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stevem49090
Samba Member
Joined: June 09, 2004
Posts: 203
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 Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:17 pm Post subject: Continental upper bed |
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I have finished researching and finding sources for building the upper bed for a 68-73 Westy and I now plan on making them for sale. I have not got a set price on them yet as it will be a few weeks befor I get the first one done. The most expensive part of it is the 9 ply Baltic Birch 11/16" plywood at $75 a sheet. Mustard colored vinyl is $40 a yard too. I'm thinking somewhere near the $600.00 range.
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99 New Beetle
72 Ghia convert.
73 Westy |
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Vintage Auto Werks1
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Joined: October 20, 2002
Posts: 453
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| Posted: Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:44 pm Post subject: |
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| What opening you making them for? I have one from a 73 and the opening was bigger on the 73 for where the bed would sit. I will work on fitting it in my 71 when I get around to it. Are you going to be including the brackets or you just making the bed? |
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stevem49090
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Joined: June 09, 2004
Posts: 203
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:13 am Post subject: |
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I'm starting with a 73. I'll have to check measurments for the 71 opening. I plan on making a complete bolt in kit.
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Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.
99 New Beetle
72 Ghia convert.
73 Westy |
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stevem49090
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Joined: June 09, 2004
Posts: 203
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:21 am Post subject: |
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Could you check the measurements with you 73 bed with the dimensions on this picture. I'm trying to find out the differences between the 71 and 73. http://www.pottsfamily.ca/westfakia/roofbed2.jpg
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Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.
99 New Beetle
72 Ghia convert.
73 Westy |
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Vintage Auto Werks1
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Joined: October 20, 2002
Posts: 453
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 6:42 am Post subject: |
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| Yes once it warms up here I can go measure it. Thinking this weekend I should be able to do that for you. I do not think the difference in sizes is really in the bedding if anything it is in the body opening. The brackets will need to be modifyed to allow them to sit correctly. The 73 Roof was no longer a sunroof body roof and the opening was bigger. Also do you have the small cushion that goes in the very front? I can take pictures for you if needed. |
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stevem49090
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Joined: June 09, 2004
Posts: 203
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 8:10 pm Post subject: |
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That would be great. I don't have the measurments for the small flip up portion. I could also use a detailed picture of the front hinges too.
_________________
Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.
99 New Beetle
72 Ghia convert.
73 Westy |
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vdubbie
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2006
Posts: 23
Location: wimauma fl
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:20 pm Post subject: WESTY |
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| ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT WESTY OR RIVERIA my 73 has a little fold out cot |
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Vintage Auto Werks1
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Joined: October 20, 2002
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Vintage Auto Werks1
Samba Member
Joined: October 20, 2002
Posts: 453
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:28 pm Post subject: |
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vdubbie
Samba Member
Joined: August 19, 2006
Posts: 23
Location: wimauma fl
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:36 pm Post subject: wow |
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| did not know they made that kind of bed for westy |
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Vintage Auto Werks1
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Joined: October 20, 2002
Posts: 453
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| Posted: Wed Jan 23, 2008 9:45 pm Post subject: |
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| Its not very common in the states. The bus I got mine from was a bus used on tours in Europe before being shipped to the states. |
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NASkeet
Samba Member
Joined: April 29, 2006
Posts: 2958
Location: South Benfleet, Essex, UK
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| Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 7:31 am Post subject: Westfalia Continental, elevating-roof bed |
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This looks remarkably like the picture, that I posted in The Samba Gallery, just a few months ago!
| Vintage Auto Werks1 wrote: |
We are talking Westy. Here is a good picture I found on here.
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| vdubbie wrote: |
| did not know they made that kind of bed for westy |
This is the stock, factory-fitted elevating-roof bed (maximum rated load of 80 kg or 180 pounds), for the British specification, 1972~73 VW 16/1700 Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan.
| Vintage Auto Werks1 wrote: |
| Its not very common in the States. The bus I got mine from was a bus used on tours in Europe before being shipped to the states. |
Was the vehicle from which you salvaged, your elevating-roof bed, a left-hand drive or right-hand drive?
As far as I can determine, the Continental conversion was exclusively marketed in Great Britain, although some vehicles have probably migrated to overseas territories, such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan and many other countries where they still use right-hand drive and drive on the left.
A French specification, left-hand drive, 1973 VW 1600 Type 2 Westfalia I examined a few years ago, had a campervan conversion which was virtually a mirror image of mine, but instead it had an elevating-roof folding-cot, like those of North American specification, which I had seen in the Robert Bentley manual.
Here is a picture, showing a folding canvas cot (maximum rated load of 150 pounds), as were fitted to USA specification, 1973 VW Type 2 Westfalia campervans.
| stevem49090 wrote: |
| I have finished researching and finding sources for building the upper bed for a 68-73 Westy and I now plan on making them for sale. I have not got a set price on them yet as it will be a few weeks befor I get the first one done. The most expensive part of it is the 9 ply Baltic Birch 11/16" plywood at $75 a sheet. Mustard colored vinyl is $40 a yard too. I'm thinking somewhere near the $600.00 range. |
Plywood of 11/16 inch (i.e. 17½ mm) thickness, is somewhat thicker than the 15~16 mm plywood, used for the factory-fitted Westfalia Continental, elevating-roof bed.
| stevem49090 wrote: |
| That would be great. I don't have the measurments for the small flip up portion. I could also use a detailed picture of the front hinges too. |
Following a request last November, from Henrik Larsen, in Denmark, who owns a 1973 VW 16/1700 VW Type 2, Westfalia (Helsinki, I suspect) campervan, I have recently been taking measurements of the roof aperture, elevating-roof bed and their relative positions, together with the fixtures & fittings, in my British specification, 1973 VW "1600" Type 2, Westfalia Continental campervan.
I have recently summarised this information, as an annoted, multi-coloured line drawing, on a sheet of A4 format (i.e. 297 mm X 210 mm) paper, which is too large to post in The Samba Gallery. If anyone wants a copy of what I have managed to document so far, provide me with an e-mail address and I shall append a high-resolution JPEG format scan.
The dimensions I wrote on the line-drawing, of my 1973 VW Type 2, Westfalia Continental campervan's, front-hinged, elevating-roof bed (as seen from below), are for the factory-standard elevating-roof bed, as originally manufactured by the Westfalia Werke, in Wiedenbruck, Germany.
The elevating-roof bed's main baseboard is 1300 mm long x 970 mm wide x 15~16 mm thick
The elevating-roof bed's pillow-section baseboard is 280 mm long x 890 mm wide x 15~16 mm thick
It might be possible to lengthen the elevating-roof bed's main baseboard, at the front end (i.e. where sleeping occupants place their feet), but for my factory-fitted elevating-roof bed, there is a separate, specially shaped, cloth-covered, foam cushion, which extends the effective length of the bed, by about 75 mm, as far as the elevating-roof's vertical tent cloth. I suspect, it would be best to retain the factory-standard bed length, with the hinges at the front end, so that when one raises the bed during the daytime, to increase headroom for cooking & dining, the bed's plywood baseboard is almost parallel with the raised elevating roof.
It might be practical, to increase the width of both the elevating-roof bed's plywood baseboards, so that the main baseboard, has a total width of less than 1020 mm, whilst the pillow-section has a total width of less than 1000 mm, but there are a few measurements which you would need to check, to ensure the baseboards do not interfere with the elevating-roof's GRP top, elevating-roof's hinged support struts, elevating-roof's hold-down rubber toggles or any other fixtures & fittings. Consider also, how much space is needed, to fold-in the elevating roof's cloth tent material, when the elevating roof is lowered for travelling.
You will also need to take measurements, to find out the largest size of elevating-roof bed's main baseboard (< 1020 mm wide x 1300 mm long), which can be put inside the elavating roof, given that the elevating roof is already fitted to the campervan's steel roof.
Note, that at the Westfalia factory, in 1972/73, the elevating-roof bed, might have been fitted first, before the elevating roof was fitted to the campervan's steel roof!
The elevating-roof bed, with a 15~16mm thick multi-ply, plywood baseboard and 30 mm thick upholstery (cloth-covered, high-density foam polymer), has a maximum rated load capacity of 80 kilograms.
As an adult, of 1•79 metres tall, I have commonly slept alone, on this elevating-roof bed, but I weigh much less than 80 kilograms! It might be practical to increase the thickness of the plywood baseboard, to make a bed of greater maximum load capacity, but one might be limited, by the maximum load capacity of the campervan's steel roof, which supports the elevating-roof bed.
It might also be practical, to slightly increase the thickness of the cloth & foam upholstery (normally 30mm thick), but you will need to check how much clearance would be available, between the upper, flat surface of the elevating-roof bed's main baseboard and the underside, of the right-hand & left-hand limits, of the curved elevating roof, when the elevating roof is fastened down with the rubber toggles.
The front hinges, which support the front of the elevating-roof bed and attach it to the campervan's steel roof, are of a special type, but I think it should be possible to create a slightly different hinge system, using two or more conventional hinges and shaped wooden blocks. I shall draw a sketch, of how I think this might be done. At some stage, you will need to temporarily remove the steel roof's, 3mm thick plywood headlining, to gain access to the underside of the steel roof, to fix in place, the elevating-roof bed's front hinges.
I have never slept in a folding cot of the type fitted to non-British specification, pre-1974/75 VW type 2 Westfalia campervans, but if it is anything like the cab bunk, akin to an old-style casualty stretcher, with canvas and two longitudinal poles, then I imagine it would be most uncomfortable; having 'slept' in a similar stretcher bunk, in a Commer "Highwayman", coachbuilt motorcaravan, borrowed by my father, back in the late-1960s or early-1970s.
As a consequence of impacting against the hard metal poles, during the night, the experience resulted in bruised knees, if not elbows as well, if I recall correctly! If my supposition is correct, then I can appreciate why many owners of non-British specification, pre-1974/75 VW Type 2, Westfalia campervans, with front-hinged elevating roofs, would wish to replace the single-berth folding cot, with a two-berth, upholstered plywood, elevating-roof bed, as factory-fitted to my 1973 VW Type 2, Westfalia Continental campervan.
My 1973 VW Type 2, Westfalia Continental campervan is presently stored in my grandparent's garage. The low garage-roof, prevents me from raising the campervan's elevating roof, beyond half-height, so it is not possible to measure everything or see all parts of the elevating-roof interior and parts of the elevating-roof bed; especially the front hinges, which support the front of the elevating-roof bed and attach it to the campervan's steel roof.
The campervan has no engine installed and the sloping driveway leading to the garage, will not allow me to push the campervan outside (to fully raise the elevating roof, to inspect things, take photographs and complete measurements!) and then push it back in the garage. I am slowly doing modification and refurbishment work on the campervan, so it will be many months before I install the DIY built replacement engine; which is a 1911cc, WO-series, VW 17/1800 Type4 style hybrid engine, instead of the original 1584cc, AD-series, VW 1600 Type 1 style engine.
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Regards.
Nigel A. Skeet
Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.
Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper
Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)
http://www.vwt2oc.net
Last edited by NASkeet on Thu Oct 16, 2008 5:34 am; edited 5 times in total |
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i_am_cool_fred
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Joined: June 26, 2004
Posts: 1743
Location: Benton, AR
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| Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 7:34 am Post subject: |
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how do you get up there with the bed down? how do you fold the bed down while you are up there? i would love to be able to sleep in the loft but my stock fold out cot won't hold my fat a$$$
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NASkeet
Samba Member
Joined: April 29, 2006
Posts: 2958
Location: South Benfleet, Essex, UK
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| Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 7:59 am Post subject: Westfalia Continental, elevating-roof bed |
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| i_am_cool_fred wrote: |
| how do you get up there with the bed down? how do you fold the bed down while you are up there? i would love to be able to sleep in the loft but my stock fold out cot won't hold my fat a$$$ |
Once the elevating-roof bed is in the horizontal position, the pillow section folds down, to gain access to the bed and elevating-roof space. However, if you measure more than 285 mm between your dorsal & ventral surfaces (i.e. front to rear), then you're too fat to climb through the aperture!
If the bed is not in use, when the elevating roof is raised, the bed can also be raised and supported by the rubber fastening toggles, providing additional headroom.
If you look carefully, you will see both features illustrated in the diagram.
_________________
Regards.
Nigel A. Skeet
Independent tutor (semi-retired) of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.
Much modified, RHD 1973 VW "1600" Type 2 Westfalia Continental campervan, with the World's only decent, cross-over-arm, SWF pantograph rear-window wiper
Onetime member, plus former Technical Editor & Editor of Transporter Talk magazine
Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club (Great Britain)
http://www.vwt2oc.net |
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Redd73
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Joined: March 05, 2007
Posts: 836
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| Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 8:19 am Post subject: |
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well as far as these beds you plan to make.
will they hold more than 180 pounds as is suggested in the original brochures posted here?
my only issue with this kind of bed is that its too short up there for me. there isnt enough area for me to fit up there even if i dropped the 20 pounds to meet the 180 mark. ive thought of putting a 74 or later pop top on mine and building a custom bed myself to fit that would be on a frame to account for the non flat roof in the 73.
good luck with the project though and definetly keep us posted. it looks cool.
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73 Westy 2000cc w/dual solex (engine code GE) + aftermarket AC |
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Vintage Auto Werks1
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Joined: October 20, 2002
Posts: 453
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| Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 9:07 am Post subject: |
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| This looks remarkably like the picture, that I posted in The Samba Gallery, just a few months ago! |
It looks just like your picture you posted because it was the picture you posted!!! Will give you credit for the picture. |
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rjonas
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Joined: July 24, 2004
Posts: 644
Location: Chandler, AZ
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| Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 1:51 pm Post subject: Re: Westfalia Continental, elevating-roof bed |
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| NASkeet wrote: |
| i_am_cool_fred wrote: |
| how do you get up there with the bed down? how do you fold the bed down while you are up there? i would love to be able to sleep in the loft but my stock fold out cot won't hold my fat a$$$ |
Once the elevating-roof bed is in the horizontal position, the pillow section folds down, to gain access to the bed and elevating-roof space. However, if you measure more than 285 mm between your dorsal & ventral surfaces (i.e. front to rear), then you're too fat to climb through the aperture! |
Damn. You know your stuff. Now if you just speak inches instead of mm.
1.79 meters x 100 /25.4 /12 = @ 5' 10" tall. I could almost fit there.
285mm/ 25.4 = 11.22" I'm in.
179lbs and I would have space for a chilidog before bed.
I like the double bed idea as the little fold out cot is too small for anyone in my family.
Is this called a "Continental" or is there some other term to search for pictures with? I would like to build this. Thanks for all your detailed measurements I just hope something vital is not lost in translation.
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1973 Type-181 Thing "Velma"
1956 Type-1 Beetle Patina Project “Rosie”
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palemoon
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Joined: December 13, 2006
Posts: 152
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| Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 3:05 pm Post subject: |
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Hi STEVEM49090 
I have a 73 westy, automatic, very nice camper. I like to have upstairs bedroom also, except that I do not know how to build anything 
bad shoulder and weak arm does not allow me to lift anything at all. When you finish this project, maybe you can install it in my camper if by any chance you travel to northern california to visit the redwoods. You'll be welcome to stay in our farm and eat home cooked meals and go to the river and the ocean 
I 'll be happy to pay what you want.
Cheers  |
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barefootwestie
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Joined: September 19, 2005
Posts: 1551
Location: Johns Island, SC
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| Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 6:16 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for posting this information. The top bunk is my 7 year olds planned bed for our first camping trip, but I have been concerned with him rolling out of the cot during the night. This suggestion would cure that problem. In fact, If I lose about 10 lbs (which my goal is 15 lbs) and @ 5'10", I should be able to fit. This is great! I probably will not make anything too permanent, but will certainly take the general idea.
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1973 Westfalia
"Getting better....one repair at a time."
Other VW's owned through the years, in no particular order:
'67 Beetle,
'67 Ghia Hardtop,
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'72 Westfalia |
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busdaddy
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Joined: February 12, 2004
Posts: 51128
Location: Surrey B.C. Canada, but thinking of Ukraine
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| Posted: Thu Jan 24, 2008 9:34 pm Post subject: Re: Westfalia Continental, elevating-roof bed |
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| rjonas wrote: |
| I would have space for a chilidog before bed. |
If you're eating chili dogs before bed you'll end up having the whole camper to yourself in no time  .
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