TheSamba.com :: View topic - How Hard and How Much to Convert to Camper Interior

Sun Feb 10, 2008 7:03 pm

I was wondering how hard and how much it typically costs to take a fully restored bus with just seats and add the camper interior. I am not concerned about historical accuracy, and actually would prefer that the interior be as comfortable as possible but look classy, with lots of wood, but originality is not as important to me.

There may be a post on this already; not sure after searching.

Thanks.

Sun Feb 10, 2008 7:09 pm

I've got a Split Riviera Interior, where are you located? I would love to get this thing outta the garage.

Sun Feb 10, 2008 7:54 pm

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=210866&highlight=convert+camper

i did some more searching and found this link.

Sun Feb 10, 2008 10:00 pm

Seems like we share similar tastes - I've done lots of searching in this regard. In addition to VWCurtains and BusFurniture, the Camper Shak (http://www.thecampershak.co.uk/) also have nice camper interiors. I don't know why, but there doesn't seem to be any USA company that specializes in doing this, only UK companies. My Westy interior is in excellent shape and I'm not going to alter it, but (sorry to all the purists!) I'm not very fond of its design and layout.

Someone here hired a carpenter to copy an entire Westy interior (same layout but with real wood replacing formica). Don't remember how much... somewhere between $3-6000. But it looked very nice. Most others I guess (in the US at least) just build themselves, just like they're do-it-yourselfers in regards to maintaining the mechanical aspects of their buses.

Leo

Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:28 am

looking4westy wrote: I was wondering how hard and how much it typically costs to take a fully restored bus with just seats and add the camper interior. I am not concerned about historical accuracy, and actually would prefer that the interior be as comfortable as possible but look classy, with lots of wood, but originality is not as important to me.

There may be a post on this already; not sure after searching.

Thanks.

The hard part is covering up all those extra windows on the roof so the sun doesn't get in your eyes when you're trying to sleep. :)

Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:39 am

This is what I am doing with my 59 standard. I got most of the westy parts from a 64 bus. I have walkthrough jumpseat but I am looking for or might build a non walkthrough one. All this just fit right in.

I got a 70s Coleman icebox for beer and food. I have templates to try my hand at wood panels.

Its not hard to bring it back to original, swap panels and put in rear seat, my bus was m-coded not to have a middle seat.

My bus might have been a camper in its past life, because there are curtain hanger holes by all the windows. I will just use those. So far, the only holes I have put in my bus are for seat belts.

Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:46 am

There's a guy by my house that takes naked finished Kombi or Standard interiors and makes them into so-42 types for around $4000 with curtains and reefer and all the cushions ready to roll. I hope I'm remembering correct and, of course, the closer you get the more the story changes.

Mon Feb 11, 2008 9:40 am

I scored on a full setup out of an EARLY (68 interior) Baywindow westy for $25. I then picked up an icebox or another $25. I then bought another z-bed in more mint condition for $30. I picked up the door table and all curtain rods for $100. My friend traded me some back curtain rods for one of mine and some extra curtains free.

So I'm into it for $180. I still haven't installed any of it but hopefully will this spring. My time and labor is free.

Tue Feb 12, 2008 12:33 am

Two women had removed the camper interior from their 1978 westy so they could haul stuff and sold the whole interior, including ice box, for $15. Like I had done to my 1957 kombi bus years earlier, I put the bay window interior in my 1963 walk-thru camper body: I used a jig saw to shorten the cabinet at the rear, cut a small notch in the top left front of the closet, and did a little cutting at the bottom of the rear wall in the closet, put the z bed in, mounted the ice box (I had to re-do the two eye bolts), and put the padded wooden seat on the other side, behind the driver's seat. The spice rack went on the rear side cargo door. For $15, it looks marvelous. :D