Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2000 20:43:33 -0500
Reply-To: "Karl F. Bloss" <bloss@ENTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Karl F. Bloss" <bloss@ENTER.NET>
Subject: Re: westy interior/ installing a POPTOP
In-Reply-To: <a9.e66e75.25bcd142@aol.com>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Ben,
> I received the post from Karl. He says:
>
> >>"The real fun of separating the metal halves (inner and outer) of the
> >>metal
> roof by drilling out the spotwelds is yet to begin. After that's done, I
> think it will become self-evident what will have to be welded and how big
> of a hole needs to be cut in our roof."<<
Those are part of my early posts, but if you read the rest, you'd realize that
this was superseded.
> This does not sound like "HEARSAY" from someone who hasn't done the work
> to me. I am relying on Karl's post and website for information regarding
> the conversion. I see that you cut the roof and installed angled pieces of
> metal. However, I don't see how you guys installed the flat deck for the
> bed. I can appreciate accepting information from people who have done the
> conversion. I see your point. However, if you read my e-mail carefully you
> will notice that I said "I DON"T KNOW IF , etc., etc. read below: Also
> note that I have the an entire roof in front of me.
OK, let's back up. There are two main ways to install a poptop on a GL:
1) Professional cutting and welding job, including moving the flat center beam
from a Westy to the GL and getting the rear cabinet, headliner (which is really
the bottom of the top bed), etc. This requires lots of skill, time, and money,
not to mentioned you're starting from ground zero as far as headliner,
painting, etc.
2) DIY shade-tree method, which requires no welding, allows you to tuck the
headliner up with luggage rack seal, looks factory from the outside (no weld
seams or repainting), and can be done by one or two shady-looking characters in
one sunny weekend.
What's the main difference other than the PITA factor? Method 2 doesn't get
you a factory flat bed up top.
What's the point of doing it then, you ask? Simple: I can stand up when
camped to change clothing, etc. I can cook on the table without burning the
headliner. I have lots of air flow. I can throw all my frabbitz up top so I
can fold out the weekender bed instead of all over the driver and passenger
seat, footwell, etc. You get the point.
I started to build a bed for up top, but it will be raised because the rear
aread of the curved roof is still there. Two shims on either side and a cross-
brace in the front (I've already built the crossbrace) and my bed has a place
to lie flat. The whole thing is raised up about 2" over the stock bed. Tim
Smith, who did this DIY method first, tells me that it means you have to throw
the cushions down below to close the poptop. Otherwise, everything fits.
I had kept the old roof for quite a while after doing the DIY method just in
case I'd go the full monty and do the welding. After camping 3 times in it, I
said fuggedaboudit and we used Chris Turner's pickup-bed trailer to ditch the
roof at the local scrapyard.
It's not for the purist, but it works. If you're a purist, buy a Westy...the
LiMBO newsletter that just came out has a few nice ones.
We wanted the Weekender features including the queen-sized bed, but no
cabinets, sink, stove, fridge, etc. In fact, I like it even better than the
Westy Weekenders because we don't have that closet. It's a daily driver,
including hauling stuff for my business, so I don't want all that camping crap
to lug around. When we go camping, in goes the 12V cooler, the chuckbox, roll-
up table, portable sink, porta-potti, and we're off.
-Karl
Karl and Kristina Bloss, Trexlertown, PA
'87 Westfalia Weekender "Beverley" - 192K miles
http://www.enter.net/~bloss/vw/
PA/NJ Vanagon owner's mailing list: http://www.enter.net/~bloss/vw/pavanagon/
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