Bob,
I installed a second spare at the right = rear of the van.
Drilled a hole just to the right and = slightly up of the rear window washer filler cap. Bolted in an eye bolt. I used some = hardware from a Chevy Blazer spare tire anchor to the eye bolt... but you could = take a bolt with a hook on the end an run the threaded end through one of = the lug bolt holes in the spare rim. The hook would hook to the eye bolt. Then = get a butterfly nut sized to the hook bolt threads and tighten until the spare = is snug against the right rear wall of the van. I had to slip a short length of = 2 x 4 wood between the bottom of the tire and the wall to get the tire to be = standing straight up and down.
 
Also I had a small square of the rear = mattress removed so the tire sits on the metal deck. The small piece of foam was = then recovered to match the stock gray fabric so if I don't want to carry the = spare there I can just take it out and insert the covered foam plug back into = the hole in my rear mattress... but I never have... just keep my second spare there.
 
As far as sleeping goes the spare in = this location is not much of a problem... if you sleep with your heads forward your = legs don't need as much room and you don't miss the10 inches or so that was lost.
Bill
----- Original Message -----
From: Bob VE1REC
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Saturday, May 27, 2000 = 2:07 PM
Subject: Spare Tire

Hi all., just a question that probably has been already = answered...anyone have a solution of remounting the spare tire from underneath the front = of the Vanagon.?
 
And in my part of Canada we say VANAGON with emphasis on all = parts of the word...
TTFN
Bob
90 Westfalia Multivan
newly rebuilt engine...109k kms..catastrophic breakdown of headgaskets...pooof gone!!!