Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2007 12:52:19 -0600
Reply-To: Tom Buese <tombuese@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Tom Buese <tombuese@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: Some kind of shelf?
In-Reply-To: <466061AA.6020804@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
I have my westy parked in front of my studio right now w/ the pop top
up for design considerations. Are you sure you want to have the shelf
hang above the poptop window? It's about 84" above the floor & I
think too high for most vertically challenged volks to reach? I was
thinking of having the U bolts wrap around the cross bar which is
about 76" above the floor & thru holes in the top of the vertical
back of the shelf which would be about 72" above the floor for easier
access, but still allow headroom? The shelf would be in front of the
window but high enuf to still see out/ventilate the van & allow
access to the storage rack on the roof? The shelf would fold in half
when removed & be 3' long+- by 4-6"W. x 1" thick when folded w/ 2
pieces of 1/2" baltic birch ply hinged together. The vertical leg
would be 4" high, while the horizontal shelf would be 4-6" wide
depending on what you want to store up there? There would be no
drilling or modifications needed to the poptop.
Tom B.- whole thing could cost under $10-$20 depending on whether you
have the plywood laying around or not including hinges, 2 u bolts,
plywood, & clear sealer.
I think I'll make 1 this weekend.
On Jun 1, 2007, at 12:12 PM, Mike Rocket J Squirrel Elliott wrote:
> Hi Neil, that's a good idea.
>
> The wingnuts(1) might bump into each other, but that's to be worked
> out.
> I also like Jake's hose clamp + L-bracket idea. Either way would
> result
> in a new crossmember(2) high up.
>
> The next detail to be worked out is how to hang the shelf. The shelf
> wants to be quick to put up and take down. It could be hung(3) with
> ropes, but that would be tippy. Chain, likewise. Stiff(4) brackets
> would
> be better. If the crossmember was fastened so it didn't rotate, then a
> couple of strap metal brackets could be made shaped like an upside-
> down
> "V". Hang two Vees over the crossmember and maybe drop a pin into
> matching holes(5) drilled through the strap and crossmember to help
> restrain the Vees from rotating, too. The bottoms of the Vees could be
> bent toward each other to provide feet for the shelf to rest on, maybe
> pegs-and-holes there, too, to secure everything.
>
> I reckon that if it dangles(6) 12 inches (30cm) below the new
> crossmember, it could be up to 10'' (25cm) deep (fore to aft), and
> more
> than 36'' (90cm) wide without bumping into the canvas.
>
> I probably didn't write this up as clearly as I could have, and it's
> probably not as simple as it could be. It's just an idea. I dunno
> about
> you guys, but when Mrs Squirrel shows up with boxes of far healthier
> food that I would choose (produce, mainly) finding a place to stash
> all
> that becomes a hassle. A 3-foot wide shelf that could accommodate
> small
> boxes of food and which was easy to put up and take down would be most
> helpful.
>
> (1) See yesterday's disclaimer
> (2) Likewise
> (3) Ditto
> (4) This is getting stupid
> (5) Real stupid
> (6) I'm going to bump myself off the list.
>
> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
> KG6RCR
>
> On 6/1/2007 10:03 AM neil wrote:
>
>> Wood this (pun intended):
>>
>> http://web.mac.com/tubaneil/iWeb/Site%205/U%20bolt.html
>>
>> hold a piece of galv steel tube to struts? If mounted, um, criss-
>> cross
>> across new tube to struts?
>>
>> If there's a size that fits diameter of strut/tube combo, and threads
>> long enough, you could use wing nuts for **relatively** quick
>> removal.
>> Or if it's possible to leave in place, then mount with threads
>> pointing toward rear of van.
>>
>> Neil.
>>
>> On 5/31/07, Mike Rocket J Squirrel Elliott
>> <camping.elliott@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>> When the poptop is up, I'd like to hang a shelf between the top's
>>> upper
>>> struts -- a flat piece of wood, maybe, hung by ropes from a new
>>> crossmember (piece of PVC pipe maybe) which mounts horizontally
>>> between
>>> the upper struts near the top. I can't quite picture what I'd
>>> need to
>>> mount that new crossmember to the struts. Some fitting that
>>> clamps to
>>> struts, I reckon?
>>> --
>>>
>>> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>>> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
>>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
>>> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
>>> KG6RCR
>>>
>>
>>
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