Date: Fri, 24 Feb 2006 12:15:01 -0800
Reply-To: Anthony Egeln <regnsuzanne@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Anthony Egeln <regnsuzanne@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: Are pop-up tops really necessary??
In-Reply-To: <43FF1B72.1010300@earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Mark, You make a good arguement for installing the table in the GL. I've never really looked at one in a Westy or other van....when folded up does it protrude much into the cabin? Where do you suppose a table might be found, and were any mods necessary other than bolting it to the side wall?
Thanks, Anthony
'89 Syncro GL (Hidalgo)
mark drillock <drillock@EARTHLINK.NET> wrote: Different people can have such widely differing standards of comfort
that a question such as this is hard to answer without more info from
the person asking it. My wife and I travel and camp a lot and we often
use our passenger GL instead of our Westy. Which one we takes depends on
the type of trip and how long we will be gone. The biggest advantage
other than standing and storage while camped is the added ventilation
the top provides. If you plan to cook much inside the van raising the
top makes a big difference. If you plan to park in the sun while staying
inside the van raising the top makes a big difference. If you will be
spending many waking hours inside while parked, raising the top makes a
big difference. If you just want to drive places and be able to sleep
inside a top can even be a slight negative. The top makes it a little
noisier inside while driving and colder at night even with the top down.
You can stealth camp easier without a top but you still need full
curtains and screens for the windows in warmer weather. We love our full
Westy but for 2 or 3 days the passenger van is fine for us, even
preferred sometimes.
We installed a front Westy table in our passenger van so we have a place
to put food and drinks while we are in the back Just this small step
helped a lot since the back is usually chaotic and it is too easy to
spill things when you move around. Having the Westy table makes a big
difference for not much effort. Having the front door screens is another
huge improvement. Much more air than the tiny Westy screened windows let
in. Add a rear hatch screen and you can be pretty comfy in warm weather.
Mark
John Rodgers wrote:
> I have a GL and wish to better equip it for road trips and camping. If
> one does not sleep up in the top, other than being able to stand up, is
> there any other advantage to cutting a hole in the roof and installing a
> Westy Pop-top.
>
> Thanks,
>
> John Rodgers
> 88 GL Driver.
>
>
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