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Westy Steve
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 7:20 am    Post subject: Z-bed questions Reply with quote

I'm thinking of putting a bay window z-bed into my split. My split is a walk thru, and I'm also considering putting two low-back beetle seats in the back...but I'm thinking of mounting them backward, and putting them behind the drivers seat and passenger seat. You know, sort of like jump seats?

If I do that, do you guys think there is room to unfold the z-bed without having to take the "jump seats" out?

Also, what are the concerns and things to look for associated with retrofitting a bay z-bed?

TIA,

Steve
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bill may
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 8:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

you do not own a Z-bed. you have a Westy bed.Zee Manufacturing made the brackets to turn a stock rear seat into a Z-bed.. to put my 70 Westy bed into my 65 walk thru' i had to cut 5" off the closet at rear hatch end, reglue rear piece in after removing the 5" length piece from piece cut off..cut bottom board inside the closet to clear the gas fill pipe housing and some other cutting while fitting it. the bed hinge brackets needed no modification.
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pyrOman
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 9:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

bill may wrote:
you do not own a Z-bed. you have a Westy bed.Zee Manufacturing made the brackets to turn a stock rear seat into a Z-bed...


With this issue coming up so often of Z-bed vs westy style camper bed/seat, a couple of pictures would probably go a long ways to better show the difference rather than explaining it verbally. Does anyone have a good picture of a REAL Z-Bed to post? Confused
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Riff Raff
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 9:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think the term Z-Bed has become the colloquial term any rear seat that folds down into a bed in the back of a bus.
Likely a losing battle to attempt to re-educate the bus masses methinks.

On a remotely related note, Canadians and Brits call it a zed bed - rrolls off the tongue like a drop of Tim Hortons coffee.

You guys call it a zed bed or zee bed Think ?
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ritchiet002
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 10:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

pyrOman wrote:
bill may wrote:
you do not own a Z-bed. you have a Westy bed.Zee Manufacturing made the brackets to turn a stock rear seat into a Z-bed...


With this issue coming up so often of Z-bed vs westy style camper bed/seat, a couple of pictures would probably go a long ways to better show the difference rather than explaining it verbally. Does anyone have a good picture of a REAL Z-Bed to post? Confused


Here is a shot of the bracket set-up on mine before I removed it.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.




photo of part of the instrutions



Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.





ID plate from bracket

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.






seat in and in the upright position



Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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cdennisg
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 10:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I hear them referred to as rock n roll rear seats, or something like that.
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pyrOman
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 10:32 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This should be a sticky somewhere!?! Think

ritchiet002 wrote:
seat in and in the upright position

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


IMHO, "upright" is way too much an overstatement here. The reclined position in the pix above is too radical for me. Good thing I don't ride in my back seat but while hanging out and camping I'd rather sit more "upright". Confused
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ritchiet002
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 10:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

pyrOman wrote:
This should be a sticky somewhere!?! Think

ritchiet002 wrote:
seat in and in the upright position

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


IMHO, "upright" is way too much an overstatement here. The reclined position in the pix above is too radical for me. Good thing I don't ride in my back seat but while hanging out and camping I'd rather sit more "upright". Confused



It is that very reason I took it out and sold it. It wasn't very comfotablble. That said I seldom have had a "full house" of riders, and most sit in the middle seat when installed
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Grant
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 12:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a "real" z-bed. Mine reclines that way, i like it though. Yours doesn't have little hooks on the back to make it sit straight? Maybe I shouldn't have these two things on my seat, there were no instructions when i got it. I'll get a picture.
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oorwullie
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 1:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

bill may wrote:
you do not own a Z-bed. you have a Westy bed.Zee Manufacturing made the brackets to turn a stock rear seat into a Z-bed.. to put my 70 Westy bed into my 65 walk thru' i had to cut 5" off the closet at rear hatch end, reglue rear piece in after removing the 5" length piece from piece cut off..cut bottom board inside the closet to clear the gas fill pipe housing and some other cutting while fitting it. the bed hinge brackets needed no modification.


how do you know what he's got? maybe it is a real zed or zee.

and if it is a westy rock'n'roll bed (no mention of cupboards that i can see) then yes, it fits straight in with plenty of space when it's in bed mode to have a couple of bug jumpseats fitted.

Smile

stevereecy wrote:


Also, what are the concerns and things to look for associated with retrofitting a bay z-bed?

TIA,

Steve



steve, just don't drill through into the petrol tank. Wink
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ritchiet002
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 1:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Grant wrote:
I have a "real" z-bed. Mine reclines that way, i like it though. Yours doesn't have little hooks on the back to make it sit straight? Maybe I shouldn't have these two things on my seat, there were no instructions when i got it. I'll get a picture.



Do you mean this?


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.



Another install page--



Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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Last edited by ritchiet002 on Fri Jan 04, 2008 5:58 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Grant
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 1:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

RECLINED position

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

The hook i mentioned

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

close up

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

upright position
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ritchiet002
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 1:38 pm    Post subject: Re: Z-bed questions Reply with quote

stevereecy wrote:
I'm thinking of putting a bay window z-bed into my split. My split is a walk thru, and I'm also considering putting two low-back beetle seats in the back...but I'm thinking of mounting them backward, and putting them behind the drivers seat and passenger seat. You know, sort of like jump seats?

If I do that, do you guys think there is room to unfold the z-bed without having to take the "jump seats" out?

Also, what are the concerns and things to look for associated with retrofitting a bay z-bed?

TIA,

Steve


You could measure the top & bottoms of you rear seat and see if there is a clearance for the type one seats. I assume you want to do this to retain the "walk-thru" having the seats facing the rear?
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chipmcluk
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 2:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

To get back to the original question, if you DO have a Westy bed as opposed to a z bed, then it should clear the "jump seats" just fine. I used bay window westy hinges and brackets to build my bed. I also extended the seat bottom about 3 inches over stock, and it still looks like it would clear the jump seats you speak of. Also, if you mount the bug seats directly to the floor, the bed should sit above them anyway.
Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.
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Westy Steve
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 2:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wow. That really looks cool. Thanks for all the help in info, guys.

Ya'll guessed right that I meant a Westy Bed instead of a Z-bed. I have no experience with either. I kind of like them both, but after looking at the last picture, I'm thinking of making my own.

After thinking about it alot, one idea I've come up with is to build a wooden table that sits right up against the engine box, so it basically extends the surface to about 4 or 4.5 feet long. Then I could have a flap on the front of the table to get the extra length I need to hold up my legs when my head is on the pillow near the back window. After that, I just have to figure out how to configure the seats. They could either be jump seats, or a "normal" back seat, or both if I make them easily removable. I'm thinking of making the table removable too.

If this doesn't make sense to you, theres good reason for that...its all conceptual and I'm still trying to come up with something that will seat my three kids and convert to a bed for occasional use. I'm thinking that since my kids are age six or under, they could also sleep on the floor with their legs under the table if I set the seats outside....essentially a bunk bed with a folding top bunk. Air mattresses and egg crate foam would stow under the table.

Steve
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420GOAT
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 3:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

DONT DO THIS^^^^^^^i just took the same thing out of my 13 window some crack baby called a camper. it had so many tiny brackets and reinforcements it was a bitch!! Evil or Very Mad its easier and cheaper to get the westy bed and install it, maybe even with a cabinet. i asked this same question a couple weeks ago and no response, so i just installed a bay window seat with the brackets on the wheel well. Good luck.
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bill may
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 04, 2008 5:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

420GOAT wrote:
DONT DO THIS^^^^^^^i just took the same thing out of my 13 window some crack baby called a camper. it had so many tiny brackets and reinforcements it was a bitch!! Evil or Very Mad its easier and cheaper to get the westy bed and install it, maybe even with a cabinet. i asked this same question a couple weeks ago and no response, so i just installed a bay window seat with the brackets on the wheel well. Good luck.


i bought the bed,closet,table and jump seat from a 1970 westy. i put it in my 65 camper panel. it cost me $75 complete at ecology junkyard. the Z-Bed brackets(zee manufacturing) were $100 alone,they are in a club members 66 11 window. he did not want to use a westy type bed ,but wanted to keep his original rear seat. the fat chick westy type bed is not a direct bolt in to a 67 and older slim chick bus. using the term Z bed instead of westy bed is like calling your engine a Motor. someone needs to point out mis use of terms. Very Happy there is no such thing as a 1600 single port motor. it is an internal combustion engine. Wink
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pyrOman
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 8:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

X3! The "platform" you are envisioning is exactly what I did to my previous bus when I first got it. Though it served the purpose at the time, it didn't look good, was not comfortable to sit on while driving, and it got in the way once I found an og middle seat and installed it. Confused

I sold the middle seat since I wanted a camper rather than a passenger bus, but I did finally find a westy bed/seat for it and could not be happier since installed!!! Very Happy

A club member recently scored on this '74 westy interior for only $46. Surprised

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


You will spend more on material to built that contraption than just buying a bed/seat off the wrecking yard. Good luck! Cool
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Nate M.
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 4:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You should have plenty of room with a Westy bed in the bed position, for the beetle seats. I have a Westy bed mechanism out of a '79 in my '66 E-Z Camper. I even made my seat base a few inches longer (I'm rather tall) and I still have plenty of room to get dressed between the end of the bed and the jump seat/fake ice box. I have several photos on my site here:

http://www.aircooledtech.com/camper_interior/
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2008 5:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

420GOAT wrote:
DONT DO THIS^^^^^^^i just took the same thing out of my 13 window some crack baby called a camper. it had so many tiny brackets and reinforcements it was a bitch!! Evil or Very Mad its easier and cheaper to get the westy bed and install it, maybe even with a cabinet. i asked this same question a couple weeks ago and no response, so i just installed a bay window seat with the brackets on the wheel well. Good luck.


I had to rip the same thing out of my 11 window, L brackets everywhere
2X4s and plywood, nightmare, the shag carpet was pretty Sad
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