Date:         Fri, 9 Jul 1999 23:58:17 EDT
Reply-To:     SBate82659@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Sam Bateman <SBate82659@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: non Westy Camping advice?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

In a message dated 99-07-08 13:20:57 EDT, Karl F. Bloss writes:

<< It {the folding rear seat} makes a queen-sized bed that is really
comfortable; Kristina claims it's more comfy than our bed at home.  Also, we
remove our middle seat for camping.
I bought a carpet remnant, cut it to size, and threw it over top of the
existing carpet between the front and rear seats. >>

I have an '87 GL that did not come with the rear folding bed.
I was fortunate enough to find a used one in perfect shape for $40.00.
This I promptly installed and I must agree with Karl - the bed is more
comfortable than lots, if not most, of the motel beds I've had the
(mis)fortune to sleep on.
Although it's a pricey addition it's well worth it.

I, like Karl, remove my middle seat and lay down a carpet remnant to cover
the holes in the original carpet where the middle seat's supports came
through.
After a bit of scrounging I was able to find a swing-up table from a mid-60's
Westy that I mount to the driver's-side wall in front of the rear seat/bed
with enough clearance so that the bed can still fold-out and clear the table
leg.
A bit more scrounging produced an icebox cabinet out of a mid to late-70's
Westy.
I have removed the icebox and turned the lower part of the cabinet into a
conventional cupboard.
The swing-up top holds a paper towel holder which fits neatly out of the way
when it closes.
The drawer holds ...... well, everything that doesn't fit anywhere else.
I mounted this cabinet to the rear bulkhead of the driver's seat pedistal
with the ex-icebox door opening towards the pass. side of the van.

I built and mounted a duplex electrical outlet box in the rear seat lower
cover panel next to the driver's side wall.
This works really well when the van is being used to transport people in the
rear seat because it is flush with the face of the panel and there's nothing
to knock-off or kick.
It has two 110 VAC outlets, each with it's own resetable circuit-breaker
mounted right beside the outlet.
I dropped the feed wire down through an allready-existing knock-out in the
rear floor under the seat.
It terminates in a male plug that tucks up into the frame-rail for transport.
With one of those sleek, Euro-styled flouresent lamps mounted above the
driver's side sliding window, this setup provides light and an outlet to run
the thermoelectric cooler when at a campground.
Even ran a ceramic heater all night one time when camping in Nova Scotia.

The non-Westy Vanagon can provide a very comfortable (and convinient)
environment for sleeping providing one remembers never to stand upright
suddenly off of the end of the bed!
Take my word for it - if you weren't awake before you stood-up you most
certainly will be afterwards!!

Happy Trails,

Sam Bateman
Fork Union, VA
'87 Vanagon GL
'85 Audi 5000S Avant