Date: Tue, 14 Nov 2006 14:58:08 -0500
Reply-To: craig cowan <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: craig cowan <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Pop Top Install
In-Reply-To: <4559F7A3.8090104@verizon.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
On my '85 we have a poptop from a westy. It was originaly a sunroof
vanagon, a conversion i have not seen done much. Retaining all
existing sunroof components, the top was welded on in the standard
fashion and a bed was constructed. Its pretty cool, because with the
sunroof closed (the sunroof does not go to the outside anyomre but
still works) no one has any idea that the van is a camper. Then when i
got to magically transform it, its even more breathtaking, as even the
hole for the top comes out of no where with the turn of a crank. The
bed is actually the original westy bed adapted to some plywood and
works very well. A few further mods are being done to allow the bed
(two pieces) to be stored up top with the top down. Currently, in
order to close the sunroof.....the "front" piece needs to be pulled
out (about a 30 second job) but you have to store it then.....
Id be glad to show you, im in the pittsburgh area. I also might be
interested in returning it to a sunroof model soon to restore its full
glory, in which case the top will be available to someone needing one.
Its originally an '85GL, but its now the most creative Vwagen ever.
Half camper, half GL. The rear seat was replaced with a westy bed from
what i believe to be an '82 "standard" westy because i believe it to
be what ive heard as a "P22" bed. Its a full Zbed covered in blue
couraroy.....but seats 3. Very handy compared to the stock back seat
due to the camper function, retaining the passanger room, and it has
all the needed storage hiding under it. I plan to remove the middle
seat and add a Westy Fridge Unit, if anyone in the pittsburgh area has
one up for adoption/trade/sale. We also have swivel seats installed.
Its a pretty "FrankenBus" but im happy with it.
-Craig
'85GL Sunroof
On 11/14/06, Sam Walters <sam.cooks@verizon.net> wrote:
> Jamie,
>
> As you can see from the pictures, there are two basic approaches to the
> project. Both have been done by folks in PA so that doesn't clarify
> much. Chris Turner and Karl Bloss did the quicker simpler method which
> doesn't transfer the upper bed to the van and only adds a poptop. The
> pictures in one link show Mark Drillock, who is in CA, not PA doing this
> method.
>
> The other method, done in a variety of ways, as shown by Stuart Black
> and Dave Milo's pictures, involve transplanting some or all of the Westy
> roof to the passenger van so that you do get the foundation for
> installing the Westy bed. A factory Westy has a fundamentally different
> roof.
>
> It is not necessary to do all the cutting and welding that Dave Milo did
> to get the rear 2/3 of the Westy roof, the part that is different, onto
> a passenger van. A member of one of these lists named Doug, cut a
> longer hole in his passenger van roof and laid the Westy roof on top of
> it and installed the relevant portion of the Westy roof as a drop in.
> The metal he removed from the Westy was wider than the hole so it rested
> on the stock roof that remained. He used both screws and some roofing
> caulking to attach and seal the Westy roof structure to the stock roof.
> I have some pictures he sent me but don't know if they are up on the net
> anywhere.
>
> Some who do the simpler method never make any attempt to install an
> upper bed and always use the lower bed. The key benefit there is to
> have the ability to stand up in the van and have the upper area for
> storage when the top is up. (After two weeks of traveling this summer
> in my passenger Syncro, I really know how much of an advantage this is.
> But I wanted to take the Syncro to Moab, UT, not the old 1.9l powered 85
> Weekender. The right choice but traveling and camping was not as nice
> as it would have been with a poptop.)
>
> Some who have used this method report fashioning a bed for the stock
> roof. However, to my knowledge, no one has posted pictures and
> explanations of how they have built a bed onto the curved roof after
> doing this simpler install, although Mark and a few others have said
> they did this.
>
> The stock roof structure also leaves more head room inside the van -
> particularly if the AC ducting has been removed.
>
> Somewhere out there is information on how the bed was created for a
> Country Homes camper which used a similar hole cut in the roof of a
> passenger van IIRC.
>
> So, the issue of whether you want one or two beds is important in
> deciding which way to go.
>
> Sam
>
> --
> Sam Walters
>
> Baltimore, MD
>
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