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RIOMX
Samba Member
Joined: September 30, 2005
Posts: 1234
Location: La Crosse, WI
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 Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:05 am Post subject: Sleeping more than 2 in a tintop camper? |
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My brother is now living with us in Colorado and he's 6'4 and huge. He played football and was a lineman, to give you an idea of how big he is.
We're planning to do a roof rack and rooftop tent later this summer, but after all the cash I've dumped into the bus for suspension, steering, shifting, metal repair, fuel injection, etc., I need to be frugal for a while. However, I would still like to camp and be able to fit myself, my wife and my brother.
Anyone have creative ideas so I can fit this kid...
...into this?
My wife and I don't want to give up the bed and I'm sure a child's cot isn't going to hold  |
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busdaddy
Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004
Posts: 53183
Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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| Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:07 am Post subject: |
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Off to Walmart for a tent!
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patayres
Samba Member
Joined: March 20, 2009
Posts: 991
Location: Bend, Orygun
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| Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 10:19 am Post subject: |
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Or splurge on a Westfalia drive-away tent from the classifieds. There are the rear-mount tents like Desertbusman uses, but I don't think they give enough extra room for what you're trying to accomplish. Then again, you could cut a hole in your roof and convert the bus into a poptop camper. Or find your brother a bus of his own!
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1975 Westfalia Helsinki - 1800 EFI w/ Pertronix
1965 Singlecab - 1600dp
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RIOMX
Samba Member
Joined: September 30, 2005
Posts: 1234
Location: La Crosse, WI
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| Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 11:11 am Post subject: |
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| patayres wrote: |
| Or splurge on a Westfalia drive-away tent from the classifieds. There are the rear-mount tents like Desertbusman uses, but I don't think they give enough extra room for what you're trying to accomplish. Then again, you could cut a hole in your roof and convert the bus into a poptop camper. Or find your brother a bus of his own! |
I'm tempted to get an original side tent, but they're pricey.
The plan is to sell the transporter to my brother in the future, if he wants it, and buy a Westfalia camper. It'll be a few years though.
Has anyone used any aftermarket side tents? Most I've seen look cheap and flimsy. |
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EZ Gruv
King of Plaid
Joined: December 10, 2002
Posts: 8577
Location: Las Vegas
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| Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 11:24 am Post subject: |
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Tent. Thread over.
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Eric
1977 Deluxe Westfalia - 2.0L FI Type IV, Completely Original
Photographer for HotVWs, VolksWorld, AirMighty, VW Camper & Commercial, Hayburner, and more.
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webwalker
Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2006
Posts: 2803
Location: Mount Laurel, NJ
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| Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 11:42 am Post subject: |
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What are your current sleeping arrangements inside the bus? Do you have a zbed or a R&R bed? I've got a stunt I used going coast to coast, but it only works right if you're running without a center seat and WITH an R&R or Zbed.
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"Consistent maintenance with quality products is the cheapest warranty you'll ever need."
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RIOMX
Samba Member
Joined: September 30, 2005
Posts: 1234
Location: La Crosse, WI
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| Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 11:47 am Post subject: |
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| webwalker wrote: |
| What are your current sleeping arrangements inside the bus? Do you have a zbed or a R&R bed? I've got a stunt I used going coast to coast, but it only works right if you're running without a center seat and WITH an R&R or Zbed. |
We use the late 76-79 Westfalia interior with the 3/4 bed, cooler and sink cabinet.
What's the stunt? |
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78Kombi
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2006
Posts: 1043
Location: Western Mass
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| Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 12:07 pm Post subject: |
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LOL! that dude is a giant. its not gonna happen brotha.
Im 5'6" and my wife is 5'3", we can just barely fit with our 2 yr old in between us, I doubt Baby Huey will fit in between you and your wife ( gf)!!!
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78 hightop 2.0 FI
| Wildthings wrote: |
no engine that I know of will run off of hype.
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pb24ss
Samba Member
Joined: June 30, 2005
Posts: 1665
Location: sitting around the fire with the bluegrass band - colorado
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| Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 1:12 pm Post subject: |
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Joe,
Buy my apache.
dan |
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atmellovw
Samba Member
Joined: September 05, 2006
Posts: 1652
Location: Minnesota
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| Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 1:18 pm Post subject: |
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He can sleep on the kids cot over the front seats! 
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1972 Westy ("Bubbles") - Pastel White - 1700(1974 MT) - Dual Solex |
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RIOMX
Samba Member
Joined: September 30, 2005
Posts: 1234
Location: La Crosse, WI
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| Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 1:21 pm Post subject: |
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| pb24ss wrote: |
Joe,
Buy my apache.
dan |
Trailer required. Do not want. |
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RIOMX
Samba Member
Joined: September 30, 2005
Posts: 1234
Location: La Crosse, WI
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| Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 1:22 pm Post subject: |
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| atmellovw wrote: |
| He can sleep on the kids cot over the front seats! |
Covered that joke in the first post  |
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RIOMX
Samba Member
Joined: September 30, 2005
Posts: 1234
Location: La Crosse, WI
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| Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 1:25 pm Post subject: |
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| webwalker wrote: |
| What are your current sleeping arrangements inside the bus? Do you have a zbed or a R&R bed? I've got a stunt I used going coast to coast, but it only works right if you're running without a center seat and WITH an R&R or Zbed. |
Come on! Share your secret. I gotta know what it is!
Another idea I had is building a scaffold like this guy did:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=393360
I couldn't do it at the front though, because there would be no room for the poles on the left because of the cooler and sink, unless I don't do a full-width one, and just a 3/4 scaffold bed instead. |
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webwalker
Samba Member
Joined: January 26, 2006
Posts: 2803
Location: Mount Laurel, NJ
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| Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 2:01 pm Post subject: |
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The easiest solution is a tent. But it doesn't satisfy the jack-leg engineer.
Your bro better not be claustrophobic.
The greyed section in the top right represents an 80" long by 42" wide bed. More than enough support space for the large of muscle.
I'll leave it to your fabrication imagination how to level things, but I see this going in this location so that the weight may be borne by:
Either the seatbacks or the partition walls (preferably the latter)
The stovetop cabinet
The steering wheel
The dash board
The headrests would need to come down, and at the bottom left, closest to the sliding door there would need to be a swing out or screw in leg.
The upside is that this additional bed is big enough to take a large grown man. It is a full size width, and an extra long length. (A standard twin tops out at 74".)
The down side is that the best height clearance he's going to have is 18", max. Also, I'd recommend that he be facing the rear of the bus, so that his legs rest mostly lightly on the things that don't appreciate deflections (steering wheel, dash.)
With the right mounts on the bottom, plus a thin air or foam mattress, this makes the impossible just barely, possible.
M
_________________
"Consistent maintenance with quality products is the cheapest warranty you'll ever need."
1977 CE1 Transporter Deluxe, Subaru EJ22, Skills Cooling, Steedle HD 091 w/ GuardT .82 4th
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busdaddy
Samba Member
Joined: February 12, 2004
Posts: 53183
Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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| Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 2:11 pm Post subject: |
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| RIOMX wrote: |
| I couldn't do it at the front though, because there would be no room for the poles on the left because of the cooler and sink, unless I don't do a full-width one, and just a 3/4 scaffold bed instead. |
Or instead of poles from below hang it from brackets above..........
_________________
Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.
Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
Слава Україні! |
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dnm21498
Samba Member
Joined: April 18, 2005
Posts: 71
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| Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 2:40 pm Post subject: |
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| To me if you are going to go all that trouble to build a frame in side why not just do a roof rack tent like you plan. To me it sounds like you be doing the same thing twice. |
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RIOMX
Samba Member
Joined: September 30, 2005
Posts: 1234
Location: La Crosse, WI
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| Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
The greyed section in the top right represents an 80" long by 42" wide bed. More than enough support space for the large of muscle.
I'll leave it to your fabrication imagination how to level things, but I see this going in this location so that the weight may be borne by:
Either the seatbacks or the partition walls (preferably the latter)
The stovetop cabinet
The steering wheel
The dash board
The headrests would need to come down, and at the bottom left, closest to the sliding door there would need to be a swing out or screw in leg.
The upside is that this additional bed is big enough to take a large grown man. It is a full size width, and an extra long length. (A standard twin tops out at 74".)
The down side is that the best height clearance he's going to have is 18", max. Also, I'd recommend that he be facing the rear of the bus, so that his legs rest mostly lightly on the things that don't appreciate deflections (steering wheel, dash.)
With the right mounts on the bottom, plus a thin air or foam mattress, this makes the impossible just barely, possible.
M |
You rock! Thanks for this idea. I think we're both thinking along the same lines. It's going to take some creativity, but I think this can happen
Last edited by RIOMX on Tue Jun 08, 2010 2:53 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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RIOMX
Samba Member
Joined: September 30, 2005
Posts: 1234
Location: La Crosse, WI
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| Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 2:52 pm Post subject: |
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| dnm21498 wrote: |
| To me if you are going to go all that trouble to build a frame in side why not just do a roof rack tent like you plan. To me it sounds like you be doing the same thing twice. |
Because the rooftop tent I want is around $800. The roof rack I'm planning to buy will be around $550 after the cost of a high foot pack, load bars and locks.
I be doing the economical thing for now. I don't think that some good metal bars from Home Depot or Lowe's are going to cost $1350. It's just temporary.
In all likelihood I probably won't do the rooftop tent this year. The wife has asked me to cut back on bus spending for a while. |
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skid
Samba Member
Joined: January 16, 2009
Posts: 1329
Location: Vancouver, BC
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| Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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How about a hammock with a tarp covering it, just outside the bus? That would be fun!
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Emeritusx
Samba Member
Joined: June 20, 2008
Posts: 2775
Location: 12 inches behind the wheel
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| Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 4:15 pm Post subject: |
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We usta sleep under our van cuz the 3 kids where all nestled snug in all the beds.. (old ford van) It wasn't too bad... Maybe park up on blocks to give him some more room...
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