings.
If I get the opportunity, I shall try to post a sketch in The Samba Gallery, showing the relative disposition of some of the various components & fittings, pertaining to the roof bed and the main roof aperture.
Regards.
Nigel A. Skeet |
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HairLilly
Samba Member
Joined: January 14, 2007
Posts: 192
Location: West Palm Beach, FL
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| Posted: Thu Jul 12, 2007 8:22 am Post subject: |
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| thanks for the info, and the sketch would be really helpful as well, i look forward to it. |
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busdaddy
Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004
Posts: 52856
Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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michemo 
Samba Member
Joined: March 07, 2016
Posts: 13
Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
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| Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 12:34 pm Post subject: Re: '72 Westy: Converting from Cot to Full Bed? |
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i have both cots 4 a 70s modle or late 60s van the childs cot with the hooks on the end for mounting and the larger audult sixe which has to be bolted on i have all the hardware on both evecpt the hooks that r bolted to the van and the bolts 4 bouting the big one to the van just wondering if anyone knows what they r worth cant seem to find hardware anywhere on web bus boys has new canvas 4 them both mine dont need it but just saying new canvas is about 400 just wondering if anyone out there has ever bought any of these mike [email protected] 225 335 3555
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all my parts r + shipping i use the cheapest shipping unless ask to get it there in a hurry |
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