In a message dated 3/7/03 8:41:44 PM Pacific Standard Time, JordanVw writes:

<< the plywood subfloor in a westy is substantial enough to do the job
without all the extra work of ripping up the floor and welding in those metal
cups.. >>

Chris,

I doubt that a hole in the plywood can withstand the ripping action created
by the forces generated in a collision. But then I am not an automotive crash
test engineer. I don't know about you. What I do know is I would rather err
on the side of safety rather than convenience. Why do you think the engineers
at VW put that STEEL cup there instead of just drilling a hole in the wood?
If it was only a standard part of the Vanagon body they would have them in
ALL Vanagon bodies. They are only in the jumpseat equipped vans because they
are NEEDED there. VW doesn't always get it right. However, in this case, I
believe they knew what they were doing. Why defeat that engineering? Think.
Think. Think.

BenT