Rebuilding Your Westfalia Rear Seat/Bed - VW Camper Family2024-03-29T13:54:03Zhttps://vwcamperfamily.ning.com/forum/topics/rebuilding-your-westfalia-rear?commentId=4450389%3AComment%3A21906&feed=yes&xn_auth=noThat turned out pretty sweet!…tag:vwcamperfamily.ning.com,2011-03-06:4450389:Comment:210842011-03-06T19:21:45.807ZJake Whitehttps://vwcamperfamily.ning.com/profile/JakeWhite
That turned out pretty sweet! Congrats on completing the project!
That turned out pretty sweet! Congrats on completing the project! To finish things off I added…tag:vwcamperfamily.ning.com,2011-03-06:4450389:Comment:219072011-03-06T05:52:42.134ZGreg Urrutiahttps://vwcamperfamily.ning.com/profile/GregUrrutia
<p>To finish things off I added this table complete with a map of the US. I was lucky to find the table at a Pick-N-Pull from an old cab over camper.</p>
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<p><a href="http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/BadDogRacing_2008/ShastaBus/pianobed005-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-full" src="http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/BadDogRacing_2008/ShastaBus/pianobed005-1.jpg"></img></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Westy Bed is comfy as both a seat and a bed. So comfy that it rivals my bed at home for a good nights sleep. I have been told that black material is not the best choice for it can be…</p>
<p>To finish things off I added this table complete with a map of the US. I was lucky to find the table at a Pick-N-Pull from an old cab over camper.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/BadDogRacing_2008/ShastaBus/pianobed005-1.jpg"><img class="align-full" src="http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/BadDogRacing_2008/ShastaBus/pianobed005-1.jpg"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Westy Bed is comfy as both a seat and a bed. So comfy that it rivals my bed at home for a good nights sleep. I have been told that black material is not the best choice for it can be hot on a warm evening. So far it has been very comfortable and I like the fact that the darker material is easier to keep it looking clean.</p>
<p>So far I have 6 nights of camping on the bed and it has been wonderful. All things totaled, I have about $350.00 in costs for materials and it took me about 10 hours in labor.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Let's go Camping!</p> The finishing touch was the m…tag:vwcamperfamily.ning.com,2011-03-06:4450389:Comment:210812011-03-06T05:37:03.769ZGreg Urrutiahttps://vwcamperfamily.ning.com/profile/GregUrrutia
<p>The finishing touch was the material to cover the foam with. My seamstress had a number of material samples and we found something that perfectly matched the front seats. She did the final installation and upholstery of the foam and vinyl material.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/BadDogRacing_2008/ShastaBus/1stBday003.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-full" src="http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/BadDogRacing_2008/ShastaBus/1stBday003.jpg"></img></a></p>
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<p>The foam was glued to the wood platforms and the material was cut,…</p>
<p>The finishing touch was the material to cover the foam with. My seamstress had a number of material samples and we found something that perfectly matched the front seats. She did the final installation and upholstery of the foam and vinyl material.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/BadDogRacing_2008/ShastaBus/1stBday003.jpg"><img class="align-full" src="http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/BadDogRacing_2008/ShastaBus/1stBday003.jpg"/></a></p>
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<p>The foam was glued to the wood platforms and the material was cut, stitched, and stapled over the foam. Instead of using long wood screws and/or lag bolts, I decided to through bolt the platforms to the frame using carriage bolts and nuts.</p>
<p>The rear cushion that sits over the engine is just material over foam, just like the original Westy design</p>
<p>So here is how it looks in the bed position.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/BadDogRacing_2008/ShastaBus/pianobed011.jpg"><img class="align-full" src="http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/BadDogRacing_2008/ShastaBus/pianobed011.jpg"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
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<p> </p> To keep things comfy I did ta…tag:vwcamperfamily.ning.com,2011-03-06:4450389:Comment:219062011-03-06T05:25:45.208ZGreg Urrutiahttps://vwcamperfamily.ning.com/profile/GregUrrutia
<p>To keep things comfy I did take Regis's advise and bought mattress quality foam. I searched on ebay and found some memory foam much like the Temper-Pedic products.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/BadDogRacing_2008/ShastaBus/1stBday002.jpg"><img class="align-full" src="http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/BadDogRacing_2008/ShastaBus/1stBday002.jpg"/></a></p>
<p>To keep things comfy I did take Regis's advise and bought mattress quality foam. I searched on ebay and found some memory foam much like the Temper-Pedic products.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/BadDogRacing_2008/ShastaBus/1stBday002.jpg"><img class="align-full" src="http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/BadDogRacing_2008/ShastaBus/1stBday002.jpg"/></a></p> After initial fitting and tes…tag:vwcamperfamily.ning.com,2011-03-06:4450389:Comment:218252011-03-06T05:19:04.637ZGreg Urrutiahttps://vwcamperfamily.ning.com/profile/GregUrrutia
<p>After initial fitting and testing of the seat bottom, I decided there were too many holes in the seat base. It felt weak and flimsy and seemed to bow too much when you sat on it. I decided to make another base and only used about half as many holes. I then sealed the wood with 3 coats of primer. I also cut and finished the seat back.</p>
<p>I also sealed the cargo area floor with POR15 before installing the seat/bed frame</p>
<p> …</p>
<p></p>
<p>After initial fitting and testing of the seat bottom, I decided there were too many holes in the seat base. It felt weak and flimsy and seemed to bow too much when you sat on it. I decided to make another base and only used about half as many holes. I then sealed the wood with 3 coats of primer. I also cut and finished the seat back.</p>
<p>I also sealed the cargo area floor with POR15 before installing the seat/bed frame</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/BadDogRacing_2008/ShastaBus/1stBday006.jpg"><img class="align-full" src="http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/BadDogRacing_2008/ShastaBus/1stBday006.jpg"/></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p> I used the old seat platform…tag:vwcamperfamily.ning.com,2011-03-06:4450389:Comment:212002011-03-06T05:11:02.373ZGreg Urrutiahttps://vwcamperfamily.ning.com/profile/GregUrrutia
I used the old seat platform as a template and cut a new one out of thick plywood. Then I spent the rest of the day [i]"Swiss Cheesing"[/i] the base.<br></br>I bought new hole saw blades thinking nice sharp teeth will cut through the plywood like butter. <br></br>Well....not so much.<br></br>Started with my 3/8 drill. After a couple holes, the drill was heating up. I got my 1/2 drill and it seemed to work better, but the blades still got very hot. I would switch back and forth using the 3/8 drill to cut…
I used the old seat platform as a template and cut a new one out of thick plywood. Then I spent the rest of the day [i]"Swiss Cheesing"[/i] the base.<br/>I bought new hole saw blades thinking nice sharp teeth will cut through the plywood like butter. <br/>Well....not so much.<br/>Started with my 3/8 drill. After a couple holes, the drill was heating up. I got my 1/2 drill and it seemed to work better, but the blades still got very hot. I would switch back and forth using the 3/8 drill to cut the smaller holes and the 1/2 to cut the big holes allowing the drills to cool down.<br/>If I had another set of hands, I would have tried using the drill press. <br/><br/>Why the holes? <br/>I learned today that seat cushions made of vinyl or leather need to breathe. When you plop down on the seat the air trapped under the material will exhaust through the holes. Seat covers made from fabric are porous and don't need the exhausting holes.<br/>Interesting trivia! Another spin off benefit is a slight weight savings in the construction.<br/><br/><br/>[img]<a href="http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/BadDogRacing_2008/forsale/pianobed009.jpg" target="_blank">http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii101/BadDogRacing_2008/forsale/pianobed009.jpg</a>[/img]<br/><br/><br/>The original wood didn't seem to be treated with anything, but I think will coat them with sealer and/or paint after the wood is sanded and the edges are beveled.[/quote] Some pictures here that might…tag:vwcamperfamily.ning.com,2011-01-16:4450389:Comment:158802011-01-16T04:54:29.000ZThe Canterbury'shttps://vwcamperfamily.ning.com/profile/ChrisRebeccaIvoandEmi
<p>Some pictures here that might help</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/canterburyfour/sets/72157617071629339/" target="_blank">http://www.flickr.com/photos/canterburyfour/sets/72157617071629339/</a></p>
<p>Some pictures here that might help</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/canterburyfour/sets/72157617071629339/" target="_blank">http://www.flickr.com/photos/canterburyfour/sets/72157617071629339/</a></p> I used the old seat platform…tag:vwcamperfamily.ning.com,2010-11-12:4450389:Comment:116882010-11-12T02:35:05.000ZGreg Urrutiahttps://vwcamperfamily.ning.com/profile/GregUrrutia
I used the old seat platform as a template and cut a new one out of thick plywood. Then I spent the rest of the day "Swiss Cheesing" the base.<br />
I bought new hole saw blades thinking nice sharp teeth will cut through the plywood like butter.<br />
Well....not so much.<br />
Started with my 3/8 drill. After a couple holes, the drill was heating up. I got my 1/2 drill and it seemed to work better, but the blades still got very hot. I would switch back and forth using the 3/8 drill to cut the smaller holes and…
I used the old seat platform as a template and cut a new one out of thick plywood. Then I spent the rest of the day "Swiss Cheesing" the base.<br />
I bought new hole saw blades thinking nice sharp teeth will cut through the plywood like butter.<br />
Well....not so much.<br />
Started with my 3/8 drill. After a couple holes, the drill was heating up. I got my 1/2 drill and it seemed to work better, but the blades still got very hot. I would switch back and forth using the 3/8 drill to cut the smaller holes and the 1/2 to cut the big holes allowing the drills to cool down.<br />
If I had another set of hands, I would have tried using the drill press.<br />
<br />
Why the holes?<br />
I learned today that seat cushions made of vinyl or leather need to breathe. When you plop down on the seat the air trapped under the material will exhaust through the holes. Seat covers made from fabric are porous and don't need the exhausting holes.<br />
Interesting trivia! Another spin off benefit is a slight weight savings in the construction.<br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img width="540" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1938772506?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
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The original wood didn't seem to be treated with anything, but I think will coat them with sealer and/or paint after the wood is sanded and the edges are beveled. Next step was to pull apart t…tag:vwcamperfamily.ning.com,2010-11-12:4450389:Comment:116862010-11-12T02:31:53.000ZGreg Urrutiahttps://vwcamperfamily.ning.com/profile/GregUrrutia
Next step was to pull apart the seat bottom to get at the wood base.<br />
The old one was rotted and flimsy. The screws where stripped and/or broken. Note the screw plate I found under the foam.<br />
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1938772510?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="721"></img></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1938774342?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="721"></img></p>
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I did not know the plates where even there. They appear to be galvanized and although the are discolored there was no rust. I may just wire wheel them, straighten them out, paint, and re-use…
Next step was to pull apart the seat bottom to get at the wood base.<br />
The old one was rotted and flimsy. The screws where stripped and/or broken. Note the screw plate I found under the foam.<br />
<br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1938772510?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1938774342?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
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I did not know the plates where even there. They appear to be galvanized and although the are discolored there was no rust. I may just wire wheel them, straighten them out, paint, and re-use them. I used as much of the old pia…tag:vwcamperfamily.ning.com,2010-11-10:4450389:Comment:115442010-11-10T06:03:03.000ZGreg Urrutiahttps://vwcamperfamily.ning.com/profile/GregUrrutia
I used as much of the old piano hardware as I could and bought some stainless hardware carriage bolts. washers, and nuts as needed. By the end of day 2, I managed to assemble the bed/seat base. This wood is from the upright sides of the piano. I mounted a piece of aluminum angle across the top of the front base board to help protect the wood.<br></br>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img alt="" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1938772288?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="721"></img></p>
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Tomorrow I hope to get the bed baseboards made up and fit onto the assembly. Next…
I used as much of the old piano hardware as I could and bought some stainless hardware carriage bolts. washers, and nuts as needed. By the end of day 2, I managed to assemble the bed/seat base. This wood is from the upright sides of the piano. I mounted a piece of aluminum angle across the top of the front base board to help protect the wood.<br/>
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img width="721" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1938772288?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" alt=""/></p>
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Tomorrow I hope to get the bed baseboards made up and fit onto the assembly. Next step will be to trial fit the seat/bed into the Bus