Date:         Fri, 16 Jun 2023 22:42:14 +0000
Reply-To:     Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject:      Re: Cool idea for table
In-Reply-To:  <976833827.641195.1686953466964@mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

 I had another thought:  did you know GoWesty now has in-house Mechanical Design Engineers?  Those guys would pounce on this one like a mouse on cheese.  Super duper easy design; super cheap manufacture; super wonderful for many.  Yes, I believe those guys regularly monitor FB and the Samba to ascertain problems and solutions (although they keep quiet about it....hey, they are probably reading this email right now!)  I think VanCafe has contract engineers at their ready too.  So don't be surprised if you see a product like this within the next 12 months.

    On Friday, June 16, 2023 at 03:11:17 PM PDT, Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@sbcglobal.net> wrote:  
 
  I am a retired Mechanical Engineer and have designed mucho stuff using sheet metal. Nope, ball bearings are not needed at all, just some stout sheet steel and some brackets on side to provide just enough clearance for it to slide back and forth, with some lubrication or maybe Delrin side brackets.  If I had a Westy (which I don't) I would copy his basic design concept.  But many others indicated immediate purchase if it were available!!
Ha-ha!....another win for FB....come on you holdouts!  All those nice pictures and videos.


  On Friday, June 16, 2023 at 03:00:53 PM PDT, Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@sbcglobal.net> wrote:  
 
  Guy made this comment about his invention:  "it was made from sliders salvaged from an electronics cabinet. With some serious design consideration and development a linear slide could be identified and made to work. I was able to retain the original rotation capacity while maintaining a low profile. It took some time."
He added this comment:  "it was surplus heavy rails from an electronics rack cabinet. Similar design to the seat rails. No ball bearings. Yes heavily modified."

    On Friday, June 16, 2023 at 02:51:18 PM PDT, Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@sbcglobal.net> wrote:  
 
  The gentleman's name is Guy Kennedy, as I saw from his posting in FB Real Vanagon Owners.  It appears that virtually everything was kept stock; the key difference was that he mounted a slim ball bearing slide plate apparatus between the table and the leg.  And it works elegantly.

    On Friday, June 16, 2023 at 02:44:36 PM PDT, David McNeely <davmcneely40@gmail.com> wrote:  
 
 Eric, you wrote, "He has his table high to access the lower cabinets
......... ."  Can you elaborate on that?  Is the table leg simple longer
than the regular table leg?  Thanks in advance.  McNeely

On Fri, Jun 16, 2023 at 8:51 AM Eric Caron <ericcaron96@comcast.net> wrote:

> A friend recently invented a cool mod for his van.
>
> Anyone up for creating this for others?
>
> It is a mod for his table.  He has his table high to access the lower
> cabinets as I do.  He has the large table so closet door is blocked.
>
> He created a slide that goes between the table mount and table. When
> needing to access the closet the table will slide several inches over the
> stove top and allow the door to open.
>
> I think he posted some videos on FB Real Vanagon Owners and another site.
>
> I told him I want one but I don’t think he is up for another day of
> fabrication.  I also thought it would have been a great idea to include
> that with a small drawer between table and leg.  Then you have closet
> access and a small storage drawer.  Still just the slider seems like an
> idea that should have been around years ago.
>
> Eric Caron
>