Date:         Mon, 7 Oct 2013 17:54:10 -0700
Reply-To:     Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Tin top camping
In-Reply-To:  <52535328.7030002@colorado.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

  When I installed the interior from a westie into my tin top I left out
the wardrobe and the overhead at the rear so that I could still use my van
for work and also for room for my bicycles inside and sailboard
equipment.   I can still haul plywood or sheetrock without the rear
cabinets in there.   I got the whole interior for just $250 which is
probably  less than the wood cost alone, and it installed in under a day
with ease.  The holes are all there.....  The sink, faucet and the propane
fridge are great as is the stove...Handy and not too intrusive in everyday
use....

  When I am inside due to rain or cold I just work off my knees at the
'kitchen'...I have some work kneepads I sometimes use but normally I  just
toss a towel or blanket down and kneel on that  I avoid having to stoop
over that way.......I do wish I had a swivel passenger seat...I'll be
finding one of those sometime...I have one small solar panel that stashes
behind the driver seat when traveling.  It meets my protracted camping
needs, usually...


On Mon, Oct 7, 2013 at 5:34 PM, Richard A Jones <Jones@colorado.edu> wrote:

> I camped in my '81 air-cooled tin top for 19 years before I bought
> my Syncro Westy.  I still have the '81 and drove it to Buses by
> the Bridge last January:
> https://plus.google.com/**photos/103112516551893462609/**
> albums/5837531697558906833?**banner=pwa&authkey=CNPQkqLd_r-**6bg<https://plus.google.com/photos/103112516551893462609/albums/5837531697558906833?banner=pwa&authkey=CNPQkqLd_r-6bg>
>
> I made curtains.  Not a big deal since I had made them for my
> '61 and then my '67 and then my '76.  Here is a write-up on
> how I did them:
> http://jones.colorado.edu/VW/**VWcurtains/VWCurtains.html<http://jones.colorado.edu/VW/VWcurtains/VWCurtains.html>
> This description plus all the pictures are here:
> http://jones.colorado.edu/VW/**VWcurtains<http://jones.colorado.edu/VW/VWcurtains>
>
> I also made two screens for the sliding windows.  They looked
> like this:
> http://jones.colorado.edu/VW/**screen.jpg<http://jones.colorado.edu/VW/screen.jpg>
> and like this when in the window:
> http://jones.colorado.edu/VW/**screen-installed.jpg<http://jones.colorado.edu/VW/screen-installed.jpg>
>
> My '81 does not have tinted windows.  My Syncro Westy does.  If
> I were to use the '81 for camping, I would get the windows tinted
> ASAP.  But as Bob said, at night the tint doesn't help you--you
> need curtains.
>
> Richard
>