Date:         Wed, 20 Jul 94 18:07:42 ADT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         smitht@jupiter.sun.csd.unb.ca (Tim Smith)
Subject:      Re: Hodgepodge Lodge


>1. People have been talking about converting buses to campers.  How/where
>do I get started?? 


Did a '78 over, but I cheated and used real VW Westy guts from a junkyard. 
The real Westys used to have a double skin roof to beef up the ceiling 
cutout, busses don't, so fixing up beds etc. into the pop-top is a bit hard. 
The newer double bed models have a huge cutout, but I don't know about roof 
structure of them, anyone else help here?. It's dead easy to get the 
interior done over, in a weekend or two including the woodpanelling if you 
salvaged it. The roof is a different matter, woodpanelling requires the 
galvanized steel support channels be also salvaged from the junker. Any more 
roof work is scary, you'll at least have to cut a huge hole, bend some edges 
up, and mount the pop-top, (more drilling/screws).  or....
 Get a sunroof bus, buy two BIG luggage racks for front and rear, some 
plywood, and find a tent to cover the entire lot, attached to the rain gutters?

          tim s.