Ladies & Men: Do you like it on Top or Bottom?

[kevinbassplayer]

Always on the bottom with an "eggcrate" foam. When I used to share the bottom bunk we used to sleep opposite (head to feet, feet to head) actually makes the bottom roomier since your shoulders are the widest part of your body

[j8]

Yes. Both. Depends. In general I really enjoy the pop top bunk, but the lower bunk can't be beat for easy refuge. So...

? Cold in Minnesota dere den? We'll crash on the "bottom" with the pop top down.

? Got the world's smartest kidlet? We'll crash on the "bottom" because the upper bunk is her "room," just ask her and she'll tell you in detail. Its pretty darn cute.

? Are there visitors? If they have a preference, we take the other bunk. Guest's comfort and all that.

Otherwise, depends on the whim.

[1621]

Wife and I down below, the two older boys up top, and the baby will often start off on the hammock. Now, there's likely to be some shifting in the middle of the night so there's no telling where one may end up by the morning. I'm 6'1" and don't fit well up top unless I'm diagonal so I prefer the bottom bunk.

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Lundy
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'85 Westy

[msinabottle]

I've tried the upper berth--as is. My little aluminum stool makes getting up there not too hard.

That upper pad is THIN! I found my arm and side falling asleep as I tried sleeping on them in my sleeping bag. I added a blanket for some additional padding, it didn't help much and got lumpy. The eggcrate foam is a good idea, I keep meaning to see if I can get a full-sized air mattress to fit up there, I could run an inflating/deflating pump off the auxilary socket. That should solve all problems EXCEPT...

The Problematic Periodic Progressively Perpendicular Pillow Precipice Peril!



It never QUITE fell off the upper bunk and down into the parlor... Because I kept worrying that it WOULD! Which kept me up. I've had solutions described to me--one involving a cargo net, but I've never successfully visualized how that would work.

The lower berth's more comfortable, if hotter... It's also nice for getting a drink of water, or getting RID of a drink of water, that sort of thing... But I do hope I can get things in the upper berth comfortable enough so that I can watch the stars through the tent window until sleep claims me...

Best!
_________________
'Winston,' '84 1.9 WBX Westy
Vanagon Poet Laureate: "I have suffered in
many ways, but never, never, never in silence."

[backcountrymedic]

I'm a big fan of the bottom bunk. Even worked well for the pregnant wife and I. I've even thought about taking out the top bunk entirely for a wee bit more storage space when parked (more shelf room), but figure once the wee one is here, he/she will have the back part of the bottom bunk as a bassinet, and we'll get the top.

The biggest problem I've had sleeping up top, is losing my pillow! I need to build a bunk extender like psych-illogical did. What would be bitchin', is if Sportsmobile could do a retro-fit of the Westy top, so the whole thing goes up square, not hinged at the back.

Cheers!
-Jared
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No need to bear the weight of your worries, you let them all fall away...

Sector 9 longboard
Kona Kikapu Deluxe MTB
Novarra Big Buzz
Electra Cruiser
'01 Toyota Tacoma 4x4

[embraertech]

3 Window Top Bunk Hump eh? Sounds great, tomorrow when my dollar is worth the same as an american dollar I'll be putting in an order. Any good parking beaches in south Florida?
_________________
Current
86 Bronze Wolfsberg Weekender

Gone but not forgotten
82 Yellow Diesel Westy
91 Blue GTi 2L
86 Black GTi
74 Blue Super Beetle

'When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro' HST

[CF]

[stumpy]

Upstairs-Downstairs, How are you supposed to get up there??? Was there a ladder or what to get up there??? ( '90 multivan) I am 77 and gave up jumping a long time ago. Stumpy

[backcountrymedic]

Hey Stumpy... there's a ladder for you. Check it out here at GoWesty.

-Jared
_________________
No need to bear the weight of your worries, you let them all fall away...

Sector 9 longboard
Kona Kikapu Deluxe MTB
Novarra Big Buzz
Electra Cruiser
'01 Toyota Tacoma 4x4

[j_dirge]

Have mostly camped with just me and the honey.
We've added two kids to the mix in recent years and the top will see more sleeping time.

On one our last trips I slept up top while the youngest slept below with mom.

Mom did not sleep too well because everytime I rolled my big lard-ass over the whole damn van shook like the end of days.

Next time I brought two small hydraulic jacks I've had sitting in the garage for years.

I placed one under each jack/lift point in the rear and lifted just enough to unload the springs. Now the van sits pretty rock-solid still.. and its easy to level it out

[DBibeau]

I almost always sleep up top with a memory foam pad... i keep too much stuff in my van to sleep in the bottom bunk. although i have on occasion cleared it out for an overly tall companion

[debbiej]

we think we have found a good solution to the thin matteress. I'd looked and looked for an air matteress that would fit. when to my surprise, I found that our cheap intex "double" matteress is exactly 48" wide and fits just perfectly. then I found a rechargable air pump that is fast and easy. you can just pop the top, flip the bed base out, stick the pump on the matteress valve and blow it up while just standing there. I took the foam pad out for more room. I thought the air matterss with 2 adults on it would push out the canvas on the sides, but it doesn't. it is so easy to blow up, even with the bedding on it, that we deflate before we go down. then fold the bed back for the head room. so far, it is great. I am keeping the foam pads safe just because I hate to change things too much.

sometimes the bottom is good, but so far we much prefer the top bunk.

[WestyBob]

Always on the bottom bed with memory foam for two. Top bunk removed anyways and in the basement -- we use the upper area for storage.

[66 dormi]

Only spent one night in the new to me 88 but with all my vans the reason for having a poptop is so you can leave all your stuff set up downstairs while you sleep upstairs,
However last trip across Canada always slept on the bottom just to tired to bother with the poptop warmer too when its 0 in Wawa with frost on the windows!
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DORMOBILE TOP WANTED!!!!
1978 westy daily driver
1960 panel camper project

Mini R53 bob the tomato

[noza]

nap/??? up top. I really like the view.
sleep/??? on bottom. like the padding.

Like being able to open the door without leaving the van to appease mother nature. Easier when on the bottom.

Might be a different set of priorities for me as I make booze for a living....

[Boegrrl]

#1 Tip for the Top... it takes the bladder approx one hour to register "full"
So women and men, take those last sips accordingly...(OJ piss tests - oy the things we learn from flying)

Love the top since i sewed in 2 windows. Added 2" egg ccrate and 2" memory. The collapsible ladder from Target is awesome for the weekender (great climbing, side boat loaders, luggage rack etc).
Adding the rainfly & new insulated drapery fabric hopefully will make it warmer.

All things industrial VELCRO - I would certainly try the Cargo net pillow catcher idea with that.

Lower bunk 4" always... Preference for on the fly got to get there, short overnights. Two people on the lower bunk - not a squeeze? Head to Toe w/ Ambien helper. Very cold nights huggin Mr Buddy, Lower definetly!
_________________
'87 Wolfsburg Weekender

[hippiepilot]

I like the bottom, when I sleep up top and roll over the motion tends to shake the van a little and wake me up. Dumb huh, I guess I'm a light sleeper.
_________________
83 air-cooled Westy
91 Carat (daily driver)
http://www.changeisland.com

[MarkWard]

Wife and I on top. Added a carpet bad below the stock pad and then for christmas bought the memory foam from GoWesty. I have been selling parts out of my garage on ebay and had some paypal money around. The GoWesty upper pad was just enough extra cushion for us. I copied the StepUp that a member sells here that fits the front table support. The TDI conversion resulted in a bump in the engine hatch. I built a wood deck to level the area and that is where all our storage ends up. I replace the original canvas with the 3 window one and enjoy our room with a view.
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☮️

[krimpoo]

Tell her take a pee BEFORE she goes to bed...unless she has some kinda' medical condition in the ol' pee bank?


The top bunk is there for a reason...so two people can sleep comfortably.

[85TRIPPLEW]

Bottom when it is cold out and top in the summer.I pulled the old foam out of the top pads and replaced it with 3" memory foam.Made the top so much better than the original padding.